OLIVER TWEETEN FAMILY Oliver 1896 – 1991 & Nettie 1897 – 1985
Oliver B. Tweeten was born March 25, 1896, the 8th child of Bendick and Olava Hovland Tweeten. He attended country school, Waldorf College, and a tractor school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He traveled by train to North Dakota to help his brother, John, with field work. Oliver was drafted in the Army in World War I in February of 1918. He arrived on the front with the 55th Field Brigade. He was on Moesse Heights, November 11, 1918, when the war ended. Oliver bought a farm one mile east of Forest City. He saw Nettie up town with her mother, Mrs. Enoch (Alice) Westerberg, and decided that was a lady he wanted to know. They were married June 30, 1921, Thursday at 7 p.m. in a garden wedding at her parent’s farm, inviting family and friends. A chicken dinner was served. Many remember this as their first large wedding. Nettie Florence Westerberg was born February 12, 1897. Oliver and Nettie have five children:
The family attended First Baptist Church in Forest City. and Nettie started the Tweeten Dairy (Golden Guernsey Milk) during the Depression. They delivered milk products to homes and had two large barns, one for the cows and new calves and the other for horses and other livestock, which he built from homesawed lumber. In 1940’s, he went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he was one of the first patients to have 70 percent of his stomach removed which corrected the problem.
He enjoyed making and inventing new things, the ditching machine being his favorite. Oliver enjoys singing. sang in a men’s quartet, in the Barber Shop Chorus, and for many years, in the Messiah. He enjoyed leading the singing for He is very reunions and the Senior Citizens group in Forest City which he helped organize and was the first President. He was head of the Veterans Barracks for 20 years in Forest City. Oliver has a good sense of humor. When he was younger, he was willing to help others. Nettie went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, March 31, 1985. They were married 63 years. Oliver now resides in the Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa. He celebrated his 94th Birthday with 94 candles on his cake. A few of his early childhood memories he related on his 94th Birthday were:
- His Dad could make and repair about anything.
- His Dad always read scripture and prayed at the breakfast table. When his sons, John and Gilbert, left for North Dakota, he was unable to pray so he asked him (Oliver).
- Sarah broke her leg and Gilbert, his arm. They didn’t go to the doctor but set it themselves.
- His parents bought their first car in 1911, and he (Oliver) drove it home. He drove for the next 30 years before a license was required. He said, “now everything requires a license”.
- He was ten years old when his parents got their first telephone. His Grandparents, Hovlands, had their telephone first.
They have five children:
A. Roger Bernard Tweeten was born January 4, 1923, the eldest child of Oliver and Nettie Tweeten. He grew up on a farm east of Forest City. His first eight years of school were spent in a rural school near his home and then on to high school in Forest City at the location where Hardees is at the present time. At age 16, he came to realize the need to accept the Lord as his personal Savior. He was baptized soon after and joined the First Baptist Church at Forest City. After graduating from high school in 1941, he spent the next several years farming with his father until May of 1945, when he answered the call of his country and entered the Armed Forces. Beginning with basic training at Camp Hood, Texas. Then on to Camp Riley, Kansas, for more training before going overseas to Milan, Italy, where he was in the 2633rd Special Service. While there, he obtained the rank of Sergeant. After being discharged in December of 1946, he went back to farming for several years. On March 27, 1954, he was married to Luetta Folkerts at the First Baptist Church in Buffalo Center. They farmed for a few months at Forest City and then decided to move to Buffalo Center where they stayed until 1959. Once more, they moved back to a farm east of Forest City where they reside at the present time. Roger was engaged in grain and livestock farming until 1988, when most of the land was put in the C.R.P. Now he has hogs and sells feeder pigs with Jerry. They have four sons:
a. Michael Ray Tweeten was born February 15, 1955. He attended Forest City Schools and graduated in 1973. He graduated from A.I.B. in Des Moines with a two-year degree in accounting. The last 12 years he has worked with Communication Data Services in Des Moines, Iowa, as an Accounting Clerk.
b. Jerry Lynn Tweeten was born September 13, 1956. He attended Forest City Schools and graduated in 1975. worked at Bowens Food Center in Forest City for 14 years then at Red Owl in Forest City for six months and he is presently working there.
c. Charles Elliot Tweeten was born on August 29, 1960. He attended Forest City Schools and graduated in 1983. He has a B.S. Degree in Industrial Education and Technology. He is now working for Winnebago Industries as an Industrial Engineer since 1984.
d. Randall Scott Tweeten was born June 25, 1962. He attended Forest City Schools and graduated in 1980. He attended college at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, graduated in 1984, with a B.B.A., majoring in Finance. He has worked at Bankers Trust in Des Moines for five years in Loan Documentation and at Norwest Bank for one year as a Regional Credit Administrator.
