 The Brandvik family headed by Michael arrived in Dunn County in September of 1910. It included his wife Mary (Marit) and five children. Michael's Norwegian name has been spelled Melkior and Melchior. Born in Norway, he immigrated to America 1888. One genealogical researcher has Michael the son of Johann Peter Pedersen Brandvik (1830–1899 Norway) and Marit Skovdahl [or Astenson] Brandvik (1831-1902 USA). The researcher also has a son Peter and there was a witness to Michael's marriage named Peter Brandvik.
Mary Andersen Ryan's maiden name is in some records as Ryan and Ryen but the source of that name could not be found by this writer. The researcher mentioned above has her parents as Anders Estensen (1827–1891 Norway) and Ingri Haldosdatter (1824–1908 Norway). She immigrated to America in 1889.
Michael and Mary were married on 18 March 1893 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The family homesteaded on Section 18 of Township 147, Range 95 approximately 4 miles northeast of Oakdale.
Michael's Burial Mary's Burial Arthur's Obituary - Arthur's Burial Morris' Burial Myrtle's Burial Helga's Burial Thelma's Burial The following is an article from "Dauntless Dunn - 1970" a history of the county published by the Dunn County Early Settlers Association. This article was written by Arthur Julian Brandvik, the first son of Michael and Mary.
Mike and Mary Brandvik with their five children, Arthur,
Morris, Myrtle, Helga and Thelma came from Hopkins, Minnesota in September of 1910 to settle on their
homestead on Section 18-147-95. My uncle, Ole Ryan, and his son John met us at Dickinson.
The household goods, lumber, material and etc. was hauled the 52 miles from Dickinson by teams and wagons. A milk cow was bought from Ole Ryan and work was begun on a sod house. The summer and fall of 1910 was dry, the sod brittle and hard to handle but good weather
prevailed throughout the period until after Christmas.
School was started in a log house on the Sigurd Engvold
homestead on Section 24-147-96. Inga Ryan, a niece of my mother‘s, was hired by the Oakdale School Board to teach for a few months. Her pupils which included my brother Morris, and sisters Myrtle and Helga, and the pupils from Oakdale School N.1. Alice Ross, teacher, held a joint Christmas program at Oakdale in shirt sleeves. Indian summer weather.
After January lst, 1911, Dad returned to Hopkins to work at his trade with the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co. until spring, while the family remained on the homestead.
In the spring of 1911, the first eleven acres of sod was
turned over and seeded to flax. Three oxen were used to do this. These were owned by a neighbor who loaned them to us. Harness and bridles were used on them instead of a yoke. It was useless to try to work these oxen when the sun was high and warm, because all of them would lie down and refused to budge until each one was unhitched from the breaking plow and free to go. Then, they would lope for shelter and water.
The summer of 1911 was warm and dry, so the harvest was light. The flax crop was threshed by a horse powered machine which Robert Wilcox and others had bought from
Paul Ziner on the Knife River, north and west of Taylor. The crop was hauled to Dickinson and sold, taking four days for the trip.
A Postoffice was established at this time on the Isaak Tift homestead on the SE 1/4 SE 1/4 Section 24, 147-96 and was named Killdeer. Mail came twice a week from the Oakdale Postoffice. Mail to Oakdale coming by stage from Dickinson three times a week.
A team of horses and a wagon was purchased from my Mother's brother, Ole Ryan.
Dad continued to go back to Hopkins for several more winters to work in the factory. I started to work for some of the nearby ranchers beginning the winter of 1911-1912, Mother and Morris taking over the home chores.
Each year as more land was farmed, more equipment had to be bought, as well as horses and cattle. Improvements were made on the homestead and more land was bought.
The coming of the railroad to the townsite of Killdeer
in the fall of 1914 changed everything for the homesteaders.
In July of 1916, I too became a homesteader when I filed on the north half of section 30, 147-94.
Another drastic change occured with America’s entry in World War I, 1917. Morris died in training camp during the influenza epidemic in October, 1918, and I was in
France with the 33rd Division.
Beginning in the spring of 1919 a father and son working
relationship was to last for the next 25 years, until my parents retired and sold me the farm. Mother died in 1945 at the age of 79. Dad died in 1951 at the age of 81. They were laid to rest beside their son in the Oakdale Cemetery. They never regretted the move to the Killdeer Mountains and Badlands in Dunn County.
Three of their children are presently living in Killdeer,
Thelma, (Mrs. William Cockburn); Helga, (Mrs. Desmond) teaching in the Killdeer School; and Art, now a
retired farmer. Myrtle, (Mrs. William Boerner) lives in Pasadena. California.
Ownership and operation of the farm is now in the hands of the 3rd generation, my son, Morris A. Brandvik, and the 4th generation is growing up on the site of the sod
house erected 55 years ago. The pioneers built well.From the Official Roster of North Dakota Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, World War 1917-1918: "BRANDVIK, MORRIS. Army number 3,455,513; registrant, Dunn county; born, Minneapolis, Minn., Feb. 21, 1897, of Norwegian parents; occupation, farmer; inducted at Manning on Aug. 31, 1918; sent to University of North Dakota; served in Training Detachment, to death. Died of pneumonia at Grand Forks, N. Dak., on Oct. 29, 1918. Buried at Oakdale."
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