Name/Title
Weller family: John Jr. and Annie Harriet (Jalbert) Weller, 1871 settlers along Traill-Cass border east of Grandin, Dakota TerritoryEntry/Object ID
2026.5.1Description
This John Jr and Annie Harriett(Jalbert) Weller family history folder contains documents and photographs compiled by Carol (Lillefloren) Boeddeker (Mrs. Wilfred (Willie) Boeddeker) formerly of Hillsboro. Carol wrote three family history documents centered on her grandmother, Annie Harriet Jalbert (Mrs. John Weller Jr.). These three documents are in a Jalbert Family History three-ring binder available for reading at the TCHS Plummer House Museum in Hillsboro, ND. (see TCHS Catalogit entry 2026.3.1).
John Weller Jr. was born on 15 November 1862 in Monticello, MN, to parents John Sr. and Maria (Holleter) Weller. As briefly described in a family history published in the 1981 Grandin Centennial book, John Weller Jr. came to Traill County in 1871 with his parents and siblings and John Weller Sr. homesteaded 53 acres in the very southeast corner of Traill County in Sect. 35 in Elm River Township (see 1892 plat map). John Weller Sr. had also claimed 160 acres of land in the SE Qtr. of Sect. 34. The John Weller Sr. farmstead was located along the Red River in the very southeast corner of Section 35, and about two miles south of the Village of Quincy. After the James J. Hill routed his Great Northern Railroad through Hillsboro, Quincy, a riverboat shipping port, became a ghost town. John Sr and wife Mary also owned land across the road to the south in adjacent Noble Township in Cass County (see 1906 plat map). In the late 1800s, when John Sr. and Maria Weller retired from farming, they moved into nearby Hendrum, MN, and John Weller Jr. may have operated the John Weller Sr. farmland. But, John Jr. and Annie (Jalbert) Weller had their own farmland, including 160 acres in Annie's name in Noble Township (see 1906 plat map) and 160 acres in the SE Qtr. of Section 12 in adjacent Kinyon Township (see 1893 plat map). Interestingly, note that the John Weller Jr. farmstead in Kinyon Township was across the road from the Louis (Lewis) Jalbert farmstead, the home of Louis Jalbert's daughter, Annie Jalbert. On 22 February 1892, at age 29, farmer John Weller Jr (photo), married neighbor girl, Annie Harriett Jalbert, age 13 (yes, age 13).
Annie Harriett Jalbert was born on 17 March 1878 in Adamsville, Quebec Province, Canada. She was baptized Catholic as Anne Henrietta Jalbert, but who always called herself Annie Harriett Jalbert. In those early days, the Jalbert families were impoverished. From family interviews conducted by Carol during her research, evidently when Annie Harriett was only age 13, on 22 February 1892 her parents gave her in marriage to John Weller Jr., age 29, for a sum of money. Apparently, this marriage was loveless and filled with hard work and further impoverishment according to Carol's mother, Louise Carolyn Weller, the youngest of John Jr. and Annie Harriett Weller's children. Nevertheless, they stayed and worked together on their farm east of Grandin (see 1892 plat map).
John Jr. and Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller had six children, Bertha, Pearl, Viva, Searles, Rosalind and Louise (see family photo of Annie with five of her six children and the family photo of all six children later in life taken in about 2000.).
John Jr. and Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller's first daughter, Bertha Ann Weller, was born on 11 June 1895 in Cass County, ND. Bertha was raised on the Weller family farm with her parents and younger siblings. When her parents retired from farming, Bertha operated the Weller farm along with her nephew, Lloyd Weller and his wife Pearl. Carol noted in one of her Jalbert family documents that "Bertha, known as Aunt Bertie to the writer, remained on her parents farm until the last years of her life. She never married and worked much as a man to maintain the farm with Lloyd Weller, her nephew raised as her brother. Until her last days, Aunt Bertie's mind remained sharp as a tack, and she was the source of much information which led to putting this picture puzzle of a family together. Aunt Bertie put me on my first horse when I was four years old, a huge draft horse which thankfully was wearing a harness with Hames. My love of horses never waned...When I was near death in 1958 due to a tubular pregnancy, Aunt Bertie sat at my bedside holding my hand. She is very dear to me." When Lloyd and Pearl Weller retired from farming and moved into Grandin, they provided a home for Bertha, who lived to the grand age of 98. Bertha passed away on 1 October 1993 at the Hillsboro Nursing Home [see obituary].
