The Turnquist Family

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Turnquist moved from Lake Benton, Minnesota in 1910 to Section 15 Cooperstown Township, North Dakota with seven of their children.  The oldest son remained in Minnesota.  They bought a farm from Albert Retzlaff for $42.50 an acre that came to $27,200.  In 1917 the crops were poor.  In 1918 the crops were good, but the ducks moved in and destroyed 25 acres of the best wheat.  They lost the farm and moved into Cooperstown after the three youngest children graduated from High School.  Three of the children were still home, Martin, William, and Hulda.  Mrs. Turnquist died on March 25, 1936.  Mr. Turnquist died on November 11, 1942.

Karl married Carrie Nielsen in Minnesota and farmed for a few years before coming to North Dakota to farm near Mose.  Later they moved to Minnesota.  Then they, with the family of five children, moved to Lake Worth, Florida in 1947.  He died in 1961.  His family still lives in Florida.

MARTIN went into the army for 10 months.  Later he did farm work and construction work for T. S. Swingen until he was appointed Rural Mail Carrier out of Cooperstown in 1937.  He retired after 28 years on November 30, 1965.  He married Berniece Jensen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jensen of Cooperstown in 1937.  She was his substitute, then regular carrier for 25 years until the routes were divided.  They have three children who live in Miles City, Montana.

William did farm labor and worked for Dr. Newell looking after his farming interests for many years before moving to Lake Worth, Florida to make his home.  He died on May 9, 1974.

Hanna married Albert Perchert of Cooperstown in 1922.  They and their five children, one son died at the age of 2, lived on the farm west of Cooperstown.  They lived in Cooperstown for a few years before moving to California in 1943.  Albert died in 1974.  Hanna makes her home with her son, Dale, in El Cerrito, California.

George married Marvelle Langford of Cooperstown and moved to Ambrose, North Dakota.  He did farm labor and was a school custodian for many years.  He died December 18, 1943.  They had five boys and one girl who died at the age of seven.  Marvelle lives in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Hulda after 3 years of college taught school for 25 years.  She was a clerk in the Chicago Post Office one summer.  Married Martin Dramstad of Binford, North Dakota.  They live on their farm west of Cooperstown.

Theodore after graduating from High School taught school for one year then went to Chicago, Illinois.  He was appointed a clerk in the Chicago Post Office.  After retiring in 1965 he has been working in the Villa Park Bank, Illinois.  He married Edith Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Johnson of Cooperstown, a member of his High School class.  They make their home in Villa Park, Illinois.  They have three children: 

son, Floyd, works in Hong Kong for a New York Bank.  Two daughters, one in Illinois, and one in Indiana.

Helen started teaching school at age of 17 from High School.  She married Fred Parker who died in 1973.  They made their home in Minnesota.  Two sons were killed, one in a runaway, and one in a snowmobile accident.  Two children died in childhood.  Eight live in Minnesota.  After the children were grown Helen went to college and received her B. A. degree from the Valley City College.  She taught school for a few years.  Now she makes her home in Brainerd, Minnesota and is a Foster Grandparent at the State Hospital in Brainerd.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 page 279