Bill and Esther came to Hannaford from the neighbor village of Dazey where they both lived their younger years. Bill's parents were Gottlieb and Kareline, who farmed east of Dazey. Their home was on the banks of the Bald Hill Creek. Esther was the daughter of Thedore and Enga Anderson who farmed northwest of Dazey.
In the fall of 1934, Bill went to work for Peter Bryn who owned the Hannaford Garage. In 1942, he purchased the garage from Mr. Bryn. Extensive remodeling was done to the building. In 1961, Bill leased the garage to Marcus Hook and his son, Marvin. Not ready for retirement, Bill then began working for Reiten Manufacturing in Cooperstown. The garage was too small to accommodate the larger shop in another part of town. Myron Adams bought Bill's garage in 1970, and remodeled it into a cafe and recreational center.
Bill continued to work for Reitens until he retired. He passed away February 3, 1975.
Esther started as switchboard operator of the Telephone Company in 1936. Mrs. Leonard Shaw was in charge of the telephone office. When Mrs. Shaw left Hannaford, Esther handled the operation until the dial system was installed in 1959. When the change-over was completed, Esther placed the first long-distance call to her sister-in-law in Oregon. Esther worked, with the help of others, as switchboard operator for a total of 23 years.
Esther sold their house in 1983, in Hannaford to move to Valley City where she still resides.
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 242