Carrie Nielsen
August 23, 1962
Carrie was born in Norway and grew up, married a local boy, had two children, were "well off", had plenty but she and her husband were still fired with ambition to go to a different world, leaving the comforts of home and the security of family behind.
Carrie was considered a beauty and N.J. was a big stalwart man, handsome, and considered a good 'catch'. They were married in 1901 in Norway.
America called. In 1905, the Nielsens came as a family to America. The journey across the ocean was a memorable one. The ship hit several icebergs and big waves washed over the ship for 3 days. One iceberg damaged the ship and thought at one time they would all be lost at sea. Mrs. Nielsen had her hands full with two children on a tossing ship.
They landed in New York one cold November day and finally got started for Cameron, Wisconsin, where they stayed with a relative and N.J. worked for a while.
One day Mrs. Nielsen's brother came to visit at the home in Wisconsin. Mrs. N.J. had not seen her brother since she was five years old. He had a wife and two children.
He offered Mr. Nielsen a job in his store in Kelliher, Minnesota. His name was Obie Olson and he had a store where the "66" Garage now stands. The Nielsens had an apartment over the store.
Mrs. Nielsen said, "When I first seen Kelliher I was yust sick." They had spent all day getting from Minneapolis to Funkly on the train and had to wait in Funkly for the local to Kelliher.
The railroad was rough and the train rocked and rolled. At Funkly Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen met Mr. and Mrs. Lou Latterell for the first time.
When they arrived at their new job in Kelliher, Mr. Nielsen worked in the store from daylight to dark and Mrs. Nielsen said she cleaned and filled all the kerosene lamps everyday besides, she says, "I carried water to do all my cooking and washing with from the livery stable where the Standard Oil Station stands now. It was hard work and I seemed never to be through."
That year at Christmas time, scarlet fever broke out and their little girl 2 1/2 years old, died of it.
They then rented a bakery in Blackduck and hard luck followed. The building burned and all their belongings. "It was hard to keep going but we had each other and started again." In June of that year their second child, a son, died.
Her brother wanted them back in Kelliher, N.J. decided to homestead and did so, 9 miles Northwest of Kelliher. He built the house and they moved onto the homestead in the middle of summer 1908. There were no roads. They walked and packed their things across Shotley swamp over an old trail.
They had another baby (Solveig) at this time. She was tied securely to her mother's back. With this precious cargo and leading a Holstein cow, following her husband who carried blankets and groceries tied to his back, they finally reached the cabin. Two rooms up, two rooms down.
Mr. Nielsen returned to Kelliher to pick up the cook stove. This he also carried out on his back. Mrs. Nielsen said he got sores so bad from this packing, it took all summer to heal.
The fall of 1908, their first on the homestead, the first drainage ditch was dug, and a road built from N.J.'s to Rennemo's corner.
Mrs. Nielsen cooked for the road crew and Mr. Nielsen packed all the necessary groceries out on his back until he was finally able to get a pony.
They cleared their garden spot and Mr. Nielsen worked in wood camps. She says, "while he did that I milked the cows, made and sold butter and baked bread for the bachelors around.
In 1910 and 1911 they both worked at the landing camp on Bullhead Lake in Kelliher. "To make much needed money I cooked and N.J. worked in the yard. Breakfast was early and supper late and I worked all the time in between too. There were lots of other things to eat as well as good meat. I received $1.00 per day and kept my baby in the kitchen with me."
Back to the homestead in the spring. Before it had been so lonely, not to see another woman in a year's time. Now new families had homesteaded and moved in - Michael Samuelsons, and also the Roe's. Now they felt less alone.
The winters of 1913-14-15, N.J. drove school bus to Kelliher. Mrs. Nielsen doesn't remember just how many, but she remembers there were quite a few children who rode with him. While driving school bus the Nielsens bought a lot and started getting lumber together to build a house in town. Mosquitoes and flies were terrible out on the farm.
In October 1915 they moved into town. They now had two children, Kenneth and Solveig, and decided to go into business again.
They bought the Pastime Theater in 1918 and in this theater, the first church services were held for the Lutheran church. Sunday School was conducted here also. The theater also served for dances and civic meetings.
The Nielsens built up a good dairy business and supplied most of the town with good wholesome fresh milk.
The first Ladies Aid was organized in the Dolgaard home. Mrs. Nielsen was the very first president of the very first Lutheran Ladies Aid. She said, "I decided to do the best I could and trust in God."
N.J. also operated Lennons Garage and operated the Kelliher Hotel from 1923 to 1926. They had busy busy days.
In the thirties', the Nielsen's adopted a foster daughter, Mildred Reynolds.
N.J. died in 1954. In 1955, lonely and a little homesick, Mrs. Nielsen made a return trip to Norway, visiting the places of her childhood. She says she enjoyed every minute of it and remained there seven months. She stayed at her home, the same one she left 50 years before.
