Biography of Ole Rorvig

The pioneers, Ole Rorvig and Marie Berg, were born of Austin and Christine Rorvig and Ingeborg and Aren Berg respectively.  Ole was born in Ringebu, Gulbransdalen, Norway on July 3, 1849.  Marie was born August 6, 1851.  They were married the sixth day of November in Ringbu, Gulbransdalen, Norway in 1873.

Both craving a change of condition and a better chance for advancement, Ole and Marie Rorvig decided to come to "The Land of Opportunity."  In 1881 they left Christiania on a sailing vessel headed for America.  Their fellow passengers were mostly Norwegian emigrants.  The voyage was rough and most passengers suffered considerably but Ole, having once been a sailor, did not get seasick.  As a result he helped care for the less fortunate ones.

Ole and Marie arrived in New York and after a short delay set out for Minnesota.  They settled near Willmar, Minnesota, but after a year moved to Dakota Territory because here there was plenty of unsettled land.  A brother-in-law, Jacob Myrhe, who was homesteading in Griggs County, met them at the train with an ox team and took them to Hope, North Dakota Soon they filed on a claim in Section 34 of Willow Township, Griggs County.

On their 160 acres of land they began their new life on nothing but courage and faith in the future.

Ole and Marie's first home was built 16 feet square out of logs bought from a nearby settler who had hauled them from the Sheyenne River.  Two neighbors, Ole Olson and John Paulson, helped considerably during the construction of the house.  This cabin was their home for many years until Ole replaced it with a new home.

Life on the farm consisted of jobs and work that had to be done.  The crops most commonly raised were wheat and oats.  The fuel, wood, was hauled from Red Willow Lake.  There were many hardships to face: 

low prices, destruction of crops by gophers, hailstorms, sharp winters sweeping across the treeless plains, and prairie fires.  Ole's first crop was destroyed by a severe hailstorm.

The surplus, which was little, was hauled to Valley City, the nearest town at the time, in return for other kinds of necessities.

Ole and Marie had nine children: 

  1. Christine Rorvig: (June 26, 1874-December 16, 1965) Christine married George Marson.  They had four children: 

    1. Deland Marson,

    2. Reynold Marson,

    3. Lilly Marson, and

    4. Archie Marson. 

  2. Arne Rorvig: (January 26, 1877-January 22, 1878). 

  3. Anton Rorvig: (October 12, 1878-June 26, 1882). 

  4. Ingeborg: (January 15, 1882-May 18, 1933) Ingeborg married Syver H. Koloen.  They had five children: 

    1. Howard Koloen

    2. Marie Koloen

    3. Oscar Koloen

    4. Stanley Koloen

    5. Irving Koloen

  5. Olga: (May 29, 1884-August 6, 1972) Olga married Morris Greenland.  They had two boys: 

    1. Marvin and

    2. Oswald. 

Morris passed away and after several years Olga married Christ Greenland. 

  1. Selma: (October 4, 1886-December 13, 1937) Selma married Lawrence Lewis.  They had three children: 

    1. Arthur Lewis

    2. Marian Lewis

    3. Mansfield Lewis 

  2. Marie: (born December 7, 1888) Marie married Theodore Kittelson.  They had one daughter, Madeline Kittelson. 

  3. Palma: (born March 26, 1894) Palma married Oscar Idsvoog.  They had one son, Oris Idsvoog.

  4. Oscar Rorvig was born December 15, 1891 on the farm, in Willow Township, where he still resides.  His parents were Ole and Marie (Berg) Rorvig.  He married Lillian Koloen June 9, 1926.  Mr. and Mrs. Rorvig had three children: 

    1. Sherman, farming the home farm.  (born April 4, 1927)  He married Donna Carlson November 3, 1950.  They have three children: 

      1. Bradley Rorvig, (born May 6, 1953)

      2. Dawn Rorvig, (born April 9, 1958)

      3. Nathan Rorvig, (born April 4, 1964. 

    2. Dorothy Rorvig (Mrs. Seymour Bjorlie), Pekin, North Dakota, (born August 2, 1928).  Married October 24, 1948.  They have three children: 

      1. Sidney Bjorlie, (born April 12, 1952)

      2. Russell Bjorlie, (born April 16, 1954)

      3. Kevin Bjorlie, (born February 6, 1962). 

    3. Shirley Rorvig (Mrs. Mervin Danforth), Anaheim, California, (born September 24, 1929) Married March 22, 1951.  They have two children: 

      1. Lisa Danforth, (born November 12, 1956),

      2. Greg Danforty, (born November 20, 1959).

Ole Rorvig died at the home he had settled and improved, May 6, 1924.  Marie, his wife, passed away July 26, 1937.  They are both buried in the cemetery of the Binford Lutheran Church, Griggs County, North Dakota.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 504