Updated August 2, 2006

We Get Letters!
Excerpts from letters and email messages received at AmbroseND.com
 
Marjorie Caffrey Brackett Diane Thomte Clinton Debra Grote Snyder Barbara Mace
Shirlee Anderson Lee Carrol Hauge Dahl Troy Downey Judy Frost
Grete Kjølgård Larry & Jean Olson Jean Shaw Bryan Bernice Grytness Lask
Nicki Wehrman Starr Helen Almos Biorn Lorraine Larson Fladland Howard in Pennsylvania
Lois Shultz Ouse Glendon Kriese Diane Thomte Clinton - 2 Mick Soiseth
Adele Pomeroy Velma Ness Lassen    

 Velma Ness Lassen - Lincoln, NE

This is from Velma Ness Lassen and my brother Lloyd Ness.  We are two of the five children of Vernelle Ness, WW II veteran from Ambrose.   Vernelle was brother to Ray Ness and "Toots" Lewis and son of Roy and Anna Ness. (Also cousins to those great "float" people, Ellen, Liz and Eric Ness and "cooks" Jon and Linda Ness....and the "western cousins" John Lewis and Susan Lewis Ferolito)

We attended the centennial......and Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to ALL who made it such a HUGE success.

Everything was planned and carried out very well and was greatly appreciate by all attendees.

Please pass on our thanks to all.....usually those people do not hear how well they did their jobs and I especially want them to know how impressed we were with EVERYTHING!!!!!!!


Adele J. Pomeroy - Raton, NM

Dear Ambrose residents,

My mother Adele Jeannette Pomeroy was born on September 29, 1914, during the 1914 baby boom, in Ambrose.  Her parents were William Bostock Pomeroy and Lulu Marie Romanson Pomeroy.  Her father was of English-Irish descent and her mother was Norwegian.  My mother is still alive and was delighted to find this website.  She is one of the babies in the photo gallery of the 1914 baby boom but her name is listed as being Ardelle not Adele, and her mother is listed as Mrs. B. Pomeroy not as Mrs. W. B. Pomeroy as she would have been. Her brother Charles Mark Pomeroy was born in Ambrose on June 25, 1916.

I am going to look through our photos of the family and find the ones that were taken by the local photographer and I believe we have some taken by the family's Kodak Autographic Jr. camera.  We will send them to you along with as much as I can find and that mother can remember about living in Ambrose.  She believes that her father had a pool hall or ran one there since that was the business he was in most of his life.  He also at one time was a sign painter but she believes that was later when he moved to Baker, Montana.

We look forward to sending your website as much information as we can in the next few days.

Adele J. Pomeroy - Jessie M. Pomeroy and Jeannette M. Pomeroy (daughters)


Mick Soiseth - Williston, ND

I got an email from my cousin Norma Long having to do with this website and my Uncle Oscar Palm.  I am his nephew, Mick Soiseth.  I am very proud that Oscar was my Uncle for those of you that knew him and remember him.  My other uncles Axel and Sven might be remembered well too, although I didn't know them as well.

I have carried on Oscar's legacy of being a musician for many years. I played at the Ambrose Centennial July 8th. I didn't meet many people that night who knew who I was except for a fella named Overland, I think it was Mark?  It was good to talk to him.

My mother's name is Alice (Palm/Soiseth). I'm sorry to report she suffered a pretty bad stroke here in Williston in June and is now in Bethel Home here. Your prayers for her would be appreciated. She is able to talk but is unable to move her left side, we pray for her to recover at least to some extent.

Any of you with any comments, I'd love to get an email from you.
My address is mdsoiseth ~at~ yahoo.com.

God bless all the good people from the old town of Ambrose.


Diane Thomte Clinton - Bismarck, ND

Congratulations on a job well done!   The centennial celebration was great, fun, and just right!  Thanks to all who put so much work into it.  Good to see so many in Ambrose - many I hadn't seen for years. You folks should go into the planning business.  The town looked great and even the little breeze on Saturday didn't hurt the enthusiasm!      Thank you, thank you.


