Church. He lived in Spokane from 1905 to 1915. He was the owner of Rossdale Market and Grocery. S. John married Marie Halvorson. He died 22 Apr 1957. He lived in Dishman and Spokane. Albert Martinius born 15 Feb 1873; the record of his birth is in the Saude Lutheran Church, Chickasaw Co., IA. Albert lived in Spokane, WA 1909-1910; he then lived in Canada. Emma was born 7 Jul 1875. Her birth also is recorded in the Saude Lutheran Church in Chickasaw Co. Emma married Thomas McKinley. She died 6 Sep 1962 in Spokane. Maren Josephine was born 28 Jan 1879 and baptized 23 Feb 1879. She married Joseph A. Murray. Emma died 19 Sep 1944 in Los Angeles and is buried in Inglewood, CA.

Sjur's brother, Ole, returned to Norway after 7 years. His brother, Johannes, established a large family in Orleans Twp., then settled near Clarkfield, MN and returned to Norway in 1904, after nearly half a century in America. During the Civil War, Sjur’s brother, Hans, volunteered to go in place of Johannes who had a family. He fought with the Decorah Guards, Company D, 3rd Regiment of the Iowa Volunteers, and was killed on 6 Apr 1862 at the Battle of Pittsburg Landing near Shiloh, TN. Sjur's sister, Anna, who was married to a fiddler named Mikkel Eimstad, lived for many years in Orleans Twp. and is buried at the Orleans Church Cemetery. His brother, Anders (Andrew), raised a large family on a farm near Plymouth Rock, and a number of his descendants still live in the Cresco area. Ten of Sjur’s children migrated north and west with him, but his eldest, Steen, raised a large family in Orleans Twp. on the farm presently owned by William McConnell. Sjur and his descendants lived in Winneshiek Co. for nearly 65 years. (See; Steen Stinson story. Photos courtesy of J. Skurdall and L.M. Stinson.)

Stinson, Steen and Barbara (Nordvik)

(Jim Skurdall & Dr.L. Marilyn Stinson)

The Steen Stinson family, ca. 1910 Orleans Township

Henry, Ben, Sever, Mina, Steen, Barbara and Delia.

Steen Stinson was born on 7 Aug 1856 in Highland Twp., the eldest of eleven children of Sjur and Magdele (Mathilde) Stinson. They had recently emigrated to America from the Hauge farm in Strankvik, Norway, and had bought land in Highland Twp. It is possible that as a small child Steen was with his parents on the Great Plains, in a Colorado mining town, and on a homestead near Yankton, SD, from which they had to flee in the wake of the Santee Sioux uprising of 1862. Steen, according to his youngest child, Ben Stinson, had told stories about this. Steen was confirmed at the Orleans Church, and spent his early teenage years on a farm near Plymouth Rock.

Steen and Barbara Stinson, ca 1877

Barbara Hansdtr Nordvik was born 28 Aug 1860 on the Nordvik farm No. 4 in Samnanger, Norway, the second daughter of Hans and Anna Nordvik. She emigrated with her parents to Winneshiek Co. in May 1871 when she was 11 years old. Barbara and her parents attended the Lutheran Church in Ridgeway. Steen Stinson and Barbara Hansdtr Nordvik were married 19 Mar 1877 probably in the Ridgeway Church. Steen was 21 years old and Barbara was 17 when they were married.

Steen and Barbara lived in Winneshiek Co. on a farm. Their two sons were born at home, Henry (b. 20 Dec 1877) and Sever (b. 3 Apr 1880). Henry's birth and baptism are listed on the Birth List from Saude/Jerico Evangelical Lutheran Church.

About 1881 Steen and Barbara moved to Ransom Co, Dakota Territory near Sheldon together with Steen’s and Barbara’s parents. Two daughters, Anne Madelia (b. 13 Jan 1883) and Minnie Berthea (b. 21 Sep 1885) were born in Ransom Co. School records for Ransom Co. show that the children were in school up to 7 Jun 1892 in Maple River District #4, Enderlin.

In 1890 they returned to Winneshiek Co. and paid $800 for 80 acres of land in Orleans Twp., Sections 9 and 11. A fifth child, Clarence Benjamin “Ben’’ was born at this farm on 4 Jul 1892.

Steen raised hogs and became a prosperous farmer. Besides 400-500 hogs, he had about 30 dairy cows and a dozen horses. Seventy-five years later, his son Ben liked to tell stories about his work on the farm. They would hitch up three rigs in the spring to plow, harrow and seed; they shocked barley in July; they would pitch hay and haul it into the barn with a big hay fork pulled by horses. Ben told how he and his father used to pick green corn for the hogs, and, when the corn had matured, how sore and stiff his hands would get from husking 80 bushels a day, and how he would “jig to beat heck’’ to keep his feet warm