infancy. Magnus married'Manda Johnson of Spring Grove. A year after they were married, they moved to a farm near Kenneth, MN. They farmed for a number of years before moving to St. Paul, MN. Magnus and Manda celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in Jun 1967. They had 4 children: Lennon, Marjorie, Frances and Donald who died in infancy. Tilla married Emil Jensen in South Dakota. Tilla and Emil had 6 children: Louise, Martha, Norma, Emmet, Lawrence and Harry. The family lived in South Dakota until Tilla died in 1944. Only one son remained in South Dakota. The other children all lived in Minnesota with the exception of Norma who lived in Washington, DC. Emma married Wilfred Kappauf of LaCrescent, MN. They had 3 sons: Donald, Herbert and Alfred. Emma and Wilfred lived in Minneapolis, Florida and Tennessee for short periods. They finally settled in California where Wilfred died. Some years later Emma married Dave V. Cordero. Dave died 3 years after they were married. Donald lived in Minneapolis; while Herbert and Alfred remained in California. Alfred married Anna Forde Nelson. They had 6 children: Merlin, Leland, Ellen, Marcella, Jeanette and Elwood. (see Alfred C. Naley story)

When Lars and Martha came to America in 1883, Lars' 2 brothers, Mandus and John, came with them. In addition, Martha’s father, Mons Vikre, had been lost at sea, so Martha’s sister, Louise, and brother, Mathias, also decided to come to America. They could not leave their mother alone in Norway, so she also came to America. In America Mother Vikre lived with her daughters - mainly with Martha and her family. Mother Vikre is buried in the Lincoln Cemetery near Ridgeway. It is noted Lars spelled his surname “Naiey”. His brothers, Mandus and John, spelled their name “Nali”.

Mandus Nali married Louise Vikre. They had 6 children: Josie (m. Louis Vikre, 12 children); Magnus (married twice, 2 sons); Albert (married, 1 daughter, 1 son); Tilla (m. an Osborne, 1 son); Beatha (m. Joel Shaffer, 2 daughters); and Mabel (never married).

John Nali and his wife, Katherine, had 5 children: Minnie (m. Chris Falnes, 6 children); John (3 children); Carl (no family); Manda (m. Otto Olson, 1 daughter, 1 son); and Adolph (1 daughter, 1 son). Mathias “Mat” Vikre married. He was a blacksmith in Calmar for a number of years before moving to Pontiac, IL. Mat had a son, Bernard, who served in the Navy for many years. Bernard married a nurse and settled in an eastern state.

(Written in 1971 by Anna Forde Naley.)

Naley, Merlin and Jeanette (Mikelson)

(Jeanette Mikelson Naley)

Jeanette Mikelson married Merlin Oleron Naley 22 Dec 1948 at the Big Canoe Lutheran Church in Pleasant Twp. Jeanette, born 21 Mar 1917 in Decorah, IA to Knut and Anna Mikelson, attended Pleasant #2 school in Winneshiek Co. through eighth grade. She graduated from Decorah High School in 1935 with a Normal Training Certificate. She taught school in the rural schools of Winneshiek Co. for twenty some years. Merlin was born 12 Dec 1920 at Adrian, MN to Alfred and Anna Naley. He graduated from Adrian High School in 1940. He worked in the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), a government conservation project started by President Franklin Roosevelt that provided work for young men during the Depression in the late 1930’s. Merlin served in the Army in World War II.

Jeanette and Merlin purchased Jeanette's home farm and farmed until 1960 when they sold the farm and moved to Decorah. Merlin worked for Ingvoldstad Lumber Company. Jeanette quit teaching and started working at the Luther College Book Shop in Jan 1963. She worked there for 29 years. They purchased a house in Decorah in what was called the Rosendahl Addition. This is close to the Upper Iowa River. In the spring of 1961 and 1962 there were severe floods in Decorah. There was no dike protection then so our house and others were surrounded by water. Fortunately in 1962 and 1963, the Highway 52 by-pass was being built, going behind our housing addition on top of the hill. Due to good work and planning of Robert Houlihan, who also lived there, the rock and materials from Highway 52 were used to build a dike in front of our homes. The dike has solved the flooding problem and also became a short-out into Decorah from Highway 52. Since then, city water, sewer and natural gas have been brought across the river to our addition. Jeanette has enjoyed living in this area for over 35 years.

Vernon Naley, Jeanette Naley, Kelsey Holland, Duane Naley, Muriel Holland, Orv Holland and Joanna Holland. 
Christmas 1988

Jeanette and Merlin had three children: Vernon Knut, Duane Alfred and Muriel Jean. They were all confirmed at Decorah Lutheran Church and all graduated from Decorah High School.

In Sep 1965 Merlin became ill with acute leukemia and passed away on 29 Sep 1965. He is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah.

Vernon graduated from Dunwoody Industrial Institute in Minneapolis, MN 19 Jun 1970 in the Auto Electric Department. He married Sue Dennis 17 May 1975; divorced in 1984 with no children. He taught at a community college for several years. He started working for Ford Motor Company in 1978 in Bettendorf, IA and has moved several times for Ford including Chicago, IL; Detroit, Ml; two years in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East; Buffalo, NY and in 1995 was living in Atlanta, GA.