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Submitted: 10/3/11 • Approved: 10/3/11 • Last Updated: 8/13/15 • R134077-G134076-S3
Johanes Sept 15, 1839 - April 13, 1916
Mrs J.B. (Brita) Jan 22, 1844 - May 23, 1929
Johannes Yttreness was born in 1839 in Skanevik, Norway, and Brita Tveit was born in 1844 in Bergen, Norway. In their youth they lived across the Hardangerfjord from each other. In 1870 they were married and the next day left for America. They first went to Albert Lea, Minn., where Brita's half-brother lived. There they found work In the harvest fields immediately. In 1872 the group came to Norway Township in Lincoln County where homestead papers were filed on land three miles north and four miles east of Beresford. Two children, Bert and Marie, were born at Albert Lea. They had to cross the treacherous Saddle Creek and Brita refused to ride over in the wagon. The wagon tipped over in the middle of the creek and she later waded across with her children. They had their own meat and salted it down in a barrel and made corned beef. As time went on it rained more and they were able to raise wheat. There was a mill by the Vermillion River where they brought the wheat to be made into flour. Once when Johannes got there he let the oxen loose and one got too close to the river, fell in and when Johannes saw he could not save it, the critter was butchered, the meat cured and he went home with flour and meat and a new ox that he had to purchase. There had been misfortunes including a fire which destroyed most of the belongings in the sod house and the losing of their crops to the grasshoppers. Seven children were born to this union. Bert and John have separate histories. Marie married a Swedish Lutheran pastor, Rev. L. E. Sjolinder from the Union Creek Church near Akron, Iowa. Their children were Lawrence, Anthony, Julius, and Constance Malmin. The Sjolinders served pastorates in North Dakota and Minnesota. Katie was married to Wm. Lundgren and they made their home in North Dakota and Minnesota, as did sister Hannah who married Larry Cormack. The Lundgrens had one son, Francis. Nils Yttreness was the youngest son who married Emma Thormodsgaard in North Dakota. They had two children, Beulah (Mrs. Bill Herbold) and Ernest. Many of the Yttreness family attended Pleasant Valley School and the Romsdal Lutheran Church that they helped build and support. Farming was the main occupation. Today's generation is scattered from coast to coast and engaged in many various occupations in the medical, business, educational, technical and scientific fields. However, they know that their roots are here on the rural plains of Lincoln County. (Source: The History of Lincoln County, SD 1985, page 773)
Contributed on 10/3/11 by revilo
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Record #: 134077