John E. Benson Family

After buying the farm from his father, John added to the farm by buying a quarter Section of land.  He married Serina Ravndal in 1893.  She was born in Stavanger, Norway on May 2, 1871 and came to Cooperstown in 1892.  Five children were born: 

  1. Jeanette, born 1894 - died in 1895 in Norway
  2. Arthur, born February 4, 1896 - died August 22, 1967, at the farm
  3. Joseph, born May 26, 1897 - died before he started grade school
  4. Jeanette Benson Lura born February 22, 1900, now lives in Cooperstown
  5. Iva born June 5, 1901 - died July 27, 1924, at the farm

When he had finished the regular school, he decided to take a business course at Concordia College.  He came back to the farm and continued farming, and he also worked in the C. T. Whidden store in Cooperstown in 1899.

On April 10, 1896, Serina and John built a new house located northeast from the Cooperstown courthouse.  The story and a half house was 18' x 28' with 14-foot posts.  A few years later he added more rooms to the now present farmhouse.  By 1909 the house, barn and graineries were completed.

John became interested in store business, so he rented his land out.  He moved his family to Grand Forks and worked for a number of years at the R. B. Griffith Store, which is still in operation.

John also held the offices of president and secretary of the Griggs County Farmers Cooperative Telephone Association for a number of years.  He was also a director of Shepard Elevator for a while.  Jorgen Soma and John went into partnership and started a store at Shepard, which was discontinued after a few years.  Serina died March 30, 1939

John passed away July 26, 1942.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 196