J. S. Aandahl and his wife Martine with their six children left Norway in the spring of 1881 and arrived in Sanborn, Dakota Territory in May of that year. They settled on the xxx NE-NW-SW ¼ of Section 24, Svea Township. Here George Aandahl was born August 1, 1881. He joined Sam, Gertrude, Elliott, Anna and Bertha, the other children of the Aandahls. George was the first white child born in Svea Township.
Sara came next, May 15, 1885 and Willis on July 27, 1887. Their childhood memories included trapping gophers, herding cattle and collecting "buffalo chips" for the fire.
In 1890 the family left the farm and journeyed to Norway to try to claim family property left as the result of a death. Five years later the courts ruled against them and they returned to North Dakota to live temporarily with Sam, who had returned in 1891 to homestead the Southwest ¼ of Section 26. On July 16th, a fearful hail storm came up and ruined the crop.
During the winter Sam attended the Fargo Business College and Anna, George and Bertha attended the Gusaas school. The teacher was Mamie Lowry. Sam and Mamie were married March 28, 1896. The rest of the family then moved to the homestead of J. S. Aandahl in Section 8, Spring Creek Township, a small hovel dug three feet into the ground with one small bedroom. Here they lived for three years until 1899 when they moved back to Sam's homestead, Sam and his wife having moved to Section 27, Svea Township.
Elliott, George's brother, bought the Southeast ¼ of Section 26 and then sold it to George in 1902.
Bessie Krogen was the teacher in the District 24 school, the Svea School during the winter of 1901-1902 and she lived with Sam and Mamie Aandahl. She was the daughter of Nels Krogen and Ingeborg Swiggum, born January 22, 1880. To George she was just another teacher. Bessie stayed in the community and continued to teach until finally George became aware of the school marm and by July 1, 1903 they were engaged. On July the 2nd or 3rd George made a loan at the bank in Litchville of $10.00 so that he and Bessie might have a good 4th of July. He repaid the money in the fall. On December 24, 1904 they drove to Valley City, where George bought a suit at Straus and at 5:00 P.M. they were married in the home of Sam and Mamie, who were then living in Valley City. The twenty-two mile ride to the farm that evening may have been cold but who cared?
Their Svea farm was home for the next fifty years. Here they raised their family and helped build the community. They then retired and moved to Valley City, Bessie departed February 26, 1957. George spent his last years in the Sheyenne Manor and on January 23, 1967 he quietly passed away.
Clifford, their son, attended the University of North Dakota, married Agnes Erickson of Amery, Wisconsin, and they have four children - Carol Joyce, Judith Claire, Pamela Jean and George Edwin.
Andrew, the other son, attended the North Dakota State University at Fargo and Iowa State and married Effie Smith of Svea. They have three children - Virginia Ann, Elizabeth Louise and Dennis James.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 12