Andrew S. Berge was born in Stavanger, Norway, December 17, 1879 and came to America when five years old. He grew up near Valley City in Hobart Township, where he attended a rural school. On April 9, 1907 he married Ellen Axelson at her farm home in Green Township. Her parents Mr. and Mrs. Anton Axelson and a son had come to this farm in 1884 and Ellen was born here the following year. In December 1903 Mr. Berge bought his own farm, the North Half of Section 9 in Svea Township. Andrew bought this farm from the Carrington and Casey Land Co., of Stutsman County. The first temporary buildings were put up in the Southeast corner of this tract and here he lived for a time with Ole Rekdal. His grandmother came out and helped with the housework at times and she papered the inside of the shack with old newspapers. He later planted a grove of trees and put up more permanent buildings on the west quarter of the tract and it was here that he brought his bride and where two of the children were born. Most of the others were born in his mother's farm home near Sanborn, North Dakota,. where the family moved as it was closer to town and school. The family moved back to Svea in 1916 but stayed only a year, going back to the farm near Sanborn again. They moved back to Svea in 1920 where they lived until he passed away at Jamestown Hospital September 1958. Mrs. Berge then moved to Valley City and passed away February 10, 1975.

The children born to the Berges in addition to the two girls who died at birth, were: Marie (Mrs. Arthur Sortland), Litchville, North Dakota; Albert J. Litchville, North Dakota; Esther (Mrs. O. C. Tiedeman), Marysville, Washington; Andrew B. (Pete) Litchville, North Dakota; Gladys (Mrs. Elmer Stokka) deceased; Olaf A. Jamestown, North Dakota; George, Walnut Creek, California; Oscar (deceased) and Byron, Valley City, North Dakota.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 28