We interrupt the Rolfsruds blog for an absolutely startling development!

Today we can unequivocally confirm that our 14.5 month-old granddaughter, Emily Kathleen, walks.

We had heard earlier accounts of this from her mother, Melissa, who is prone to some exaggeration when it comes to her daughter, but today it is Wednesday so Emily went right to work for grandma and grandpa.

We missed Emily last week because of the July 4 holiday, so her developmental leap was quite startling. Very impressive too. Walks on wood, walks on carpet, walks through the kitchen, walks on water.

She chortles merrily along, quite pleased with herself, but sometimes she just acts cool as though she has been doing this all her life and so just what is the big deal?

What's next? Grandma's cupboards do need some reorganization. We'll just start here with the cookie sheets.

Productivity, efficiency, stamina

Harold Rolfsrud (center of right photo) explained to relatives attending this weekend's reunion that homesteading was difficult. True, the government would give free land, but there were plenty of strings attached. If, like our grandparents, you had no money, one of the ways to get a quarter section of land was to claim it and then live on it for a certain number of years. During that period, one of the requirements might be that you would have to break up or plow and use a minimum of 12 acres of land. The requirements, coupled with the fierce climate, difficult conditions and isolation drove many away. The population of North Dakota is smaller today than it was early in the century when our grandparents were there, even when you take the booming Fargo into account. Rolfsruds may be hard workers, stubborn, lucky, courageous, the fittest or whatever, but they have survived on this land. Twelve acres of tillage defeated some, but today, equipment like the tractor with Kathleen in the top photo can lay fallow 12 acres in a few minutes. Grains are shipped to market in 18 wheelers, not tiny horse-drawn wagons dependent on rail centers. FYI: There are no chickens on the Rolfsrud Ranch.

We can't see our men. . .

Keene, No Dak

Where men are good-looking and women are taller than average. . .

Somebody asked the women to scrunch down a bit so we could see the men in the back row. Some did. These are all grandchildren of Nils and Rebecca Rolfsrud, which means they're all first cousins. Front row, Larry Veeder, Rosalie Veeder, Karen Kirmis, Linda Letnes, Johanna Weltzin, Becky Rolfsrud, Eloise Thorsen; back row Ben Veeder, Gerald Veeder, Larry Veeder, Harold Rolfsrud, Stan Rolfsrud, Joseph Weltzin. Notice the brands hanging on the walls of the Keene Dome, designating community members who helped finance the community building.

Things are getting so normal around here. . .

Briggs Rolfsrud Siitari visited today with Deidre Lindstrom, her college tennis teammate and roommate. Life truly is getting back to normal. We are all so happy for that. TB

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The Rolfsrud neighborhood
The Rolfsrud Ranch sprawls in the background of this eastward-looking photograph. On the distant horizon you can see the Blue Buttes. Homesteaders populated much of this area in the early part of the last century and Norwegian immigrants Nils and Rebecca Rolfsrud helped to get them started. When Nils was crippled for life in a coal-digging accident, these neighbors helped them. They're all gone now, leaving behind old building foundations and a few vacant houses, but some of the bonds live on. Kay Skavanger, at right, whose uncle and parents were always close to the Rolfsruds, took the microphone at the Rolfsrud Reunion Saturday to put a strong voice to that enduring friendship, acknowledging a wonderful relationship that spans a century.
In the top photo are Linda Letnes and Rebecca and Al Jerdee. The women are daughters of Erling Rolfsrud, who grew up on this land. Below, reunion participants viewed a plaque erected by descendents of another Rolfsrud neighbor, the Olsens. The plaque reads:

Homesteaded in 1907, Karl & Emma Olsen, Norway immigrants
... They walked from the nearest railroad station at Tioga [about 40 miles north] pushing their baby buggy with tiny son, Alfred, in 1906. Their destination was to "locators" Nils and Rebecca Rolfsrud. Sod busting with oxen, they built a sod house and sod barn about a quarter mile south of this point. Karl also dug a 4' by 4' well about 15 feet deep and it was good water. They bought horses as soon as money was available. In 1915 they moved to their new wood frame house. [background in photo]

Before and after... so dramatic a change

An update on Steve and Nancy's daughter

and son-in-law Briggs and Bill Siitari who were in a car accident in early June in St. Paul.

