On October 24, 1875, Inga Beatrice Kjelland was born in Sokendahl, Norway, the daughter of Charles (Karl) and Marie Bgentson Kjelland. Later, they moved to Hauge and settled in Kjelland. When Inga was five years of age, (1880) they sailed from Norway on a freighter and after weeks at sea they landed in New York. From there they went by train to Harwood, North Dakota. In 1884 they moved by wagon to Green Township.

There were hard times in those early years and the children surely had to work hard. Inga and her sister, Emelia, would plow with oxen and an old walking plow. One sister would steer and try to keep the plow in the ground and the other would dig out the rocks. Emelia did a lot of the seeding too. Inga attended Hobart District School and later the Normal School in Valley City, North Dakota. She taught for some time in and around the Barnes County area. She married Andrew (Gust) Carlson, who came from Sweden when he was twenty years of age, July 7, 1903. He farmed in Svea Township. Later, he and Inga's father, Charles (Karl) Kjelland, operated the Carlson and Kjelland Harness and Hardware Store in Litchville, North Dakota. In 1917, Carlson and Kjelland moved back to their original farms. The Carlsons lived on their farm until they retired in 1941 and moved to Valley City, North Dakota.

Mr. Carlson passed away in 1953 and Mrs. Carlson passed away in 1967. To this union were born four children; Carl, Albert, Russell and Agnes (Mrs. Alf Benson, Valley City, North Dakota).

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 43