Orval began his farming operation in Decorah Twp. in 1974. Recently he worked with Friest Associates Realty.

Orval was a member of the Farm Bureau, the Iowa Board of Realtors and the National Rifle Association. Orval passed away 7 Jul 1989 at age 41 years, 3 months.

Bruvold, Paul and Susanne (Skaim)

(Lillian Bruvold)

Paul Bruvold family Paul, Sue, Joni and Kelsey.

Paul Duane Bruvold was born in Decorah to Harris N. and G. J. Lillian (Orvella) Bruvold.

Paul was baptized 12 Aug 1951 and confirmed 13 Jun 1965 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church.

Paul attended the Red Oak and Nordness rural schools and in 4th grade transferred to South Winneshiek until junior high when the family moved to the Decorah Community School District. He graduated from Decorah High School in 1969 and from N.E.I.C.C. (Northeast Iowa Community College) in 1971 in Farm Management.

Paul continues farming on the home farm in Spring-field Twp. This is one of the original soil conservation farms in Winneshiek Co. and he continues to use these practices. Paul is active in his church, having been church organist since 1974, teaching Sunday School and singing in the choir. He is also active in New Minowa Players and has been in many plays.

On 22 Aug 1987 he married Susanne Skaim at Decorah Lutheran Church. Susanne is the daughter of Oscar and Hazel (Ansten) Skaim of Decorah. Paul and Sue have 2 daughters: Joni Irene  and Kelsey . Susanne is also active in Sunday School and choir along with New Minowa Players. Sue was born  in Decorah. She is employed at John Cline School kitchen and Henzler’s Garden shop.

Brynsaas, John and Pernille

(Norman Brynsaas)

From the small farming communities of Hadeland in southern Norway came the Brynsaas family.

In 1874 John, with his wife Pernille and 3 small children - Hans, age 6; Nils, age 4; and Ingeborg, the youngest- boarded the S.S. Mannila at the port of Christiania, now Oslo, coming by way of Liverpool, England to Gue-bec, Canada. From there they managed to find their way south and west to the Mississippi River, perhaps crossing on the ferry at Lansing, IA, then on to Decorah. Somehow they managed to buy a small farm among the hills and deep valleys east of Decorah where many families from the Hadeland area had already settled. This must have made them feel right at home.

On this small farm John and Pernille raised their family, including 2 more children, Anton and Pauline. John and Pernille lived on this small farm until their death.

Their 5 children all grew to adulthood in the area. Nils and Anton did not marry. Ingeborg married Theodor Bolson (see the Bolson Family History Book). Pauline married John Tangen, also of the area. Only Hans, the oldest, remained to carry on the family name.

This he did very well. Hans married Karen Erickson, daughter of Erick and Hanna Erickson. (See Bolson Family History). Hans and Karen had 7 children: 3 daughters, Pearl, Emma and Nina; and 4 sons, Arthur, Henry, Edwin and Norman.

Hans often told of his experience as a young teenager helping haul stones from the quarry to the building site of Glenwood Lutheran Church. Perhaps he used his father’s team and wagon. Hans also talked of high water and floods on Trout Creek while he worked as buttermaker at the Johnson Creamery and Mill. This mill, all water-powered, was located on the Gus Johnson farm 7 miles east of Decorah.

There does not seem to be other Brynsaas families in America or in Norway with this name. Others emigrated from the same area in Norway with the Brynsaas name, then changed the name. Some settled in Wisconsin, among them families of Gilbert Brynsaas-Gilbertson and Peter Brynsaas-Peterson.

Bucheit, Claude and Gretchen (Willson)

(Gretchen Bucheit)

Gretchen A. Willson was born on the Jewell farm in Canoe Twp. She is the daughter of Leo and Mary (Hyberger) Willson. Gretchen has 2 brothers and 4 sisters: Gordon, Dennis, Madelyn (Wise), Marian (Schissel), Rita (Lansing) and Martha (Samuelson).

When she was young, Gretchen and her sister played house in the corn crib so they would not be noticed and asked to do so many chores. They also played in the creek on the Philip Young farm. Christmas and Easter were very special times for Gretchen and her brothers and sisters.

Gretchen attended Hesper No. 4 - a one room country school. Her classmates were Loren Emery, Don