Happy Birthday, Ambrose

July 12, 2006
Page 11

Helen Almos Biorn (first baby carriage from left) was the first in line when Ambrose had a baby boomlet in 1914.

Other Ambrose families represented in the vintage photo are (from left of Helga and Helen Almos) -- Mrs. V. Gilbert and May; Mrs. Claude Miller and Marlys; Mrs. O. Sutherland and Marlys; Mrs. M. Burreson and Marvin; Mrs. H. Shultz and Inez; Mrs. B. Pomeroy and Ardelle; Mrs. E. Carlson and Kenneth; Mrs. G. Eldridge and Edgar; Mrs. A. Awhaw and Evelyn; Mrs. Ford and Robert; Mrs. Andrew Grina and Elene, and Mrs. O. Eiffram and Oscar. In the background are Mrs. Herman Siece, Mrs. Dr. White, Mrs. R. D. Schultz, Mrs. Rush Langdon and Mrs. Will Miller.

The photo above was one of several on display during the centennial by Roger and Joy Schlarb, from the Harry A. Miller collection.

Journal photo by Cecile Wehrman

Saturday, the 92-year-old, surrounded by family members (photo above), was among hundreds of people who returned to their hometown for last weekend's Ambrose Centennial.

Almos family members attending the centennial (starting at back left) were -- Jean Iverson, Paul Iverson, Bob Biorn, Bruce Iverson, Andrea Langeberg, Ron Langeberg, Marcia Buterin, Jerry Buterin, Carolyn Hubbs and Steve Hubbs; (Seated) Melissa Murfey, Cathy Gallagher, Helen Biorn, Tina Biorn, Maureen Murfey and Brian Gallagher, Sr.;
(Bottom row) Scott Murfey, Russell Murfey and Brian Gallagher, Jr.

Happy Birthday, Ambrose

100th brings local "babies" home

By Cecile Wehrman

There was never a question whether Helen Almos Biorn, 92, would attend the Ambrose Centennial. She started life in Ambrose in 1914, among a bumper crop of babies the town welcomed that year. The population at that time was more than 10 times what it is now - about 320.

But all of the years and the changes wrought didn't dissuade Helen, now of Palo Alto, Calif., from planning to come home to her birthplace last weekend. “1 knew right from the beginning,” Helen said, and so did her daughter, Tina.

Soon, her whole extended family had signed on for the trip.

“I didn't have to ask,” Helen said.

And so, the Biorn contingent swelled to 19 members, most of them from California, including Helen's three surviving children - Bob, of Palo Alto; Tina, of Sacramento; and Cathy, of Del Mar, along with her husband, Brian, and their son, Brian, Jr.

Also attending were the sons of Helen's late daughter, Barbara - Scott and Russell Murfey, and their wives, Melissa and Maureen, all of San Diego, along with their paternal aunt and uncle, Carolyn and Steve Hubbs of Santa Barbara.

From St. Louis came Helen's niece, Marcia, and her husband, Jerry Buterin. From Minnesota came niece Andrea and her husband, Ron Langeberg, of Moorhead, and nephew Paul Iverson, and his wife, Jean, from Wilmar. Nephew Bruce Iverson came out from Denver.

“I think we were all in it as soon as we heard about it,” said Russell. “It's living history, being here.”

Though a few of the family members visited Ambrose as children, the only tie for the majority of the group is Helen.

But it was more than a family reunion that this group sought in coming to Ambrose.

“We'd all heard so much about it,” Russell said.

Though the town today is very different than the bustling “Queen City” it was when Andrew Almos and his bride, Helga Tompte, married in 1908, no one was disappointed in what they found at the Ambrose Centennial last weekend.

“It's everything we expected,” said Russell.

“It's better,” said Brian, Sr.

“It's so beautiful,” said Carolyn.

Some of the younger members of the clan shared with residents their amazement at the night sky -- they never see the moon at home.

“It's such an education for them,” Helen said. “It's amazing what a drawing card Ambrose is.”

And the Biorn family weren't the only ones using the Centennial as a backdrop for reuniting and educating younger family members about a town full of people Helen calls “first cabin.”

Ambrose native Clara Lindseth only had to travel from Crosby to attend the Centennial, but she was thrilled to be able to share the day with her three grandchildren, Alexius, Kayce and Skylar Johnson, all of Chandler, Ariz.

“This is my hometown,” Lindseth said by way of explaining the importance of the event.

“We just saw a big old picture of family,” said Alexius, as the group made their way through a mini-museum set up in the community center.

“It's cool,” she said.

“Very interesting,” agreed Kayce.

Their aunt, Ollie Hanson, came out from Seattle to take part.

“That parade was just excellent,” she said.

Other families brought out even younger members. Little Morgan Fay Proschazka viewed the parade from her stroller, having arrived with family members from Wyoming.

The Borreson Quintuplets, Gracie, Keira, Brayden and Carter, took to the street in matching two-seaters, propelled by their parents, Steve and Lisa Borreson of Williston.

“They should have had `em in the parade,” Grandpa Ken Borreson decided, never mind the fact the children tend to draw attention wherever they go.

Prior to the parade, three other families were presented with plaques in honor of family members from Ambrose who were prisoners of war - Sam Sortland, Al Lewis, and Loren Torkelson.

The flag flown on the pole at the center of Main Street Saturday waved previously in Iraq, donated for the occasion by Mary Selle, whose son, Joe, is an Iraq veteran.
Though the official centennial observance lasted just one day, many of the visitors arrived early and stayed late.

Some are already planning return trips, like the wives of Helen's grandsons.

“The girls said, ‘When can we come back?’”

As the Biorn family relaxed in Rud Anderson Park after the parade Saturday, Helen could not have been more appreciative.

“To think that so few people could get so many people here,” she marveled.

Many visitors left promising to spread the word about this magical little town.

Though only the remnants of a once bustling main street are left, what remains is all the more precious to those who remember the days when Ambrose had a hospital, a high school, three banks, a hotel, two dry good stores, and three grocery markets, implement dealers and lumber yards.

“Ambrose was always a pretty town,” said Helen, and as far as she is concerned, it still is.

Journal photo by Cecile Wehrman

Jim Rosenquist and Julian Nygaard swap stories under the big tent,
set up on the northeast corner of Main Street.

Organizers estimated the crowd in town at about 800 people, give or take.

Journal photo by Cecile Wehrman

Participants in a wagon train arrived in Ambrose in time for the parade Saturday after departing from a point south of the CanAm Friday morning, and camping out overnight.