Before Mr. Venberg and his family moved to ing with his father, Nels, and his brother, Leonard. California, Andrew in 1904 and Andrew Berdahl in He married Helen Rinde Jan. 26, 1916. They had 1906 and later, Olaf Fedje in 1920, all nephews from three sons, Allan, Richard and Donald. He married Eva , joined the partnership. Venberg continued as a Dahl Halvorson in June, 1959. partner until 1925 and sold the building to them later. He was a charter member of the Hoople Lutheran Submitted by Beatrice Fedje. Church and was on the school board for several years. His father grew the first potatoes on a commercial basis in the Red River Valley in 1907. Charles accompanied the first carload of potatoes that went to market in Kansas City. Folson farmed extensively in grain and potato growing for many years in the Hoople and Crystal area. Submitted by Mrs. Charles Folson and Mrs. Dan Folson. NELS FOLSON FAMILY Nels Folson was born March 5,1858, son of Christian Folson and Gunhild Kragness, in Houston County, Minn. He spent his childhood and young manhood years in Houston County. He moved to Moorhead, Minn., when he was 20 years old. There he married Annie Storaslee in 1880. Shortly after their marriage, they settled on a farm in Glenwood Township five miles south of Hoople. Five children were born to them and one year after the last Mr. and Mrs. Ole A. Fedje, Hoople child was bom, his wife died (1893). Folson moved with his children to Hoople. He sold his CHARLES FOLSON farm and began to buy and sell grain. He expanded on this business and then discovered the valley was satisfactory for growing potatoes. He grew 20 acres one year and he increased that to 100 acres the following year. He shipped the first carload of potatoes out of North Dakota in 1907. To this day, he is recognized as one of the pioneers in the potato industry and was called the dean of North Dakota potato growers. His children's names were Minnie, Marion, Henry, Tilda and Charles. In 1897, he married Ida Anderson; one son, Leonard, was born to them. She died in 1937. He farmed in part­ nership with his two sons, Charles and Leonard. He built the first potato warehouse of North Dakota in Hoople in 1908 and with his sons, farmed hundreds of acres in the Hoople, Crystal and Edinburg areas. Nels Folson died in Charles Folson in his potato field. 1948. Submitted by Mrs. Charles Folson and Mrs. Donald Folson.

1924 shock loader at Nels Folson farm, a labor saver. Charles Folson was born Sept. 16, 1887, the son of Nels Folson and Annie Storaslee. His first four years were spent on a farm in Glenwood Township, five miles south of Hoople. He moved into Hoople with his father after his mother died in 1893. He attended St. Olaf's College and North Dakota Agricultural College. He Wedding of Nels Folson and Ida Anderson. started farming and later formed a partnersnip in farm