HANS L. & CAROLINE (ANDERSON) WELO 

Hans Web, born July, 1858, the 5th of eight children to Lars & Eli Welo. When he was eight years old his parents sold their farm in Hadeland, Norway, to come to America. From Quebec to Iowa their trip was delayed by troop trains returning from the Civil War. The family lived at McGregor, Iowa, and what is now Rothsay, MN. At age 25 Hans was among the first settlers to stake a tree claim in Coulee township.

Caroline Anderson, daughter of Anders & Fredrikka Erickson Ronnerud was born in Jernaker, Norway, September, 1864. She with family members came to Rothsay, Mn. When her brothers came to the Penn and Maddock areas, she came to Churchs Ferry, ND and worked at the Orvis House (located where Buff Hillerman built his house in C.F. in 1966). Their parents lived in the Penn area briefly. Her father is buried in Chain Lake Township.

Hans & Caroline were married at Devils Lake in 1885. He acquired land east of Lake Alice. Here is where Hilda Natalia Web (Sletten), their third child was born, June 1893. Hans built a house, and because of the possibility of floods, the family was forced to move back to the higher ground of Web’s first settlement. The small shack in which they lived until their house was moved still serves as a workshop on the Robert Sletten farm. Hilda tells of moving their house from Lake Alice to the present farm site on ice. She also said their home was never too small to harbor many weary travelors from Devils Lake to points Northwest. The family became members of Zion Lutheran Church in 1899. For his job as mail carrier on the East route, Hans purchased an automobile, the first in the vicinity.

It was a sad Christmas Eve, 1900 when Caroline died of pneumonia. Her primary illness was a kidney malfunction. Hilda was 7 years old, Lars 12, & Emma Web (Roof) 10, Hazel 2, and Rueben 1. Caroline was among the first to be buried in Churchs Ferry, ND Cemetery.

Hans married Vera Hansen in 1909. Having acquired land near Pinewood, Mn., they
moved there in 1916. He died at 79 years of age.

All five children attended Churchs Ferry, ND High School and three attended NDAC Fargo. Lars was noted for his work as a physicist for the US navy, Washington, D. C., and at Tulane University, New Orleans. Emma, Mrs. Frank Roof, taught sciences at Enderlin and at Oak Grove, Fargo high schools. Hazel was employed as a personal secretary in New York City. Rueben, his wife Agnes, and two children (Marian Web Biersdorf and Harlan Web) lived at Spokane, WA and near Pinewood MN. Rueben cleared the land he farmed near Pinewood and built a house.

Hilda taught in rural schools. She married Henry Sletten Nov., 1917. They lived near Larimore until 1922, then they along with daughters, Enid Verke Hanson, and Ruth Myhre returned to the Web farm, where the next seven children were born, Willis, Fern (Daniels), Harold, Robert, Victor, Milford, & Bernard.

Twenty-five descendants of Hans and Caroline Web were confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church and are graduates of Churchs Ferry, ND High School.
Four of the fourth generation, two of the fifth and one of the sixth generation live in the Churchs Ferry, ND area.