Mrs. Nels Tufteland (Eli Olsdatter) was born August 8, 1847 in Norway. Her parents were Ole and Marie Olson. She was married to Nels Tufteland in 1877 by Reverend Hanson in Bergen, Norway.
In 1884 Mr. and Mrs. Tufteland with their two children came to America on the Allan Line. The name of the boat was Peruveen. They landed in Quebec where they took the train to Montevideo, Minnesota. Here they stayed three years.
In 1887 Mr. and Mrs. Tufteland, Oliver Hageland and Knut Tufteland left for Dakota Territory by horses and covered wagon. They took their stock, chickens, etc., along and were seventeen and one-half days on the road. They came to Nelson county, Dakota Territory where they stayed about a week and then continued on, arriving at the present Willow Township June 27, and located on Section 7. They moved into a dugout where Peter Olson had previously lived.
There were very few settlers around there when the Tuftelands came. The closest neighbors were Nels Gilbertson, Anton Peterson and Erick Jacobson. Nels Gilbertson was the first white man who settled in that vicinity. There were no schools nor churches until many years later. In 1888 Mr. Tufteland put ten acres of land into crop, which yielded nothing. That year and the next two years there was no crop nor garden for them, it being so dry.
The Tuftelands saw plenty of Indians the first years in Dakota. They would camp right outside their place for a length of time and would beg for bread, milk, etc. Early in the morning the Indians would peek through the windows. Mrs. Tufteland was alone with the children but didn't seem to mind the peculiar actions of the Indians.
Mr. Tufteland each year would hire out in harvesting and threshing near the Goose River. He and five other men bought the first threshing rig in the Red Willow Lake vicinity from John Arlen, Nelson County.
There were many prairie fires in the early years. Around 1893 a prairie fire swept the country and destroyed thirty head of sheep for them. The same year Mr. Tufteland built a house near the dugout.
In the winter Mr. Tufteland went on skis to Cooperstown for provisions. He would leave early in the morning and would get back in the evening with a load of provisions on his back.
The Tuftelands were also out in snowstorms. Mrs. Tufteland many times would sit home wondering where her children and her husband were when the snowstorm came up. Mr. Tufteland was at one time in 1895 on his way to Cooperstown for some provisions and was caught in a snowstorm. He was forced to stay in Jessie four days. Unable to get to Cooperstown he started home from Jessie in cold and stormy weather. He was gone from home over a week. The children were caught in a snowstorm while at their neighbors and would have to stay there several days. Mrs. Tufteland worrying whether they were safe or not.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Tufteland. Mr. Tufteland died in 1920. Mrs. Tufteland passed away in August 1938.
Edward Abrahamson purchased the farm from her heirs and moved onto the old farm. In 1958 the farm was sold to Mike Alley, who kept it only a short time, trading the farm to Arthur Miller.
The last one of her sons and daughters, Bertha Tufteland (Mrs. Melvin Feiring), passed away January 14, 1969.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 508