Swen Bjornson

Swen Bjornson and Kari Barclay were married at Elbow Lake, Minnesota November 20, 1888.  Swen was born in Smaland, Sweden and came to America in 1878.  He started farming at Elbow Lake.  Kari was born in Sogn, Norway in 1867.  She came to the United States in 1888 and was married the next year.  They tried to farm in Minnesota for ten years.  They came to Mose, North Dakota where so many neighbors from Elbow Lake had come to homestead.  They came to Courtenay by flatcar, and then came north with horses.  They built up their homestead on Section 28 north of Mose.  Their neighbors were Andrew Ramseys, Hendrick Olsons and Ole Hansons.  These neighbors, together with Nels Lee, started the ZION CHURCH north of Mose.  It was dedicated in 1902.

Swen and Kari had eight children:

  1. Albert,

  2. Lawrence,

  3. Bendina,

  4. Sophia,

  5. Bella,

  6. Oscar,

  7. Alida and

  8. Sophus.

They moved into Binford in 1943 with Oscar.  Swen died at the age of 87 and Kari died at 90 years of age.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 416