Kloten, North Dakota
is the treasurer of the First National Bank in Kloten, North Dakota. He is a Halling and was born in America of Norwegian parents in Nicollet County Minnesota on July 7, 1868. His father, Ole Lofthus, who was born in Gol. in 1844 and emigrated to America as a 14 years old, now lives in Walla Walla, Washington. He was a soldier in Civil War. He was a member of Company E11 of Minnesota. His mother, Ambjor Bech, is from Tromso.
His wife, Kristine Evensen, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents was from Trondelagen. They have four children, two sons and two daughters. Owen and Floyd are both at the farm, Luella and Irene are at home. Besides the bank business, he has farming interests at several places and he has a nice farm near Kloten, North Dakota. He is a beloved and capable Man, interested in the regional society-movement and all Norwegian work.
Kloten’s new school, the town’s largest decoration which last summer held Norwegian School by Miss Ronhovde, must surely partly describe his initiative and large interest in the school for he is one of the directors. The impressive, modern and in all respects a good and practically arranged building. It is the consolidated school for Lee Township, an ornament for Kloten and and a credit to the district. The school’s architect is W. D. Gillepsie from Fargo, North Dakota. It started to be used in January of 1916. It has four room on the first floor and two in the basement, where there is large stately gymnasium.
Next school years there will be four teachers who are widely regarded as capable and interesting, Mr. Lofthus and the two gentlemen, who together with him reside at this model school which is beloved and good for the adults in the family which are mostly of Scandinavian ancestry. Two rooms with moving doors can serve a large area. Thereby the population in this district has received a superior location for teaching and mental development classes for the grown ups who consider themselves to have completed their school education. Not everyone appreciates that a man can learn as long as he lives.
Source: Norwegians and Norwegian Homes in America by Hans Jervell - 1916 - Page 126