Grondahl, Helene Kristiansdtr Grønvold

Born:     8 May 1852, Trysil, Østerdalen, Norway

Married: 30 Mar 1883, Trysil, Østerdalen, Norway

Died:     13 Nov 1928, Holt twp, Marshall co, MN

Buried:   Holt cemetery, Holt twp, Marshall co, MN

Spouse:  Magnus Pedersen Grondahl

Parents:  Kristian Olsen Grønvold

Helene Halvorsdtr Grøndalen, Søndre

My grandmother Helene Grondahl

While she lived in Norway her job was to take their cows up into the mountains to a summer farm or pasture. She milked the cows and made cheese. She had seventeen kinds of cheese she made and never had a written recipe to my knowledge. When she died those methods went with her according to what my dad told me.

In April 1886, Helene and Magnus packed their belongings and emigrated to America. With them were two daughters: Magna (Maggie) and Kaia (Constance). They went from Trysil to Oslo to board a sailing ship and head for the new land America along with many others from the same area.

On their trip to America, about half way across the Atlantic Ocean, the wind went down and for three days the ocean was without any waves. The water was smooth as glass and the boat stood still. Finally the captain said the ship would soon start to move. He saw a little cloud on the horizon and knew a front was coming. It took three weeks to travel from Norway to New York, but they made it. They arrived at Castle Garden. They took the train across the USA to Lowry, Minnesota where there was already a group of folks from Trysil. Some they knew; many may have been relatives. After a short time in Lowry they moved northwest to Argusville, North Dakota, north of Fargo about 12 miles, where my mother’s sister Kari Østby lived and had a small farm. Helene and Magnus also bought a piece of land. How they got their money I don’t know but they survived.

Helene’s sister Tina and brother Karsten had settled in Marshall county, Minnesota and sent word that there was land there available for homesteading. So Magnus and Helene sold their land in North Dakota for $300, bought a team of horses, a wagon and one cow, packed up the family and headed northeast from Argusville 120 miles to Marshall County with hopes of a new beginning. Imagine! No roads. Only Indian trails, rivers to cross, swamps to go around. They lived on meager supplies but they had milk. It took about ten days to get there. When they got to the piece of land, my grandpa looked down on the ground and said “pea vine”. Pea vine is a wild form of alfalfa with pretty bluish purple flowers and is a wild type of legume. He knew it was a good grass for the cow, the #1 thing they needed to survive. Because my grandmother knew what to with the milk; make cheese and butter and drink the milk. There were four 40 acre pieces of land, all in a row. No roads, no ditches, few trees. But there were large swamps with lots of ducks, muskrats, lots of wolves but no deer. In the south corner of the southeast end of the property where there was a high piece of ground, they built their house of logs. One room with a dirt floor. Now they had a spot to start a new life. The house was placed within 1-1/2 mile of Helene’s sister, Tina Davidson and 2 miles distance to brother Carsten’s. The Ringbo Store and postoffice were 1-1/2 miles to the south. There was free range for the cow to pick whatever kind of plant that excited her taste buds. They dug a root cellar to keep fruit, vegetable and most of all, to keep the milk, butter and cheese. I am sure none went to waste.

My grandmother brought with her a culture to add to the fresh milk. Norwegians, Swedes, Finlanders all used this culture. In English we call it “thick milk”. When you put the seed or a tablespoon of this in a gallon of warm fresh milk it sets up a bacterial action. It takes about 12 hours to get it started and put it in a syrup can in cold water in the root cellar or the hand dug well to keep it cool. It begins to get thick. If milk or cream sours it starts to get lumpy and the minerals and solids and whey come apart. This doesn’t do that; it stays together but it gets real stringy, has a “bite” to it but doesn’t sour. My folks had it on hand always. When they poured it into a glass it hung together almost like a rubber band. The culture is good for the digestive tract.

One day my grandmother’s culture died. She wrote a letter her family in Trysil, Norway and told them to take a spoonful, put it on a piece of cloth, put it in an envelope and mail it to Ringbo postoffice. It took three weeks, but she got it.

~ Material submitted by Dale Grondahl

Holt Weekly News, Holt, Marshall co, MN. 23 Nov 1928, p1 (on camera)
Mrs. Helen Grondahl was born in Osterdahl, Norway in the month of May 1851. Her maiden name was Helen Christianson. She was baptized by Rev. Balken and confirmed by the same minister in Norway.

On May 30th 1882* she was united in marriage with Magnus Grondahl. for a few years the family remained in Norway but for want of better prospects they immigrated to America on May 7, 1886. In this country they have lived for 36 years. The first place which the family called home in this country was in Alexandria, Minn., where they lived one year. They then moved to the vicinity of Fargo. Here they lived for five years after which they moved to Holt where they have remained ever since.

Mrs. Grondahl has been ailing for some time and was finally released thru death.

Therefore we cannot have any other hope that death was a welcome thing to her, a thing she longed for above all earthly possessions.

She leaves to mourn her loss her husband and four children, Martin, Henry, Oliver and Mrs. McCullough of Fargo. She also leaves three sisters, one in Norway and two in this country, Mrs. Ole Davidson of Holt and Mrs. Ostby of Fargo.

The mourners have lost a true and sincere mother, a faithful wife and a sister who has been more than a companion.

* Wedding date was 30 March 1883 ~ Norwegian skannede kirkebok on microfilm

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Other relationships on this website:

Daughter, Peterson, Magna Henrietta Grondahl

Sister, Ostby, Kari Kristiansdtr Grøndalen

Posted on: November 8th, 2010 by admin No Comments

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