Family:Lars Sviggum and Maria Olson (1)

Lars Johannes Swiggum was born June 3, 1866 near Marifjora, Sogn, Norway to parents Johannes, a blacksmith, and Soneva Swiggum. When Lars was 13 years old, his brothers Erik and Anund (who had already immigrated to America) sent him money for the trip abroad. He left Norway and when he arrived in America he had only 13 øre.
The voyage to America was difficult. Passengers had to furnish their own food and bedding and Lars had none along. Some passengers shared with him but he suffered cold and hunger during the voyage.
After processing in New York, he continued by train to Kindred where his Aunt Brita and Uncle Nils Sandvig gave him a home. Here he was confirmed and attended the English school. To earn a living, he worked for his brother Erik and for Amund Johnson. He earned 50 cents a day for farm work, also mking furniture and helping others build houses.
While working for Amund Johnson, Lars met Maria Olson. She was a sister of Amund Johnson's wife, Kristie, and a daughter (born January 15, 1866) of Christopher and Margarethe Olson, from Westby, Wisconsin, near the Kickapoo River. Maria worked in La Crosse, Wisconsin and after corresponding with Lars for some time, they were engaged. On January 7, 1892, Lars and Maria were married in West Prairie Lutheran Church, Westby, Wisconsin. They returned to North Dakota where Lars had two quarters of land five and a half miles west of Kindred. He had built a small house in which they lived until 1897, when it was moved further south to the present site near the road where it was enlarged. Maria's parents came from Wisconsin a few years later to live with them. Margarethe Olson died on February 18, 1904 and Christopher Olson on June 17, 1907.
There were now six daughters in the Lars Swiggum family. Lars raised grain crops as well as cattle and horses. Maria's garden and strawberry patch yielded enough for summer use and to be canned for winter needs.
Before making the weekly trip to town for groceries, the back of the two-seater was loaded with cans of cream, crates of eggs, and butter which Maria had curned. (These were traded for groceries at Larson and Lund Department Store. Customers particularly asked for the butter she had churned.) Then, the team of black ponies was hitched to the buggy and the 5 1/2 miles to town did not take long as the horses were noted for their fast pace. Occasionally, when a train was coming, the horses would get frightened and would be hard to control. In such instances there could be some broken eggs or spilled cream.
An artesian well was dug on the farm with such force there was some fear of flooding from it. But it was put under control and, during years when many wells in the community were low, it was not unusual to see people with tanks waiting their turn to fill water for their stock. The well is still flowing today.
The Swiggum girls attended school about one mile west of the farm house (now the Lloyd Andvik (grandson of Lars and Maria) farm. Eight grades were taught and, when their oldest daughter started school, Anna Kjos was the teacher. School teachers stayed with families in the community and several boarde with Lars and Maria. Two daughters, Selma and Irene, became teachers and taught in the area schools.
Two daughters, Cora and Irene, married Elstad brothers. The Elstad family had a general store in Kindred.
Lars and Maria farmed for 22 years and then moved to Kindred in 1914. Mabel and John Andvik, who had been married December 26, 1913 then took over the farm. She, the eldest daughter, was the first organist at West Prarie Church and also the first bride.
During the summer of 1914, Lars, his brother Erik and Cousin Iver made a trip to Norway to visit their parents. When they reached their hometown there, Lars borrowed clothes from a neighbor and posed as a traveler passing through and visited his parents that way. He wasn't recognized. Lars, Erik and Iver returned later dressed in their American clothes and made themselves known. Lars' father recognized Lars' voice as that of the previous traveler. The three had to return earlier than was planned due to the outbreak of World War I.
There were not many years granted Lars and Maria to enjoy their retirement together as Maria died on February 10, 1918, during the flu epidemic. Cora kept house for her father until her marraige. This became their home and Lars continued to live with them until his death on March 7, 1942.
Written by Selma Cordelia Swiggum Burtness, Irene Estelle Swiggum Elstad, and Mary Lorraine Burtness Romsaas for the publication of the 1976 "Rural Cass County, The Land and People."

1.   Lars Swiggum - Maria Olson, in Rural Cass County : The Land and People
   611 - 612, 1976.

   The Cass County Historical Society, P.O. Box 719, Bonanzaville, West Fargo, North Dakota
   
   Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-23946