John Jr. and Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller's second daughter, Pearl Elizabeth Weller, was born on 9 September 1897 in Cass County, ND. Pearl was raised on the Weller farm with her parents and siblings. At age 23, on 11 April 1921, Pearl married Frank George Thompson in Fargo, ND. Frank was born on 4 March 1896 in Argusville, ND. Frank and Pearl (Weller) Thompson had two sons, Lloyd Frank Thompson (b. 20 Aug. 1925 in Grandin; m. Avis Jahnke on 18 Jun. 1949 in Hillsboro; d. 21 Apr. 2006 in Mesa, AZ) and Lynn George Thompson (b. 19 Mar. 1936 in Fargo; m. Phyllis Svenpladsen on 23 Mar. 1953 in Canada; d. 18 Jan. 1968; tragically, Lynn & Phyllis were both fatally burned in a propane accident that happened on Christmas day, 25 Dec. 1967). Frank and Pearl lived in Hillsboro where Frank and his son Lloyd Thompson were building contractors. Pearl (Weller) Thompson died on 11 February 1975, age 77, in Hillsboro [see obituary]. Frank George Thompson died in a truck accident on 6 August 1983, age 87.
John Jr. and Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller's third daughter, Viva Lillian Weller, was born on 28 September 1899 in Traill County, ND. Viva was raised on the family farm with her parents and siblings. At the age of 20, Viva had a son, Lloyd Raymond Weller, out of wedlock on 25 November 1919 in Cass County. In the 1925 ND Census taken at a home farm in Noble Township in Cass County, Viva, age 25, and Lloyd, age 5, were listed with Viva's parents and siblings. Carol's research indicated that although at first Lloyd's father was attributed to "a travelling salesman", in the 1980s it came to light that Lloyd's father was most likely Viva's uncle, Albert Weller. Before Lloyd's birth in 1919, Albert Weller moved his family to Minneapolis and refused to allow any of his children to have contact with family in North Dakota. Lloyd Weller was raised by his grandparents, John Jr. and Annie Weller on their farm [ND & US Census data]. Lloyd helped his grandfather farm and went on at age 22 to marry Pearl Rudrud on 3 August 1942 in Moorhead, MN [see Lloyd Weller Family]. Pearl was born on 29 February 1916 in Hillsboro to parents Palmer and Bertha (Tronson) Rudrud. Lloyd and Pearl (Rudrud) Weller had three children: Karen Weller (b. 4 Feb. 1944 in Fargo; m. Jerry Alfson on 4 Dec. 1965 at Grace Lutheran Church in Grandin, ND; three children, Tamara, Kristen and Jay), Keith Weller (b. 21 May 1952 in Fargo; m. Mary Amundsgaard on 3 Aug. 1972 in Clay Co.; div. 1975), and Kevin Weller (b. 20 Jan. 1957 in Fargo; m. Colleen Franzen on 10 Sep. 1983 at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Hillsboro; two children, Jena and Daniel). Lloyd and Pearl eventually took over the Weller family farm and operated it with his Aunt Bertha Weller, who did not marry. When Lloyd and Pearl Weller retired from farming, they moved into the town of Grandin, and they provided a home for his elderly Aunt Bertha. Lloyd and Pearl were active in the Grandin and Hillsboro communities. Pearl (Rudrud) Weller died, age 89, on 14 October 2005 in Fargo. Lloyd Weller died, age 87 on 7 December 2006 in Hillsboro. Lloyd and Pearl were interred at the Quincy Cemetery located east of Grandin and west, across the Red River, from Hendrum, MN.
At the age of 29, on 26 November 1928, Viva married John Burkett, who was born on 13 April 1901 in Fargo, ND. John and Viva (Weller) Burkett had a daughter, Annie Pearl Burkett on 3 March 1934 at their farm in Elm River Township in Traill County, ND. Annie never married and lived on North Broadway in Fargo where Annie was employed as a medical technician and died at home of cancer at the age of 53 on 18 November 1987 [ND Death Certif.]. Annie's mother, Viva Lillian (Weller) Burkett died, age 88, a few months later on 21 March 1988 at a Nursing Home in Hillsboro (see obituary). Annie's father, John C. Burkett had died, age 72, on 3 March 1974.
