Title
PETER AND KAREN BRATBERG FAMILY
Creator
Maude Bratberg and Aagot Clark
Coverage
TOWNSHIP 140N RANGE 93W
Text
PETER AND KAREN BRATBERG FAMILY
On Dec. 16, 1855 Karen (Winger) Bratberg was born to Martin and Maren (Fyre) Winger, at Dokka, Nordre Land, Norway. She was one of six children. Sister Julia was the first to immigrate to America, where she married Mathias Larson at Green Bay, Wis.; later moving to a homestead adjoining Bucyrus, N.D. They had two children, Walter and Olga (Mrs. Alfred Jacobson).
Karen came to America in 1880 and came to an aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Hauge at Kirkhoven, Minn. Karen got a job as housekeeper with a family at Wilmar, Minn., washing clothes on a washboard and carrying in coal and water. Working 14 hours a day, she received as pay the sum of $ 1.50 a week.
She later went to Duluth where she met a handsome young man by the name of Peter Bratberg, who had come over from Gaupen, Ringsaker, Norway. He was born Jan. 22, 1861 to Ole and Gina (Bye) Bratberg. Peter left Norway on May 24, 1889 and came to America, landing at Boston, Mass.; then coming to an uncle, Anton Bratberg, at Minneapolis, Minn. He had a sister, Ida Grettum, living in Minneapolis. Peter had learned the trade of carpenter and cabinet maker and later went to Duluth where he worked with a building crew.
On April 9, 1892, Karen and Peter were married in a little Lutheran Church at Superior, Wis. By Rev. M. M. Mithun. Karen's brother, Gulbrand Winger, who had recently come from Norway, and a friend, Marie Jacobson, went with them as witnesses. Karen came back home and cooked supper for the family. Soon they came west by train and got off at Taylor, N.D. They found a place to live with an elderly widower, Mr. Torstenson, who owned the house that John Meyer now owns. Mr. Torstenson was father-in-law to L. L. Lewis who owned one of the general stores.
They stayed there seven months. In November, Mrs. Borger Elkin, who lived eight miles south of town, died, leaving seven children. Karen and Peter moved out with the Elkin family to be with the children and help with the work. They filed for a quarter section of homestead land, just one mile west of Elkins. Gulbrand Winger filed for the quarter section adjoining them on the south. In the spring the young men started building their home; building the house on the Bratberg land and the barn on Gulbrand's land; since it was the law that it had to be a a building in use on the land. Six years later the house was moved down to Heart River, two miles to the west, where it still stands. Gulbrand gave up his homestead and moved to Walcott, N.D., where his son, Sigurd, now lives. On Oct. 1, 1897, Peter got his citizenship, with Chas. Kono and Guy DeFrance as witnesses.
It was hard times while on the homstead, the first year, 30 acres of wheat was sown, getting one small stack; it had been a dry year. More hardship came in the form of a prairie fire burning the stack of wheat. To save the house, Karen had her baby on one arm and fought fire with the other. Their first hen and 15 eggs were given to them by Quanruds. When the pullets began to lay and they found one egg every other day. Karen boiled that egg, cut it in half and fed half of it to the baby and saved the other half for the next day. If they found two eggs, Peter would have one for his breakfast. Food was scarce in the pantry and many times Karen was so hungry, she would take a handful of bran they had for the pig and eat it. They could buy eggs fron, Forger Elkin for five cents a dozen if they had the five cents. They got their fnst team of horses by borrowing $25.00 from the teacher in Taylor, Miss Slack.
As the children grew, all had to help with the farm work, milking cows, working in the harvest fields, shocking grain and working in the hayfield. Clothes were handed down as they fit and much patching done to last. We all attended country school until 1913 when we started school in Taylor.
Five children were born to the Bratbergs: Gina Mathea, Aug. 13, 1893, now living in a nursing home in Portland, Ore. She never married. Oscar, Sept. 29, 1895, lives with wife Dorothy in Taylor, after leaving the farm. He has a step daughter, Laura (Mrs. Martin Hamann) of Oregon City, Ore. They have three children. His son, Oscar Jr., who worked with him on the farm, married and lives in Gladstone. Daughter Karen, (Mrs. Stewart Griffith) lives at Riverton, Wyo. They have two children. Maude Martina, born May 6, 1897. She lives in her own home in Taylor. She never married. After working away from home several years, she came home and cared for the folks until their death. Walborg Petra Caspara was born Nov. 2, 1899. After teaching several years in North Dakota and Montana, she married J. E. Hall, who later died. They had no children. Walborg died Nov. 14, 1976, and lies buried beside her parents at Pioneer Cemetery south of Taylor. Aagot Lucle, born Jan. 20, 1902 (Mrs. Clark) retired from I.R.S. in Detroit, Mich. And lives in Taylor with her son, Roger. Karen Bratberg died Aug. 23, 1948. Peter Bratberg died Jan. 5, 1951.