Glendon Kriese - Bar Nunn, WY (Casper suburb)

Just a note to say I plan to be in Ambrose July 8th. I’ll probably arrive in Williston July 6th and stay in a motel there until July 10th when I’ll leave and return to Casper, WY. My daughter in Casper was able to get some info off the NET for me - thus your address I keep in touch with Art Strand, so I can call him anytime. I hope our Class of ‘41 is represented. Six of us still remain.

My dad moved to Ambrose in July 1938 and was the Soo Line Agent until 1948. Both my folks are deceased. My sister Phyllis Kriese class of ’43 married Arden Carlson and they live in Pahrump, NV.

Glendon Kriese         (Received via U. S. Mail)


Lois Shultz Ouse - Seattle, WA

Ollie Harrison and I plan on coming on Amtrak to the Centennial. Ollie is Clara Lindseth’s sister – we all grew up there and graduated from High School there.

My house was the house where Myrtle Hagen now lives. I have nothing but great, good, happy memories of Ambrose.

Love,   Louis Ouse (Shultz)        (Received via U. S. Mail)


Howard in Lancaster County, PA

Hello from Pennsylvania!

I just thought it was time to pop in and say a warm "Hello!" from someone who has followed your website for some time now.  My interest began less than a year ago, when I began laying plans to visit Divide County.

Though most of my visitation will be centered around Crosby, I have been thoroughly charmed by the marvelous spirit of community and shared history that your website represents. I am almost jealous that I didn't have relatives there!  Unfortunately, I will not be in the area during the time of your celebration, but I am absolutely determined to visit your fair village when I am there.

Best,  Howard


Lorraine (Rae) Larson Fladland - Becker, MN

Ben larson threshing rig - postcard 21I thought you maybe would be interested in a picture of my father's threshing rig. Perhaps it can be touched up and enlarged.  His name was Ben Larson and he homesteaded a farm southwest of Ambrose.  He harvested the crops of several farmers in the area.  About 1945 he sold the farm to the Torgersons.  Kathy Torgerson Radenic lives there now.

Thank you, Lorraine (Rae) Larson Fladland     (Received via U. S. Mail)


Helen Almos Biorn - Palo Alto, CA

Thanks to all the committee for all your great work.

Today I talked by phone to Judy Frost who lives in New York City.  She has always been interested in Ambrose and was delighted when she found it on the Internet.  Her grandfather, Grenville Baker, a lawyer from St. Paul, came to Ambrose to homestead.  The Bakers had six interesting children.  Annie Laurie Baker was a social worker for the University of Minnesota.  During World War II she was sent to London to head up the American Red Cross.  Judy’s mother Margaret Baker was an artist, Betty Baker was an opera star and Thad Baker a lawyer in Arizona.  I don’t know what Steward and Bob did.

The best to you all.    (Received via U. S. Mail)


Nicki Wehrman Starr - San Diego, CA

Hello Ambrose!

India and I will be coming home for the July 8 celebration of Ambrose turning 100!!  We are so excited. She cannot wait to play in uncle Bj's garden, ride the "mombine" with Gpa Al and chase Diesel the dog at Bj and Kami's.  It will be fun!!  Oooooh, to be four again:-)  We are looking forward to seeing many old friends and catching up.

Please add me to the list for coming home for the reunion, as well as a "past resident."  We currently live in sunny and gorgeous San Diego, CA.

See ya'll soon!!!
 --
Smiles - Nicki Starr


Bernice Grytness Lask - La Grange, Illinois  (b. Ambrose 1918)

My younger daughter and I would like to attend the Ambrose Centennial Celebration; however, a primary purpose for making this trip is to locate the gravesite of my brother, Paul Grytness.

Paul Allen Grytness was born July 3, 1924 in Ambrose, baptized at the Norwegian Lutheran Church on August 17, 1924, and died of pneumonia at the age of two years on August 21, 1926.  Paul was buried at the Ambrose Cemetery without a headstone or grave marker due to the rough economic time.

Any further information regarding Paul or the location of his gravesite would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Bernice Grytness Lask


Jean Shaw Bryan

Happy Mother's Day.  I'm sitting here with Jean Shaw Bryan and Toodie Hand Haak.  I'm Jean's daughter, Peggy. 

