Donald Retzlaff Family

C. JULIUS RISTE and Alma Stromme were married in 1915 and started farming in Romness Township, on what is now the Oscar Christopherson farm.  They lived there until 1936 when they moved into Cooperstown.  Julius died in 1955.  They had four children: 

  1. Orinda, (Mrs. A. W. Beiers)
  2. Casper
  3. Milo
  4. Arleen

 Orinda moved with her family to Washington in 1948 and "Cap" and Milo also settled there after serving overseas during World War II.  Milo died in 1971.

Arleen married Donald Retzlaff in 1944.  After living near Hunter, North Dakota a few years they bought the farm on Highway 220, near the "Jones slough."  This had been Grandpa and Grandma Retzlaff's home the last few years of their lives.  The Donald Retzlaffs were blessed with three daughters.

Peder Hansen and Elsie Stromme came from Nordland, Norway, in May 1891, to settle in Griggs County with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Stromme, on what is now the Gerald Dahl farm.  Peder changed his name from Hansen to STROMME as he felt there were too many others with his name.  Six children had been born to PEDER AND ELSIE before they left Norway: 

  1. Edward
  2. Henrietta
  3. Mathilda
  4. Annetta
  5. John
  6. Paul

Alma, Ole, Mabel and Ada were born after they settled in Griggs County.  Alma (Riste), the first of the children born in America, was born in 1891.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 262