Second Generation
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Second Generation


4. Photo Gilbert (Gullick) MOGEN was born on Nov 28, 1883 in Numedal, Norway. He died on Oct 19, 1961 in Webster, SD. He was buried in Waubay, SD. Gilbert was born in Norway in 1883 and came to America in 1886 with his Mother and Aunt INGEBORG, traveling by sailing ship. His parents lived in the Marietta, MN area before homesteading in 1892 in Blooming Valley Township of Grant County, South Dakota. Gilbert recalled as a small child herding cattle in the Madison-Marrietta area.

Gilbert attended the Lutheran Academy at Marrietta, MN until the family moved to Blooming Valley where he attended school. Gilbert was a teacher in the Blooming Valley school for the 1904-05 school term. His contract was signed by Ole Dingsor, his uncle. Records reviewed at the Grant County Court House in Milbank revealed that ten of the thirteen children of C. K. and Berit were teachers in Blooming Valley schools. Conrad, Henry, and Art did not teach in Blooming Valley. One of the years that Gena was a teacher she had five siblings in her classroom.

In 1905, he homesteaded near Turtle Lake, ND and returned to Summit in 1906 to work as a grain buyer. He was also able to assist his father on the homestead for a short period. He then entered the banking business in Summit. In about 1913 the Summit school yearbook included an advertisement for Ford automobiles showing Gilbert as a sales representative. This is interesting since he was not very adept as an automobile driver.

In 1919 he joined his brother, Conrad, in operating the State Bank of Waubay, which they had bought earlier. Gilbert had been a state bank examiner the year previous. On September 30, 1919 he married Helen Puder of Big Stone City. He continued in this business until his death. Gilbert was highly respected by all who knew him. This respect and five sons grown honorably to manhood are his heritage.


One of Gilbert's younger sisters had an interesting story of life on the farm as the large family was growing up on the homestead. One day Gilbert was taking a bath on the second floor of the barn. His younger brother, Henry, flung open the barn door to reveal Gilbert in the "all together". Gilbert was not too happy with his brother and proceeded to chase Henry around the farm yard with a pitch fork that was handy. Luckily, Henry escaped injury from his angry older brother. How many observed this episode will never be known.





Gilbert (Gullick) MOGEN and Helen Mar PUDER were married on Sep 30, 1919 in Big Stone City, SD. Photo Helen Mar PUDER was born on Aug 23, 1893 in Muncie, IN. She died on Jan 26, 1968 in Webster, SD. Her family included four brothers and three sisters. The sons all learned a trade from their father including skills as stone masons, brick layers and plasterers. Helen's mother, Julia, was concerned that her three daughters would have adult occupations in addition to homemaker and used her inheritance for these three. Helen started piano lessons at the age of five and developed a life-long career of piano teacher, church organist and choir director. At the age of sixteen she graduated from high school in Big Stone City, SD. She spent one year at Omaha, Nebraska, living with cousins and studying piano. Then she attended the Chicago Conservatory studying piano and music theory.

This preparation led to an interesting and productive occupation. For several years Helen taught private piano in several towns near Big Stone City as well as teaching in her parent's home. The communities included were Wilmot, Corona, Summit, SD and Ortonville and Correl, MN. Helen would travel by train to each town. Typically she taught the lessons at one of the homes with payment to the home owner of free lessons for the children of that home. At Summit she held her classes at the home of Dr. Lull. Fortunately, the Lulls hosted a dinner including a young bachelor employed at the local bank, Gilbert Mogen. You can imagine the rest of the story. Helen and Gilbert knew each other about six years before being married in 1919 at her parent's home in Big Stone City.

Helen owned an excellent piano which she used for lessons in her parent's parlor. She felt she must leave it there, so a new Chickering five foot grand piano was purchased for her new home in Waubay. Piano lessons started in Waubay for a fee of 25 cents for a half hour lesson. Submited by Iro Mogen, May 2008

Gilbert (Gullick) MOGEN and Helen Mar PUDER had the following children:

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i.

Hubert Puder MOGEN.

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ii.

Bryan John MOGEN.

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iii.

Philip Conrad MOGEN JD.

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iv.

Iro Charles MOGEN EdD.

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v.

Chris Keller MOGEN.