John Jr. and Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller's only son, Searles Louis Weller, was born on 12 January 1901 and was raised on the family farm in the southeast corner of Traill County, ND. At the age of 27, on 3 May 1928, Searles Weller married Marianne Burkett, in Fargo, ND. Marrianne was a sister to John Burkett and was born on 8 December 1910 in Cass County, ND. Searles and Marrianne Weller first had a daughter Patricia Louise Weller (b. 13 Mar. 1930; m. Delburt Mitchell on 19 Nov. 1948; d. 16 May 1997), and then three sons, including Earl Duane Weller (b. 21 Jul. 1931 in Grandin; m. Joi St. James on 17 Oct. 1953; d. 27 Apr. 2001 in Lincoln, OR), Gerald Searles Weller (b. 2 Apr. 1933 in Grandin; m. Orpha Brewer on 18 Dec. 1950; div. abt. 1956 & m. Gloria Ann White on 1 Feb. 1957; d. 11 Sep. 2009 in Portland, OR), and Richard Louis Weller (b. 22 Mar. 1934 in Grandin; m. Barbara Jean Brown on 4 Apr. 1953; d. 2 Jul 1953 in a motorcycle accident before the birth of a daughter). Searles and Marianne (Burkett) Weller later divorced, with Marianne remarrying Francis Farley in 1949 and Searles marrying a Mary who had four sons. Searles Louis Weller died, age 69, at home of cancer on 12 December 1970 in Ogden, UT [see obituary]. Sarles was interred in the Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch.
John Jr. and Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller's fourth daughter, Rosalind 'Rose' Janet Weller, was born on 15 November 1904 in Cass County, MN. Rose was raised on the Weller family farm with her parents and siblings. On 11 August 1919, at the age 14, going on 15, Rose Janet Weller was married to Maxwell Elmore Scovill, age 20. Maxwell was born 8 July 1899 in Indiana. Maxwell and Rose had two children, a daughter and a son. Their daughter, Norma Scovill was born on 7 June 1920 in Grandin, ND. At age 21, Norma married Earl H. Larson of rural Hillsboro. They farmed in Bloomfield Township in Traill County and had a son Dennis Larson (b. 14 Jun 1946) and a daughter Diane (b. 13 Jan. 1954). Tragically, Earl Larson died in a pickup rollover accident on 27 February 1968. Norma then moved to Hillsboro where she worked as Traill County Clerk of Court. In May 1974, Norma (Scovill) Larson married Les Henning of West Fargo, where Les and Norma resided. Les Henning died on 23 July 1979 in West Fargo. Norma continued to reside in West Fargo where her daughter Diane resided and where she worked and gave tours at Bonanzaville [obituary]. Norma (Scovill) Larson-Henning died, age 90, on 29 September 2010 in West Fargo. Norma was interred in Hillsboro's Cemetery next to her first husband, Earl Larson.
Maxwell and Rose (Weller) Scovill's son, Donald 'Don' Scovill was born on 10 January 1922 by a farm near Grandin, ND. Evidently, Don was delivered by a midwife while waiting for a doctor to arrive through a snowstorm from Hillsboro. Don attended school in Grandin and then joined the US Army and served in the Signal Corp. in the Italian Campaign of 1944. On 8 March 1945, Donald Scovill married Beverly Ann Steinle in St. Paul, MN. Beverly was born on 7 May 1926 in St. Paul, MN. She met Don when her family moved to Grandin, ND, where they purchased a grocery store; Don lived above the grocery store with his family. After Don and Beverly married in St. Paul, they travelled to wherever Don's work as a construction site electrician took them. They eventually settled in Rivere in Redwood County, MN, where they raised five children, Michael, Debra Therese, Mary and Greg). In the 1960s, they moved to Byron, MN, just west of Rochester. Beverly Ann (Steinle) Scovill died, age 83 on 4 June 2009 at home in Byron, and was interred with family at the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Lamberton, MN. Donald Scovill lived to be almost 100, passing away age 99 on 16 September in Rochester, MN. Don was interred next to Beverly at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Lamberton, MN.