We noticed that Jean Shaw and her brothers Jim and Hugh and her sister Margaret were left off the Former Residents page.  Also, we identified two more of the Writing Rock Kids from the mystery page.  Jim Shaw is between Gladys (aka "Rusty") Shaw and Gordon Miller in the lower left corner.  Hugh Shaw is standing at the top to the right of Harry Miller with his tie blowing to the right.  There is also a mistake on another series of photos of a little boy with a coyote.  Although Archie Shaw helped catch the coyote, the boy is Jim Shaw.  The little girl is Gladys "Rusty" Shaw.  The bigger girl was the coyote's owner. 

We are inspired to send more photos because this was such fun.  Wish we were all coming to the party.      Peggy


Grete Isumvolden Kjølgård - Lillehammer Norway

Hello!
My name is Grete Kjølgård (maiden name is Isumvolden) and I read your web site about Ambrose with great interest and I try to explain why.  My father's two uncles went to the United States early in the 1900's. Their name was Ole and Kristian (Chris) Knutson. Ole traveled first in the year of 1906, his brother Chris left Sør Fron in Gudbrandsdalen in 1910 and traveled to his brother in Cashton, Wisconsin. What they did and lived after that I don't know.  But in 1919 Chris went home to Norway and his parents, brothers and sisters. He stayed there for some years and got married with his wife Karen and got one son Kaare Johan Knutson in August 1921.  Probably he received good news from his brother in America, because in May 1923 he left Norway with his wife and son and his sister-in-law Ragna Aspen who was not married and this time the destination was to his brother Ole in Ambrose North Dakota.

I am interested in genealogy and started to search my family history and this two brothers we didn't know much about, and the older ones in the family who knew was not with us any longer. I found out that Ole married Ragna and that they all farmed in Ambrose, ND.  So by good luck I stumpeled over this web site and suddenly I know a lot of my family in the States.  Of course Ole and Chris are gone and so are their wives, and it seems that Kaare also is dead but from the family history it seems that I still have relatives living in Ambrose. 

I just wanted to tell you this and that I am reading your updates and watching all the photos with great pleasure.  I hope you will excuse my bad English but I hope you understand it.  Send my best wishes to Randi Knutson from the remaining Knutson/Isumvolden family in Gudbrandsdalen/Lillehammer area in Norway.  (It's a lot of them).  And Ambrose seems to be a good place for all the peoples who lived there and I must say that it seems to be very green and beautiful.  Perhaps I can see by my own eyes sometimes.  I hope the anniversary will be a success and a good time for all of you.

Best regards from
Grete Kjølgård from
Lillehammer Norway


Larry & Jean Olson - Phoenix, AZ

My name is Larry Olson, my wife Jean and I were in Ambrose last summer to see my cousin Milton Olson.  Milt was kind enough to sell us his house in Ambrose.  We will be there this summer to attend the Centennial and move into the house. Ambrose will be our summer home, so we can get out of the heat in Arizona and spend time with relatives and new found friends.

My e-mail address is norvgin =at= cox.net .

See you in July,

Larry and Jean Olson


Marjorie Caffrey Brackett - Casa Grande, AZ

I grew up in Ambrose from 1919 to the time of my marriage in 1948. My grandfather, Thomas E. Stivers, pioneered in Ambrose in 1906 with his wife, Elizabeth, and opened a General Merchandise store. He is buried in the Ambrose Cemetery.  My dad, Oren A. Caffrey, was also a pioneer in Ambrose and made his first payment on acreage in 1905.  My mother, Luella N. Stivers Caffrey, came to Ambrose in 1915.

I own 320 acres of land three miles northwest of Ambrose.  We plan to attend the celebration with our family (there will be five of us and I will send you their names later). I am submitting this information for your updates. I have a picture of myself and friends taken in 1936 I can send if you would like it.


Stivers store interior...  I goofed.  Checking mother's genealogy, my grandfather was William J. Stivers. He had 2 stores - the one in Ambrose and the other in Outlook, Montana.  I have the picture of him and his daughter, Roberta.  I wish it had been [taken with] my mother as she was one of the main ones in charge [of the store].

