| John
B. Lervik was born September 21, 1873 on an island called Hodoi
which is about one half hours boat ride from Nemses, Norway.
His parents were Raphael and Nicolina Lervik. Raphael was the
son of Peter and Karen Hodoi who originally came from an area
known as Lexvig, a region in the southern Trondheim Fjord area.
The Lervik farm was located on a clay hill on the island, hence
the name Lervik. The economy of Norway was at a very low ebb
when the family was being raised so they began immigrating to a
new land of opportunity, America. We are told that upon the
death of the parents all 6 brothers and 3 sisters came here. A
brother Benjamin had died at an early age. John immigrated to
America in 1894, arriving in Minneapolis and then going to
Starbuck, Minnesota where he worked in the woods and on the
Holte farm. He later came to Bottineau County and worked on the
J.L. Gorder farm near Carbury. On July 5, 1904 he filed on a
homestead in Stone Creek Township and was granted full patent
rights March 31, 1905.
Marie B.
Wekseth was born May 25, 1878 in the beautiful farming area of
Snsaa, Norway. Her parents were Nels and Sigrid Wekseth. The
family farm is still being operated. Nels and Helmer, her two
brothers, operated a harness and shoe shop in Bottineau and a
sister Olea owned and operated a hotel in Landa. One sister,
Anne, remained in Norway. Mother immigrated to America in the
late 1890's coming by way of Deloraine, Canada. She also was
employed on the G.L. Gorder farm and filed on a homestead but
did not prove it up, therefore no record of the date can be
found.
It was on the
Gorder farm that John and Marie met and the romance began that
resulted in their marriage on May 15, 1900 by Pastor K.O.
Roftshol in the Lutheran Parsonage at Bottineau. They moved to
the homestead and started farming where they spent their entire
lives. Both became citizens of the United States on October 31,
1900. It was here that their eight children were born, four
boys and four girls, namely Sigvald, Ragna, Jennie, Harold,
Trygve, Marvin, Clara and Mildred. Clara passed away in 1962
and Trygve in 1965. Dad passed away on November 14, 1949 and
mother August 20, 1954.
Like all early
settlers and pioneers, life on the prairie was not easy.
Bottineau at first was the closest trading center and the only
means of travel was with horses both winter and summer. On one
occasion when Dad took a load of feed to Bottineau to be ground,
a March storm of sleet and snow came up suddenly about half way
between home and Bottineau, visibility was zero but the horses
found their way to the Ertesvaag store. Mr. Ertesvaag was very
compassionate and helped get the horses to the livery barn where
Dad spent the night as did many other people who were snow
bound. His fur coat was so wet and frozen it stood alone when
he got it off. Mother was home alone with two baby children,
Sig and Ragna. Because of the tall snow drifts the only way to
get feed to the cattle was by cutting a hole in the roof of the
sod stable.
By 1904 the
village of Kramer was organized and very soon grew into a busy
city providing most of the commodities and services the early
settlers needed. However, through the years many hardships were
endured in the struggle for growth and survival. Crop failures
came and went, particularly through the so called dirty thirties
when many farmers had to mortgage their farms and lose them
through foreclosures. The only income was from the sale of such
produce as eggs, cream and poultry. Good times and crops
returned in the forties and many including our folks were able
to redeem the land.
As most
pioneers Dad and Mother were concerned about Spiritual and
Educational needs. They became active members of the Nodaros
church which was organized in 1895 located eight miles northwest
of the farm home. The first Pastor was C.D. Eikenes. Only a
neat and well attended cemetery remains on the site. Grandma
Lervik held many offices in the Ladies Aid and was awarded a
lifetime membership in the LCW. All members of the family were
baptized and confirmed in this church.
Both Mother
and Dad were interested in the Democratic Process and never
failed to exercise their right to vote. It might be of interest
to note that in the township in which they lived they were at
one time the only Democrats, therefore, Dad always served on the
election board. Later when Non-Partisan League became an active
force in North Dakota, Dad supported the less liberal
Independent Voters Association.
As the family
grew up they left the fold and entered into varied occupations.
Sig was engaged in the barber profession, marrying Carrie
Sundhagen; Ragna was manager and operator of the Newburg
Telephone Exchange and after marrying Floyd Jensen was a sales
lady at Straus Jewelers in Minot; Jennie chose the teaching
profession, served as a librarian and devoted many hours to
community services, marrying John Salveson; Harold spent a lot
of time doing mechanical work and farming and became operator
and owner of the home farm, marrying Adeline Smette; Trygve at
first chose the barbering profession and later became an
Insurance Salesman and became the District Sales Manager for
Lutheran Brotherhood in Bismarck, married Ester Amundson;
Marvin started in education, later entering sales and became
owner and operator of a farm equipment business, married Bertha
Christianson; Clara also chose the teaching profession and
married George Olson; Mildred worked as a sales clerk in general
merchandising and carrying for handicapped at San Haven, married
James Fulsebakke.
There were
eight children, (six living) twenty-four grandchildren,
forty-four great grandchildren and six great great grandchildren
all of whom hold in grateful memory the precious heritage
inherited from John and Marie Lervik.
Blessed be
their memory."
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