These pictures have been submitted in August 2009 and thereafter.

On the left is a family picture of Ole C. Bergeson (Sometimes spelled Bergerson) and his wife Bergitte/Bertha/Betsey (Swenson) Bergeson. They were married 1871. Ole came to Splitrock/Minnehaha with his brother Soren.  He first stayed with the Iversons and then staked out some of his own land abt 1868. (Their first log house is on Sioux Recreation Area.) He held several offices for the county/township.

The picture on the right was taken when their children were older.  I believe their eldest daughter Bessie/Betsey Bergeson (She married Albin Sandback) was the first white child born in this area abt 1872 or 1873? Bessie and her husband Albin are buried at Brandon Lutheran Cemetery.

The family story is that Ole went out to West Coast/Washington State and got into mining after the turn of the century. Bergitte stayed here and remained in Brandon for the rest of her life. He died out there. A couple of the daughters went out and lived there for a few years each but returned to South Dakota.
                                                               Bergitte/Bertha/Betsey is buried in the family
plot at Brandon Lutheran cemetery and her headstone simply says Mother Bergeson. She died Oct 6, 1936.  Bergitte Swenson Bergeson was a sister to Steven's great grandmother Christine Thompson and great grandfather Severt Swenson.

Submitted by Steven and Corey Thompson, 26351 McHardy Rd Brandon, SD 57005

Peter and Christine (Swenson) Thompson

Double click to edit

Ole Swenson Family Original House

Ole and Besty Bergeson Children.

This is a photo of Peter and Christine (Swenson) Thompson.  They homesteaded in Splitrock Township of Minnehaha, Dakota Territory and received patent Dec 1874 on most of the land we are living on today.  Christine was Ole Ask Swenson's oldest daughter and Severt Swenson's older sister.  The potrait photo's are from their mid-years sometime around 1890 - 1895.

The other photo is Peter Thompson with his four boys Theodore/Ted on left seated, Julius on right seated and Edward in back left and Albert (youngest) on right back. All four boys were born here rural Brandon, Dakota Terriitroy (He and Christine also had three daughters that were the oldest children of the family: Bertha (Jordahl), Mathilda (Skouge) they both were born in Chicago IL and Josephine (Johnson) born here in Dakota Territory in 1875.  Peter Thompson was born in Denmark 22 Aug 1840, died Mar 29, 1910 Minnehaha County SD Buried Brandon Lutheran Cemetery.  Christine Swenson Thompson born Jun 26, 1844 Ask Island, Norway and died Aug 13, 1914 Minnehaha County, SD. Buried Brandon Lutheran Cemetery. They met and were married In Chicago IL after she arrived with her family from Norway in 1866 and began working for a minister. He was a sailor form Denmark. They then came on to Dakota Territory to farm near her father Ole Ask Swenson about 1873 when their first two children were very young. Peter Thompson's land patent was Dec 1874.  Steve is Great Grandson of Christine and Peter Thompson (as well as great gradnson of Severt Swenson on the other side)

Submitted by Steven and Corey Thompson, 26351 McHardy Rd, Brandon SD 57005

Peter Thompson with his four boys.  Theodore/Ted on left seated

On the left is a photo of Ole Ask Swenson's  first frame house, and then son Severt and family lived there. Severts smaller farm house that they lived in for many years and built abt in early 1870s (they arrived 1871 and spent abt 2 years in dugout). Severt later built the Big Stone House (abt 1913) a short ways away.

The photo on the right is Severt and Anna Swenson's wedding.  He died in 1939. His wife Anna C. Johanson Swenson died in 1924.)  This is a photo of Steven's Great Grandfather Severt Martin Ask Swenson b Apr 14, 1859 at Ask Island, Norway died Feb 14, 1939, rural Brandon, SD who married Anna Cecilia Johanson b. Sep 10, 1869 at Cedar Rapids, IA and she died Oct 22, 1924 rural Brandon, SD. They were married on Nov 21, 1891. They later built the Big Stone house on the property above the Splitrock River - just to the west of our current family home. It was one of the first in this area to have an electrical plant in the basement and full running water and plumbing.

Severt's father Ole Ask Swenson homesteaded and came to Splitrock Township with his wife Bertha Neilsdatter, in 1871 when Severt was about 11 years old after living in Decorah Iowa for three years when first arriving in the US from Norway. Ole's daughter, or Severt's one sister Birgitthe Ask Swenson married Ole Bergeson - who was one of the first to homestead/arrive in the area along with his brother Soren Bergeson. Ole's older daughter/Severt's older sister Christine (Swenson) and her husband Peter Thompson, also arrived to Splitrock Twnsp of Dakota Terriotory in 1874 from Chicago, and had land patent in this Splitrock township of 159 acres, and we are still living on that land / farm today south of Brandon.

