Martin Olson was born November 15, 1854 to Ole and Maria Olson (Bjornstad) in Iowa. He came to North Dakota in 1880 with his parents, three brothers and one sister. He married Mary Nelson on February 16, 1885. They lived in a sod house until 1910 when they moved into their new house. They were parents of eight children:
Mary, Nels, Christena, Emma, Oscar, Ida, Otto and Alice. One son died very young and one son died during the flu epidemic. Of the above named children, only Ida (Mrs. Edwin Christopherson) is now living. Martin Olson died April 1920. Mary Olson died January 1942.
Mary Nelson was born at Vinger, Norway on January 19, 1866. She came to America in 1873 with her mother, two brothers and one sister to Allamakee County, Iowa where they lived for seven years.
In 1880 she came to North Dakota with her mother (Anna Nelson) and two brothers, Nels and Andrew Nelson. Children born to the union are listed above.
Anna Nelson died in 1881. Martin Olson died April 1920. Mary Olson died January 1942. (Martin and Mary Olson's daughter, Christena, married Martin Christopherson.)
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 403