CHRISTOPHER HOMESTEAD HOMES

 Thanks to our cousin Paul Christopher who provided the picture of the Christopher family

 on their`place in North Dakota, just north of Medina about 1916.  

 Thanks to cousin Dennis Skofstad  who restored it.  Here is an email comment 

 from cousin Janet Well sharing what she and  her husband Bill know about this photo:

"Bill and I looked a little more carefully at the photo and think the house faced south. Bill is a history buff and he says the homestead houses always faced south to be out of the north wind. Barns faced south too for the same reasons. There was a lean to on the north side that was there outdoor freezer. The north winds and snow kept it cold. When the weather warmed up the food supply was covered with straw for insulation. Two things we noticed on the picture-not much of a door,certainly no storm door that every home in ND has now. Also two of the windows are single pane with no storm windows. It must have been hard to heat the house. Also the chimney is on the far side of the house not in the middle which was common. Was that the original part of the homestead with the 2story part built on later? If only someone of the original family was still here to answer all our questions!     Afterthought the south side of the buildings got the warmth of the sun which always shines on the south side here in the tundra!

Interesting thought- I have seen this picture all my life and never took note of all the details. The picture was probably taken by a photo studio that was located on the north end of Main Street. Staleys was the name. Dads books of medina pictures show it."     Janet

...and more from Janet:
   "I keep looking at that picture thinking it will give up some more info! Notice the wire fence at the bottom left of pic? Bill says that is sheep fence. Was it used to keep sheep out or keep kids safe? Always wondered what that gate was used for in the back of the car. The washing machine poses many questions. Imagine doing the laundry for that size of family! Wash tubs would be used in the house for baths. And butchering. Water would have to be hauled in, heated in boilers on cook stove and hauled out again. We think cold water washing is of our era but I'll bet they did a lot of that then too"


Here is another house that is similar,  but not sure if this is Carl's first house 
or Gus Olsen's house as they both lived near Medina at the same time. 

Bessie (Christopher) Olsen holding Thelma, Inga Lydia pregnant with Glen, Carl Christopher with rake (?)
Alvin Olsen and dogs in front about the fall of 1903..who is taking the picture??Gus???



And what about this house below:  Is it inside Carl Christopher's house, Gus Olsen's house or
 Amund and Ingeborg Christopher's ? 

Alvin Olsen with grandparents.

I love looking into this home and wish we could read the calendar on the wall
and also wish we could peek into their trunk for treasures from their lives long ago! 

The houses are no longer standing and the Franklin car was traded away 
(see newspaper clipping below written by Carl Christopher)  but our
 questions linger and our families will continue to honor their memory. 

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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"

****Just click on website and enjoy reading pages mentioned in email entry above.  Thanks to cousin
 Janet Well, I have a copy of this book, but until now, there was no way to share it with everyone.  Enjoy.*****

Cousin Jim has also shared with us websites on Voss, Norway...our Christopher Origins..see his email is below:

 "I thought I found a great web site on Voss, but most of the links don't work or take longer than I am willing to wait.  It is:  http://www.vosselag.org/vossgenres.html  One link that has a lot of the same info is:  http://www.vossnow.net/  It works better and has lots of pictures from the area.  Enter Graue in the search box for some good pictures of the area."  Jim

Other news of interest: 

Barb (Paul) and Carl Erlandson's son, Adam, was married Oct 10, 20 14 in beautiful Hawaii..on the Island of Kaui to Louisa Lu.  They had a baby girl, McKenzie Lu Erlandson, on March 14, 2016. Pictures will be coming on the Facebook page..Christopher Cousins-ND Roots

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Also  some relatives have asked for this: 

Millie (Pederson) Christopher, wife of Ken Christopher : Obituary notes are found on  "Find a Grave.Com" :

Birth:  Apr. 21, 1921 Death:  Apr. 12, 2014 Phoenix Maricopa County Arizona, USA Our dear mother, Mildred "Millie" Olson/Christopher, 93, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. A celebration of Millie's life for family and friends is scheduled in Phoenix, AZ on May 3, 2014, from 12:30 -3:30 pm where she lived at Mountain Park Senior Living Community Center, 4475 East Knox Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85044. She will be missed. A graveside service is set for 3:30 pm June 7, 2014 at the Almont Cemetery, Almont, North Dakota. Millie was born in 1921, at home on Bluff Dale Ranch, near Almont, N.D., to Jonathan and Emilie Sorum Pederson. Mildred was one of 6 girls growing up on the farm and going to school in Almont. She graduated from college at Dickinson State in 1942 and received her Master's degree from Western Oregon University in 1982. She pursued a career in teaching all grades including special education in North Dakota, Washington, and Oregon before retiring in 1985. Mildred married Everett Olson in 1940. They spent several years in the military before returning to Almont. They raised four boys Stuart, Charles, Dale and Wade on the farm in Almont. Everett had many occupations including construction, trucking, and bus routes as well as running the Farmers Supply store in Almont. Mildred taught school in the country school houses containing all grades while in Almont. In 1966, the family moved to Seattle Washington and then to Albany Oregon where Millie taught school in Harrisburg Oregon teaching special education as a result of getting her Masters in Education. In 1985 Millie married Kenneth "Ken" Christopher, who had known her from high school in Almont. They moved to his home on Flathead Lake in Polson MT. They both enjoyed summers in MT and then visiting family and friends and sites of interest all across America in their various 5th wheels and Motor homes during the 20+ years they were together. Ken passed away in 2009 and Millie moved to Phoenix to be closer to family. Survivors include two children, Stuart (Candy) Olson Phoenix AZ; Wade (Robin) Olson Laguna Hills CA.; a sister June Hove Shelton WA.; 10 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and 1 great- great grandchild. She is preceded in death by two husbands, Everett Olson and Ken Christopher; her parents Jonathan & Emelie Pederson, 2 children, Charles & Dale; 4 sisters, Eleanor Hillemann, Dagmar Stoeckel, Lillian Peterson and Ruth Britton; and 1 great grandchild, Liam Murray. Burial: Almont Cemetery Almont Morton County North Dakota, USA