and completely rebuilt on a new foundation. It is now used as a summer house/weekend retreat.

John often laughingly told of shooting a deer on the bluff above the cabin. The deer fell to the road below (which ran in front of the cabin) so he did not have to carry the deer home. This area often flooded in the spring, so John and Julia moved to high ground east of the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church.

John and Julia became the parents of 9 children: Peter (1873-1963) - m. Ida Ystaas; Anna (1875-1960) - m. Otto Otteson; Betsy (1877-1967) - m. Jens Nelson; Josephine (1880-1952) - m. Andrew Anderson, then m. Howard Spilde: Gertina (1882-1970) - m. Will Rasmussen; Louise (1884- 1957) - m. Will Seegmiller; Henry (1887-1977) - m. Hannah Gjetley; Nellie (1889-1980) - m. Lawrence Rasmussen; and Helmer (1892-1972) - m. Alma Williams.

Julia died in 1936; John died in 1940. Both are buried at the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Cemetery in Pleasant Twp.

Spilde, Harold and Grace (Guttormson)

(Grace Guttormson Spilde)

Harold and I met on my prom night in 1937 and fell in love at once. His sister Bessie and I had been friends for years. We were married 22 Nov 1937 in the Lutheran Church parsonage with his sister, Helen Spilde, and Aunt Ida Gjetley as attendants. We are blessed with a wonderful, caring family. They are: Harold. Jr. married Judith Anne Udin on 1 Jul 1969. They have one son, Paul David. Jeanette Elaine married Robert John Berning on 1 Sep 1962. They have two sons: Kevin John  and Keith Robert. Kevin married Erin McGroth on 30 Apr 1994. Shirley Ann  married Marvin Eugene Simpson on 19 Sep 1959. Shirley and Marvin have 3 children: Michael Jeon, David Lee and Lori Ann. Michael married Hope Greene on 23 Jun 1993. They have a son, Grant. David married Charisse Marie Hokum on 16 Jan 1984. David and Charisse have 3 children: Travise Lee, Chase  and Paige Marie. Lori has a son, Rich Owens.Cathryn Paulette married Loren Lee Jansa on 1 Apr 1966. Cathryn and Loren have 3 children: Mark Luther, Andrea Pauline and Christina Rose. Mark married Kari Lu Groth on 5 Oct 1991. Andrea married Jason McVay on 31 Dec 1994. Ellen Grace married Glen Earl Klingsheim on 11 Sep 1976. They have 3 children: Rachel Dynette, Neil Galen and Aaron Paul.

We always had Spildes either Christmas Eve and Guttormsons Christmas Day or vice versa. We had open house for many years on the holidays.

Harold’s sister Bessie and her family stayed our very good friends all our married life and made many trips to Norway Lake, New London, MN so we could all be at the lake together. We miss our family gatherings at the lake.

Harold, Jr. went into the Air Force right after his graduation in 1963. We made a trip to Great Falls each of the four years. Then he married and we tried to go once every second or third year.

Grace Guttormson, Alice Guttormson and Helen Beatrice Guttormson (died 1927).

Harold worked for Clyde Taylor and helped build the West Side School. He also did road and bridge work and worked at Roy Gjetley’s Auto Body Shop, Klinker’s Ford Garage, Bill Wagner and Gerald Dahly Chevrolet. I worked at Phelps Food Market and sold Amway and Avon to “help make ends meet.” In 1965 we started Harold’s Auto Body on Washington Street. We both worked there for 28 years. We retired from the business in 1983.

The family had a very difficult time when Harold was burned in an explosion at Gjetley’s shop. Then in the 1960’s Harold got polio. It took some time before the doctors decided he had polio and then it was too late to help. He still suffers from the effects of the polio.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Spilde, 50th Wedding Anniversary. Harold Jr., Harold Sr., Grace, Jeanette Berning (Robert), Ellen Klingsheim (Galen), Shirley Simpson (Marvin) and Cathryn Janso (Loren).

We moved seven times in Decorah before we bought our home at 308 East Street in 1946. Only our daughter, Ellen, was born there. Before that Laura Leseth was a