Daniel Erickson Family

Daniel Erickson was born in Enefors, Hjemtland, Sweden, on September 14, 1850.  In search of a new life, he left Sweden and came to America in the spring of 1880, stopping temporarily at Zumbrota, Minnesota.  During this time he was employed by the railroad there.  His plans were to go west to Dakota Territory, and in the fall of 1881, he arrived in Griggs County to examine the prospects for making a future home.  He decided to settle on a plot of land along the Sheyenne River five miles south and east of Cooperstown, which is now a part of Washburn Township, Section 34-146-58.

After making this decision, he went back to Zumbrota, Minnesota, where he married a Norwegian immigrant girl, Edrikka Johnson, on April 26, 1882.  In their covered wagon with a cow tied behind it, they traveled to his homestead along the Sheyenne River.  They survived the severe hardships of pioneer life and raised a family of seven children: 

  1. Christina
  2. Emanuel
  3. Emma
  4. Olaus
  5. John D. 
  6. Hilma
  7. Oscar

It was not unusual for Daniel Erickson to walk long distances.  On one occasion he walked to Valley City and carried home a 50-pound sack of flour on his shoulders.  Another time he walked to Mayville, bought a wheelbarrow, and pushed his supplies home.  When the time arrived for Mrs. Erickson to deliver her first child, she too walked two miles south from the farmstead in order to receive help.

The friendly Indians would come occasionally to the farm to sharpen their knives on his whetstone.  Many times Mrs. Erickson would serve them something to eat from their log cabin, which they built in 1882 and which is still intact on the farmstead.

Besides farming, another one of Daniel's interests was the breeding of fine Belgian horses.  Quality was so important to him that he imported a purebred stallion from Belgium.  This enabled him to sell the services of this stallion as well as others to farmers in and around the Cooperstown area.

Daniel was a very willing worker and was well-liked by relatives, neighbors, and friends.  He took part in activities of the community and became one of the founders of the Ness Lutheran Church, which is located east of the Sheyenne River.  At the time of his death, May 24, 1930, Daniel Erickson was 80 years of age.  His wife had passed away two months earlier on March 15, 1930 at the age of 79,

  1. Christina, the oldest daughter of Daniel Erickson was baptized and confirmed in the Ness Lutheran Church.  At the age of eighteen years, she married Olaus Nelson of Atwater, Minnesota.  Eleven children were born to them, all of whom reside in Minnesota.
  2. Daniel's oldest son, Emanuel, lived his entire life on the Erickson farm and his family grew up there too.  Emanuel (nicknamed Push because he ran a pushbinder) was like his father in many ways.  He also participated in civic, school, and church organizations.  For many years he served on the Farmers' Elevator Board of Directors and the Washburn Township Board of Supervisors.  Closely attached all his life to his family, his home, and farming, he passed away in 1973 at the age of 88.  At the present time his wife, Nina, lives on the farm, and their son, Myron, a third generation descendant, continues the farm operation.  Their daughter, Esther Karas, resides with her family at Pembina, North Dakota.
  3. The third child of Daniel Erickson, Emma, was born on February 25, 1886.  After her marriage to John Erickson on March 26, 1909, they resided in Cooperstown, during which time her husband was bookkeeper for the Hammer and Condy business.  Previously, he had been an employee of the Salzer Lumber Company.  For several years, they homesteaded near Rainy Butte in Slope County, returning to Cooperstown in 1923.  Two years later, they moved to a farm east of Cooperstown, which was located in SE quarter of Section 22 of Washburn Township.  To their marriage seven children were born, all of whom reside in Griggs County, except: 
    1. Florence Kammeyer of Soap Lake, Washington
    2. Darwin, who passed away on February 8, 1969.  Other children are: 
    3. Borghild Stromme
    4. Olga Thompson
    5. Emma Langford
    6. Lester
    7. John Edward
  4. Olaus, the fourth child, lived a very short life.  He was born September 20, 1887, and passed away at age seventeen on February 25, 1904 from appendicitis. 
  5. Former sheriff of Griggs County from 1930-1934 was John D. , the fifth child and third son of Daniel Erickson.  His term took place during the Prohibition Days and the Depression, all of which added to the difficulty of his work.

Following his service as sheriff, he returned to his farm located in the NW quarter of Section 34 in Washburn Township, which he had been operating since 1917.  In 1940, he and his family moved to Traill County where he farmed and also raised purebred Hereford cattle.  After seven years, he returned to his Griggs County farm and continued in the purebred cattle business.  For a number of years he was a member of the Farmers' Oil Board of Directors, and recognition was awarded to him for being an active member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge for fifty years.

On January 19, 1918, he was married to Marie Lillijord.  They had been married for about one year when she passed away of pneumonia, only three days after giving birth to their only child, 

  1. Marie.  At the present time, Marie lives with her family on John D. 's home farm.

He was married to Hulda Nelson on November 16, 1925, and two children were born to this marriage: 

  1. Glenna Mae of Lake Park, Minnesota
  2. John Eldred of Cooperstown

Hulda passed away on March 25, 1928 of pneumonia at the age of 24.

John D. 's third marriage was to Clara Johnson on April 1, 1932.  Their only daughter, 

  1. Janice, presently resides at Park River, North Dakota.  

On July 7, 1970, Clara passed away at 76 years of age.

Since John D. 's death on February 14, 1968, his only son, John Eldred, has been carrying on the farm operation in Washburn and Sverdrup Townships, besides having farm interests at Binford.  His only son, Jonathan, is the youngest living heir who may carry on the family name of his great - grandfather, Daniel Erickson.

  1. The youngest daughter of Daniel Erickson, Hilma, grew up in Washburn Township and was confirmed in Ness Lutheran Church.  She was married to Swen Olgaard on November 26, 1914, and since then she has lived in Cooperstown, North Dakota.  She is the only living child of Daniel Erickson.  During most of her lifetime her favorite pastimes have been sewing and quilt-making.

Hilma had five boys: 

  1. Daniel of Fargo, North Dakota
  2. Oswald (deceased December 2, 1965)
  3. Ralph of Rapid City, South Dakota.  
  4. On September 23, 1925, twins were born to them; Kermit, who presently resides at Frankenmuth, Michigan, and 
  5. Kenneth, who continues his father's plumbing business in Cooperstown.  
  1. Oscar, the youngest of the Daniel Erickson family, grew to manhood in Griggs County, with the exception of three years that he farmed in Steele County.  He lived and farmed in Griggs County (West 1/2 of Section 33, Washburn Township) until his death (1942).

He was a lover of horses and was given his first pony at the age of eight by his brother Olaus who died a few hours later.  He had a special interest in horse-racing, and during the month of June, he traveled from county to county taking part in chariot, relay, harness, and running races at many county and state fairs.

Oscar and his wife Hattie had six children: 

  1. Dolores
  2. June
  3. Olive
  4. Laura Jean
  5. Oscar Duane
  6. A daughter, Elzada, died in infancy

Oscar was killed at the age of 47 years.  Lightning struck the barn during a bad storm while he and his wife were milking.

Presently, his son, Oscar Duane (descendant of the third generation) continues the family farm operation, and he and his mother live on the home farm.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 478