Mads Bjornsrud

Mads Bjornsrud (1877-1939) was born Eidsvold, Norway, November 23, 1877.  He attended school in Norway and learned the blacksmith trade there. He came to America in 1904 and settled at Hendricks, Minnesota. Mr. Bjornsrud was married to Karen Skorseth at Canby, Minnesota in 1906. Mrs. Bjornsrud was born in Lillehammer, Norway April 22, 1883 and she came to the United States in 1900.

The Bjornsruds moved to Sanborn, North Dakota in 1908 and Mr. Bjornsrud opened a blacksmith shop soon after that. He continued to be the town's blacksmith as long as his health permitted and then the shop was taken over by his son Oscar.

The Bjornsruds were members of the St. Peter's Lutheran Church of Sanborn.  Mr. Bjornsrud was a past worshipful master of the Sanborn Masonic Lodge and Mrs. Bjornsrud was a past worthy matron of Prairie Chapter #7, Order of Eastern Star of Sanborn.

Mr. Bjornsrud passed away in 1939 and Mrs. Bjornsrud in 1967, in Sanborn, North Dakota.

The Bjornsruds had eight children:

  1. Martin Bjornsrud, Tacoma, Washington;

  2. Mabel (Mrs. H. G. Moore), Apache Junction, Arizona;

  3. Oscar Bjornsrud, Colorado Springs, Colorado;

  4. Harold Bjornsrud, North Hollywood, California;

  5. Alfhild (Mrs. C. T. Olson) Pueblo, Colorado;

  6. Sally (Mrs. Norman Hanson) Carrington, North Dakota, who passed away in 1966;

  7. Willard Bjornsrud, Valley City, North Dakota;

  8. Betty (Mrs. Rueben Koebernick) Sanborn, North Dakota.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 31