Browse Items (6658 total)
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Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1924 November 30
Translation:
Sioux Falls, Nov. 30th 1924Dear children and grandchildren,
Your letter and the book “The Land-Taking” has been received and read. Great thanks for the book.
Oh yes, I know that Per Hansa and that Beret from the first year out here, many women stared until they were sick at this strange wilderness that they believed could never be inhabited, but this nesting did not last so long. Will get more about that Sörine and that Kjersti in the other part of the book.
James is reading it now and says that it is very interesting. It should also be more entertaining for the younger relatives and for us who have taken our part with that Per Hansa, that Hans Olsa, and Tönseten.
I should believe that this book will get raving sales in Norway. Here it will be too expensive; that’s one thing, and also that so many of our younger relatives cannot be bothered to read Norwegian.
I hope, then, that you get a little compensation for the great work.
I had decided to write you a letter on Thanksgiving, but then something got in the way. There are many things I am thinking of writing about, but when all is said and done it won’t be anything. There were a couple of sick people I was going to visit, and then the day went by. The one was old Ole Berdahl as an automobile driver drove by and disfigured him largely. The one leg was somewhat twisted and he got scratches on his head. But now after some 3 weeks’ time he is such that he is walking across the floor. But he has not been out yet.
It is only with the greatest vigilance that a pedestrian can come unscathed straight across the road.
Near Martha’s home a Mrs. Rogness was run over and killed a week ago.
She belonged to our congregation.
Now for two to three days I have struggled with a strong cold. Yesterday I had to stop at the office at dinner and it was hard for me to go home. Since I have mostly been in bed until this afternoon I feel well enough again, so I am hoping to be all good again tomorrow.
This evening we have a church service here in the church right by us, so I am thinking to go there. I don’t remember when I have managed to drop a church service because of sickness, but today I didn’t dare go out.
Have just this morning heard from Minneapolis that Martha Thompson’s baby died yesterday, and that Martha is very poorly herself. You all have well heard that her father and mother are up there at their place. It seems to be smallpox. The mother is quarantined with them, but Herman is at Prof. Hel’s place.
With a heartfelt greeting from Grandfather
[Along the side]
Just heard that Martha has written to Jennie today, so I won’t say any more this time.
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Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1925 January 1
Translation:Sioux Falls, 1st Jan. 1925
Dear Mr. Rølvaag and family,
A good and blessed New Year is wished to you.
In Jennie’s last letter there was a desire for me to give a little more information about the snowy winter in ‘80 and ‘81, also what year the railroad came to Sioux Falls.
The railway was finished for Luverne in the summer of 1877, but was not finished for Sioux Falls before all the way until the summer of 1878. This was The Northwestern, a branch built from Worthington, Minn.
The Milwaukee railway, which was then called Southern Minnesota, had its grade done to Sioux Falls from Flandreau on the Sioux Bottom just before the Oct. storm of 1880, but had not lain ties or rails. The terrible flood in the spring of 1881 washed out an entire portion of the roadbed so that the railway was not finished before all the way until the fall of 1882. So a little about the snowy winter.
The biggest snowfall began first in February. Before that time the roads were somewhat passable, as long as our one train to Sioux Falls struggled through, though very irregularly.
But from that time, around Feb. 7th, and further into April, the railway was blocked; for most of this time the primary railway from St. Paul and Sioux City as well. In the month of February we went nowhere, except for the neighbors in between and on the way to the schoolhouse.
Right in the month of March, we trod on the road, from neighbor to neighbor, from Highland 8-9 miles northeast from us to Sioux Falls. Strangely enough, this road remained passable for most of the time afterwards.
Not much in Sioux Falls, because when it led out in March, the merchants there did not have any more of what the people needed most, namely flour.
Most people had prepared themselves then enough for the entire winter. Those who did not had to grind wheat on their coffee grinder, sugar and coffee we could live without. In the city where people used coal for fire fuel, the supply ran out early in the winter, and then they had to resort to the lumber yard, and when the spring came all of the raw materials were used up, and the lumber that remained sailed away in the flood. At our place in the countryside we strove to dig up the height of the snow drifts; both what we used for fire fuel and that which the cattle were meant to have. I do not remember whether we got some news, like a newspaper or letters, during the three months of Feb., March, and Apr.
The last and almost worst snow storm we had was on the 4th of April. It was like a blizzard, otherwise we had no terrible wind storms that winter, but just enough to fill the small valleys and to pile up around the houses. We did not have any strong cold either. It was often rather mild when it snowed, at its best. I do not remember what time Easter came that year, but I think it was the middle of Apr. Either way I remember that it was Easter week when the mass of snow began to disintegrate into water. 4 to 6 feet of snow on even ground and up to 20 feet over the small valleys and dugouts, so there was water, you can believe, because it changed to warm weather all at once during Easter weekend. The entire Sioux Bottom was an ocean from bluff to bluff. Haystacks, small houses, and now and again livestock, could one see sailing away.
We did not come out to the field to do the spring work until May.
I cannot think of anything else that would be of interest to you. I am so glad that your book is receiving such a valid reception, it deserves it.
With best wishes for you and yours in the coming years.
Your father and grandfather,
Anders J. Berdahl
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Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1925 September 7
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1926 December 8
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1926 October 1
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1927 January 6
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1928 November 17
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1929 May 10
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1929 September 8
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1930 December 25
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1930 May 18
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Berdahl to the Ole Rølvaag family, 1930 October 26
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Heimark to Ole Rølvaag, 1926 February 8
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Andrew Thorson to Ole Rølvaag, 1927 November 9
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Anna Fuhr to Ole Rølvaag, 1920 June 13
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Anna Fuhr to Ole Rølvaag, 1921 April
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Anna Fuhr to Ole Rølvaag, 1921 June 20
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Anna Fuhr to Ole Rølvaag, 1925 August 28
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Anna Fuhr to Ole Rølvaag, 1925 November 16
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. -
Letter from Anna Fuhr to Ole Rølvaag, 1926 December 22
Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008.