Midwifery

Webster defines midwife as: A woman who helps other women in childbirth.

First record of a midwife and nurse in Cooperstown is February of 1905.  Mrs. A. Skei graduated from Christiania, Norway in 1896 and practiced at the J. Holman house, which was built in late 1903 and is located west of the Ethel Lemna home.  It was most recently occupied by the late Leonard McCulloch and his wife, Lois.

Other homes where midwives practiced include the home of Myrtle Anderson.  Mrs. Martha Bonewell (Bakken) practiced midwivery there.  Mrs. Tom Boe took care of mothers and babies from 1935 to 1941 when she lived in the Tufte house.  Art Mathison lives there now.  Mrs. Max Wild was also a midwife and also took care of old people.  She lived in the home where Alyce Lura lives.

The last midwife who practiced here was Mrs. Frank Borchert.  She lived in the corner house across from the community building.  The last baby to be delivered there was Duane Lura.  Mrs. Borchert had planned to close her doors as the hospital was being built.  Duane was born August 30, 1950.  His cousin, Sandra Overby, was the first baby born in the new Griggs County Hospital.

Source: Cooperstown, North Dakota 1882-1982 Centennial Page 171