Between 1884 and 1886, Hans Holtan explored, chose and moved part of his family to the new frontier of North Dakota. This nomadic family kept looking for good opportunities and it was in North Dakota that 8 of the 10 Holtan children grew up and made their way in the world. Here we will attempt to tell their stories. One of the surprising discoveries of Phil’s research into these families is that they were as likely to be storekeepers as farmers. You can read stories and see photos here of the Holtan stores in three different North Dakota towns.
The North Dakota Holtans- Ole, Elsie, Engrebrigt, Henry, Martin, Sarah, Gilbert, and Theodore
Hans and Margit Holtan were the parents of this Holtan clan. After leaving the oldest sons, Halvor and Thomas, back in Iowa, these are the younger members of the family, who came to age on the prairies of North Dakota. We include Hans’ obituary from the Washburn Leader in 1915 and a group of photos. Margit’s story is very well told by her friend and journalist, Mary Ann Barnes Williams.
Ole and Marie Olson Holtan were farmers and raised a family that included many children who were not their own. We have two stories bundled in one article, one by the Washburn newspaper in 1938, perhaps by Mary Ann Barnes Williams, another longer one from the 1950 Holtan Family History book, written by Marie Olson Holtan herself.
Elsie Holtan was a remarkable woman who homesteaded her own claim, and who gave herself generously for the needs of her family, for her father Hans, for her sister Sarah’s family, before and after Sarah died, and for others too. We have her obituary from the Washburn Newspaper which was also printed in the 1950 Holtan Family Book. We also have many photos to share.
Engebrigt and Cora Peterson Holtan. First and most complete, a family story about both the Petersons and the Holtans from the Washburn paper in 1940, probably written by Mary Ann Barnes Williams, a veteran Washburn newpaperwoman who wrote about many of the Holtans.
Henry and Permelia Peterson Holtan Henry came with his family to North Dakota, homesteaded, briefly worked in the Holtan store with his brothers until he moved to Ryder, ND to run his own store with his father-in-law, J.P. Peterson. Later, he moved on to Montana to buy a sheep ranch and died too young of appendicitis. Henry met Permelia when she ran the millinery store next door to the Holtan store. They raised a family in North Dakota and Montana and their children live in California and Alaska.
Martin and Amanda Peterson Holtan. Martin was a musician and a merchant, and Amanda was very active in her community. We have a number of stories, obituaries, and tributes to share both for them, and for their son Orville.
For Sarah Holtan and her husband, Thomas Grothe we have an obituary and a story written by Kathy Holtan Wilner.
Gilbert and Clara Severts Holtan Gilbert was a boy when they moved to North Dakota, but he homesteaded like his older brothers, farmed, had a threshing outfit, ran a store in Turtle Lake and later became McLean County treasurer and then auditor. He married his neighbor homesteader Clara Severts, who was also a distant cousin. Kathy Holtan Wilner helps tell his story.
Theodore and Mabel Amundson Holtan. Theodore was the youngest of the Hans Holtan children, and like many of the y oungest of these immigrant families, they left the farm to pursue higher education, and in his case, medicine. He and Mable raised their family in Waterville, MN, and we include his obituary from the Waterville newpaper, which was also reprinted in the Holtan Family History of 1950.
Many thanks to Kathy Holtan Wilner (Hans/Martin/Orville) for her lifelong interest, and for saving and recording of these stories.
Many Holtan siblings married other siblings. Not incest, just lots of double cousins. See how many times this happened.
We’ve noticed as we’ve looked at these histories, that while the older sons tend to farm, or in case of ND, run a store, that Younger sons go to college.
