Name/Title
Stina (Halvorson) Hovet with family and friends at the city park in Hillsboro, ND, in August 1926.Entry/Object ID
2024.520.1Description
This is a set of six photographs documenting Stina (Halvorson) Hovet (standing at center in the photo at left), widow of Ole K. Hovet, with family and friends at a picnic dinner held in the city park in Hillsboro on Sunday, 1 August 1926. This reunion was described in a news item in the 6 August issue of the weekly Hillsboro Banner (below).
As described in Catalogit Family History entry 2024.499.1, Ostina 'Stina' Halvorson was born in June 1866 to parents, Ole and Ingeborg (Rognstad; alt. spellings: Ragnstad, Rongstad, Roinestad) Halvorson, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Stina's older brother, Mathias 'Matt' O. Halvorson was born in June 1863 in Eau Claire. They were raised on their parent's farm near Colfax in Dunn County to the northwest of Eau Claire. By 1900 (census data), Stina and Matt had moved with their parents to a farm east of Buxton (E. Buxton Township, later Stavanger Township) in Traill County, ND.
The Banner news article on the reunion notes that it was attended by friends and relatives. First, let's look at Stina's relatives. The article lists that "Mr. and Mrs. M. O. Halvorson and family" of Buxton attended the reunion. This is Stina's brother, Matt, who, as described above, was raised on a farm by Buxton. Matt O. Halvorson married Clara 'Nettie' Jordahl in 1892, and they farmed east of Buxton and had six children born between 1902 and 1912: Owen (b. 18 Jan 1902), Inez (b. 1 Mar 1904), Mildred (b. 4 Mar 1906), Hortence (b. 5 Mar 1909), Sylvia (b. 20 Jul 1910), and Roald (b. 3 Sep 1912). Some, if not all, of their six children may have attended this reunion in 1927, but they are not specifically named.
Another relative of Stina Hovet's attending the reunion was "Mr. and Mrs. M. Leet and daughters, Luella and Hazel of Grand Forks". Stina and Sarah, Mrs. M. Leet, were first cousins. Stina (Halvorson) Hovet's mother was Ingeborg Rognstad (b. 1827 in Norway). Ingeborg's brother was Anders Rognstad (b. 1830 in Norway), who married Goro Olson. Anders and Goro had a daughter, Sarah Rognstad (b. 4 Apr 1879 in Lillehammer, Norway), who therefore was Stina's first cousin. Sarah Rognstad married Martin Larssen Leet (b. Jan 1872 in Tynset, Norway) on 20 January 1906 in the Holden Lutheran Church by Colfax, WI. After they married, Martin and Sarah Leet farmed land in Springfield Township in southern Towner County, ND, which borders Benson County to the south (1910, 1920 census data). Their farm was near Leeds in Benson County, where they had two daughters: Luella 'Lula' Alice Leet (b. 22 Mar 1908; m. Helmer Moe in 1933; div. by 1940; d. age 86, 14 Aug 1994 in Minneapolis, MN) and Hazel Leet (b. 20 Feb 1907; m. Alvin Gransberg; d. age 98, 18 Dec 2005 in Grand Forks). By 1923, Martin, Sarah and girls left the farm and lived on Cherry St. in Grand Forks (City Dir. data). At the 1927 reunion, Lula was 19 and Hazel was 20. In 1930, Martin, Sarah, Hazel and Lula continued to reside in Grand Forks (census data), although life may have been difficult because Martin, age 58, was listed with occupation "None" in this 1930 Census. Hazel, age 23, and Lula, age 22", were also listed with occupation "None". By 1934, Martin and Sarah Leet, and daughter Lula (Mrs. Moe; divorced), had left Grand Forks and moved to a house on 18th Avenue South in Minneapolis, MN (City Dir. data). Although living in Minneapolis, in the 1940 US Census, Martin Leet's occupation was listed as "Farmer, Manager, Own Farm". It is unclear where this farm was located, perhaps back in Towner County, ND. Martin Leet passed away in Minneapolis, age 73, on 6 May 1945, but was interred in the Finnish Cemetery in Towner, ND, part of which was known as the North Prairie Lutheran Cemetery (US Find-a-Grave). In 1950 (census data), Sarah, age 69, continued to reside on 18th Ave. S. in Minneapolis with her daughter, Lula (Leet) Moe, age 42, and her grandson (Donald Leet Moe), age 16). Sarah (Rognstad) Leet passed away, age 78, on 6 Jun 1957 in Minneapolis and was interred next to husband Martin Leet in the North Prairie Lutheran Cemetery in Towner, ND. Also buried in this Towner cemetery were John and Clara (Skeie) Fosen, old friends of Martin and Sarah Leet from back in Wisconsin and then neighbors in Springfield Township in Towner County, ND (plat map data). Martin and Sarah Leet farmed in Section 9, and John and Clara (Skeie) Fosen farmed land two miles south in Sections 22, 27 and 28. Other Fosen and Skeie families also farmed near Martin and Sarah Leet.
