We have found another early account of life on a farm near Mishicot! In 2025, it was the Princl family, a Czech immigrant. Now it is the Norwegians’ turn. Thanks to descendant Dave Ellingson, we now have an account from the Halverson farm, which was right by the East Twin river north of Mishicot near the 147 bridge (currently the Jim Garber farm). Dave’s great aunt Agnes (1872-1959) wrote wonderfully about growing up on the farm beginning in the 1870s, walking to the schoolhouse in Mishicot, and going to the Jambo Creek Lutheran (Norwegian) church (where only a cemetery now remains). She also reports on tragedy, like the deaths of three cousins in nine days from an epidemic.
Agnes married local farmer Otto Hilmen in 1894. He died in 1916. They had eight children. She then married I.A. Haatvedt. He had been widowed twice before and had five children from those marriages. The Halverson family and grown children and spouses all moved west, mostly to North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, by 1910. Agnes died in 1959 at age 86.
Childhood friend Anna Zander, mentioned frequently in her account, married Nicholas Terens, and died in 1950 in Manitowoc. Her husband was from a prominent Mishicot family that owned a hardware store and he also became a state assemblyman.
The Hronek family bought the farm after they moved, and Hronek relative James Garber owns the land and still farms it as of 2026. An original barn building is still standing, but the old Halverson farmhouse was demolished earlier.
Thanks to Dave Ellingson of Seattle, who contacted the museum and sent us Anna’s booklet. Dave’s grandfather Melvin grew up on the farm in Mishicot. Dave has a blog page and wrote a remembrance here.
To read Anna’s booklet “Just As We Were”, visit this page.
Tags: mishicot, halverson, hilmen, agnes halverson, otto hilmen, anna zander, nicholas terens, hronek
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