Name/Title
Nils and Martha (Sorum) Jepson, and childrenEntry/Object ID
2021.326.1Description
Nils and Martha (Sorum) Jepson Family photographPhotograph Details
Subject
Nils and Martha (Sorum) Jepson, and children: Bendik, Minnie & Johnnie Hanson and Jessie Jepson. Photo taken about 1904 at C. E. Fuller Studio, Hillsboro, North DakotaSubject Person or Organization
Martha Jepson, Nels Jepson, Bendik Hanson, Minnie Potterud, Johan Hanson, Jessie Muriel (Jepson) Naud HendronContext
Nils and Martha (Sorum) Jepson Family photograph, about 1903, Fuller Studio, Hillsboro, North Dakota.
Front, l-r: Martha (Sorum) Jepson, Jessie Jepson, & Nils Jepson
Back, l-r: Bendik Hanson, Minnie Hanson & Johnnie Hanson
The following information about the Nils and Martha Jepson family was kindly provided to me by Norwegian genealogist, Erik Hov, who is related to Martha Sorum. Notably, Martha's mother, Berthe Maria Ronningen was married to Andrew Jakob Sorum, an early settler in Traill County. Further, Berthe's father, Torger Torgerson, was also an early settler in Traill County (see photograph 2021.78.1).
Erik wrote that: “Martha was originally named Marthea Sorum but used Martha. She was born in Allamakee County, IA, on 25 Sep 1859 and died in Seattle, WA, on 22 Oct 1936. Martha was first married in Hillsboro on 1 Oct 1879 to Johannes Hansen Gjerdet (John Hanson/Gjardet) who was born in 1854 in Torpa, Nordre Land, Norway. John Hanson drowned in the Goose River while swimming in about 1892. Martha remarried in November 1893 to Nils J. Jepson who was born on 22 May 1864. Martha had a total of 8 children: the four youngest are shown in the photograph, including Bendik Hanson (1887-1962), Minnie (Mrs. Hilbert) Potterud (1889-1941), Johan (Johnnie) Hanson (1892-1919) and Jessie Muriel (Jepson) Naud Hendron (1898-1998). Not in this photo are Martha's other older four children: Mathilda Hanson (Tillie, Mrs. Eric) Haugen (1880-1975), Hans James Hanson (1881-1938), Gunda Hanson (Mrs. Sam) Allen (1883-1965) and Anna Hanson (1885-1903)."
Erik estimated that this photograph was taken not long after Anna died.
Also of interest to me is that Berthe Maria Ronningen had a sister, Ingeborg Torgersdatter Ronningen, who was the second wife of my great great grandfather, Sven Olson, another early settler by Hillsboro. Further, Martha (Sorum) Jepson had a brother, Albert A. Sorum, who was married to my great great aunt, Annie Swenson-Tovsrud, and they farmed in Eldorado Township by Hillsboro. Jack LudwigCataloged By
John (Jack) LudwigAcquisition
Accession
2021.326Source or Donor
Minnie SorumAcquisition Method
GiftLocation
Location
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer HouseCategory
Exhibit