Helge B. Larson was born August 16, 1838, in Hallingdal, Norway. The date of his arrival in Minnesota is not known, but he applied for citizenship on May 20, 1872 in Fillmore County. Mr. Larson was in Dakota Territory in 1880 and made improvements on the NW quarter of Section 23-145-58, and filed on it April 17, 1882.

In the spring of 1881, Helge left Granite Falls, Minnesota with his family and drove with horses and covered wagon to the land he had chosen in 1880. They arrived on June 20, 1881. Helge later had to buy the land, since it was railroad land. He homesteaded on Section 26, in Ball Hill Township in the mid 1880's.

The first home was a dugout. A two-storied log house was built shortly afterwards. The two main hardships were snowstorms and prairie fires. One prairie fire burned down a granary. The nearest neighbors were John Atchison, Ole Hagen, Nels Herigstad, Waldemar J. Klubben, Sander Sanderson, Alex Saunders, and Iver Thompson.

Helge Larson married Bergith Halvorsdatter Brandelie on October 18, 1866. They both lived on the homeplace until their deaths. Helge died on February 14, 1916, Mrs. Larson in 1906. They are both buried in the Ness cemetery, cast of Cooperstown.

They had three children:

Barbra (1868-1928), Louis (1878-1919) and Henry J. (1884-1966).

Barbara never married.

Louis married Mary Sandboe. Their children:

Amanda, married George Johnson, Alfred, married Cecelia Strobel, Lilly married Clarence Johnson, Mildred married Grant Olson.

Henry J. married Nettie Brendal. Their children:

Howard married Inga Kalvik, Lester is single. Evelyn married Lloyd Olson, Evelyn's second marriage was to Harold Hogenson, Hazel married Robert Smith, Maynard married Marian Stalp, Doris married Lloyd Gjesdal, and Arla married Merland Carlson.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 435