Many people loved to go there in the springtime armed with a can of worms to catch carp, redhorse and black and white suckers by the pailful.

Musser, David H. and Delia (Brandt)

(Mel Faldet)

In 1871, at the age of 12, Delia Brandt lost her father Eli. She went to Decorah and worked for Judge Coolie as a hired girl for nearly ten years. When she wanted to leave, they said they would raise her pay to two and a quarter a week. About this time Delia must have heard of the opening of homesteading in Dakota. She went and took up a claim in Beulah Twp., Davison Co., Mitchell, SD. Here she lived in a sod house on her claim and went into town to work at a boarding house for two dollars and fifty cents a week as a “cook." She continued there for a few years to “prove up" her claim and in 1887 she came back to Iowa. On 10 Mar 1887 at Freeport, Delia married David H. Musser, son of Michael and Elizabeth (Fye) Musser of Pleasant Twp.

David and Delia must have decided to give life in Dakota a try. They lived there for about 10 years, constructing their home and other buildings. They even had an artesian well.

While in Dakota most of their children were born - Mabel Veronica (b. 23 Dec 1887), Grace Rebecca (b. 15 Jun 1889), Blanche M. (b. 14 Apr 1892) and Hattie E. (b. 12 Jul 1896). In the winter following the birth of Hattie, they decided to go back to Iowa for a visit with all of the family. While they were here, Blanche became sick with rheumatic fever and they could not travel. Finally, David went back to look after the farm which by now was 160 acres. He finally sold the farm for two dollars an acre. Then loaded some of their household goods on the train to be shipped back to Iowa by rail.

David’s family was staying with his parents and the Fye family. Mabel and my mother, Grace, went to the Daubney school for 6 months.

David bought 40 acres of timber about a half mile east of the present Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church. He cut down the trees to get logs for lumber. Soon he had a saw mill come in so he could build his home. By the time the Anderson Atlas was printed in 1905, the farm of D.H. Musser had grown to 149 5/8 acre. He had planted an orchard and had many hives of bees. I can remember my mother telling that one of her jobs was to run the grubbing machine with the horse to get rid of the stumps. For a time another duty was to carry water from a spring about a 1000 feet away.

On 28 Jul 1898 a baby boy, David Alaric Musser, was born to complete the Musser family.

The children matured and when my mother, Grace, was old enough she went to work as a hired girl for Ed Bailey of the Decorah newspaper. The other three girls -Mabel, Blanche and Hattie - went off to Fayette to the then State Teachers College. All three of them were rural school teachers in the county for several years.

Mabel Musser marred Oscar Hegg. They moved to Siloam Springs, AR and spent most of their lives there.

Blanche married J.C. "Mac" MacArthur. He became a very important businessman in Decorah and the surrounding area.

Hattie went on to nurse’s training and served the rest of her life in the nursing profession, much of it in the Decorah area.

My mother, Grace, married Nels Faldet on 23 Jun 1912. They spent most of their lives serving the community by operating the Canoe Store for about 40 years.

David Alaric married Bertha Anderson (b. 9 Aug 1899) of Decorah on 18 Dec 1919. They became the parents of Boyden of Clinton, Ml; Robert (deceased); lola (de-

The David Musser family

Back row, left to right: Grace (Musser) Faldet, David ‘Alaric" Musser and Blanche (Musser) MacArthur. Seated: David Musser (father), Mabel (Musser) Hegg, Hattie Musser and Delia Musser.