Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Anderson

Paul A. Anderson was born in Biri, Norway on December 17, 1882, the youngest of a family of five boys and two girls.  His parents were Johannes and Pernilla Anderson.  Paul was only 11/2 years old when the family emigrated to America in the spring of 1884.  The first years of his life were spent on the old Feiring farm near Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin.  Later he came with his family to his brother Andrew's farm south of Sutton, North Dakota.  At one time his brother Andrew was the largest farm operator in that part of the county.  Before the railroad came to Sutton in 1912, Andrew also had a country store and was postmaster at the end of the star route from Hannaford.  Paul's brother Ole stayed in Wisconsin on the Feiring farm, Peter J. was a teacher, and Ingvald, I. A. Kampen, came to Griggs County with the family.  Paul took his high school work at the Loftfield School in Minneapolis and attended the University of Minnesota for two years.  Earlier he had attended district school near Sutton.

In 1905 Paul came to Hannaford to work in the Hannaford Enterprise with his brother I. A. Kampen.  A few years later Mr. Kampen sold his interest to George C. Epler, who was married to Ella Jackson, daughter of Claus Jackson.  In 1913 Paul became the sole owner of the Enterprise and spent the rest of his life in Hannaford in the publishing and job printing business.  Also in 1913 Paul was married to Emelia Dunnum on June 19.

Emelia Dunnum was born January 1, 1885 at Lanesboro, Minnesota to Edward and Martha Dunnum.  Her parents had come from Norway and her father was a mail carrier.  She had two sisters and two brothers, Ingwald and C. O.  C. O. worked for the Larson Company in Cooperstown and his wife was a dressmaker.  In 1902 Emelia came to Cooperstown to work for her brother and his wife and when they moved to Hannaford in 1909 she moved with them.  C. O. worked in the Hannaford Mercantile for Bill Lunde and O. M. Westley.  While working for her brother and his wife she also worked for the telephone company, particularly at night.  At that time the telephone office was upstairs over the Almklov drug store.

After Paul and Emelia were married, Emelia worked with her husband in the Enterprise.  Paul died July 12, 1928, but Emelia continued in the newspaper office until 1935 when the newspaper was sold.  I. A. Kampan came back to Hannaford to run the newspaper after his brother's death.  Emelia took in boarders until 1943 when she went to work for the telephone company under Mrs. William Weller.  Paul and Emelia had lived downstairs in Miss Kaas's home and she continued living there until 1950 when she moved to the rooms behind the telephone office.  Emelia lived and worked there until 1959 when the telephone system switched to the dial phones.  From 1959 until 1973 Emelia and Mrs. Henry Swingen, who was also a widow, made their home together.  Since that time, she has made her home with Miss Mary Larson and there she celebrated her 90th birthday, January 1, 1975.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were members of the Hannaford Lutheran Church.  Mrs. Anderson was a Sunday School teacher and superintendent for many years.  She served many years as treasurer of the Ladies Aid and also served as president and in other offices.  From 1929 until 1955 she was clerk of the Hannaford Board of Education.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 124