Thor G. Auren was born April 7, 1858 in Nes i Adal, Norway. He came to America at the age of 26 and worked in the Goose River area, as it was then called, on a farm at Hatton, North Dakota for Iver Thompson who was a relative.
Marit Johnson, also from Nes i Adal, came to the United States with her parents, brothers and sisters and the family settled in Wittenberg, Wisconsin. Marit's birth-date was January 21, 1864. She, too, came to Hatton and married Thor G. Auren in 1885. They remained at Hatton a few years; two children were born there, Gilbert, born January 5, 1886 and Inga, November 24, 1887. They then moved to the Frost farm in Sverdrup Township and lived there for many years. Four children were born to the couple there
Gina, February 14, 1890, John, January 15, 1892, Mary, May 9, 1894, and Martin, April 17, 1898. One son, Gilbert, was nicknamed from the Frost farm and went by that name all his life. The family then settled on the Torfin farm on the Sheyenne River in Washburn Township where Alf Ueland now lives. Tillie was born in the log house on this farm, June 23, 1905.
Thor Auren died on this farm February 19, 1924. A few years later the family moved to the Sutton area and Marit passed away there June 14, 1960 at the age of 96 years and 5 months. Marit was well, spry, and active up until her death. She made her home with son Martin.
Gilbert as a young man worked for Ben Kelleran, who had the dray line in Cooperstown. Gilbert was noted for his two white horses, his good humor and his antics. Gilbert married Gunhild Gilbertson and they had two children, Ruth, Mrs. Elmer Christianson of Sutton and Melvin of Minneapolis. Gilbert passed away June 18, 1973 and his widow lives at Crosby, Minnesota
Inga married Sam Hagen in 1918 and had 3 sons:
Tom of Phoenix, Arizona, married to Edith Dahl of Minneapolis, Gordon of Minneapolis, Minnesota married to Ruth Dietrich of Sutton, and Kenneth of Cooperstown, who married Janis Baily of Sutton. Inga is presently residing in the McVille Nursing Home. Inga remembers Mother telling about carrying water from the river by Kari Vasfarets up to the Frost farm, a distance of about 11/2 miles. She put a yoke across her shoulders and could carry her buckets of water that way - taking her young children with her - but she never complained. In the winter when the ice got thick enough they would cut and haul ice for use in the winter months.
Gina and Martin are making their home in Cooperstown. Gina has a son Thor G. Auren married to Lorna Hanson Jewett. Martin and Thor are operating the farm at Sutton in Mabel Township, Section 22. Martin recalls that when the mustard was in full bloom it was a family project to all go out and pick mustard, each one taking an area in the wheat and barley fields and picking it clean of mustards. He also tells how Johnny and he had plenty of work in the winter months as their job then was to saw and cut wood for the kitchen stove. They would cut big oak trees down, and when the weather was real cold (below zero) the wood was easier to split and they would chop up huge piles. (Picture is enclosed of Johnny by woodpile). In summer it was to clean out the dead branches and dead trees and chop this wood with an ax; also for fuel for the kitchen stove.
The family remembers their Dad walking 31/2 miles from his home to Ness Church where he was custodian for 7 years. He would carry with him a bundle of dry kindling wood wrapped in a leather strap. He took the dry wood with him as the cellar where stove was so very damp that wood stored there was hard to start.
John is living in Palo Alto, California, where he moved in 1938. John's wife is the former Oline Skagen and they have two children, Luella May, Mrs. Ralph Christianson, and James.
Mary died in infancy at the age of 4 years and was the first one to be buried at the Ness Cemetery.
Tillie married John (Johan) Christianson of Sutton. Tillie had five stepsons Clarence, Oswald, Lloyd, Elmer, Ralph and a daughter Gale, Mrs. Howard Hanson of Minneapolis. Tillie and Oswald are living on the farm at Sutton, in Mable Township.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 474