Alma Olsson
1873-1965
Born: Björnekulla, Skane, Sweden
Died: Port Angeles, Washington, USA
<font size="2"><p align="center"><strong>History of the Marcus Faust Family</strong></p><p>Marcus Faust’s father, Otto Faust was one of a family of brothers and sisters coming to this country from Sweden during the years between 1880 and 1890 and lived in New York for some time. They later moved to this territory in North Dakota, homesteading in Hobart Township, Barnes county. </p><p>Otto’s brothers Jake, John, Aaron, Charles and a sister, Julia settled near by. A step-sister, Tina and a step-brother Peter were added to the family after the father passed away and the mother remarried.</p><p>After coming to Valley City, Otto Faust married Johanna Holmquist who had migrated from Sweden and also lived in New York with her mother, Mrs. Anna Holmquist and two sisters. Anna Holmquist was widowed early in life and supported her family by working in a tailoring shop with her two daughters. One daughter passed away at an early age. Anna Holmquist also put into practice the trade she learned as Mid-wife at the Carolina Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Mrs. Holmquist and her two daughters Johanna and Mary, moved to Valley City and there Johanna married Otto Faust and Mary and Aaron Faust were married.</p><p>Otto and Johanna Faust took up a homestead in Hobart Township, Barnes County (Section 8 NE, Range 59-140). There they lived throughout their lives. They were charter members of the First Baptist Church of Valley City. </p><p>From this union were born eight children: Bertha, Joseph, Timon, Aurora, Tyra, Marcus, Stephen and Otto, all attending school at Hobart District #9. Some of the children went on to Valley City Normal School and some on to the Agricultural College in Fargo.</p><p>The father of the family, Otto, passed away when Marcus was about eight years old. Joseph passed away at the age of twenty-one. Marcus Faust is the only surviving member of the family at this time.</p><p>Marcus Faust married Dagne Peterson on June 5, 1923. She was the daughter of Bernt and Alma Peterson who migrated from Norway in the fall of 1904. Bernt was half Swedish and half Norwegian. His wife Alma was of Swedish descent. Bernt came to this country alone to establish a home for his family and find work as a carpenter (following his father’s trade). A few months later his wife and three small daughters, Asta, Bjorg, and Dagne followed. This became an especially hard journey on a ship with a sea-sick family. During this trip on board ship they were robbed of every penny owned. Alma Peterson often recalled how thankful she was for a kind-hearted stranger, who lent her the required money she needed to purchase tickets for the train trip to Valley City, where her husband awaited them. One sister, Hilma and two brothers, Arthur and John were born to this family later. They became members of the First Lutheran Church in Valley City. In 1910 they moved to a farm in Green Township and attended Zion Lutheran Church and the children received education in Green Township school.</p><p>Marcus and Dagne Faust bought a farm near the Faust Homestead. It is the Northwest quarter of Section 9, also in Hobart Township. Here they farmed and Marcus started a nursery and specialized in raising and selling of various evergreen trees.</p><p>To this union nine children were born of whom all are still living at this writing and all married with families. The children are: James, of Denver Colorado who had 4 daughters and one son. Marcia, missionary, with her missionary husband, Arthur Robert have two daughters and one son. The youngest son and daughter are adopted. They serve in Madagascar. Jean married to Ernest Nash, Galchutt, ND have three sons and three daughters. Grace married to Rex Beck, Jr., Buffalo, ND have five sons and one daughter. Dorothy, married to Lawrence Farland, Sioux Falls, SD have two sons and one daughter. Lois, married to LaVerne Swanson, Apha, MN have one son and three daughters. Mary, married to Kenneth Nash, Colfax, ND, have five sons and one daughter. Daniel, pastor at Hastings, ND, married to Beatrice Nash of Colfax, ND, have five sons and one daughter. David, Green Isle, MN, married to Arlene Scheel, Green Isle, MN, has three sons, one step-son and one step-daughter.</p><p>During the early years of Marcus’s childhood, the grandmother, Mrs. Anna Holmquist made her home with her daughters alternating between the two homes, serving as mid-wife not only for her daughters, but for a large surrounding territory, as well. She became well known for her skill in bringing babies into the world, even in the difficult situations. Her services most always included the cooking and cleaning and general housekeeping for the entire families she served. She often walked many miles in cold winter weather to make the trip where she was needed. Sometimes receiving a small amount of money, and more often receiving nothing, especially in families who were poor in earthly wealth, but rich in children!</p><p>Hardships were not unknown for them either. One year a destructive hail storm completely took all the crops on the 30<sup>th</sup> day of July, 1909. The very day the storm struck the binders were ready to start the harvest, but they were put back into their sheds unused that year. </p><p>Another time, fire swept across the country-side, starting from an engine on the railroad. It burned fields in it’s path, and homesteaders’ homes as well.</p><p>Of the Marcus Faust descendants, we now number 80, including Marcus and Dagne Faust.</p><p><em>Written by Dagne Faust in June, 1975</em></p></font>