Monthly Archives: May 2011

Playing in the Barn

Posted on May 29, 2011 by

Growing up on a farm in North Beaver Creek, my brothers and I can testify that the barn was not just a work place. It was great for hide-and-seek too, especially if you were daring enough either to find a hole … Continue reading →

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Barn Dance

Posted on May 26, 2011 by

A few years ago someone gave me a copy of the barn dance notice Emil Borreson had posted in the Whitehall Times and Blair Banner (a combined paper). It had been run as one hundred year old news in The Whitehall … Continue reading →

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A Trip to Pigeon Falls

Posted on May 23, 2011 by

Last Thursday I made a trip to Pigeon Falls to examine family records at Pigeon Creek Lutheran Church. It was a beautiful day for a drive, and when I arrived, secretary Diane Thorson and Pastor Moe were so helpful and … Continue reading →

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The Barn – from the Top Down

Posted on May 20, 2011 by

Taking a closer look at Emil and Gina’s barn built in 1901, we notice a cupola tops it off. This one (below) appears to be a wooden rectangular structure, reminding me that Jerry Apps wrote in his Barns of Wisconsin that “[s]ome of them … Continue reading →

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The Barn Came First

Posted on May 17, 2011 by

The title of this post is, as I recall, a book title that serves as a reminder that for immigrant families, a good barn often was constructed before a fine family home. Why? Because the barn was where farm folks made a living. Emil … Continue reading →

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Farms Near Biri Norway

Posted on May 14, 2011 by

In my April 15 post, “Roots in Biri, Norway,” I wrote about Maria Thorson’s birth there in 1850. (Maria was Gina Borreson’s mother.) I also mentioned the marriage of her parents, Thor Thorstensen and Oline Olsdatter, there on May 22, 1831. Again using the generous materials supplied me … Continue reading →

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About Biri Church

Posted on May 12, 2011 by

My April 15 post, “Roots in Biri, Norway,” has a couple photos of the Biri church, built in 1777, but I thought it would fun (and good for the record) to include here more information. The Norwegian website from Rolf Steinar Bergli has the material I … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Norway, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Going Out West to Work

Posted on May 9, 2011 by

Sometimes just a few words or phrase make me curious. That was the case when cousin David sent me, among other gems, a newspaper article about Emil and Gina Borreson’s 40th wedding anniversary which took place early August of 1939 … Continue reading →

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Estenson Sisters Reunion

Posted on May 6, 2011 by

Can anyone tell me if the Estenson Sisters Reunion still continues on? I thought I’d heard that it does, but it’s been years since I was at one of them – and years since I really thought about it. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Bertinus Estensen, Gina Estensen, Holidays, Maria Thorsen, Recreation | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Farm Vacation Days

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Some of us who grew up on a farm, especially a dairy farm, didn’t think the words “farm” and “vacation” could be used in the same sentence. To live on a farm meant seven days of work, at least six … Continue reading →

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