My name is Palmer Lende. I was the son of Thorvold and Hilda Lende. I was born October 23, 1910, in Steele County, North Dakota. I lived and went to school there. Our farm was located seven miles north and two miles east of Luverne, North Dakota. The house which my dad built is in Walum, North Dakota, known now as Walum Cafe. It was moved to Walum in 1948. We all moved off the farm in 1919. We moved to Cooperstown. My dad did draying, also put up hay 12 miles west of Cooperstown on the creek. My brother, Lloyd and I would walk out lot of the time in the morning, hay all day, walk back at night. We also drove the horses when they did not work. We would haul and sell hay in the winter to Cooper as a lot of people had a cow at that time in town. Then in about 1922, my dad started a cream station in the rear of the Farmer Store, for a year or so.
Then R. E. Cobb Co., fixed up an old building in the alley that we used to buy cream for R. E. Cobb Co. Then my dad purchased what was called the Benson Studio. We bought cream, eggs, hides, furs, junk, iron, wool. Then it was necessary for R. E. Cobb Co., to have the cream hauled to Valley City by truck as they had other stations, including Harold Nelson Station at Binford.
So I got the job to haul the cream. I had to go to Binford to pick up cream of Harold Nelson. Helma Halverson had a station next door. She bought cream for Armor Co. I think then is when she started watching me. I don't know for sure, but I think she was making eyes at me. Well then June 20, 1931, I won a new Chevrolet two-door. Then I noticed all the girls were crazy about me. Well, Helma won out. So December 26, 1931, we were married at Moorhead, Minnesota. We stayed at my folk's place for two years. Helma tested cream at Cooperstown. My dad and I were on the road a lot hauling cream, poultry, wool, iron, fish and what have you. Then on May 9, 1934, Merlin was born at Cooperstown. Late that year we started a station in Hope, North Dakota, where we were until 1937. Then in 1938, in the spring we moved west of Hannaford to what we called the Hide farm. We got a resettlement loan for $800. Mr. Stine was the manager at the time.
Well it turned out I had to spend the money the way he said. If I could have spent it my way, even if the grasshoppers took most everything, I would have made it anyway. So the next year I had them sell me out. We moved several times since then. Then in 1943, we bought the farm we are still on, located two miles east of Walum, North Dakota. In the spring of 1944, March 4, we moved out from Cooperstown.
We raised a family of nine here. As the family grew up, they left home. We are very thankful to God that we were able to raise a family of nine on this small farm, free of government interference and with the Lord's help, we will make it the rest of the way.
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 195