Peter Verduin, Sr., was born in Michigan in 1869, and later moved with his family to northwest Iowa. As a young man he worked in South Dakota and there married Fannie Vedders in 1889 at New Holland. They moved to Chicago where he worked in the Pullman rail car factory. Here daughters Dena and Allie were born.

In 1894 he was back in South Dakota, farming. It was here he lost an arm in a threshing machine accident, and also son, Peter Jr., was born. Soon they moved to north central Iowa where Bess and Henry were born.

In the fall of 1905 he came to North Dakota, with a group to buy land. He bought the East ½ of Section 25 in Greenland township, Barnes Co., and started to build the house. Having work at home he arranged with a local carpenter to have the house done by March, and went back to Iowa. In the spring they left Iowa with good buildings, trees, both shade and fruit, and came to a treeless plain and a house that hadn't been touch since he left in the fall. Needless to say, it was hard to convince the wife and family this was progress. He also was one of the organizers of the Reformed Church in Litchville. A son John, was born here to complete the family.

When son Pete Jr., married Nell Kluvers in 1918, Pete Sr., turned the farm over to him, and moved to Litchville. There he worked as school janitor and later worked with Charlie Hanson in the scrap iron business. He had operated a threshing rig while farming and continued this after moving to town. He ran the rig for the last time in 1937 or 38. Growing older he quit full time work and did carpentry part time. He died in 1951. His wife Fannie died in 1961. Bess married Ralph Kluvers. Henry married Ralphine Kluvers. These two and Pete Jr., spent their lives on Barnes County farms. Allie married Arie Jongewaard. John married Adrianna Lenssen. These two left the county for employment elsewhere. Dena died when a grown girl.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 258