Mike Benson was born February 23, 1877, at Bremnes, Norway. He remained in the land of his birth until he was 20 years old, when, in the year 1897, he came to the United States. He settled on the South ½ of Section 18, in Svea Township, where he made his home until 1911 , when he moved to Litchville and operated a meat market until 1915. He then returned to the farm where he lived until January of 1944, when he moved to Valley City.
On July 21, 1901, Mike married Abelone Opsolonson in Valley City. She passed away in 1904. Two children were born to this union; Alf B. and Henry L. On May 21, 1906, he married Martha Hanson, who had come to America from Gudbransdalen, Norway. Three children were born to this union: Myrtle T., Bernice H., and Bernard M. Martha passed away on December 21, 1954. Mike died on September 27, 1957.
Alf Benson married Agnes Carlson, and to this union was born one son, Allen, who lives in Rochester, Minnesota, where he is associated with IBM. Allen married Lucille Marcoux of Manchester, New Hampshire. They have four children; Glenn, LuAnn, Eric and Norma Jane. Alf and Agnes made their home on their farm in Svea Township until 1963, when they moved to Valley City. Alf is still farming today.
Henry married Clarice Komrosky of Valley City, and to them was born one son, Donald, who resides in Minneapolis. Henry did various types of government work, and moved to Los Angeles, where he lived until his death in 1958.
Myrtle Benson is now living in Valley City where she moved in 1975, after working as a secretary-bookkeeper in Fargo, Casper, Wyoming, and Minneapolis.
Bernice married Andrew B. (Pete) Berge, and they live in Svea Township on their farm. Four children were born to this union; Audrey, David, Dennis and Mark. Audrey married Ronald Palosaari, who is a Professor in the English Department of Augsburg College in Minneapolis. They have four children; Diane, Karen, Michael and Eric. David died of Leukemia in 1945. Dennis married Henriette Rodary, who was born in France, and they have one son, Christopher. They live in Madagascar where Dennis is a medical doctor. Mark farms with his father and attends Concordia College in Moorhead.
Bernard married Thelma Welken, and they have four children; Ronald, Delores, Ralph and Donna. They lived on Mike's farm home until 1964 when they moved to Valley City. Ronald married Shirley Franklin, and they live on the farm home with their four children; Russell, Richard, Angela and Brenda. Delores lives in Minneapolis, where her husband, Dean Erickson, is a commercial artist. Ralph married Rhonda Triebold, and they live in Valley City where Ralph is Office Manager of the Fair Store. They have one daughter, Melissa. Donna married Jon E. Nestoss, who is a Civil Engineer, and they are currently living in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 27