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Submitted: 10/3/11 • Approved: 10/3/11 • Last Updated: 8/13/15 • R133989-G0-S3
Nov 26, 1850 - Feb 3, 1934
Bringel Solem (1850-1934) and Ingeborg Johnson (1853-1928) were born in Saknedal, Norway, and were mar¬ried there in 1875. In the spring of 1882, they came to the United States, coming at once to Lincoln County, where Mrs. Solem had two brothers living. With them came four children, two girls and two boys. The Solems homesteaded on eighty acres in the northwest quarter of Section 31 of Highland Township. This land has belonged to the Solem family ever since and, except for a few years, has been oc¬cupied by and farmed by members of the Solem family. Two daughters and two sons joined the Solem family after they located on this farm. The children who came from Norway were Carrie (1876-1906), Christi (1877-96), Henry (1880-1906), and John (1881-1926). Those born in America were Inga (1884-1967), Carl (1888-1967), Josephine (1891-1954), and Alfred (1895-1960). John Solem, the second son of Bringel and Ingeborg Solem, married Clara Cotton, the teacher of the local district school. When that marriage took place, the elder Solems moved into Canton and John took over sole operation of the family farm. John died very suddenly in 1926 when their youngest child was five and his widow moved the family back to southeastern Minnesota where her family lived. Then, for a few years, the Solem homstead was farmed by renters. After a few years, Bringel's third son Carl and his three sons-Arthur, Cloyd, and Norman-took over the operation of the homestead, operating it in addition to their home place. During World War II Arthur and Cloyd were drafted into the Army but Carl and Norman continued the family farm¬ing operation. Unfortunately Norman died as a result of in¬juries in a farm accident just before his brothers returned from the service. When Arthur married, he moved into the Solem homestead and took over its farming operations. Arthur and his wife have two children, Ruth, who married a farmer, and Norman, with his father, continues to farm the home place. N orman is thus the fourth generation Solem to farm the homestead. (Source: The History of Lincoln County, SD 1985, page 685)
Contributed on 10/3/11 by revilo
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Record #: 133989