Anton Sorenson was born December 1, 1894 in Rostrup, Denmark and came to this country March 12, 1914. He was 19 years of age at the time. He came to Arco, Minnesota, because he already had a brother there. His first job was on a farm and he earned $15.00 a month and worked long hours. He later went to carpenter work. In 1915 he met Mary Johnson. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in World War I and earned a rating of Corporal. After Anton's discharge he and his partner Jens Jorgenson went back to carpenter work. On April 14, 1920 he married Mary Johnson from Lake Benton, Minnesota. They lived in Arco and Anton did carpenter work during the day and ran the pool hall in the evening. The pool hall was traded for machinery and they farmed north of Arco. Because of poor crops they had a sale and bought the pool hall in Nome, North Dakota in 1927. They stayed there for two years and then traded for farm machinery and farmed west of Nome for several years. In 1933 they moved south of Kathryn where they farmed for two years but had another sale in the fall of 1935. Dirt storms and dry weather made farming very discouraging. The Sorenson family moved to Valley City and rented a house for $15.00 a month; Anton worked as a carpenter on the buildings at the Fish Hatchery north of Valley City, and also on the City Auditorium and Armory. Many of these building projects were sponsored by W.P.A. Mary cleaned cabins for 154, a cabin and did sewing for those in the cabins. Anton got a job as maintenance man at the State Teachers College and was there for 24 years. He retired in 1961 but still took small carpenter jobs to keep busy.

Seven children were born to this couple: Lyle, Vivian, Merret, Mylo, Darwin, LaVetta and Gary. Five are living in Barnes County. Vivian (Mrs. Kenneth E. Welken) Mylo, Darwin and Gary all of Valley City and LaVetta (Mrs. John O. Anderson) of Fingal.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 229