Herjus Osmundson

Herjus Osmundson was born in Vinje, Telemarken, Norway in 1830.

Margit Aslaksdatter was born in Tinn, Telemark, Norway in 1831.

They were married in Minnesota and lived near Lakeville until moving to North Dakota.

Herjus and Margit Osmundson arrived in Griggs County, North Dakota, with their children, Aslak age 15, Ole age 12, and Anne age 10, in the year of 1882 and settled on the SW quarter of Section 10-148-59, Pilot Mound Township.

They were one of 25 families near.  Kloten, North Dakota who organized Valley Grove Lutheran Church in November of 1882.  A grand nephew of Herjus, Bernt Tande, made his home with the Osmundson family from about 1888 until his marriage to Josephine Larson in 1911.

In May of 1885 West Prairie Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church was formed by nine families, and the Osmundson family was one of them.

In the summer of 1896, on May 20, Herjus bought the North 1/2 of Section 25-148-60, in Willow Township from the Northern Pacific Railway Company, and the family moved there.

Ole Osmundson went to New Norway, Alberta, Canada in 1908 to farm.  He sold that land in 1911 and returned to Willow Township to farm the home place.  He never married.

Anne Osmundson married Lars Larson on February 27, 1913 and they moved to a farm in Rosendal Township.  She died there March 4, 1914.

Aslak Osmundson and Gurine Larson Nodland were married on April 27, 1913 at West Prairie Church.  She was the daughter of Tonnes and Johanna Larson Nodland of Egersund, Norway.  She came to the United States in 1910.

Aslak and Gurine had four children:

  1. Hulda,

  2. Ruth,

  3. Anna and

  4. Allen. 

Gurine has made her home with Allen on the Osmundson farm.

Herjus, Margit, Aslak and Ole all died at the Osmundson farm home.

Herjus died January 19, 1905 at 75 years of age

 Margit died August 9, 1917 at 87 years of age. 

Aslak died March 22, 1945 at 78 years of age. 

Ole died October 17, 1946 at 76 years of age. 

Another son of Herjus and Margit died in Eureka Township, Dakota County, Minnesota in 1881, at 18 years of age.  His name was Osmund.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 502