Rose Janet (Weller) Scoville and her husband Maxwell Scoville divorced in 1938. Then on 6 January 1939, Rose (Weller) Scoville married Albert Vivian Darling in St. Paul, MN. In Beloit, Rock County, WI, Albert and Rose had a son, Roland Vernon 'Ron' Darling on 22 September 1942. In 1952, Rose and Albert moved to Moore Road in Paradise, CA, where their son Ron Darling graduated from Paradise HS. Ron then served in the US Army in Vietnam for two years and honorably discharged in 1966. Ron then took a job with Boeing Aircraft in Seattle. On 23 December 1967, Roland Vernon Darling, age 25, married Alice Jean Cheyney, age 26, at the Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Seattle [WA Marriage Record]. Alice was a schoolteacher in Renton, WA. Ron and Alice had a son, Michael Darling on 19 January 1976. Roland Vernon Darling lived to the age of 77, passing away in Tacoma, WA, on 15 January 2020. Ron was interred at Tacoma's National Cemetery. Roland's father, Albert V. Darling had died, age 73, on 14 August 1968 in Paradise, CA. About ten years later, on 12 February 1979, Rose (Weller) Scoville-Darling married Alphonse 'Al' A. Beaudette in Reno, NV. Al and Rose lived in Paradise, where they were active in the Southern Baptist Church and in Grange societies. Rosalind Janet (Scovill-Darling) Beaudette died, age 76, at the Paradise hospital on 2 August 1981 [see obituary]. Rose was interred at the Paradise Cemetery. Alphonse 'Al' Albert Beaudette, lived to the age of 78, passing away on 21 July 1986 in Yuba County, CA [obituary]. Al was interred at the Paradise Cemetery. Rose's first husband, Maxwell Scovill had died, age 56, on 14 December 1955 while employed as an aircraft engineer in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, CA. Maxwell died in a community hospital and was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery. Rose's second husband, Albert V. Darling, had died, age 73, on 14 August 1968 in Paradise, CA [obituary], and was interred at the Paradise Cemetery.
John Jr. and Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller's last child of six and fifth daughter, Louise Caroline Weller, was born on 15 February 1907 in Cass County, ND. Louise was raised on the family farm east of Grandin. In a 1925 ND Census taken in Noble Township in Cass County, Louise was age 18 and at the home farm with her parent and siblings. At age 21, Louise married Gerhard Lillefloren on 26 June 1928 at the First Presbyterian Church in Fargo [ND Marriage Index]. Gerhard was born on 26 December 1906 in Bricelyn in Faribault County, MN, to parents John and Rhodena Lillefloren. After Gerhard and Louise married in 1928, they lived in Fargo [news, Fargo Forum, 27 Jun. 1928]. At the time of the 1930 US Census taken in Fargo, Gerhard, age 23 and Louise, age 23, resided on 3rd Ave N, while Gerhard was employed as an "Operator" at a "Filling station". They had two daughters in Fargo, Dona and Carol. By 1935, Gerhard, Louise and girls had moved to Los Angeles, CA, where they rented a house on E 107th St while Gerhard was employed as a "Truck driver" for a "Wholesale grocery" [1940 US Census]. In this 1940 US Census, Gerhard's parents, John and Rhodena, were listed as neighbors. In the 1950 US Census, Gerhard (age 43), Louise (43), Dona (19), Carol (16) and now a son, Dennis Lillefloren (age 6), resided on W 111th St. in Los Angeles. Gerhard worked as a "Business Agent" for the "Teamsters Union".
Gerhard and Louise's first daughter, Dona Gay Lillefloren, was born on 25 November 1930 in Fargo, where she was first raised. From 1935 on, Dona was raised in Los Angeles and attended George Washington High School [Sr. photo; US School Yrbks]. At the age of 21, on 3 May 1952, Dona married George Gagas, age 20 [CA Marriage Index], but they soon divorced in 1953. Then Dona Lillefloren, age 25, married Donald Lee Smith, age 26, on 11 May 1956 [CA Marriage Index]. Donald was born in Inglewood in Los Angeles County on 1 May 1930 [CA Birth Index]. Donald and Dona had three children, Douglas, Denise and Daniel Smith, which they raised in La Puente [1968 City Dir.]. Don and Dona later lived on Carmelynn St. in Torrance [CA Land Records; 1997 US Phone Dir.]. Dona Gay (Lillefloren) Smith lived to the age of 88, passing away on 11 March 2019--burial information not provided by Find-a-Grave.
