on cold fall mornings out in the field; and he told how he would ride the wagon with his father down to the mill at Plymouth Rock to have their barley and oats ground for pig feed, then throw it in the pig feeder, a large cooker with a smokestack, and, when it was warmed up, haul it in the swill barrel to the pig troughs. Every fall Steen would ship a couple of carloads of hogs to Chicago. The neighbors would help (in a “dugnad”) drive the hogs into Cresco and onto a railroad car. William Gentleman and Sons sold them on the market, and Steen would ride along to Chicago. Ben said he would usually earn about $700-800 for a railway carload of hogs.

Around 1919 Steen and Barbara sold their farm in Orleans Twp. and moved to Warwick, ND. The farm is presently owned by William McConnell of Ridgeway. Steen died 16 Mar 1921 from colon cancer. Barbara died 26 Apr 1942. They are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo, ND.

Steen and Barbara had five children: Henry, Sever, Delia, Mina and C. Ben. Henry Spencer was born 20 Dec 1877 in Winneshiek Co. He was county recorder for Winneshiek Co. ca. 1905-1910. During part of this time he was assisted by his sister, Mina Harmon. Henry married Blanche Violet Anderson (1881-1969). They lived in Warwick, ND. Henry and Blanche had two sons: Henry Spencer, Jr. (b. 18 Apr 1919) and James Stanley (b. 30 Nov 1921), both born in Devils Lake, ND. Henry, Jr. married Ovie D. Palmore in 1946. They have two sons, Ron and Larry. James married L. Marilyn Cameron from Ayr, ND. They have four children: Greg, Dave, Diane and Gerry. Sever was born in Winneshiek Co. on 3 Apr 1880. He married Thea Iverson in Albert Lea, MN. Thea died 17 Sep 1952. Sever and Thea had 10 children: Roy, Cyrus, Alvira, Eunice, Henry, Genevieve, twins Virgil and Virginia, Harold and Lorraine. They lived in Warwick and later moved to Seattle, WA. Anne Madelia fDelial was born on the farm near Enderlin, Territory of Dakota on 13 Jan 1883. Delia married Morton Anderson from near Ridgeway on 28 Sep 1910. They had two daughters, Barbara K. (b. 5 May 1912) and Marion Aileen (b. 18 Jan 1914), both born in Warwick. They lived in Warwick and later in Seattle and Port Angeles, WA. Delia died in Wauna, WA on 5 Apr 1974. Minnie Berthea fMinaf was born 9 Sep 1885. She married Ray Harmon of Decorah on 25 May 1912. They lived in Warwick and Fargo, ND and later in Seattle. She died 25 May 1967. Clarence Benjamin fBen) was born 4 Jul 1892 in Winneshiek Co. He attended school in District No. 1 in Orleans Twp. Ben was stationed in France in World War I. He married Kathinka L. Gudbrandson in Sep 1919. They lived for many years in Warwick and later in Seattle. Ben died in Seattle in 1986. Tinka died 21 May 1991 at age 94. Ben and Tinka had no children. Both are buried in Acacia Memorial Park in South Seattle.

(See: Sjur and Magdele Stinson; Ben Stinson stories. Photos courtesy of J. Skurdall & L.M. Stinson.)

Stoddard, Donald and Esther (Tveter)

(Alice Hamre Arneson)

Esther Beatrice Tveter was born 20 Aug 1914 in Kit Carson, CO. She is the daughter of Martin H. and Marit L.

(Hamre) Tveter. Esther grew up on the family farm near the Madison Lutheran Church. Her first year of high school (1929-30), she lived with Cora and Knut Hamre and baby Alice Louise. Her second year of high school she lived with Olav and Lillie Hamre and little Bertha Lorraine. Then her uncle Ole Tveter died and she had to quit school to come back home and help work on the farm. While at Knut’s house she attended a party at Chris and Berit (Hamre) Qualley's home. Chris' daughter Edra was the same age as Esther. At this party she met Don Stoddard.

Donald Merton Stoddard was born 27 Jan 1911 and died 10 Jul 1995 in Decorah. He was the son of Edward F. and Permille Jan (Bucknell) Stoddard of Decorah.

Esther and Don were married at Madison Lutheran Church 31 May 1936. Esther worked at Woolworth’s, Dury’s Firestone, Graham’s Department Store, Luther College Food Service and Vanberia. Don worked in grocery stores: Dave Hill’s, Gillis, Connie Rosendahl’s. Grangaard’s and Fairway as produce manager. Don was active at Decorah Lutheran Church. He was a Decorah volunteer fireman for 33 years. Don spent his last 5 years at the Aase Haugen home with Alzheimer’s Disease. Esther lives at 508 Center Avenue on the “flat.”

Esther Tveter and Don Stoddard

Don and Esther had two children: Linda Marlene married Michael Eugene Root on 30 Jul 1966. Linda works at the Aase Haugen Home. Mike works at Bruening Rock Products and with the Decorah Kilties. Linda and Mike have two children: Tracy Kay (b. in Nuerenburg, Germany) married Dave Thorston on 22 May 1993 and Kelly Donald. Dean Edward married Jane Marie Hageman on 21 Dec 1973. Jane bought the Band Box in Decorah when Mary Ronan retired in 1994. Dean works at CamCar. They live in Ridgeway. Dean and Jane have three children: Stephanie Lee, Daniel Dean and Jeremy Alan.