Alfred S. Brudwick immigrated from Norway and settled in Hannaford, North Dakota. After a study in Germany to learn the art of painting and paper hanging, he continued to work with it in the area.
He met and married my mother, Julia, and they made their home in Hannaford. I was the first born in our home, which still stands and is occupied on Main Street, north of the old State Bank, on July 21, 1905. Then five daughters were born: Selma, who died in infancy; Ann, born in 1908; Agnes, born in 1911; Edythe, born in 1913; and Berdella (Brooks), born in 1916.
Ann married George Chesness of Hawick, Minnesota. They have two sons, Gaylord and Delroy. Gaylord and Marlis have two sons and two daughters and two grandchildren. Delroy and Jan have one daughter and one son.
Agnes married Roy Shean. They made their home in Roy, Utah. They have two children, Callie and Charles and five grandchildren.
Edythe married E. Joie Rinehart and lives in Seattle, Washington. They have one daughter, Barbara Jean and three grandchildren.
Berdella (Brooks) married John Percin who was killed in a railroad accident. Later she married Pete Larson of Anaconda, Montana. She now lives in Seattle, Washington. All my four sisters are now widows.
I married Ella Haugen of Greenfield Township on November 9, 1929. She is the daughter of John H. and Elise Haugen. We have three children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Ella graduated from Hannaford High School with the class of 1928. Our son, Keith, married Betty Winge from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have one daughter, Stephanie and a son, Jeffrey. Stephanie married Charles Fern and have three children.
Jeffrey married Judy and they have one daughter and one son. On February 1, 1987, we were saddened by the death of our son, Keith.
We have one daughter, Elaine who married Edward Staffors of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have two children, Michelle and David, two step-children, Gregory and Terry, and two step-grandchildren. Elaine and Ed spend their winters in Arizona and summers at Ten Mile Lake near Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
Our youngest son, David, was born in Cooperstown, North Dakota, where we lived from 1940 until 1949. David has two daughters. Deborah and Dave have one son. Denice and Jim have a daughter. They all reside in Minneapolis.
We have lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for 32 years and seven years in Morris, Minnesota, but we always think of Hannaford as our home.
At the age of six, I recall watching the laying of rails for the new Great Northern Railway from a vantage point on my grandfather's farm. It was known as the Surrey Cut-off from Fargo, North Dakota, to Minot, North Dakota. Hannaford was a stop for coal and later for the steam locomotives which they used at that time. A dam was built on the Bald Hill Creek to hold water back to be pumped into the water tanks in the right of way. The coal was taken from large storage bins on the right of way. As I recall, Oscar Ashland was the coal chute attendant.
We had fun as children during the winter months, hooking rides with our sleds onto the farmers sleighs when they came to town. We walked many miles up and down the Bald Hill Creek fishing from the shore and the fish were plentiful in those days. That was great fun!
I also recall our class of sixth graders in Hannaford School, which was built in 1907. We were transferred from the first floor room to the Grammar Room on second floor with the eighth graders. Cora Lykken was our teacher and she put all eight of us sixth graders into the eighth grade. We were happy as we skipped seventh grade, going from sixth to eighth was great, we thought.
Ella and I, together with Ella's sister, Sophie, and her husband, Bennie Kalland, celebrated our Fiftieth Anniversary at the Union Church where we were married 50 years ago, having a double wedding on November 9, 1929. It was a special day as there weren't many that ever had celebrated a double wedding on their Fiftieth Anniversary. One highlight of the day was that Pastor Stenson who had performed our marriage ceremony, came back to celebrate that day with us. He was as thrilled being there as we were having him come. We had a wonderful day with our dear families, friends and relatives who came to share our joyous day. Our children also gave us a big celebration at Minneapolis, Minnesota, at our son David's home. To top it off, our children and their spouses gave us as a gift, a ten-day vacation in Hawaii. It was a wonderful trip and we will never forget their kindness to us.
We feel grateful and richly blessed that our parents chose to live in Hannaford vicinity and made Hannaford their hometown.
So, I say "Thanks for the Memories."
Carl M. Brudwick
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 98