B. Wallace Riddick Tweeten was born December 14, 1925, to Oliver B. and Nettie (Westerberg) Tweeten, on the home farm east of Forest City, Iowa. He was named for an army acquaintance of Oliver’s. In his childhood years, he attended the neighborhood rural grade school and graduated from Forest City High School in 1944. He stayed home from high school for one year to deliver milk, when Oliver was operating the Tweeten Dairy. Even as a young boy, Wally enjoyed working around the farm and with animals, he was always enthusiastic about farming. With the exception of two years spent in the U.S. Army, 1952-1953, he lived his entire life on the same farmstead. On September 4, 1954, he was married to Carol Stark at Ogden, Iowa. They lived on the Tweeten home place, purchasing it from Oliver in 1959. Wallace was a member of and held numerous offices in First Baptist Church of Forest City, where he was baptized in May of 1939. in May of 1939. His faith in God was an important part of his life. In November of 1983, Wally was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. He continued to farm as long as his health permitted. In 1988, the cancer spread and he died on August 20, 1988. He was buried in First Baptist Cemetery in Forest City. Wally and Carol are the parents of five children:
a. Dr. David Wallace Tweeten was born December 13, 1956. He married Dr. Linda Ferrario, August 1, 1981. David is currently a Research Chemist at 3M in St. Paul. He graduated from Bethel College and the University of Minnesota with of Ph.D. Linda is a Medical Doctor in Eagan, Minnesota.
b. Douglas Ray Tweeten was born August 30, 1959. He graduated from Ellsworth College in 1979, in Farm-Management and returned to Forest City to Farm with Wally. Doug married Carol Frederickson, January 21, 1984, and they live one-half mile from the Tweeten home farm. Carol is a C.P.A. in Forest City.
c. Richard Craig Tweeten was born November 20, 1962. He attended North Iowa Area Community College, also in farm curriculum. After Wally’s death, Dick became partner with Doug in the farm operation. He was married to Stacie Hartigan, September 5, 1987. Stacie is employed at Winnebago Industries.
d. Diane Kay Tweeten was born December 27, 1965. She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, with a degree in teaching English. She is presently working in Mesa, Arizona.
e. Duane Alan Tweeten was born January 19, 1969. He is a Biblical Studies Major at Bethel College in St. Paul, where he will be a Senior.
C. Florene Tweeten Trentman was born November 18, 1931, in Forest City, Iowa. After graduation from Forest City High School, I attended Waldorf College for two years, sang in the Waldorf Choir both years. The highlight of Waldorf was a three-week trip to California the second year. I taught in the Estherville Schools for two years, then finished my degree at the University of Minnesota. While there, I met my husband John, who was on the track team. We were married July 16, 1955. After finishing my Bachelor’s Degree, I taught in Minneapolis for two years while John continued his graduate work finishing with a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota. We had a couple years away from Minnesota during this time, one at Yale University and one in London, Skone, Sweden. We came to Canada in 1963, to the University of Western Ontario, Huron College, and stayed until 1967, then moving to McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, where John went as Chairman of the Department of Philosophy. We lived in Montreal for 17 years and returnedto London in 1984, to U.W.O. Our interests over the years have been in music, singing in choirs, even in Sweden, and traveling. We have been in Europe ten times, once with the whole family. The travels were always incorporated with John’s research most of which was done at Cambridge University in England. Living in Sweden for a year was another highlight especially since I met my Grandmother Westerberg’s brother and other relatives of my mother. We visited my Grandmother’s birthplace and saw other relatives’ homes. We also had a wonderful trip to Norway traveling through the mountains on the train and sailing out from Bergen across the North Sea to England. We have four children ages 21 to 32, two are married and we have two young grandchildren. Three of our children graduated from universities and the youngest will finish next year. All of our children speak French fluently after their years of living and being educated in Quebec. However, they are all very proud of the American-Scandinavian heritage. In addition to several years of teaching, I have worked as a church secretary and am presently employed as a secretary in Woodland Cemetery here in London. John has taught and been in various administrative positions in universities over the years.
