Tollef Ellefson was born on January 14, 1875 in Steams County, Minnesota. In 1880 he came to North Dakota in a covered wagon with his parents, Ellef and Barbra Olson. They lived in a log cabin in Pilot Mound Section 25.
Since there were so many settlers named Olson, the children all changed their name to Ellefson.
There was an Indian camp nearby and Tollef and his brothers and sisters spent many happy hours playing with the friendly Indian children. They ran home for supper in a hurry when they saw an Indian squaw throw a muskrat on the bonfire to roast.
School records show that in 1885 Tollef went to school for five days in Greenwood Township School. That year school was held from July 1 to August 30. The Greenwood school was built in 1885 and stood a very short distance north of Ottawa Church.
Tollef and his brother Oscar (Little Ole) had a livery stable in Aneta. They took the doctor on his rounds. The driver would sleep in the bus while the doctor attended his patients - then the doctor would sleep while they drove. Sometimes when they returned to town they would find another call, so they would change horses and go out again.
On January 22, 1912 Tollef married Nora Halvorson and they built a house on part of the homestead near the Sheyenne River.
Nora was born in Stearns County, Minnesota on October 19, 1886. She had come to North Dakota to cook in the cook car during the harvest season. She was a quiet, gentle person, always ready to help a friend and neighbor, and was at times called on to act as midwife when a doctor wasn't available.
From an early age Nora had suffered from a heart ailment, which kept her hospitalized frequently at McVille and at Rochester Hospital. This was cause for much concern to her family and friends and fear to her children. Nora passed away on April 12, 1934 at the age of 47.
Tollef continued to live on the farm until his death on April 2, 1945.
The four children all live in Griggs County:
Bernice, married to Oriel Larson, Hamlin and Myrtle (Boyer) Ellefson, Gordon and Frances (Bloomensaat) Ellefson all live on farms in Pilot Mound. Gordon and Bernice are the third generation to live on parts of the old homestead. Richard and Margaret (Herberg) Ellefson live in Cooperstown.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 369