Monson family holds reunion in Jamestown

The annual Monson Reunion was held at McElroy Park in James-town on Aug. 9, with 98 people attending.

In the spring of 1882 Ole and Berthe Monson came to North Dakota from Stavanger, Norway, with two of their sons, Retius “R.B.” and Rasmus. Later, two older sons, Mandius and Gunvold joined them on the homestead north of Kathryn, N.D. It is this area where they built their rock house into the side of a deep ravine and the rock fence as a boundary marker around the land they had acquired. Later he built a home of logs, sod and lumber a little further up the hill to which their family moved.

At the 2009 reunion there was one person from the third generation. Tom Monson traveled from Castle Rock, Wash., to Minot. There are only three others of that generation still living. Tom’s sister, Emma and her husband, Gordon Nelsen, who lived in Valley City, N.D., most of their lives and now live in Holly Springs, N.D.; Tom and Emma are children of the late Mandius Monson. Rasmus’ daughter, Mabel Berg, lives in Fayetteville, Ark. These three were unable to attend. Tom’s son, Wayne Monson, lives at Minot. Tom stays active in Castle Rock.

Also attending from a distance were Jim Monson and his wife Clarice, Proberta, Calif., and their grandson, Jared Monson, Plainfield, Ind. Jim’s sister and brothers, JoAnne Skramstad, along with daughters Brenda Skramstad and Elaine Friestad, all from Valley City, Ron and Pauline Monson, Detroit Lakes, Minn., their daughter Michelle and Tim Jenks, Bismarck, and Gene (Dennis) and Dorothy Monson, Breckenridge, Minn. Gene, JoAnne, Ron and Jim are the children of Henry and Eleanor Monson who farmed near Litchville, N.D.

Elaine (Monson) Miedema, Valley City, represented the Bill and Alice Monson family. They were farmers in the Montpelier, N.D., area.

The family of Albert and Lillian Monson (former farmers north of Marion, N.D.) were represented by the following: Wayne Monson, Lisa and Bryan Hoffer, BryAnna, Baxter and LiAnna; Ron Monson; Bob and Marilyn Burkhardt; Neldae Frank; Arlyce and Leonard Chadwick, Keith Chadwick, Amanda Chadwick and Alexa, Brandon Chadwick, Kristi Chadwick, Mark Chadwick; Scott and Bernice Monson, Tyler and Reid; Rod and Barb Monson, Paul and Janel Monson and Luke, Kelly Monson, all Jamestown; Lorne Monson, Fargo; Lois Hofmann, West Fargo, N.D.; Lowell and Billie Monson, Marlowe Monson, Noelyn and Donna Monson, Litchville; Dale and Virginia Monson, Vicki Sherman, Zech and Jared, Mandan, N.D.; Mike and Rowena Monson and Austin, Glenfield, N.D.; Thomas Monson, Valley City; Cindy and Todd Vogel, Jeff and Justin; Vicki Chadwick, Sara, Lindi, Jamie, and Levi, Wimbledon, N.D.; Reed and Tamara Hofmann, Samantha, Sydney, and Elijah, Casselton, N.D.; Kristen Cotton and Lily Ann, Norwich, N.D.

Out-of-state family of Albert and Lillian were Ed and Jean Monson, Lakefield, Minn.; Jim Burkhardt and Elke, Rosemont, Minn.; Rich and Kay Burkhardt, Sioux Falls, S.D. and Jon and Kathy Burkhardt, Las Vegas, Nev.

Friends of the family who attended the reunion were: Lyle and Vi Meeker, Sandy Eckelberg, Norm and DeLette Winkelman, Ray and Colleen Sigurdson, June Bennet, Sara Bennet, Kayla Schniebel, all Jamestown; Elizabeth Berge, Valley City; Willie Noot, Marion; Lindsay Feigitsch, Mandan; Rachel Zeltinger, Kenmare, N.D.; Whitney Haux, Fargo, Kyle Bangerter, Minneapolis.

The highlight of this year’s reunion was the celebration of Robert and Marilyn Burkhardt’s 60th wedding anniversary. There were also two young ones at the Monson reunion for the first time, 3-month-old Lily Ann Marie Cotton, daughter of Kristen and Ryan Botton, Norwich, and 8-month-old Luke Joseph Monson, son of Paul and Janel Monson, Jamestown.

Tags: celebrations, reunions, monson