Name/Title
Overmoe family: Torger and Agnette (Anderson) Overmoe, 1875 homesteaders in Norway Township, Traill County, Dakota TerritoryEntry/Object ID
2025.214.1Description
As described in a family history item on page 157 in Vol. I. of Traill County History (left), Torger Overmoe came to America from Norway in 1875 and came to Traill County where he first worked for Christian Kaldor before claiming his own land in Norway Township. Torger Jensson Overmoe was born on 5 November 1853 to parents Jens Larson and Johanne (Torgersdr. Botterud) Overmoe in Norway. In 1877, his parents and siblings, Anton, John, Lars and Lena Overmoe joined him in Traill County. Note, some records report their family name as Overmoen.
In 1881, Torger J. Overmoe married Agnette Anderson, who was born on 24 July 1858 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Torger and Agnette farmed the Norway Township land. The 1892 Traill and Steele Counties Atlas map for Norway Township shows that Torger J. Overmoe had land in Sections 27, 28, and 33 (see below).
The Traill County History item states that Torger and Agnette had twelve children, however, US and ND census records only document eleven. These eleven known children of Torger J. and Agnethe (Anderson) Overmoe, in order of oldest to youngest, included: John (born-died, 1882), Johan (1883-1891), Theodore (b-d, 1885), Carl (b-d, 1886), Clara (1887-1948), Julius (b-d, 1892), Julia (1894-1972), Alfred (1897-1987), Tilda (b-d, 1899), Josephine (1899-1993), and Della (1906-1997). See Catalogit entry 2025.213.1 for a photograph of Clara, Julia and Alfred Overmoe, and their brief life histories.
In 1891 Torger, Agnette and children moved to Hillsboro, where Torger was a businessman for a while, but in 1907 they returned to their Norway Township farm until returning to Hillsboro in 1917, where they lived until their deaths.
Torger J. Overmoe lived to the age of 73, passing away on 25 May 1927, and was interred in the AAL Lutheran Church cemetery in Norway Township, Traill County [US FaG grave-marker, below].
Agnethe (Anderson) Overmoe lived to the age of 95, passing away on 11 September 1953 in Fargo, ND. Agnethe was buried next to Torger in the AAL Lutheran Cemetery in Norway Township [US FaG grave-marker, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.214Source or Donor
Traill County "Yesteryears"Location
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