Submitted by Verlyss Jacobson <may39jacob@iw.net>

Sivert Swenson Anna Johanson Wedding

Lived Lennox, SD, area most of adult life

Oline/Lena Haugen Jensen Robertson. Mother of Betsey, Annie, Martha, George, Emma. Married Enok Jensen & Jacob Robertson. Lived north of Lennox, SD, most of life

George Jensen [1885-1975] married May Rogers 1918 in Canada. LIved adult lives in Canada. He is son of Enok & Oline/Lena (Haugen) Jensen. Parents of Gordon & Lillian

Edward Jacobson born 1897--note the curly, long hair. Son of Peter & Betsey (Jensen) Jacobson

Lars Jensen. born 1875 in Trondheim, Norway; died 1941; son of Martin & Karen Jensen; Lived in Centerville, SD, Sioux City, Iowa, areas.

2nd marriage for each. married 1893

Gladys (McCain) & Geelt Duitsman marr 1924. She from Harrisburg, SD; he from rural Tea, SD.

Children of Louis & Rose Reichelt. Clarence, Mildred (baby), Inez, Bernice. Jack was born later. They lived near Tea, SD.

Jim & Emma (Jensen) McQuisten, parents of Lula, Edwin, Eva, Robert, Gene, Ruby. She is daughter of Enok & Oline/Lena (Haugen) Jensen.

Jacob Robertson in Norway; his house; he went back to live there in 1924. died 1945±. Father of Peter & Rasmus Jacobson. Grandfather of Ronald, Edward, Orris, Ernest, LeRoy.

Etta/Etje Julius Bakker 1852 [Germany]-1923 [rural Tea, SD]; Married Henry Bakker 1870--probably in Illinois

Henry Bakker 1844 [Germany]-1931[Tea, SD]. Father of Aka, Hattie, George, Martin, Henry Jr, Simon, Albertha, Etta, Helen, Johannah

Dena & Ben DeVries. Wedding 30 Aug 1918. Lived most of their adult lives in Tea, SD

This photo is my great grandfather, Hans Stenerson Nitteberg who immigrated with his parents, Stener and Maren Gulbrandsdatter Nitteberg in 1869 living in Minnesota and Wisconsin before finally coming to Dakota Territory in 1872; making the last of the trip to Dakota on foot. He built a sod house with his own hands near the Split Rock River, two miles north of Garretson in Palisade Township,
Minnehaha county. Hans gave a small portion of his land for the first school in the area. Hans married Marit Simenson Berge on March 15, 1880 in Valley Springs, Dakota Territory. From this union, six children were born.  The photograph above was taken around 1898.  Left-Right Standing: Oscar, Lyman (my grandfather), Melvin, Otto Sitting: Hans, Maymie, Marit and Carl.

Submitted by: Nancy (Nitteberg) Dunn
email: dunn3@svtv.com

Wedding, 1895, Effie Hilbrands & Minert Bosch--parents of
Dena Bosch DeVries

Meinhart Bosch--father of Dena Bosch DeVries. Dena lived in Tea, SD, most of her life

Jon & Dena Bosch--grandparents of Dena DeVries. Dena lived in Tea, SD, most of her life

Egge & Elizabeth Hilbrands, grandparents of Dena Bosch DeVries

back: Orris & Edward Jacobson--sons of Peter & Betsey (Jensen) Jacobson. Middle: Lillian Hurst--daughter of Martha (Jensen) & Art Hurst. Other two: Irvin and Leonard Rue, sons of Annie (Jensen) & Adolph Rue. Mothers wee sisters--daughters of Enok & Oline/Lena (Haugen) Jensen. All born in Lennox and Sioux Falls area.

Mikkel Haugen (aka Mikal Olsen Raftevold) born 1820 with wife and 4 daughters: Lena/Oline, Belle, Annie, Karoline; but who is who? Taken in Norway

Jacob Robertson 1849-1943; sons Rasmus Jacobson 1877-1926 and Peter Jacobson 1874-1949. All born in Norway. Came to United States in 1891 via Boston. Peter lived in Lincoln Co, SD most of his life. Rasmus lived in Minneapolis. Jacob went back to Norway in 1924 and died there about 1944. Rasmus had one son Ronald. Peter's sons were Edward, Orris, Ernest, LeRoy. A daughter Pernele died at age 3 months in 1903.

1946-47. Vyona & Dorothy (Hoffman) Jacobson on snowbank. House at left. Granary at right. Yes, it is
black--dirt blew in. 4.5 miles north of Lennox, SD

William Hoffman holds son Harry [born Sep 1917]; Harvey at right [Nov 1915], in Tea, SD

1949. Edward Jacobson unloads ear corn on Jensen Jacobson homestead 4.5 miles north of Lennox, SD. Brooder house with all the windows. Cattle barn and horse barn

William & Albertha [Bakker] Hoffman in front yard in Tea, SD about 1941. Note garden in back

Ole and Bergitte Bergeson Family abt 1892.