Iver Welken was born in Granvin, Hardanger, Norway on April 25, 1883. He came to America and worked as a butcher in Minnesota, moving to the Valley City community in 1908. He married, Olga Larson on November 11, 1911, in, the Zion Lutheran Church of Green Township. She was born on July 27, 1887, in Green Township, the daughter of Elias and Lisa Larson.

Iver and Olga farmed until moving to Valley City in 1943, where they worked as butchers until he retired in 1955.

Three children were born to this union, Leonard was born in 1912, and he resides in Valley City with his wife, the former Clara DeVries. Leonard and Clara have three children; Larry and Ivan of Valley City, and James of Milnor. Elias was born in 1914. He married Jeanette Saylor of Underwood, North Dakota. They had one son, James, who lives in California. Elias was killed in a car accident in 1949, and Jeanette was killed a few years later in a train accident. Thelma was born in 1918. She married Bernard Benson, and they have four children: Ronald of Litchville; Delores (Mrs. Dean Erickson) of Minneapolis; Ralph of Valley City; and Donna (Mrs. Jon E. Nestoss) of , Lincoln, Nebraska.

Iver passed away in 1959, and Olga in 1969. They are buried with their son, Elias, in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery in Green Township.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 262