Israel and Regina Jarvis brought their family of seven boys and two girls to Barnes County from Richville, Minnesota in March, 1913. He got acquainted with Seymour Granger who owned a large farm about four miles northwest of Valley City. That was where they first settled in March, 1913. The entire family worked for Mr. Granger for $100 a month. Mrs. Jarvis cooked for the hired hands.
There was a small one-room school nearby that the children attended. In the fall of 1913, they rented the 320 acre Nels Lunding farm in Baldwin Township The garden and cattle income belonged to the family. The Baldwin school was six miles south of where they lived. That made a 12 mile trip for a day of school Six children at one time went to this school. They drove their own horse drawn bus. It had a hot blast stove in it for warmth in the winter time. Virgil Watson (now in Fargo) was the teacher.
October 9, 1922, the family moved to the Roderick McKay farm, one mile east.
Israel, the father, passed away in the Riverside Hospital in Valley City on October 14, 1924. Mrs. Jarvis, with the help of her younger boys, continued farming. March 3, 1927, they moved to the George Smith farm near Pillsbury. They had an auction sale in the summer of 1929. The worst depression in history was beginning. Mrs. Jarvis died in May, 1940.
Two of the boys, Philip and Lester, bought farms south of Valley City where they still reside and where they raised their families. Walter lives in Sioux City, Iowa, where he has a candy store. Melvin and Richard live in Fargo. Melvin is retired from the railroad and Richard is a realtor. Maurice lives in Findlay, Ohio, and is a retired insurance salesman. Gloria lives in Williston and Leona's home is in Minneapolis. Homand passed away in October, 1961. He lived in Breckenridge and worked for the railroad.
From this union there are now 20 grandchildren, 41 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 110