caused some loss of vision and communication skills. So the two things he loved most, visiting and reading, became very difficult. He and Eunice were forced to sell the business and the farm and move to Decorah. Although he enjoyed his friends and family and was truly thankful for what he still had, life was never the same for him and he died in Jan 1990 at the age of 77. He is buried in the Hauge Cemetery.

Eunice still lives in their house on "the flat” and continues to be very active in her church and in the RSVP program. She is a regular at the Senior Citizen Meal Site and often serves as a chauffeur to her friends. She enjoys her friends and family.

She and Truman are the parents of two daughters. Elene and Norm Amundsen of Valparaiso, IN. Their children are: Kris, an elementary school teacher also of Valparaiso, and Eric, an engineer of Newport News, VA. Cheryl Thompson lives in Decorah and her children are: Craig, a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army stationed in Ft. Meade. MD.; Cynthia, working in College Student Personnel at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND; and Cory, a Recreational Therapist at Porter Starke Counseling Center in Valparaiso.

Kirkeby, Anton Hansen and Tilla (Evenrud)

(Tom Kirkeby)

50th wedding anniversary Anton and Tilla Kirkeby, July 4, 1924 Decorah, Iowa

Anton Hansen Kirkeby was born in Hakedalen, Norway 7 Oct 1849. He was one of seven sons born to Hans Larsen Kirkeby and Ingeborg Olsdatter. The farm was located in Ovre Kirkeby (Ner-Okgarn), gnr. 59, bnr. 7. His family had lived on this farm for about 200 years. The farm like others in Norway had been subdivided so often it became overcrowded. Anton received permission from the Lutheran Church to emigrate to America. In the spring of 1871 he set out for America and it may have been on a ship named Sortis which left Oslo and landed in Quebec, perhaps 6 to 12 weeks later. He paid about $42. for his passage.

His uncle, Ole Olson Kirkeby, preceded him to Decorah, IA, having come in 1854 during the first Norwegian migration to America. His uncle undoubtedly helped him get settled and Anton met and married an American girl of Norwegian ancestry. Her name was Tilla Cornelia Evenrud, born 10 Jul 1858. Her family owned a farm east of Decorah. They were married in 1874 at the Glenwood parsonage by Pastor V. Koren.

Seated in front row: “Oscar”, Anton (father), George (youngest) and Tilla (mother).
Second row: Hans, Ferdinand “Tony”, Carl, Alfred (next to mother) and Ida.

They had seven children. The oldest was Ida Amelia who was born 17 Sep 1874 and married Olaf Crogen who owned a hardware store in Kramer, ND. She died in her third childbirth at age 37. They had one daughter, Thelma, who lives in IA. Henry Oscar was born 27 May 1876. He never married and was part owner of a general store in Kramer, with his brother Hans.

Their store was built and ready for business in 1904 when the Soo Line came into Kramer. Hans and Oscar's store was next door to the hardware store of Olaf Crogen. Oscar did not work much in this store but preferred to work on the maintenance gang of the Soo Line Railroad. Both men lived in the upstairs portion of the store until Hans married and built a house in Kramer.

When Oscar sold his interest in the store to brother Hans and moved to Decorah, he didn’t trust banks. The depression hit and he felt he wouldn't get his money from the bank so he negotiated an exchange - his deposit for a farm in rural Decorah. He actually lost money on this deal because the bank paid out 85 cents on the dollar. He kept his money at home after that trade and at one point his farmhouse burned down and he lost everything he'd saved in the fire. He negotiated a deal with the Aase Haugen Home to live there and be the maintenance man in exchange for his farm. He was given room and board and worked there many years before he died.

Hans Victor was born 2 Jan 1878, and he too left home and opened his store with his brother Oscar. Hans married Martha Guirrine Anderson and they had several sons. Marvin took over the family store in Kramer and he loved to play baseball. He had an excellent team. Marvin also had a radio station in Kramer and broadcast music part of the day. The family opened another store in Bantry, ND, but it failed. Arnold, another son, opened a clothing store in Newberg and Hans worked for him. Hans had