Children Were Left Without a Mother, the Oldest Being Six Ole Had One Brother, Jens, Who Homesteaded the Land Years of Age
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children were left without a mother, the oldest being six Ole had one brother, Jens, who homesteaded the land years of age. Clara, being 10 years old, and the oldest, next to him and they hved as neighbors. was left with the responsibility of acting as the mother in Hanna died Jan. 6,1916. Ole died Oct. 31,1939. the family, caring for the younger children. No churches were built until later. Ministers would Money was not plentiful, so both she and her sister, come from other localities and hold services in homes, Josie, had to go out working as hired girls whenever they and later in schoolhouses. could. They would even help shock grain, a day's hard work would bring them wages enough to buy themselves JOHN P. LIEN FAMILY a $2 pair of shoes. Their education, which was very limited, was obtained at the Tallack School in Vesta Township. During her youth, Clara often returned to the Grafton area to stay with and help her aunt, Mrs. Iver Brende, who had a family of six girls and one boy. Submitted by Mrs. Henry Lundene (Selma Swen son). OLE P. LIEN Ole P. Lien was born July 29, 1854, in Ringebu, Gulbransdalen, Norway. He married Hanna Volden, born Feb. 17, 1856, also of Gulbransdalen. VVhile in Norway one son was bom, John. Ole and Hanna Spangrudlien immigrated to the John P. Lien log home. Left to right: Ingvald, Martin, United States and settled in Fillmore County, Minn., in John M., Peter, cousins—Lena, Annie, John 0. Lien 1880, where another son, Peter, was bom. While in (children of Ole Lien. Standing in front: Otto and Millie, Minnesota Ole decided to make a change in his name children of John P. Lien. which was customary for immigrants in those days. He felt his name was too long so decided to drop "Spangrud" July 25,1852, Johannes (Jens) was born at Ringeboe, and added his father's initial, P.. to make Ole P. Lien. Guldbradsdalen, Norway, to Peter Pederson They moved west to Renville County and while there, Spangrudlien and the former Mary Klaven. Jens was the a daughter, Anna, was born. In the spring of 1883 they sixth child. They had eight boys and three girls, all bom settled in Vesta Township and filed on a homestead. The in Norway. Peter and Mary never came to the United land was not yet surveyed. They constructed their first States, but the last eight children came and none home on high ground. The house was dug three feet into returned to Norway. They were Lars, Ostern, Johnannes, the ground with walls of sod, one window, one room, and Ole, Mathea, Torger, Martinus and Otto. The three older a pole roof covered with sod. It was heated with a cook children were Anne, Barbara and Peter. Jens came in stove. Beds were grass mattresses on the dirt floor, 1873 and made his home in Fillmore County, Minn. His lights from homemade candles, window curtains made name was changed to John P. Lien. from paper. As the family grew, one more large room Marie Docken was bom July 17, 1855, at Ringeboe, was added to the home. Guldbradsdalen, Norway, . daughter of Hans and Milk and butter from their two cows was their first Ingeborg Docken. She came to the United States in 1875 income. These cows would be staked out to keep from to LaCrosse, Wise. Her brother was working at Winona, wandering. If they wandered, they came home with their Minn., so she stayed there until her marriage on Feb. 7, bags empty. 1877, to John P. Lien, hving there for a year and in Renvide County for four years. Two sons, Peter and Sheep were kept for their wool which Hanna would Herman, were bom. In 1882, the family moved to Vesta card and spin into yarn, then knit into garments for the Township and homesteaded. Their first home, built into whole family. Soap was made from waste fat and lye. the side of a hill, was constructed of togs with a sod roof. Fourteen children were born to Ole and Hanna, John, The rest of the members of the family, except the last Peter, Anna, Lena, Mollie, Henry, Hilda, Oluf, Harold, one, were bom in this tiny home. In the early 1900's, John Alvin, Arthur, Selmer and Ida. One other son, Oluf, died moved a two-story, two room, log house by taking it ad in infancy. apart and hauling it by wagon a few miles, to rebuild it on Ole used oxen to plow and work his land at first and the location near their log home. He added a two room, stated they were better than horses because they could east wing, and finished it off by putting siding over the fare on the abundant prairie grass. Ole also remarked he entire house. Tdda, the youngest chdd, was born in this considered the greatest asset to the pioneers was the home in 1902. John budt the other buddings on the farm. grass and sod - food for all the livestock and also building material for the home. He farmed 160 acres, including pasture. His fields Besides being a great asset, the prairie grass was were worked by a walking plow and other equipment. also a fearful hazard. Sometimes it would catch fire and Cooking was done on an old wood stove, waffles being bum over many miles in length and destroy homes and the main food for company. Marie served many waffles livestock. to many guests in her day! She did ad her baking, spun Ole hauled his first grain to Grafton with oxen, 28 wool into yarn on the spinning wheel and knit mittens and miles, this took two days. After the railroad came to stockings for her family. She also had a large garden and Park River the trip was much shorter. chickens to care for. As time became better Ole built a new home from During the Christmas holidays, the famdy, relatives lumber in 1906. This was also the year the railroad came and friends would celebrate, taking turns untd Jan. 6 to Adams. Now the distance to town was four miles. each year. There were ad kinds of Norwegian foods ion .