John was born in Norway and came to North Dakota while a very young man. He arrived at Dazey, North Dakota, to where two of his sisters had already come. From a family of nine children all came to the United States except one sister.
John came to the Binford community as a farm worker where he met and married Mathilde Olson, daughter of Ole K. and Aslaug Olson. She was born in Minnesota and came here with her parents at a young age. They settled in a dug-out and later a small house was built just a short distance from where they spent the rest of their lives on the banks of what is now known as Norway Lake.
To this union four girls were born:
John and Mathilde spent their time as farm workers, he during the fall as a separator man on an old fashioned threshing machine and she as a general housewife and mother, cooking for large crews and responsible for chores and other duties while he was gone.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 182