The village had been built up, several buses came through each day. But she was still happy to come back home to America.
Carrie was considered a beauty and N.J. was a big stalwart man, handsome, and considered a good 'catch'. They were married in 1901 in Norway.
America called. In 1905, the Nielsens came as a family to America. The journey across the ocean was a memorable one. The ship hit several icebergs and big waves washed over the ship for 3 days. One iceberg damaged the ship and thought at one time they would all be lost at sea. Mrs. Nielsen had her hands full with two children on a tossing ship.
They landed in New York one cold November day and finally got started for Cameron, Wisconsin, where they stayed with a relative and N.J. worked for a while.
One day Mrs. Nielsen's brother came to visit at the home in Wisconsin. Mrs. N.J. had not seen her brother since she was five years old. He had a wife and two children.
He offered Mr. Nielsen a job in his store in Kelliher, Minnesota. His name was Obie Olson and he had a store where the "66" Garage now stands. The Nielsens had an apartment over the store.
Mrs. Nielsen said, "When I first seen Kelliher I was yust sick." They had spent all day getting from Minneapolis to Funkly on the train and had to wait in Funkly for the local to Kelliher.
The railroad was rough and the train rocked and rolled. At Funkly Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen met Mr. and Mrs. Lou Latterell for the first time.
When they arrived at their new job in Kelliher, Mr. Nielsen worked in the store from daylight to dark and Mrs. Nielsen said she cleaned and filled all the kerosene lamps everyday besides, she says, "I carried water to do all my cooking and washing with from the livery stable where the Standard Oil Station stands now. It was hard work and I seemed never to be through."
That year at Christmas time, scarlet fever broke out and their little girl 2 1/2 years old, died of it.
They then rented a bakery in Blackduck and hard luck followed. The building burned and all their belongings. "It was hard to keep going but we had each other and started again." In June of that year their second child, a son, died.
Her brother wanted them back in Kelliher, N.J. decided to homestead and did so, 9 miles Northwest of Kelliher. He built the house and they moved onto the homestead in the middle of summer 1908. There were no roads. They walked and packed their things across Shotley swamp over an old trail.
They had another baby (Solveig) at this time. She was tied securely to her mother's back. With this precious cargo and leading a Holstein cow, following her husband who carried blankets and groceries tied to his back, they finally reached the cabin. Two rooms up, two rooms down.
Mr. Nielsen returned to Kelliher to pick up the cook stove. This he also carried out on his back. Mrs. Nielsen said he got sores so bad from this packing, it took all summer to heal.
The fall of 1908, their first on the homestead, the first drainage ditch was dug, and a road built from N.J.'s to Rennemo's corner.
Mrs. Nielsen cooked for the road crew and Mr. Nielsen packed all the necessary groceries out on his back until he was finally able to get a pony.
They cleared their garden spot and Mr. Nielsen worked in wood camps. She says, "while he did that I milked the cows, made and sold butter and baked bread for the bachelors around.
In 1910 and 1911 they both worked at the landing camp on Bullhead Lake in Kelliher. "To make much needed money I cooked and N.J. worked in the yard. Breakfast was early and supper late and I worked all the time in between too. There were lots of other things to eat as well as good meat. I received $1.00 per day and kept my baby in the kitchen with me."
Back to the homestead in the spring. Before it had been so lonely, not to see another woman in a year's time. Now new families had homesteaded and moved in - Michael Samuelsons, and also the Roe's. Now they felt less alone.
The winters of 1913-14-15, N.J. drove school bus to Kelliher. Mrs. Nielsen doesn't remember just how many, but she remembers there were quite a few children who rode with him. While driving school bus the Nielsens bought a lot and started getting lumber together to build a house in town. Mosquitoes and flies were terrible out on the farm.
In October 1915 they moved into town. They now had two children, Kenneth and Solveig, and decided to go into business again.
They bought the Pastime Theater in 1918 and in this theater, the first church services were held for the Lutheran church. Sunday School was conducted here also. The theater also served for dances and civic meetings.
The Nielsens built up a good dairy business and supplied most of the town with good wholesome fresh milk.
The first Ladies Aid was organized in the Dolgaard home. Mrs. Nielsen was the very first president of the very first Lutheran Ladies Aid. She said, "I decided to do the best I could and trust in God."
N.J. also operated Lennons Garage and operated the Kelliher Hotel from 1923 to 1926. They had busy busy days.
In the thirties', the Nielsen's adopted a foster daughter, Mildred Reynolds.
N.J. died in 1954. In 1955, lonely and a little homesick, Mrs. Nielsen made a return trip to Norway, visiting the places of her childhood. She says she enjoyed every minute of it and remained there seven months. She stayed at her home, the same one she left 50 years before.
The village had been built up, several buses came through each day. But she was still happy to come back home to America.
