Jessie Beverly Rolfsrud

I was born in a small house on upper Main Street in Hettinger, North Dakota. Named Jessie Beverly I was called exactly that by my father throughout all the years, and I guess he deserved to use the full name in honor of my mother and since he was the person who delivered me into this world. (The doctor was indisposed that day.) It was Sunday, May 23, 1920.

Jessie (mother) did not expect to survive this one, but struggled to and did.  Her strength was tried severely in caring for me for after only three weeks I contracted whooping cough. Then it was my life that was in question. Father and mother took turns nursing me through the days and nights of the entire summer. 

In 1922 we moved to Aberdeen and stayed there for two years. Then to Sheridan Avenue South in Minneapolis for two more. The stories have it that I ran away frequently. I do remember being found down at the 43rd Street fire station where I enjoyed playing with the fire dog. I toured the outer fringes of the city looking for the chickens which I knew to be out there.

My four older siblings have often reported that my foibles had a way of interrupting their schooling and fun with friends because they had to take their bicycles and spread out looking for me. They never said that they called the police, however.

Father's business in the city did not do very well, so he, mother and I returned to Hettinger. The others have said that they stayed behind in order to complete their high school education to a point. They joined us in Hettinger later. Bayard came first. We lived in small houses in town. I learned to read and write early, so that I entered school in the second grade, at age 6. Mother was an excellent teacher - my very best.

Ralph, Dorothy, and Richard joined us eventually.  They renewed friendships from before and I remember that any old thing served as an excuse to get up a party with them.  This continued into the next years, which we spent on "the farm" two miles north of town. Father built up a Holstein herd, raised crops, eventually selling milk to the store in town. We became pretty well wiped out as a result of the economy of the times plus a dreadful drought.  I didn't realize how poor we really were.  We had such a happy surprise in 1930 when Kaye arrived, and I was happy anyway to be living near so many animals.  The old love for chickens died, though when I had to feed so many of them and then become Chief Picker when it was time to prepare the beheaded ones for dinner.

In the early thirties, Dorothy was with us.  She taught in the local high school.  We were losing everything on the farm it seemed.  In 1933, Father found work in the County Agent's office in Steele, Kidder County North Dakota.  While he was gone Dee, Kaye, Mother, and I lived together in one of our "rentals" in town the winter of 1933-1934.  Dee got a job teaching at Wheaton College in 1934-1935, so Kaye, Mother, and I then lived in Steele with Father.  I spent one school year there, then Father got an advancement to the State Office (same AAA setup) in Fargo.

Before moving to Fargo, Father very generously sent his four girls in his new car to visit Aunt Kate in Santa Ana.  The whole summer was a holiday for us, except that Dorothy took courses at UCLA.

We drove back to North Dakota then and took up residence in Fargo.  Dorothy and Clarence were married the next week, on September 7, and I went to school my Junior and Senior years there.  We used an apartment briefly and then moved into a nice house on Tenth Street South, housesitting for a Dr. Hotchkiss.  Kaye started school.  Mother obtained voice lessons for me.

About the time I graduated in 1937, the AAA was declared unconstitutional and Father had no job.  He finally got into the North Dakota Welfare system that he served until his retirement at age 70.  In late 1937, I somehow got a job myself with the AAA as some part of it must have been reinstated!  I could save money for college and in 1939 I entered Wheaton College, continuing to work my way.  Incurring no debt whatsoever (easy as nobody could or would loan me a single cent).  I had earned over two thirds of my credits toward a degree and felt free to marry.

By taking correspondence courses from UND and some applied music at Concordia College, I did receive a BA from Concordia College in June 1944.  All this and welcoming Rebecca Beverly in 1942!  We lived first in Fargo, then in Moorhead--no car and it was wartime.  The five years (1941-1946) were extremely difficult.  Linda was born in 1945.  I had a severe breakdown from which by the grace of God I recovered well (bootstrap-type operation) and never had it happen again.