Esten Dorum

DORUM

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/19/2010 at 23:12:26

Woodbury County History 1984

Esten and Kari Dorum
By Christine Hauggen

Esten and Kari Dorum came also to Sioux City form Opdal, Norway, with Arnt Olsen Halseth in 1869, though not as man and wife. She had come with her mother and brother and was only thirteen years old, having been born July 4, 1856. He was born the 15th of February 1847, son of Rasmus and Mali Dorum. He was the second oldest son on a big farm, so since the oldest son became heir to the property, Esten decided to seek his fortune together with all the others who emigrated. He was a carpenter as were many others from Opdal, but as many of his acquaintances sought service with Uncle Sam at the Indian forts along the Missouri, Dorum also went there. He had worked at Fort Thompson and also in the forest chopping cord wood.

Soon Dorum was back in Sioux City; in 1879 he married Kari. He built his house also on 7th and Jennings and the land northward was pasture for their cows.

In the 1880’s when boom time came, people were certain that this would be a million-citizen town, at least. Dorum was a salesman of lots in Morningside (today one of the finest residential districts) for D T Hedges. Hedges had the addition named for him, and was also a grocer, mayor, banker, and industrialist in the 80’s.

Mr Dorum died in 1903, while Mrs Dorum lived until 1926 and is remembered as a very industrious, good housekeeper and mother. The youngest of the children, Isabel Harrington, moved to California and had one son, Curtis. The Dorum’s only son was Edmund. Their daughter, Emilie, was sectretatry for the law firm of Stewart and Hatfield. Her sister, Anna, was a stenographer for the same firm. Both accomplished pianists, they are as fine shoots on the Norwegian genealogical table as can be found in the Western home.

This is from the Tronder Yearbook translated from Norwegian by Julia Anderson.