Gerhard and Louise's second daughter, Carol Ray Lillefloren, was born on 26 October 1933 in Fargo. Carols life story is described in TCHS Family History entry 2026.4.1: "Boeddeker family: Wilfred and Carol (Lillefloren) Boeddeker, residents of Hillsboro, North Dakota, Los Angeles, CA & Ava, MO". Notably, Carol (Lillefloren) Boeddeker was the family historian (photo), who, beginning in 1959, compiled genealogical information and wrote three family history documents that were broadly centered on her grandmother, Annie Harriet Jalbert (Mrs. John Weller Jr.). These three documents are described in a Jalbert Family History (TCHS Catalogit entry 2026.3.1) and are available for study at the TCHS Plummer House Museum in Hillsboro, ND. Carol (Lillefloren) Boeddeker-Genet passed away on 30 June 2019, age 85, in Ava, Missouri.
Gerhard and Louise's last child, and only son, Dennis Duane Lillefloren, was born on 13 August 1943 in Inglewood, Los Angeles County [CA Birth Index], and was baptized into the First Presbyterian Church in LA [CA Register of Baptisms]. In the 1950 US Census, Dennis, age 6, lived with his parents and sisters at W 111th St. in Los Angeles. Dennis attended schools in LA and graduated from George Washington High School with the Class of 1961 (see Sr. photo). After finishing HS in 1961, Dennis joined the US Navy and served for 30 years, honorably discharged on 26 September 1991 [US Vet. Affairs file]. While in the Navy, on 20 November 1966, Dennis Duane Lillefloren, age 23, married in Mary Louise Borders, age 21, in LA [CA Marriage Index]. Mary was born on 18 October 1945 in Louisville, KY. Dennis and Mary had three children in different places depending on where Dennis was stationed. Their first son, David Brian Lillefloren was born on 21 February 1969 in Louisbille, KY. Their second son, Erik Michael Lillefloren was born on 3 October 1970 in Long Beach, CA. Their daughter, LeeAnna Lillefloren was born on 4 July 1978 in Charleston, SC. After serving in the US Navy, Dennis and Mary settled in Virginia Beach, VA [1993-2007 US Public Rec.; 1999-2002 US Phone Dir.]. Mary Louise (Borders) Lillefloren died of lung cancer at age 50 on 21 November 1995 and was interred at the Rosewood Memorial Park in Virginia Beach, VA [US FaG info]. After May's passing Dennis married Ruth Sheehan, but Ruth died on 26 September 2004. Dennis then went travelling [see notes for Dennis Duane Lillefloren]. Dennis lived to the age of 63, passing away on 14 August 2006 in Virginia Beach [US Soc. Sec. Death Index]. Dennis was interred next to Mary at the Rosewood Memorial Park in Virginia Beach, VA [US FaG info].
Gerhard and Louise (Weller) Lillefloren raised their six children in Los Angeles and continue to reside their after their children had grown and left home. Gerhard served as President of the Teamsters Union Local 595, which in 1964 had 3,900 members [news, LA Times, 1 Jan. 1964]. Gerhard Lillefloren lived to the age of 72, passing away on 19 October 1979 in Altadena in Los Angeles County [obituary info]. After Gerhard passing, Louise (Weller) continued to live in Los Angeles for a total of 61 years, passing away age 89 on 5 June 1996 in Torrance, CA [see obituary]. Her three children, Dona, Carol and Dennis survived Louise, as did 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
Mother of the above six children, Annie Harriett (Jalbert) Weller, only lived to the age of 48, passing away on 24 March 1926 after several days in hospital in Fargo [see obituary]. Louise was interred at the Quincy Cemetery located in Traill County, ND, just west across the Red River from Hendrum, MN.
John Weller Jr. lived longer, to the age of 86, passing way on 12 January 1949 [see obituary]. As noted by Carol [see notes], John Weller died of "senile dementia and arteriosclerosis" at the State Hospital in Jamestown, and prior to Jamestown, John Jr. had been housed at the Traill County Farm, a facility located near Caledonia for the poor and senile. John Weller Jr. was interred next to Annie at the Quincy CemeteryLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
