Pioneer Nels Torgerson was born in Nörd Frön, Gulbransdol, Norway on February 1, 1846. He went to sea at an early age, engaged in fishing, going as far North as Lofotan, a famous fishing area. Also he traveled to Nordland, where he met Josephine Casperson, whom he married. She was born January 21, 1861 at Harstad, Vesterölin, Norway.
They migrated from Norway, coming to Appleton, Minnesota in 1880, where Nels Torgersons parents were living, having arrived from Norway a few years before. They stayed there three years, left for North Dakota, and settled by the Sheyenne River in 1883 in what is now the Southeast quarter of Section 26, Pilot Mound Township, Griggs County.
Their first home was a dug out in a hillside. The following year-they built a sod house, which was covered with long logs, willows, reeds and grass. This was to be their home for nine years. Nels Torgerson made plow shares and did blacksmith work for the early settlers. One snow winter neighbors found them completely snowed in and no way could they have gotten out without their help.
In 1892 they moved to Looking Glass Prairie, West half of Section 35 homestead in Lenora Township, Griggs County. Here they began farming and breaking up land. Here they lived in a one-room house. Later years additional rooms were added. Here too in the snow winters, the house was covered. One time snow had to be shoveled into the room in order to get out.
They had a family of ten children:
Christian, died in infancy, Edwin, Elvina, Clara, Kaia, Theodore, Clarence, Manley, Arthur and a second Manley named after the first, who died quite young.
Nels Torgerson also homesteaded near Banbs, North Dakota McKenzie County in 1912. There Nels Torgerson accidentally met his death September 4, 1914. He slipped off the buggy going down hill and the fall broke his neck.
Mrs. Torgerson and family continued to live at Banbs another five years, returning then to the original homestead in Lenora Township. Mrs. Torgerson died February 14, 1920.
Nels Torgerson was with the original group that helped organize the Ottawa Lutheran congregation and church. Mrs. Torgerson was one of the first presidents of the Ottawa Ladies Aid.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 382