Ole Baarstad

Ole Baarstad was born in Eidsvold, Norway, grew up there, and married Gustava Olson April 19, 1870. In January 1871 they sailed for America along with many others from Norway seeking a better life.

Upon arrival in America they had no more than 25 cents, and Ole had to get work to finance a living. They settled in Lanesboro, Minnesota and tried farming there; but it was a hard life with one team of horses and little equipment. At the urging of neighbors already in North Dakota he pulled stakes in 1879, leaving his family in Lanesboro until he could get land and put up a house. He took a homestead and a tree claim in Thordensjold township in Barnes County, and put up a sod house. In October, 1879, the family came from Lanesboro and farming under very difficult conditions got under way.

Five children,

  1. Michael,

  2. Anna,

  3. Pauline,

  4. Frederick and

  5. Alfred, were born in Lanesboro. Between the years 1881 and 1890 five more children,

  6. Louise,

  7. Edward,

  8. Gerhard,

  9. Betsy and

  10. Jennie were born in North Dakota, then a territory.

Alfred and Jennie died, while still children, of diphtheria.

In 1892 Michael bought railroad land southwest of Nome in Thordensjold township and went into farming on his own. In 1902 he married Anna Strand and they have one daughter, Grace, married to Harald Wefald, and they had three children.

Lena was married in 1895 and gave birth to James and Gladys. From a second marriage, to Gilbert Hanson, she gave birth to a son Gilmore.

Fred was married in 1900 to Pauline Boxrud and they had ten children, Morris, Floyd, Orvis, Ruben, Chester, Helen, Carmen, Gordon and Doris. Of these there are twenty great grandchildren.

Anna was married in 1904 to Eleseus Herwick. One son, Edwin, survives, out of a family of nine, eight having died during childhood. Gerhard married in 1909 with Clara Harland and they had seven children,

Gaylon,

Lawrence,

Esther,

Edmund,

Milton and

Ruth.

Erling passed away in childhood.

Of these there are eight great grandchildren.

Edward was married to Mae Anderson in 1909. They had five children, Harriet, Maynard, Eugene, Rudolf, and David. Of these there are ten great grandchildren.

Betsy married Selmer Gilbertson in 1911. They had four children, Gerald, Verna, James, and Margaret who passed away in early childhood. Of these there are four great grandchildren.

Ole Baarstad met his death in an accident in 1911, and Gustava, his wife died in 1933. At the time of this writing only Betsey remains of the second generation, and the third generation has largely reached retirement age. The fourth generation has largely left the farms, and even North Dakota, and are scattered across the Continent as a part of North Dakota's biggest export crop, her people.

At the time when Michael, Edward, Fred, and Gerhard were occupying farms elbow to elbow along a two mile stretch of road on the Barnes, and Ransom County line, now Highway #46, this two mile stretch was known as the Baarstad line. Now only one Baarstad remains in the area, Eugene, a son of Edward, who bought and occupies the Michael Baarstad place.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 20