Thorsten Thorstenson was born in Telemark, Norway on May 10, 1885. He came from Norway as a young man and worked at various farm jobs.
Turine Solheim was born in a sod house in Thordenskjold township in Section 18, to parents Helge and Margit Solheim. Shortly after Thorsten and Turine were married they, together with Turine's widowed sister, Liv, homesteaded in Perkins Co. South Dakota. There, the two first Thorstenson's girls were born. The family moved back to the Kathryn area in 1910. Thorsten continued to work at farm jobs until his death on June 15, 1915, leaving
his widow and 4 children. Now all the responsibilities of raising the family fell on Turine. She worked at any available job. Washing clothes on a scrub board for other folks being one of them. She did much work on farms, working as a man, pitching hay, stacking and shocking grain. In 1920 she married Severin Mikkelson. Severin was born in Norway. He served in the First World War. Severin and Turine, with the 4 children, rented a farm and started farming. Times were hard and everything had to be done in the hardest possible way. The homestead in South Dakota was traded off for a Waterloo Boy Tractor to John C. Thoreson Implement at Kathryn.
The Mikkelsons rented and farmed on different farms in Thordenskjold, Nelson and Norma townships. Five children were added to the family. Severin died in 1936. The sons took over the farming operations. Henry Thorstenson was home till 1942 when he enlisted in World War II and served in England. Vernest Mikkelson took over farming with his mother and then joined the army and Henry took over again. In 1945 Mrs. Mikkelson purchased 80 acres of land near the Sheyenne river in Section 19, Thordenskjold Twp. Henry bought the adjoining farm and farmed it till Turine's death in 1973. Henry now owns all this land. The Thorstensons and Mikkelsons were members of Waldheim church and are all buried there. There are 7 living children, 20 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 249