| Summary: | Helgeson in Norway. They were both born in 1837. There was no 'son'on the end of the name at this time. Christ was less than a year old when his family came over on the sailboat "Concordia". This Atlantic crossing took 13 weeks, having encountered some calms and some storms. They were out of both food and water before they landed. The year was 1866. In the year 1905, Christ, Henry and Sam arrived in Divide County to take a homestead. A year or two later Tom and cousin Pete arrived. Henry got a little tired of batching it; so he returned to "the East" and married Freda Thompson in 1908 who was born in Alvdal, Osterdal, Norway in 1881. Henry and Freda Semingson were blessed with three children: Florence Stella who lives in Minneapolis with her daughter Mary Ann and her husband Arthur Brown. Harry Samuel lives with his wife in St. Louis Park, Minn. He has a son, Michael Harry. Mae is married to Warren Nelson and they live in San Marino, Calif, and they have two daughters, Kristine and Laurie Lee. THE NELS SKABO FAMILY Nels Skabo, son of Torger and MaritSkabo,natives of Skaabu community, Gudbransdalen, in Vinstra, Norway, came to the United States in 1906. After spending two and a half years in Minnesota, he came to Divide County, in 1909. He attended one year atthe Agriculture College at Fargo, then entered the Hanson Auto School. After farming for a time, he took the contract for carrying mail out of Alkabo. The contract expired on July first and he retired after thirty-three years under contract. Starting on a part time basis he has worked as auto mechanic for the Tuftdal Chevrolet Company since 1944. In October 1930 he and Myrtle Bloom, daughter of Louie O. and Malena Bloom, were married. She at- Mr. and Mrs. Nels Skabo tended schools in Minnesota, Washington, and North Dakota, going on to the State Teachers Colleges of Minot and Valley City till the Second Grade Professional Certificate was secured. Correspondence and extension work were continued through the years and she earned her award from Epsilon Sigma Omicron, an organization providing for continuing education for Federated Club Women. Her teaching years at Taylor, Alkabo, Fortuna, and Flaxton qualified her for the Teachers Retirement Annuity in 1963. Other positions held were Auditor of Divide County; School Supervisor of Renton, Washington, 1944; Superintendent of Divide County Schools 1945-1947; Memberships were held in NDEA, NEA, Administrative Women in Education, County Commander American Cancer Society, Board member of American Red Cross, Historian for the Dames of the Round Table Federated Club, Den Mother for Cub Scouts, District President of the W.T.C.U., Sunday School Teacher in the Concordia Lutheran Church, ending with being a member of the Divide County Library Board since January 1957, and District President of the Third District of the state's Federated Clubs. Her hobbies were politics, reading, drama and writing. The Nels Skabos have twin sons. Leland D. who married Joan Sharnowski and they live in Ellendale where he teaches at the college. They have one son, Jay Warren. Leland enlisted in the navy where he was assigned to office work with his time including the experience of a winter in Antartica. Lowell T. who married Verna DeBilt lives in Syracuse, New York where he is an Electronic Computer Programmer. They have one son, Kirk Jon. Lowell enlisted in the United States Army and served with the 33rd Army Band in Germany. P. S. - Myrtle, Mrs. Nels Skabo, passed away after the above was written, on June 26, 1964. EDDIE SWONDER Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Swonder farmed for ten years in Alexandria Township then they moved to Crosby, where Eddie went into the plumbing business. They have three children, Louise, Eddie Don and Steven. Both Eddie and Vivian were born and raised in Divide County. Eddie is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wenzel Swonder and Vivian is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Olaf Myhr. They were married at Minot, N. Dak. in 1942. One of the memorable happenings from the farm was when they had to employ soldiers to help with the harvest. They often think of how the sixteen soldiers they had, said they did not join Uncle Sam's Army to come to North Dakota to harvest wheat. JOHN THORSON John Odin Thorson was born in Vuku Verdalen, Norway in 1886. His parents were Tore and Mette Klykken. He came to Osakis, Minn, in 1906, to Rolette, North Dakota in 1908 and Crosby in 1914. He was an excellent carpenter, mechanic and electrician, operating the first light plant in Crosby, for Kately and Huso. The year of their marriage they bought a small house Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
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