Gustav E. Sola emigrated to the United States from Norway in 1905. He came to the Greenland farm, south of Cooperstown, and worked for Martin Lunde, Sr. His sister, Marie (Mrs. Per Lunde) had arrived earlier living in the area also. A brother, Enok, came here later but returned to his native country. Another sister, Tomine (Mrs. Torval Haaland) lived in this area also but later moved back to Norway with her family.
Previous to his arrival here, he had been a sailor in the Norwegian merchant marine. He made three trips by sailboat to America going to Three Rivers, Canada via the St. Laurence seaway. He was married November 27, 1909 to Alvilde Bue, who had also emigrated from Norway in 1907. Her brother, Carl Bue, had been here some time. She worked in the Amund Gilbertson home. To their union were born five children, namely:
Maynard (deceased) was married to Alice Lende, A Griggs County native. Three children. Borghild married Aldo Iverson, from Griggs County. 3 children. Arnold married Betty Tweed of Binford, Griggs County. 2 children. Freda married Palmer Lunde whose parents, the Jens Lundes, lived in Griggs County. 3 children. Esther married John J. Haugen (deceased) of Hannaford. Later remarried to Kenneth Harvey of Cooperstown. 2 children.
Gustav Sola was born at Stavanger, Norway and Alvilde was born at Hardanger, Norway emigrating to Griggs County and living in the area until their 1950 and 1967 deaths respectively. Mr. Sola was very active in the Democratic Party, served on school, county, and Township boards. He served on the OPA board during World War II and took an active interest on the hospital board when it was organized. He also worked with the churches in the area, which included the Ness church where he and Alvilde were married. He owned a farm in Steele County and in 1918 was in the last draft to serve when World War I ended in November.
He had the experience of horse and buggy days, driving Overland and Elgin cars on narrow, muddy roads, farming with horses and then the tractor. He walked many miles to town, school, and churches. He owned a threshing rig in earlier days and hauled his grain with a team of horses to Blabon, North Dakota He wrote articles for the Normanden and Visergutten, newspapers in Norwegian published in the United States A.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 490