Thomas E. Stivers (Ted) was one of his sons and married to Pearl. They and their daughter, Jenora, lived in Crosby after their marriage.

[Joy] - I learned you were related to the Millers.  Last time I saw Gordon Miller, he and I were having a bridge game with his mother and mine at his house. I think it was 1948.

Marge Caffrey Brackett    (Read Marjorie's story of Growing Up in Ambrose.)


Diane Thomte Clinton - Bismarck, ND

Hi, I am Archie Thomte's daughter. Dad passed away in April 2004. My aunt, Ruth Thomte Hansen is in Lincoln, Nebraska. I forwarded your site to her and she enjoyed it, too.

I grew up 8 miles northwest of Ambrose and attended 6th grade at the Ambrose school. I graduated from CHS in 1970 - before it was DCHS. You can add me to the list of Ambrose students. I will try to write up a little family history.

Thanks for putting in all the time and effort to make the website. The pictures are great. We probably have some you would be interested in - will look next time I am at the farm. I now live in Bismarck.

We are having a Thomte reunion the weekend of the Ambrose Centennial.

Thanks,

Diane


Carrol Hauge Dahl

I learned about your web site from the Crosby Journal.  I just made my first visit and enjoyed seeing some familiar names even though I didn’t grow up in Ambrose.

Our church, Twin Butte Lutheran, was part of the Ambrose parish, therefore, our family attended many special services there.  One thing I would enjoy seeing on the site is an opportunity for people to drop a note so that we could possibly connect with past acquaintances.

We became good friends with one of the pastors and I would love to know where the Kvale children are located.

Keep up the good work, I’ll check back again.


Troy Downey - Tennessee

First of all, thank you for the website.  Ambrose means a lot to me as it was where I spent nearly all my childhood summers on my grandparents' farm (Lars & Clarice Windfaldet). The pictures and information are great to see.  First, I have one name to add to your past students, my mother, Elaine Kay (Windfaldet) Mahan.  She was, I believe, part of the class that had to make the move to Crosby for their senior year.  I also have a few old postcards that may be of interest to you that I acquired on EBay, as well as a copy of some family photos - I know one is of an old Ambrose basketball team my grandfather was on. My Uncle Lyle has the original, I assume.  I was wondering if any of this would be of use to you and if so how have you been receiving these items?  Oh, and there are a few more Windfaldets resting in Ambrose cemetery (which I did the mowing for a few years in the summer) than are listed on the website.

Again, thank you for the website.


Well, quite some time ago I promised you some scans that went with an email I sent to you. Here they finally are. I hope that they are of sufficient quality for you to use.

The [1929 A. H. S. Basketball photo] has my grandfather on the team. He is the only individual I can name for you. Lars Windfaldet is the gentleman that is second from the left on the back row. If anyone knows any of the others I would be nice to know. The coach seems a familiar face...

The school one is a post card I got on eBay.  I will transcribe the back for you in case you cannot read it. I cannot make out the entire postmark but I can see the year it was sent is 1917. 

It is addressed to a Mr. William Putney, 2500 Walnut St., Cedar Falls, Iowa U.S.A.  It reads as follows:

"Drove down to Ambrose to celebrate the fourth. Had a great, thrilling time. they had a fat man's race, a tug of war, races for boys and girls and a band.  I returned this morning. Ambrose, N. D. is about 25 miles from us. Lawrence"

If I can be of any more assistance please don't hesitate to ask.

Troy Downey


Judy Frost - New York City

Dear Ambrose Community:

I just looked Ambrose up on the Internet and was excited to read about the Centennial.  My mother and her 8 brothers and sisters were born in Ambrose -- my grandparents lived there from 1908 to 1924. Their names were Grenville and Annie Baker. They spent their first few years on a claim, then lived in town. Grenville had a law office in town.  In 1924 the entire family moved back to St. Paul, leaving only the graves of two children who died.

I have heard about Ambrose all my life.  My aunt, Annie Laurie Baker, now deceased, wrote a wonderful novel about life near Ambrose -- it's never been published, but I would be delighted to make a copy of at least part of it for the reunion.