The Banner news article on the reunion notes those present included Wisconsin neighbors. This applies to "Mr. and Mrs. J. Figenshau (alt. spelling: Figenskau) and son Lloyd, of Oslo, Minn." From Wisconsin land records, we know that Knud G. and Anna Figenskau owned 80 acres of land in Section 22 in Grant Township, Dunn County, located about 5 miles north of Colfax, WI. As noted above, Ostina Halvorson (Mrs. O. K. Hovet) was raised on her parent's farm near Colfax in Dunn County. Knud and Anna had a son, Jens Figenskau, born in 1868, thus similar in age to Ostina. By 1880, Knud and Anna Figenskau, and five of their six children, including Jens, had moved to a farm in Riddervold Township near Oslo, MN. Jens Figenskau married Louise Grimsrud, and they had a son Lloyd Figenskau born in 1904, thus similar in age to Matt and Nettie's daughters and to Hazel and Lula Leet (see photos, below).
Another Wisconsin neighbor noted in the August 1926 Banner news article (above) was "Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lee and family of Grand Forks". A marriage record from Holden Lutheran Church located by Colfax, WI, documents that on 11 October 1878, Peter Anderson Lee married Gunhild Marie Olson. Thus, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lee, now of Grand Forks, were once neighbors to Halvorson and Figenskau families back near Colfax, Wisconsin. Another Holden Lutheran Church marriage record documents that a John Lee married Martha Figenskau, so the Lee and Figenskau families were also connected.
Also attending the reunion picnic, as noted in the August 1926 Banner news article (above), were "Mr. and Mrs. Ed Solberg and family of Buxton". From other Hillsboro Banner news items, we know that Ostina's brother, Matt Halvorson, and Ed Solberg were fellow businessmen in Buxton. Ed was at the Farmers Bank, and Matt was a retail merchant.Acquisition
Accession
2024.520Source or Donor
George OlsonLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House![City Park, Hillsboro, ND: Stina (Halvorson) Hovet (back, center) with Matt and Nettie Halvorson (at left), Martin Leet (front, center) and Jens and Anna Figenskau (at right). [written on the back: "Mat, Martin & Jens Figenskau"]](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/1937/47fbd5d0-703c-11ef-880d-711e82f4d94f-vUUMD0P.lg@2x.jpg)
![City Park, Hillsboro, ND: Men (Matt Halvorson, Jens Figenskau, and Martin Leet?) relaxing in foreground at picnic reunion. [written on back of photo: "Picnic in the Park, Hillsboro"]](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/1937/7406dd40-7056-11ef-880d-711e82f4d94f-vUUMD0P.lg@2x.jpg)
![City Park, Hillsboro, ND: Stina (Halvorson) Hovet (at right) with Martin and Sarah Leet and likely their daughters Luella and Hazel. The third young women, between Luella and Hazel, is probably one of Matt and Nettie Halvorson's daughters. For example, Mildred Halvorson was close to the age of Hazel Leet. [written on the back: "Martin & Mrs. Leet"]](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/1937/0350a9f0-7074-11ef-880d-711e82f4d94f-vUUMD0P.lg@2x.jpg)
![City Park, Hillsboro, ND: Likely Luella and Hazel Leet (at left), daughters of Martin and Sarah Leet, and (at right) probably one of Matt and Nettie Halvorson's daughters, possibly Mildred Halvorson who was close to the age of Hazel Leet. [no writing on back of photo]](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/1937/5c837ba0-7075-11ef-880d-711e82f4d94f-vUUMD0P.lg@2x.jpg)
![City Park, Hillsboro, ND: Likely Luella and Hazel Leet, daughters of Martin and Sarah Leet, with Lloyd Figenskau, son of Jens and Louise Figenskau. [no writing on back of photo]](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/1937/ef2e53d0-7075-11ef-880d-711e82f4d94f-vUUMD0P.lg@2x.jpg)
![City Park, Hillsboro, ND: Lloyd Figenskau, son of Jens and Louise Figenskau. [no writing on back of photo]](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/1937/824f1f50-7076-11ef-880d-711e82f4d94f-vUUMD0P.lg@2x.jpg)