By Maude Bratberg and Aagot Clark
On Dec. 16, 1855 Karen (Winger) Bratberg was born to Martin and Maren (Fyre) Winger, at Dokka, Nordre Land, Norway. She was one of six children. Sister Julia was the first to immigrate to America, where she married Mathias Larson at Green Bay, Wis.; later moving to a homestead adjoining Bucyrus, N.D. They had two children, Walter and Olga (Mrs. Alfred Jacobson).
Karen came to America in 1880 and came to an aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Hauge at Kirkhoven, Minn. Karen got a job as housekeeper with a family at Wilmar, Minn., washing clothes on a washboard and carrying in coal and water. Working 14 hours a day, she received as pay the sum of $ 1.50 a week.
She later went to Duluth where she met a handsome young man by the name of Peter Bratberg, who had come over from Gaupen, Ringsaker, Norway. He was born Jan. 22, 1861 to Ole and Gina (Bye) Bratberg. Peter left Norway on May 24, 1889 and came to America, landing at Boston, Mass.; then coming to an uncle, Anton Bratberg, at Minneapolis, Minn. He had a sister, Ida Grettum, living in Minneapolis. Peter had learned the trade of carpenter and cabinet maker and later went to Duluth where he worked with a building crew.
On April 9, 1892, Karen and Peter were married in a little Lutheran Church at Superior, Wis. By Rev. M. M. Mithun. Karen's brother, Gulbrand Winger, who had recently come from Norway, and a friend, Marie Jacobson, went with them as witnesses. Karen came back home and cooked supper for the family. Soon they came west by train and got off at Taylor, N.D. They found a place to live with an elderly widower, Mr. Torstenson, who owned the house that John Meyer now owns. Mr. Torstenson was father-in-law to L. L. Lewis who owned one of the general stores.
They stayed there seven months. In November, Mrs. Borger Elkin, who lived eight miles south of town, died, leaving seven children. Karen and Peter moved out with the Elkin family to be with the children and help with the work. They filed for a quarter section of homestead land, just one mile west of Elkins. Gulbrand Winger filed for the quarter section adjoining them on the south. In the spring the young men started building their home; building the house on the Bratberg land and the barn on Gulbrand's land; since it was the law that it had to be a a building in use on the land. Six years later the house was moved down to Heart River, two miles to the west, where it still stands. Gulbrand gave up his homestead and moved to Walcott, N.D., where his son, Sigurd, now lives. On Oct. 1, 1897, Peter got his citizenship, with Chas. Kono and Guy DeFrance as witnesses.
It was hard times while on the homstead, the first year, 30 acres of wheat was sown, getting one small stack; it had been a dry year. More hardship came in the form of a prairie fire burning the stack of wheat. To save the house, Karen had her baby on one arm and fought fire with the other. Their first hen and 15 eggs were given to them by Quanruds. When the pullets began to lay and they found one egg every other day. Karen boiled that egg, cut it in half and fed half of it to the baby and saved the other half for the next day. If they found two eggs, Peter would have one for his breakfast. Food was scarce in the pantry and many times Karen was so hungry, she would take a handful of bran they had for the pig and eat it. They could buy eggs fron, Forger Elkin for five cents a dozen if they had the five cents. They got their fnst team of horses by borrowing $25.00 from the teacher in Taylor, Miss Slack.
As the children grew, all had to help with the farm work, milking cows, working in the harvest fields, shocking grain and working in the hayfield. Clothes were handed down as they fit and much patching done to last. We all attended country school until 1913 when we started school in Taylor.
Five children were born to the Bratbergs: Gina Mathea, Aug. 13, 1893, now living in a nursing home in Portland, Ore. She never married. Oscar, Sept. 29, 1895, lives with wife Dorothy in Taylor, after leaving the farm. He has a step daughter, Laura (Mrs. Martin Hamann) of Oregon City, Ore. They have three children. His son, Oscar Jr., who worked with him on the farm, married and lives in Gladstone. Daughter Karen, (Mrs. Stewart Griffith) lives at Riverton, Wyo. They have two children. Maude Martina, born May 6, 1897. She lives in her own home in Taylor. She never married. After working away from home several years, she came home and cared for the folks until their death. Walborg Petra Caspara was born Nov. 2, 1899. After teaching several years in North Dakota and Montana, she married J. E. Hall, who later died. They had no children. Walborg died Nov. 14, 1976, and lies buried beside her parents at Pioneer Cemetery south of Taylor. Aagot Lucle, born Jan. 20, 1902 (Mrs. Clark) retired from I.R.S. in Detroit, Mich. And lives in Taylor with her son, Roger. Karen Bratberg died Aug. 23, 1948. Peter Bratberg died Jan. 5, 1951.
By Maude Bratberg and Aagot Clark