Merlin Lende moved to Walum, North Dakota, two miles east on the Halder Stromme farm, March 4, 1944. I was nine years old, went to Walum School, Greenfield No. 1. I went there in the third and fourth grade. My teacher in the third grade was Mrs. Glen Broten. My fourth grade teacher was Miss Minnie Vanhuizen. Then they opened Greenfield No. 2, one mile east of farm, so I attended the fifth grade, with June Fogderud as teacher. In the sixth grade I had Maxine Haugen, then in the seventh and eighth grade, I had my most wonderful teacher, Inez Haugen.
I worked on the farm here wrecking cars, and helping the neighbors with chores, at plowing and haying time. Helped my uncle and aunt, Ted and Phyllis Curtis raise 3,500 turkeys and 1,200 laying hens in 1950. Left the farm for four months in 1952, in the winter time. Went to work for the Gardner Hotel as Bellman No. 5.
April, 6, 1953, I went to work for North Dakota State Highway Department. Worked on construction of Highway 1, Hannaford south to Rogers, North Dakota. George Kinjelo was project engineer. I left the highway department in 1961. In 1958, I married Evelyn Jean Ullmann from Hurdsfield, North Dakota. We were married at Bowdon, North Dakota, Lutheran Church February 1. We had two daughters, Sonja Renee, born October 10, 1959, at Towner County Memorial Hospital, Cando, North Dakota; and Kimberly Ann, born September 23, 1964, at St. Luke's Hospital, Fargo, North Dakota. Our daughters are both married. Sonja lives in Oak Harbor, Washington, and Kimberly lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 195