Name/Title
Pikop family: Knut O. and Helena (Hillestad) Pikop, 1880 settlers in Herberg Township, Traill County, DTEntry/Object ID
2024.572.1Description
From information compiled by Jeremy Jennen, whose great great great grandfather, Anders O. Pikop, was a brother to Knut O. Pikop, we know that Knut was born on 3 February 1828 in the Sigdal community of Buskerud County, Norway to parents Ole Knutsen Vamseie and Gundhild Olsdr. [see life story document, below].
Knut O. Pikop married Mari (Mary) Olsdr. Narumshagen. Evidently in the early 1850s they immigrated to Wisconsin where their first child, Julia, was born [see 1970 US Census data, below]. These 1870 census data indicate that by 1855, Knut and Mary Pikop had homesteaded land in Spring Grove Township in Houston County, MN. Their second child, Julian, was born in Minnesota and was age 15 at the time of the 1870 census. In this 1870 census, Knut and Mary Pikop were listed with nine children: Julia, Julian, Carrie, Ole, Mary, Clause, Halge, Helene and Isabel.
An 1878 Atlas map for Spring Grove [see below], shows that their land was located in the northwest corner of Spring Grove Township near the village of Riceford.
By 1880, Knut O. Pikop had left his family on their farm by Riceford, MN, and had gone to Traill County, DT, where he married Helena Hillestad in 1880 [see Life Story]. It is unclear as to when and where they married; their marriage is not listed in Traill County marriage records. A US Find-a-Grave document indicates that Helena (Helen) Hillestad was born on 4 July 1834 [see below], but the 1900 US Census records Helena's birthdate as July 1825 [see below]. The 1900 census also records that Knut and Helena had been married 20 years, confirming their marriage in 1880.
The fact that Knut O. Pikop left the farm by Riceford, MN, is confirmed by 1880 US Census data for Spring Grove Township [see below], where Knut was no longer listed, but in this 1880 census Mary Pikop, age 52, was listed as "Farmer & Keeping House]. Six children were still listed in the household with Mary, as well as her mother-in-law, Gundhild Pikop, Knut's mother.
The 1885 ND Census for Caledonia (later Herberg) Township [see below], documents that Knut O. and Helena (Hillestad) Pikop were farming in this township and had two children, Hubert (age 12) and Hausina (9), who were both born in MN, indicating that they were Knut's children with Mary (Olsdr.) Pikop. Knut and Helena were likely caring for these two children because Mary (Olsdr. Narumshagen) Pikop passed away, age 54, on 2 February 1883 [US FaG info, below]. Mary was interred in the Riceford Cemetery.
A notice of final proof in the Hillsboro Banner newspaper published on 31 December 1886 [see below] documents that Knut and Helena's land was in the NW Qtr. of Sect. 32. Note that the land is in the name of Helena, not Knut. A 1900 map [see below] illustrates the location of Helena Pikop's land was about 154 acres, less than 160 because of a RR right-of-way.
The 1900 US Census for Caledonia (later Herberg) Township [see below], documents that Knut and Helena Pikop had a son, Ally, age 9, born in October 1890 in North Dakota.
A brief notice in the 12 December issue of the Hillsboro Banner states that "Knut Pikup, an old settler of eastern Traill, died at his home early this week. The remains were interred in the Hillsboro Cemetery yesterday afternoon" [see below]. No further information, such as an obituary, on the passing of Knut Pikop was found in the Hillsboro Banner. Also, there is no record of Knut Pikop's being buried in any of the Hillsboro Cemetries, or in any cemetery in Traill County. If Knut Pikop was interred in the Hillsboro cemetery as written in the Hillsboro Banner, it was in an unmarked grave.
Helena (Hillestad) Pikop passed away, age 70, on 17 May 1905 [see US FaG info, below]. Helena was interred with other Hillestad family in Hillsboro Cemetery No. 1.
After Helena's death, her 154 acres of land in the NW Qtr. of Sect. 32 in what became Herberg Township had to be sold by estate administrators. This was noted in a petition published in the Hillsboro Banner on 1 September 1905 [see below], which stated that "there is not sufficient money or personal estate in the hands of the said administrators to pay the debts of the said estate and expenses of administration, and that it is necessary, in order to pay the same, to sell said real estate". A Petition for Distribution notice in the 4 May 1906 issue of the Hillsboro Banner [see below] stated that "the estate of said deceased (Helene H. Pikup) is ready for distribution".Acquisition
Accession
2024.572Source or Donor
Jeremy JennenLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