I'm not sure I can come, but would love to contribute our family's memories.  I'm so happy to hear Ambrose is still such a live place.  The photos are beautiful.  I'm tempted to make the trip!

Very much look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Judy Frost


My aunt, Annie Laurie Baker, was actually born in Westhope but the family moved to Ambrose and soon staked out a claim near there.  They lived through several winters in a sod hut.  Eventually they moved to the town of Ambrose where my grandfather practiced law.

Annie graduated first in her class from the high school [Class of 1922].  She wrote her novel in the '30s. The characters are fictional, but based very heavily on lived experience.  It's full of authentic-feeling detail. The first half is very readable, just needs a little editing, but the second half is very ragged.  I've had it in a drawer for about ten years, planning to edit it some day.

I was wondering if one of the historical societies or universities would be interested in publishing it, but haven't gotten around to doing anything about that.  Maybe this Centennial is what I need to get back to work on it!

Thanks for your interest.  Look forward to staying in touch.

Judy Frost


Shirlee Anderson Lee - Vancouver, WA

Hi, I am Rudie Anderson's daughter, Shirlee, and I just was checking to see if the Ambrose website had been updated and to my surprise, I came upon the most awesome site I have seen in a long time!  It is like walking down memory lane.  Could I possibly have my parents names added to the list of those buried in the Ambrose Cemetery plus my aunt and uncle and of course, Grandpa Rud?

Rudie Anderson, Stella Guttu Anderson, Omer Stenson, Anna Stenson, Rud Anderson

Thank you so much for the list of teachers - I had forgotten some of their names.  Unfortunately, I did not get to graduate from Ambrose High School.  The school closed at the end of my sophomore year and I attended my last 2 years of high school in Crosby, but my heart will always be with Ambrose.  I will notify everyone here I know who is from Ambrose of the website.  I plan on finding some pictures to send along by email or mail - and we definitely plan on attending the Centennial in 2006 - I can hardly wait!!

I have always said if someday I should win the lottery, my wish is to bring Ambrose back to life - fix up the old houses that hold so many memories for me.

Thank you for this awesome "Walk Back in History". I will visit here often.

Shirlee


Barbara Mace - Eden Prairie, MN 

Greetings to all of you hard working committee members! ...

I hope to come for the celebration and to visit aunts, uncles and cousins.

P.S. You might want to make a correction in the FAQ section.  Under "Where is Ambrose" - it should say northwest instead of northeast.

Barbara Mace    (Read Barbara's story of Growing Up in Ambrose.)


Debra Grote Snyder - Schnecksville, PA

Dear Friends,

My name is Debra Snyder - maiden name Grote.  I grew up in Ambrose and presently live in Schnecksville, PA.  I heard through my brothers that this 100th was taking place.  I wouldn't miss it for the world!  I plan to attend along with my husband Craig and our children.

Our family lived in the house located on the corner of Main Street, kitty corner from the Rud Anderson Park.  Our family consisted of our father Floyd Grote, mother Doris Dahl Grote and six children, Ronald, Karen, Wayne, James, Debra, and Brian.

In the list that you have for the cemetery I did not see our father Floyd Grote, mother Doris Dahl Grote and brother Ronald Grote.  Sister Karen has also passed on but was not buried in the cemetery - rather her ashes were spread on her farm - the farm of her husband William Bailard Jr.  just north of town.

I know that my brothers James and Brian will be there for the 100th because they live in Crosby.  I have talked to Wayne - he hopes to be there but is not sure.  He works in Algeria and lives in Bozeman, MT. Depending on how his days off go, he may, or may not attend.

I look forward to being there for the Centennial and hearing other Ambrosites stories of growing up in the wonderful little town that I call home, Ambrose, ND.  Thank you to everyone back home who is making this possible.  I can't wait to see everyone.  And please tell Randi Knutson that I hate to dust too!  It must be something in the water!

God Bless

Debra Grote Snyder   (Read Debra's story of Growing Up in Ambrose.)

Thanks for your comments.  We are always glad to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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