Per Person Kindso

Per Person Kindso, was born November 22, 1855 at Vermeland, Sweden.  He spent all of his childhood in Sweden.  On October 4, 1878 he married Ellen Halvorson.

In 1880, with their son, Martin, they left for America, coming to Sacred Heart, Minnesota.  They lived there two years.  They came to Dakota Territory on June 24, 1882 where they took a homestead on Section 24, in Washburn Township.

Their first house was a one room log and sod cabin combination in the hillside.  Later, when lumber came in, they built a two-room house and then again, a large, more modern home, which still stands.

Their only fuel was wood.  They would chop great piles of it, which was hauled from the Sheyenne River to their home every fall.  At first, Portland was the nearest town where they could get supplies, so every once in a while all the settlers would go together to town.  They went in wagons drawn by oxen.

The nearest school was the one at Mardell.  Mr. and Mrs. Kindso were among the founders of the Swedish Hofva Lutheran Church.  This church is still in existence and is located about eleven miles east of Cooperstown.

Mr. and Mrs. Kindso were the parents of five children: 

Martin, Hilda, Minnie, Oscar and Effie.  Martin died when he was twenty-seven years old and Mrs. Ernest Nelson (Minnie) died when she was twenty-nine years old.  Oscar died a few hours after birth.

Mr. Kindso died February 29, 1920 when a blood vessel burst.  He was buried with his two sons and daughter in the cemetery of the Hofva Church.  Mrs. Kindso continued to live with her youngest daughter, Effie and son-in-law, John H. Anderson, who had come from Sweden in 1912.  Mrs. Kindso died in 1938.

John and Effie were the parents of six children: 

Mrs. Harry (Helen) Freitag, Mrs. Kermit (Eunice) Owens, Clifford, Mrs. Ken (Alice) Klein, Betty and Gladys.

Hilda married Albert Anderson, and they farmed in Steele County.  Albert and Hilda Anderson were the parents of nine children: 

Mrs. Elmer (Clara) Wendlick, Mrs. Fred (Elvira) Paul, Mrs. Gust (Agnes) Olson, Mrs. Merlin (Mabel) Olson, Inez, Arthur, Mrs. Melvin (Stella) Vossetieg, Edna Anderson (deceased) and Clarence Anderson.

Minnie Kindso was married to Ernest Nelson from Raub, North Dakota They had three children: 

Mrs. Donald (Elsie) Wendlick, Clarence Nelson and Mrs. Helen Snyder.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 485