Edward G. Strom was born near Oslo, Norway January 27, 1862. He emigrated to this country in 1880; coming to Minneapolis, Minnesota, he worked in the saw mills. Later on there was a strike in the mills so he and another fellow left and came to the Litchville area. He started farming for himself in Thordenskjold township southeast of Kathryn in 1890.
There were few women in the country at this time, but one day he met Ellen Roe and her sister, Engred, (Mrs. M. C. Ekern,) who were riding in the buggy with their brother-in-law Iver Olsberg. Some men, including Edward were working in the fields and somebody called, "Here comes those newcomer girls", and everybody ran to the road to see them. Love bloomed and Edward and Ellen were married in 1895. Ellen Roe was also a native of Norway, coming here in 1886 with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ingval Roe, and her brother, Engret Roe. They were both pioneer farmers of Thordenskjold township. It cost Ellen $36.00 in fare to come from Oslo to Valley City. At that time the steamship lines were in competition with one another.
Edward and Ellen lived on a farm until 1905 when they moved into Kathryn, where he operated a meat market until 1920 when ill health caused him to retire. After he sold his shop, he operated a farm north of Kathryn in Nelson township.
In 1907 he built a house in Kathryn which is still being occupied by two daughters. He was an early stockholder in the Farmers State Bank and in the Farmers Mutual Elevator. He served on both the village and school boards in Kathryn. Stroms had four children: Signe Siverding Grubb of Bowbells, North Dakota (deceased in 1975); Edna I. Johnson and Mabel O. Strom of Kathryn; Henry of Bend, Oregon. The three girls attended Valley City State Teachers College and Henry is a graduate of the Univ. of North Dakota at Grand Forks.
Ellen Roe Strom passed away February 1939 at the age of 74 years. Edward passed away in March 1944 at the age of 85 years. They and their daughter are buried in the beautiful Waldheim cemetery southeast of Kathryn.
He had six Johnson grand-children: Lorraine Larson; Douglas; Marilyn Bell; Florence Jacobson; Bonnie Farhart and C. H. Johnson.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 241