Name/Title
Forde family: Andrew and Anna (Hovde) Forde. Early residents by Hillsboro, ND, and managed a lumber yard businessEntry/Object ID
2026.109.1Description
This Forde family history folder contains photographs and documents on the lives of Andrew J. Forde and his wife Anna Hovde.
Andrew J. Forde was born on 18 December 1868 at Forde, Sondhordland in Norway. A brief biography on page 60 in the Traill County History book, Vol. I, describes how Andrew Forde came to America in March 1887 and made his way to Dakota Territory. There, Andrew joined his brother John J. Forde in Hillsboro, who had come to Hillsboro in 1885 (see John J. Forde biography). Andrew and John worked together as carpenters and building contractors in Hillsboro. Later, Andrew managed the Hillsboro Lumber Co. (see photo).
Anna Hovde was born 30 June 1874 to parents Lars O. and Oline Hovde (see Lars Hovde biography from page 89 in Traill County History book, Vol. I). Lars O. and Oline were some of the first pioneers who in 1871 settled along the Goose River in what became Traill County in Dakota Territory. They eventually settled on a farm located just west of what became the City of Hillsboro (see 1892 map, Sections 5 & 6, Hillsboro Township).
While living and working in Hillsboro, Andrew J. Forde met Anna L. Hovde of Hillsboro. They married in June 1893 [in 1894]. Andrew built a house (see 1904 photo) and farm buildings on 10 acres of land provided to Anna by her parents, which was located in the northwest part of Section 5 in Hillsboro Township (see A. L. Forde, 10 ac. on 1909 plat map for Hillsboro Township, Sections 5 & 6; also shown on the 1909 plat map for the City of Hillsboro).
Andrew and Anna (Hovde) Forde had 12 children, including eight daughters and four sons. Great granddaughter, Nancy (Kaldor) McPherson, kindly provided the following names of their 12 children and spouses:
Milla Ovidia Forde married Ernest E. Stith
Laura Josephine Forde married Daniel Sept
Amy Emelia Forde married Gilman Duane Hovland
Helen “Ruth" Forde married Emmons Elvin Botten
Jesse “Lynn” Forde married Evelyn Josephine “Pat” Cooke
Ella Henrietta Forde married Myron Barbour
Clarence Forde (passed away at age 1)
Florence Matilda Forde married Emmett Burnsted
Bertha Marie Forde married Morris O. Kaldor
Magel Alice Forde married L.B. Pollard
Everett Arnold Forde married Mabel Louise Hayden
Lambert “Vernon” Forde married Jean Ruby Snow, then Edwina Lee Fandrick
Sadly, Anna (Hovde) Forde only lived to the age of 48, passing away on 30 March 1923 in Hillsboro (see obituary). After funeral services held at Zion Lutheran Church, Anna was interred at Hillsboro's Riverside Cemetery.
Andrew J. Forde lived to the age of 62, passing away from a heart attack on 18 December 1930 (see obituary). After funeral services at Zion Lutheran Church in Hillsboro, Andrew was interred next to Anna at the Riverside Cemetery.Acquisition
Accession
2026.109Source or Donor
Nancy (Kaldor) McPherson, Traill County "Yesteryears"
![1892 Traill & Steele Counties Atlas, Hillsboro Township, page 18: Lars O. Hovde land and farmstead [black square] by Goose River in northeast corner of Section 6.](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/1937/2e3d8d70-981f-11f1-b4a1-6dcfee7c7e85-wyfyyNm.lg-nt@2x.jpg)
