Tom Larson was born on a small farm in Nodlund, Egersund, Norway on June 27, 1886. Guri (Carlson) Larson was born December 6, 1889 at Asse, Egersund, Norway. Knowing he wouldn't be able to support a family on the old farm home beside the North Sea in Norway, he left Norway in 1907, at the age of 21 years to seek a new life in America. He was employed as a farm laborer near Jessie, North Dakota until 1910 when he returned to Norway. On January 19, 1911 Tom and Guri were united in marriage in a church in Egersund, Norway where they both had been confirmed and baptized. They left Norway March 1, 1911 and arrived back on March 14, 1911 on a farm near Binford. They lived on a farm 21h miles west of Binford from 1919 to 1946, this farm was purchased in 1925, and provisions from the farm raised a family of six sons and four daughters.
They retired in 1946 from the farm and purchased a home in Binford, North Dakota, where Tom is presently residing and still real active and in good health.
Tom and Guri returned to their homeland in Norway in 1958 after an absence of 47 years. They spent nine months visiting their relatives and old neighbors and Tom fished almost daily in the North Sea, which he enjoyed so much. They returned to Binford and enjoyed many more years of good health and in 1970 returned again for a visit to Egersund, Norway. They were accompanied by their nephew Dwight Larson and joined later by a son, Sivert Larson. It was an enjoyable trip in which Dwight and Sivert were shown the home farm, relatives and mostly beautiful Norway itself.
Tom and Guri celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary on January 19, 1974 and the following September 4th, 1974 Guri Larson passed away. A family of two had raised 6 sons, 4 daughters, 53 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. Tom and Guri were proud of the community in which they lived, thankful for all their friends, thankful for having been given the opportunity to live and raise such a large family in a great country like America.
Their children:
Thelford, 4 children
Carl, 3 children
Johanna (Kurti), 7 children
Ann (Storkson), 4 children-, Halvor, 7 children
Melvin, 2 children
Trygve, 4 children
Sivert, 5 children
Vivian (Avdem), 8 children
Gladys (Marquart), 7 children.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 248