a. Anne Elizabeth Trentman MacRae was born September 25, 1957, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She married Brian MacRae of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, on June 22, 1984, at Montreal, Quebec, Canada. After living five years in Edmonton, Alberta, they moved back to Prince Edward Island, the summer of 1989. Anne has been working part-time in radio broadcasting since returning to Prince Edward Island but will go back full-time when Melissa is a few months older.
b. Karna Marie Trentman McInnis was born December 7, 1960, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She married Brian McInnis of Montreal Quebec on December 31, 1987, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They live in Ottawa, Ontario, where Brian is Director of the Parliamentary News Service. Karna has been home looking after Luke this last year. She is starting to do some contract work for the Secretary of State at home.
c. John Stefan Per Trentman was born November 2, 1965, in London, Ontario, Canada. He is in his second and final year of Music Production at Fanhawe College in London, Ontario. He completed an Honors Degree in Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario in 1988. He is composing, playing, and recording music and is hoping to get a job in the spring probably in Toronto.
d. Denise Erika Trentman was born October 7, 1968, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is spending this year at Laval University in Quebec City. This is her third year, and she will return to London next year to complete her degree in Honors French. She has enjoyed studying in a French University this past year.
D. Audrey Ann Tweeten Bond was born August 22, 1935, in Forest City. Audrey graduated from Mounds School of Nursing, June 1956, and married Dr. Lowell Bond of Buffalo Center, Iowa, January 19, 1957. Lowell graduated from the University of Iowa Medical School, June 1961. He served three years in the U.S. Army. A year and a half at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Lowell has been a Family Practice Medical Doctor in Ames, Iowa, since September, 1964, except for one year. In 1972- 1973, he volunteered to serve as a Medical Missionary, with Sudan Interior Mission in Jos, Nigeria, Africa, accompanied by his family. Audrey has been employed as a Registered Nurse at Midway Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota, Veterans of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City, Iowa. Lowell and Audrey are the parents of three children:
a. Allan Wayne Bond was born August 11, 1959. Allen is a graduate of Iowa State University and is employed as a Marketing Engineer by Trane Company, Clarksville, Tennessee. He married Janet Kite on August 10, 1988.
b. Linda Renee Bond Landers was born January 13, 1962. Linda is a graduate of Bob Jones University with a Business Management Degree. She married Ron Landers on July 19, 1986. Ron is a student at Columbia Bible College and Seminary, Columbia, South Carolina.
c. Daniel Lei Bond was born May 7, 1965. Daniel is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts and is employed as a Commercial Animator by Hellman Animates, Waterloo, Iowa.
D. Karen Faye Tweeten Johnson was born February 10, 1937. I am the youngest child of Oliver and Nettie Westerberg Tweeten and the youngest grandchild of Bendick and Olava Hovland Tweeten. As a young girl, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I attended Waldorf College and the University of Northern Iowa. Upon receiving my Teachers Certificate, I taught Sixth Grade one year. After Donald G. Johnson and I were married on June 20, 1958, I continued teaching for three years while Don completed his dental education. Upon graduation from Dental School, we moved to our present location, Buffalo Center, Iowa. The Lord has been very gracious to me through my two heart surgeries. last one, I received an artificial mitral valve. As a family, we have enjoyed camping from Alaska to Florida, Texas to Prince Edward Island. We enjoyed a working visit to Nigeria, Africa, and Bolivia, South America. I am thankful for the memories of family fun times and grateful for the work ethic.
a. Dr. Steven Harris Johnson was born August 8, 1961, at Buffalo Center, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Iowa Dental School in 1987. He is in dental practice with his father in Buffalo Center, Iowa.
b. Markley Glen Johnson was born April 1, 1965, at Buffalo Center, Iowa. He graduated from South Dakota State University in Electrical Engineering in 1987. Markley married Denise Murra on June 6, 1987. He is an Electrical Engineer for C.P.T. in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and Denise is in office sales at Burns Engineering Company. They have purchased a home at 18407 Avon Ct., Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
