Thomas Vigesaa came to America from Norway in 1895 and worked on the Cooper farm near Cooperstown for two years. After that he went to Melville, Montana, and worked on a ranch for a couple of years. One of those years his annual pay was $75.00.
In 1898 Thomas homesteaded in Riverside Township, Steele County. He had a barn and a little claim shanty. He later built his house onto the shanty using the shanty as a bedroom.
In the fall of 1908 Thomas returned to Norway leaving his farm under the care of his brothers Sigvart and Aadne. In the spring of 1909 he returned with his bride-to-be, Theodora Egge, born March 31, 1884, daughter of Theodore and Ingeborg Egge of Egersund, Norway. Thomas and Ingeborg were married in Cooperstown on March 31, 1909. The trip on boat from Norway to America at that time took three days from Stavanger to England and eight or nine days from England to America.
While they were living at Luverne, nine of Thomas Vigesaa's ten children were born:
Petra Elizabeth in 1909
Bertha, Mrs. Corlie Hall, in 1911
Ingeborg Thelma (Mrs. Meacher Stenslie) in 1913, Norman Theodore in 1915
Walter in 1917
Lillian Mable (Mrs. Edward Gauderman) in 1919
Ila (Mrs. Clarke Ward) in 1922
Vernon in 1924
and LeRoy Wallace who was killed in World War II. Another son Willard was born at Warwick in 1929.
In 1926 Thomas and Theodora moved to Warwick and then to New Rockford in 1930. In 1932 they moved to west of McHenry and in 1933 to another farm near McHenry. In 1942 they moved to another place near Kensal where they lived until their death. Thomas died on June 14, 1962, and Theodora on January 16, 1969. Both are buried at the Kensal Cemetery.
In 1958 Theodora made her first and last trip back to Norway. She was the only one of her family to come to America to stay. Two brothers had worked here and returned to Norway. She still had one sister and one brother alive in Norway at that time. They had 50 years of visiting to catch up on.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 445