THE PAST IS YOUR PRESENT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

THE PAST IS YOUR PRESENT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

Last Christmas was my last post on this Christopher Camp Blog.  Go to "older posts"
to view Vintage Christmas cards from the past. .  Please share this post  with
anyone who has interest asI may not  have everyone's email address.

North Dakota winters in the 20's were very cold. Here's some stories from 
Uncle Ken and Uncle Bob you might enjoy:

"In the winter, sometimes we'd take the sled maybe a mile or two down the road to the
school house. We'd take hay in the bottom of the sled box and a blanket over the top 
and a lantern under the blanket to keep warm. Dad had a big robe and he had a coat made
out of it. He used to tell us that he had taken the hide off of old Madge (their horse that 
had died) to make the coat. We didn't know how true it was but that's what he used to
say. Anyway, he would stand up in that cold weather with this coat on, and drive the 
team over to the dance. We'd pick up neighbors, the Giesike's and so on. Except for
the Christensen's, they weren't speaking to us at the time. We went by their place, 
I don't think they had any dancers anyway. Chris, I don't think he danced. So anyway
we went on our way and got to the corner by Jablonski's and Orsten's and spend the

night dancing. They always had a place to put the horses. Either that or we'd blanket 
them good. Then when we came out after the dance the horses would be just white
with frost. Oh, it was good for us kids, we could get under the blanket if we got cold, 
or else, run behind. That was quite an evening in those days." 

"The one room school house was about 1 mile from the Christopher place. 
The kids walk to school most days. In the winter it was so cold and snowy
sometimes they had to hold their arms in between the barred wires so they 
wouldn't get lost. North Dakota winters were so cold that when the kids walked
to school, the oldest one would walk backwards and watch all the noses of the 
little kids. As soon as he saw something turning white he would grab some
snow and put on it as protection from frost bite. It was always pretty chilly
in the winter. It was -30 or -40 sometimes but the wind always made it 
colder than that."

"Christmas time was always big time for us.  It didn't seem to make any difference how hard up the folks were, we'd always managed to get an orange or an apple in our sock and one toy and a few nuts. That was a big Christmas for us.  That was pretty much the same every year."

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Grandfather Carl Christopher had only one sister, Brieta (Bessie) . She married Inga Olsen (Carl's wife) brother Gus Olsen.  That is why all of us Christopher's and Olsens are double cousins.  The story of Bessie and Gus Olsen appeared in the Medina N.D. Diamond Jubilee Publication in 1974.

Thanks to our cousin Jim Skofstad for finding this "ON LIne" book and to cousin Dennis Skofstad for sending the link to me so I could send it on to the entire Christopher Camp.  See e-mail entry below: 

"My brother Jim  does all the genealogical research in my family.  Accordingly he sent me a reference to http://digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ndsl-books/id/11003/rec/25 which is the Medina, ND Diamond Jubilee book.  It’s a marvelous piece of work, dedicated to uncle Glenn Christopher, with sections on the history of Medina by Glenn (pg6/PDF pg8), Carl Christopher family (pg 116/PDF pg 142), Bill and Janet Christopher Well (pg108/126), Glenn Christopher family )pg 136/162), the committees on which Glenn and Janet served (pg 219/273), a picture of the Feton Lumber company fire (pg 230/284) where Glen worked for years and more.  The recounting of winters, threshing, and daily life are marvelous.  The pictures are great.  You may not have Glenn’s bio of himself.  I think you’ll like it.

Dennis Skofstad"

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Along with some pictures I have, Here is their story from the book:

Gustav C. Olsen, his wife Bessie, and their two children, Alvin and Thelma, came to Medina about 1903. Mr. Olsen filed on a homestead a few miles north of town. In addition to improving his property, putting in some crops and raising some stock, he conducted a real estate business in town. An old photo shows his office on the west side of Main Street with a sign over the door: "G. C. Olsen, Land Office."

Bessie, Alvin Thelma and Gus

With some surveying experience and a familiarity with land subdivision, he was instrumental in locating many early settlers on their properties. He later formed a partnership with a Mr. Batz, establishing themselves in a small building on the northwest corner of Main and Water streets where the store now stands.

Alvin and Thelma started to school in 1906 in a little one room structure north of Medina. The teacher was Mrs. Margaret Gleason. The building was used for many years after moved to other sites and back again. It no longer exists.

In 1907 Mr. Olsen moved his family into town. They lived in a two story building which still stands. It was on the west side near the creamery and across the street from the Preszler home. By now the family had increased in size. Raymond was born in 1904 and Elmer in 1906.Alvin and Thelma attended a school located where the present water tower now stands. It was a two story building with a large belfry.

Gus, Thelma and Elmer

In August 1908, Raymond suffered a ruptured appendix and died in the hospital in Jamestown. He is buried in the Christopher plot in the Medina Cemetery.By now Mr. Olsen had discontinued the real estate business and gone into the general store business under the firm name of "Remboldt and Olsen."

A sister, Mary, had joined the household and worked as a clerk in the store. Also another sister, Minnie, joined the family. She attended high school in Jamestown and college in Valley City.

Mary became the wife of Frank McCready, railroad station master. Minnie married Ray Gleason.

One of Mr. Olsen's interests was playing cornet in the town band. He pursuaded his son, Alvin, to take up the snare drum. He also organized and played cornet in a small dance orchestra with Pearl Olson, piano; Jack Stewart, violin; Alvin, drums. At times others played with the group - as: E. F. Langer, cello; Ray Gleason, trombone; Frank Carey, violin; Ross Jennings, clarinet.

About 1910 Mr. Olsen sold out the store business and joined Wm. F. Stege as Credit Manager in a new bank in Medina. Employed also at the time were Adam Preszler and Chub Opp. The Olsen family moved from the west side to the Dr . Todd house on east Water Street. The house is still there on a corner north of a church. Two more children were born. Harold in 1909 and Olive

in 1912.  

Harold

Olive

In 1913 Mr. Olsen moved his family to Carrington, where he operated a garage business. In the fall of 1914, he moved his family back to Medina again to a home about a block north of the Todd house and east across the street. Here Esther was born.

With all this, Mr. Olsen found time to campaign as a Republican candidate for Representative to the State Legislature. His bid for the office was not successful, but he gained a wide acquaintanship which may have resulted in obtaining for Alvin a job in the office of Secretary of State in Bismarck.

In June 1916, Alvin moved to this job after completing three years of high school, the last two being in a new brick building built near where the present school stands.

In 1917 Mr. Olsen moved his family to Havre, Montana where he was employed as Credit Manager in the Havre National Bank. Alvin joined the family there shortly after. Alice was born in Havre in July 1917. Norma was born there in July of 1920.

Alice

Norma

In the years after that, the family moved many times, mostly in Oregon. The last move was to Oakland, California where Mr. Olsen owned and operated a "school store" . catering to the wants of school children nearby until his health faded. Gustav Karl Olsen died in Oakland of cancer on August 9, 1931.

Nothing much is said here about his wife Bessie, but it is understandable that with such a large family she had, plenty to keep her busy. A devoted wife and mother, Bessie Louisa Christopher Olsen died in Oakland on July 3 I, 1958 at the age of 80 years.

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