from "​Double Cousins" by Ralph Hammersborg, A Norwegian Family Chronicle, produced in 1996

Ralph Hammersborg had asked his Mother’s cousins to write about their lives. The cousin's stories are taken from "Double Cousins by Ralph Hammersborg, A Norwegian Family Chronicle, produced in 1996.” Birth dates of living relatives have been removed from the original text.

1914 - Nina Elisa (Johnson) Trostad
born August 27, 1914, died at age 90 on May 24, 2005.
Daughter of Helmer & Alfrida Johnson

Written in 1996

I was born on August 27, 1914, on a farm two miles west of Binford, North Dakota. I grew up and attended school in the Binford, North Dakota area.

I married Roy Trostad on September 22, 1940, at Binford, North Dakota. We farmed south of Binford, North Dakota until we retired from farming. We continued to live on the farm until Roy's death in 1988. I lived on the farm for an additional two years and then moved into Cooperstown, North Dakota in 1990. We had five children.

David Roy Trostad. He enlisted in the Navy the week after he graduated from high school in 1960. When his enlistment was up he made his home in Los Angeles, California where he met and married Rita Jaurigie. They have two children Michelle Jesse Trostad married to Ted Niles, and David Lee Trostad. They have one grandchild Brooke Caitlin Niles.

Steven Dale Trostad. He also enlisted in the Navy after high school. While stationed at New London, Connecticut he met and married Sandra Boyd. They live in New York state. They have 11 children. Deborah Trostad married Tracy Spirko, Elizabeth Trostad married Daniel Stimpfel, Kathryn Trostad, Victoria Trostad, Barbara Trostad, Melissa Trostad, Kenneth Trostad, Jennifer Trostad, Scott Trostad, Amanda Trostad, and Steven Trostad. They have three grandchildren: Kristalyn Stimpfel, (Kathryn)-Samantha Trostad, Sandra Trostad.

Jeanne Marie Trostad. After high school she moved to Fargo, North Dakota where she worked at Kmart and then for ATT telephone as an operator. She's married to Allen Richardson. She has two children Kristi Jean Trostad married to Dean Reiter and Dwight Roy Richardson.

Russell Hillard Trostad. He graduated from Bottineau School of Forestry and is working for the Forestry Service in Montana. He is married to Darcy Peterman. They have two children Tara Lee Trostad attending the University of Mary at Bismarck and Ryan Russell Trostad attending college in Billings Montana.

Mark Warren Trostad. He graduated from North Dakota State School of science and from the North Dakota State University in computer science. He is married to Joan Hoencke. They live and work in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I remember spending Christmas day at Aunt Marie and Uncle Johnie's when I was six. I also remember being at their sale when they were getting ready to move to Washington state. My Mom and Aunt Marie made and served the lunch at the sale. In those days, you provided lunch for those attending. Aunt Marie, Cecelia, and Marian stayed with us until Uncle Johnie found a house in Blaine, WA.

We went to school by horse & buggy or horse & sleigh depending on the season and the weather. I remember the first car my folks bought. It was an Allen touring car in about 1918. By 1920 they had a Ford Model T.

Over the years we made several trips to California, Oregon, Washington state, New York State, Connecticut, Montana, and Norway visiting friends and relatives.

Looking back on the 80 plus years I've spent on the North Dakota prairies it has been full of life.

Letter from Nina to Walt & Vi about her trip to Norway

December 19th, 1977

Dear Walt & Vi

How are you all these days? I think of you often but never seem to get a letter written. We have had a busy fall - between storms - and we seem to have more than our share of storms this year. If this keeps up all winter we'll be buried in snow! The worst was this past week when we had sleet and rain and the power lines went down. We still don't have electricity and ours went off early Friday a.m. but we are lucky - we still have heat and can cook - some who have all-electric appliances have it pretty bad.

We had a really nice trip to Norway. We landed in Bergen and rented a car there and drove to Trondheim looking up the Trostad Farm on the way. There we met Aunt Oline and cousin Hjordis and Johan and visited at their home. Aunt Oline is 92 - a year older than Pa would have been and his only full sister. We spent a day driving up to Namsos and around there, but couldn't locate any Susag relatives - mostly because we had only a box number for address and the name wasn't in the phone book. So we went back to Trondheim and took a plane to Sortland where Aunt Margit and her family met us and took us to their home. She was Pa's youngest half-sister and was only 3 years old when he left Norway, so didn't really remember much about him. Eidsfjord where Pa was raised and Margit and Herman live only a quarter mile or so from the fjord. Pa's home was on the other side of the fjord. Cousin Arnold took us over there, but the house was gone now, only the foundation left. We walked down to the fjord several times while there. I'm going to get some pictures to send you, though a lot of mine didn't turn out too good.

Then we traveled by bus and train to Skien and met more relatives - Pa's half-brother Thorwald and some of his family. More of them spoke some English so we could communicate a little better - I sure wished I could speak better Norwegian. But we had a nice time. Then we spent a day in Oslo and then flew to Bergen and home again.

We had a storm the day of Mark's wedding so hardly anyone got there. Mostly those already in Fargo. We had gone down on Friday and so had Donnell's folks - from Jamestown. David and Rita flew in on Friday and Steven drove in just ahead of the storm Saturday a.m. Russ and Darcy planned to drive over but the roads were ice and it was storming so they decided it was too risky. So they called the airport in Billings thinking they could fly in, but the planes were all grounded, so they had to miss it. We got snowed in at Jeanne's apartment until Monday p.m. when the roads were opened and we got home. Dave's in Steven's stayed till after Thanksgiving and by that time another storm was moving in, but they all got home okay. Rita always wished she could see a North Dakota blizzard - and she got her wish.

I don't know if you'll get this before Christmas as we haven't had mail for a couple days but here's hoping you have a real nice Christmas. Will Wally and his family get home for Christmas this year? Or are you going to sunny California? I think we should have gone. A blessed Christmas and a good New year to all

Nina in Roy

I forgot to say we are going to have a reunion in July or August at Red Willow Lake. Guess you've probably heard about it? If you are going to be here any certain time and can come we'll have it then. I hear Johnnie's will be back for a visit next summer - hopefully, we can find a date when some of you Washington people will be here. So pass the word around and we'll see what we can come up with. N. T.

Johnson Family (home) - Kinstories (home) - Susag Family - Flatau Family - Beckman Family
Granquist Family - Anderson Family - Stout Family - Walker Family - Peterson Family - Morris Family - Cauble Family