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What a difference a month makes!
Steve Rolfsrud writes:

Dear family and friends:
What a difference a month can make! The photos show Briggs two days after the accident compared to today.
Last week Briggs had her neck brace removed. The skull/neck fractures have fully healed. The neurosurgeon has a mild concern about spine curvature changes during the healing process so she will follow-up in early August.
She walks without the walker. She can make it around the block with only mild soreness. She continues her physical therapy. She has a re-check in late July to confirm that her pelvic fractures are completely healed.

Yes, they're going to Boston. . .

Her dizziness, nausea and headaches all seem well under control, and she has discontinued virtually all medication. She sleeps about 12 hours a day, and her circadian clock is off by about four hours, but without the neck brace she is much more comfortable.
The College of St. Catherine has been most gracious in its flexibility to allow Briggs to return to her work. And Briggs and Bill are finalizing their plans to move to Boston the end of August so that Briggs can attend Harvard graduate school this fall. KPMG has very considerately approved Bill's transfer to Boston for September 1, right on schedule for their move.
We want to thank everybody for their interest and support.
Steve

Welcome to the Rolfsrud Ranch

David Rolfsrud was among the first of our relatives to greet and welcome us to the Rolfsrud Reunion Saturday. David is the great grandson of Norwegian immigrants Nils and Rebecca Rolfsrud, who homesteaded land in Western North Dakota over a century ago.

David, and other Rolfsruds, still work the orginal land. . . and many more acres. Nils and Rebecca had five children who have all passed on. But descendents from each one came from far and wide Saturday for a celebration and time of respect for those who worked so hard to make good lives for their families.

Principal organizers were David's dad, Harold Rolfsrud, as well as Rosalie Veeder and Karen Kirmis. Their children and others worked to see that there was plenty to eat at the Keene Dome and that everyone had a great time. They succeeded.

(Photo info: Top photo is of David Rolfsrud. He lives with his wife, Gena, and sons, Ty and Cole at the Rolfsrud Ranch. Shading her eyes to meet relatives on a Sunny Saturday morning was Larry and Carolyn Veeder's daughter, Julia Crozier. She's an artist like her Dad and lives in Winona with her family. At right is Rosalie Veeder, a principal reunion organizer, who asked her daughter, Tara Joan Jackson, to photograph the event. Below are Rena's sons, Gerald and Bennie Veeder. Gerald worked for 32 years for Carolina Freight Carriers in Cherryville, North Carolina. His brother is a retired minister who graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a degree in Ministerial studies. More photo info below.)

After a couple hours of visiting and eating, each family history and makeup was briefly reviewed. Then everyone piled into pickups and 4-wheel drives as Harold Rolfsrud guided a tour through some of the rugged property immediately adjacent to the farmstead.

Clear Creek Church, the Olson homestead, and the ruins of a number of homesteads were visited, as well as an Indian teepee site and a steep dropoff known as the Buffalo Jump, where bison were driven over a steep cliff to their deaths.
Karen Kirmis, Harold's retired sister, along with her husband, Don, built a cabin overlooking the Missouri River breaks, not far from where Lewis and Clark must have passed. Far below this spectacular cabin site runs a humble barbed wire fence line, installed four decades ago by Erling's boys, Stan, Steve and Virgil Rolfsrud, who worked on the Rolfsrud homestead farm during their summers.

It is said to still be standing.

(Photo info: Above, Harold Rolfsrud guided a group to a number of historic sites, including the Manning homestead. At right, Douglas Rolfsrud's daughter Morgan cavoted on the foundation of the Jokestad homestead, located west of the Rolfsrud place. At left is the log cabin Karen Rolfsrud Kirmis and Don built on the former Braaten property. Click on it for an enlarged view. It overlooks the Missouri River Valley and affords, among other things, spectacular sunsets from its front deck.)

If you attended the Rolfsrud Reunion, please send your impressions to trailboss@swpub.com to help put together some items we will publish from time to time on this here Rolfsruds and Friends blog.

