First Generation

1. Christoffer Kittelson (Groterud) (C K) MOGEN was born on May 3, 1860 in Nummedal, Norway.

He immigrated in May 1885 to Lac Qui Parle County, MN. He was naturalized on Nov 28, 1894 in South Dakota.. He died on Dec 8, 1932 in Blooming Valley Twp, South Dakota. He was buried in Lebanon Lutheran Church cemetery, SD. His immigration in 1885 was by ship to Canada and west to the Great Lakes and to Duluth, MN. At the family reunion in 1985, Grandson Conrad Joseph spoke about the fact that C K must have traveled through Moose Lake, MN where he now lives, on his way to Lac-Qui-Parle County in West Central MN. The rest of the family followed in August of 1886. The family consisted of four children: Gunhild, Kittel, Gullik and Joran. Their names gradually changed to Gena, Charlie, Gilbert and Julia. Christoffer's sister, INGEBORG, also came with the family. During the next few years they lived on farms in the Marietta, MN vicinity, the last being the one they purchased across the state line in South Dakota. When the Sisseton and Wahpeton Indian Reservation was opened for settlement in April of 1892, CHRISTOFFER & INGEBORG filed on adjoining quarters of land that became Blooming Valley township, Grant County, South Dakota. A homestead shack was built on the line between the two quarters so the lean-to on the west became the improvement on INGEBORG'S quarter section. Later that same summer the rest of the family, now consisting of two more children, MINA AND HENRY, moved to the homestead. In December, CONRAD was born.

Llewelyn Dorset, a lifelong resident of Blooming Valley Township, Grant County, South Dakota, obtained some papers from his brother-in-law EDWIN OLSON, among which was a letter written in long hand Norwegian by C K MOGEN to his brother Kittel in Norway. Apparently this letter was never sent and in all probability was mislaid at the post office which in 1903 was either at the residence of C.K. MOGEN, or OR OLSON, his neighbor and father of EDWIN OLSON.

C K MOGEN apparently intended to lure his younger brother KITTEL to a better life, indicating he expected a good crop in 1903. One can only imagine whether KITTEL would have come to the United States if he had gotten this letter, but who knows?

FOLLOWING IS A TRANSLATION OF THE LETTER FROM C.K. TO KITTEL:

Blooming Valley August 1l, 1903

Dear Brother Kittel And Family:
Recently have I received a letter from you, brother, and you are heartily thanked for same.
It gladdens me much to see that it goes good, hope and wish that you will continue well.
We are all well here. I am now as to say in the midst of harvest,as I have cut 125 acres of Barley and in a few days I will start on the wheat.
I have a large and good crop this year. I think the crop on my farm this year is worth eight thousand dollars. Yes, I am sure that it is worth that much unless a disaster befalls it hereafter.
It is probably still difficult to believe such a statement. But I hope that you are "all right" in this respect. -- You do not believe that I lie!
It is not unreasonable to hope that my crop could bring me even ten thousand dollars this year.
I have fourteen milk cows now and from these I get approximately twenty dollar a week in cream.
Although I believe it is more sensible of me to leave well enough alone to write about this, since you have never-the-less decided to spend your days toiling in Lyngdal, so it's better to live in happy ignorance of how it is other places. Otherwise it seems to me that it would have to be impossible to be satisfied there.

That man that my brother-in-law Litmolie sent me, was with me for three weeks, and then he went his way. I don't know where he is and neither shall I worry about it.
He had a very bad character, but still my brother-in-law Litmolie sent me a fine reference of that man. And it was very poorly done of my dear brother-in-law. I don't know if I should blame it to ignorance or stupidity or something else.
Among much else he dealt me about the man was that he was an upright Christian M.M.A. (Hummmn!) One would have to be blinder than a blind buck to believe thus about that man.
I heard from Mr. Brakke, that he knew you also brother, but he didn't seem to like you much. But with brother-in-1aw Litmolie found he no fault. Would be interesting to hear from you, what impression you got of Mr. Brakke!
A week ago I was to Waubay and visited my son-in-law and daughter. They have also a little son now, who is named Syvert Christoffer.

Christoffer Kittelson (Groterud) (C K) MOGEN and Berit Bogli GRONBO were married on Dec 13, 1879 in Flesberg, Numedal, Norway. Berit Bogli GRONBO (daughter of Gullik Nirisen GRONBO and Joran HELLIKSDATTER) was born on Jul 6, 1862 in Flesberg, Numedal, Norway. She died on Jun 17, 1939 in Blooming Valley Twp, South Dakota. She was buried in Lebanon Lutheran Church cemetery, SD. BERIT GRONBO MOGEN was born in Flesberg, Numedal, Norway on July 6, 1862 to parents GULLIK NIRISEN GRONBO and wife JORAN HELLIKSDATTER. She was baptized July 16 and confirmed on May 27th of 1877 in Flesberg church where she was married two years later to CHRISTOFFER K. GROTERUD. After their marriage they lived on MOGEN farm, so that was the name they used when coming to America. Christoffer Kittelson (Groterud) (C K) MOGEN and Berit Bogli GRONBO had the following children:

+2
i.
Gena (Gunhild) MOGEN.
+3
ii.
Charlie (Kittel) (CC) MOGEN.
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iii.
Gilbert (Gullick) MOGEN.
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iv.
Julia (Joran) MOGEN.
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v.
Mina MOGEN.
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vi.
Henry MOGEN.
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vii.
Conrad MOGEN.
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viii.
Bertha MOGEN.
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ix.
Clara Nettie MOGEN.
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x.
Inga Tine MOGEN.
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xi.
Ole Arthur Christoffer (Art) MOGEN.
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xii.
Ellen Agnes MOGEN.
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xiii.
Lillian Marie MOGEN.