Martin Haugen, son of John H. and Elisa Haugen, was born December 1, 1913, on a farm near Hannaford, North Dakota, where he grew to manhood. He attended the Haugen Country School and the Hannaford High School. He farmed with his parents.
Martin married Borghild Foyen on July 15, 1933, at the John H. Haugen home. The ceremony was held outside in the yard: Both the house and the yard were full of people. Borghild, daughter of Baard and Kari (Lockrem) Foyen, was born October 20, 1911. Her mother, Kari Lockrem, was from Park River, North Dakota. Her father, Baard Foyen, was born in Norway on the Island of Foyen, now known as Fono. Her relatives still live there.
Martin and Borghild began farming the Emmet Masher farm, located south of his parents home. They also farmed the Jensen farm south of Karnak, where their daughter, Beverly Marlene was born on November 1, 1934. She married John Francis on August 1, 1951. They have four children, Jerome Dean, born May 5, 1953; Jeanine Marie, born January 9, 1955; Mark Kevin, born July 7, 1956; and Peter Donell, born August 1, 1960.
In the spring of 1937, Martin and Borghild had an Auction Sale and moved to Anaconda, Montana, where Martin was employed in the Copper Smelter. Their oldest son, John Foyen Haugen, was born there on March 22, 1939. He married Joyce Brainerd on October 5, 1958, at Valley City, North Dakota. They have four sons: Jay Michael, born November 3, 1959; Jeffrey James, born December 21, 1961; Jonathan Wayne, born July 22, 1964; and Jeremy Joe, born May 26, 1969.
Martin and Borghild moved back to North Dakota in 1946. They purchased the farm known as the Oscar Mosher farm, Dazey, North Dakota.
Their son, Michael Jerome, was born at Valley City, North Dakota, on September 18, 1946. He married Janice Olstad on June 9, 1968, at Valley City, North Dakota. They have two sons, Gregory Michael, born May 3, 1970; and Darrin John, born December 19, 1972.
The two sons, John and Michael, live in Fargo, North Dakota, and their daughter, Beverly, lives on the Francis Farm, Hannaford, North Dakota.
Martin and Borghild continued to live on their farm. On September 19, 1953, Martin encountered a serious farm accident, getting caught in a pulley on a corn chopper and lost his left hand.
Martin was elected Sheriff of Barnes County in 1956, an office which he held for 10 years, from 1957 until 1967. After this position, he was employed by Sons of Norway. He organized Lodges and Tours to Norway. Borghild and he supervised three Norway Tours during the years 1968, 1970 and 1973. They met many relatives there and in turn, they came to North Dakota to visit them.
In 1978, Martin and Borghild purchased a mobile home and lot in Mesa, Arizona, to serve as their winter home and to get away from the cold winds of North Dakota. Borghild did not get to enjoy this home very long. She acquired the dreaded disease, Alzheimers, and passed away April 17, 1985. She is buried at the Union Church Cemetery in the family lot. Borghild was known for her organ and piano playing. She was organist at the Union Lutheran Church for many years. She was a great mother and wife. She and Martin celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 15, 1983, at the Union Lutheran Church, Hannaford, North Dakota. God bless the memories of mother and wife, Borghild.
Borghild lost her parents when she was very young, being only seven years old at the time of her father's death and nine years old when her mother passed away. Her life, as a youth, wasn't an easy one to travel. Besides raising her own family of three children, she cared for three orphaned young girls, Myrtle Ness, Violet Anderson and Ericka Herrman. Ericka remained with them the longest. She came from a family of displaced persons in Lithuania Country, which was taken over by Germany during World War II. She remembered being in the Concentration Camps. She stayed with them during the time they lived in Valley City, North Dakota, so attended school there.
In 1966, she married Martin Thompson at Valley City. They had two children, Kami Ericka and Kari Jo. Ericka died a couple days before Christmas in 1984, after a bout with cancer for two years. Her husband, Martin, and two daughters live in Edina, Minnesota. Kami was confirmed in 1987. Ericka was 40 years old at the time of her death.
Myrtle Ness encountered the same illness as Ericka. She passed away from cancer in 1975. She was married to Ole Anhorn and lived in Oslo, Minnesota. They had five children; three boys and two girls. God bless the memories of these two girls. Violet Anderson stayed with them for about two months when she left to live with her aunt in western North Dakota.
Martin continues to live on the farm during the summer months and spends the cold winter months in Arizona.
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 147