Heading West; we'll report back Monday

We're out the door this morning on our journey west to the Rolfsrud Reunion in Keene, North Dakota. Tom Story has been wearing his Army t-shirt around the cul-de-sac lately so we posted him as guard.
We've packed up the new Lazer Blue Beetle. That's sort of in honor of my late Uncle Halvor Rolfsrud. It was Halvor who discovered the marvelous traction and durability of a rear-wheeled Volkswagen bug and bus.

He used these as off-road vehicles on the farm, driving up and down ditches, coulees, ploughed fields, wherever he chose to go his little bug would take him.

He removed the passenger seat so he could use it as a pickup. Tools, barbed wire, whatever would ride shotgun. Because of this adjustment, if you traveled with him, you sat behind the tools in the back on the tiny bench seat and bounced around like a basketball, firmly grasping the hand grips, crouched like a coiled spring. The bug had a flat steel bottom so we feared nothing, we could slide off a rock if necessary. When I worked for Halvor back in the sixties, I rode back there on Sundays mostly, when, on our only day of relative rest, we drove around vast pastureland to be sure the roaming cattle herds had enough water and salt.

When Steve and I went fencing early one summer, we loaded down the VW bus with wire stretchers, post hole diggers, spools of barb wire, lots of staples, hammers and pliers. And Aunt Martha's fried chicken and a gallon of 7-Up. Halvor liked 7-Up and kept it around. He liked the way the bubbles soothed his stomach.

Kathleen's new beetle has a front-engine, lots of room and cushy seats. We also hope to get close to the advertised 32 MPG on 1-94. Gas went up to $3.25 overnight. We think it is a conspiracy by the gas companies to take advantage of the Rolfsrud Reunion weekend.

News from the Underwood branch in Iowa

Amy and Dave Underwood are raising a family in Des Moines, Iowa. Amy is the oldest daughter of Rebecca Rolfsrud Jerdee and Al Jerdee.

Amy writes: We thought it was time we participated in the family Blog. With the big family reunion coming up we don't want to be left out. So here's some news and photos about us and our children.

Blake Davidson Underwood graduated from the Early Learner program at Koality Time Child Development Center and Preschool on May 22, 2007. He plans to continue his education on August 22, 2007 at Crossroad Elementary School in full time kindergarten.


Blake is a little nervous about leaving his beloved teachers, Rocky and Rosemary (pictured), for Mrs. Stock. His older brother, Hunter, has been reassuring him that Mrs. Stock will be cool, but he can not bring toys to school anymore as they will end up in the June box in Mrs. Stock's room. That means they will stay there until the last day of school in June when the kids get all their illegal contraband back.

His mother was scheduled out of town for a Director's meeting during the first day of school, but her fabulous boss allowed her to opt out because "you just can't miss out on this once in a lifetime event". It doesn't hurt that his daughter starts kindergarten the week before Blake.

Hunter became a 6th KYU Blue/White Belt. He and his father have been working hard together toward their black belts. Dave is in the front of the photo in white. Hunter is in the back near the mirror. Though it looks like it, this is not a kid's class. The adults are out of view of the photo. Hunter is the highest rank for his age in the class.

Blake became a White Sock this summer as he started his first season of T-Ball. It appears we will have many baseball games in our future as Blake has really taken to this game. He has had quite an introduction to baseball.

His first coach was the President of Iowa Banks and friends with someone high up in management of the Iowa Cubs.

He arranged a special treat for his team.
They got to go onto the field at an Iowa Cubs game to meet the players, get signatures, be announced and then go out on the field with the players for the national anthem (see photo).

Then they got complimentary tickets for them and their parents behind home plate. That was quite a way to breed new baseball fans.

These little guys are hooked. He and Hunter start their next season on Monday. Blake is an Athletic and Hunter is a Cardinal. We keep hoping for the Twins. Maybe fall season. Otherwise, we have to wait until next summer. It will happen for us someday!

Blake's best friend was a Twin (pictured). Blake is #6.

We are embarking on a house renovation project on Monday. We will send you some photos later. I hope that won't be a traumatic experience.

Thanks for keeping us all in touch with your articles.

Amy..

(Amy Underwood, ARM, ALCM, MBA is a Loss Control Staff Consultant, PCIO Loss Control Technical Organization, Des Moines, IA. The trailboss has no further detail on what her husband is doing these days, other than training for a black belt. We await further information on the Underwood Iowa arm of the family.)