The Dahl Family of Jessie

C. P. Dahl came to Jessie, North Dakota from Wisconsin, February 22, 1912, where he stopped to visit a sister on his way to Carpio, North Dakota.  He spent a year working in a hardware store at Carpio, returning to Jessie in January 1913.

On December 28, 1922, C. P. Dahl was married to Ovidia Anderson.  They farmed until 1925, at which time they purchased a store building in Jessie from Fred Rule.  The building housed the Jessie Post Office, and "Vid" as she was known to her friends, wrote the civil service examination and was appointed Postmistress serving the same for 23 years.  They operated the general store and Post Office until 1948.  They sold the business and building to Mr. and Mrs. Reynold Hovel, and a new building has been built since the old building burned.  In 1948, they moved to Cooperstown, North Dakota where Vid entered the Post Office as a clerk and spent another ten years in the postal service.  C. P. was an auctioneer, which trade he continued for 42 years, it is interesting to know that he had at that time as many as three sales on the same farm due to renters moving around.

C. P. had an interesting political career.  In 1938, he was elected State Senator from the old 16th district, and again in 1950, he was elected Lieutenant Governor six times serving in that capacity twelve years, the longest anyone has ever served in that capacity.

To C. P. and Ovidia Dahl were born three children, Dr. Phillip O. Dahl who is an internal medicine doctor at Bismarck, Marjorie (Mrs. Daner) is a licensed stock broker with Piper, Jaffray, & Hopwood at Bismarck, and Robert who is finishing his thirteenth year in central supply at St. Alexius Hospital, also in Bismarck, North Dakota

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 452