Our family in Minnesota was started by the two brothers Mathias Leonard Lindfors and Johan Elias Lindfors. They first lived in Massachussetts before making their way to Fergus Falls. They arrived in the Thirteen Towns in 1883. In 1890 they brought their parents and they became the oldest generation of Swedes in America in our family.

The two brothers homesteaded on quarters side by side near Fosston, Minnesota.

Mathias and Johan was part of starting many things in the Fosston community. For example Mathias was on the first board for the Hill River Creamery Association, that was formed on March 16, 1909. It operated until June 1^st 1944, when an auction was held and Rudolph Syverson purchased the building, dismantled it and used the lumber for an open shed.

Both Lindfors brothers was amongst the people who organized the Asphult Lutheran Church. They were the first trustees together with Carl Swanson.

I really recommend you read Cora´s story. She wrote this in 1980 and it tells the story of her parents and uncle pioneering in Minnesota in the 1880's.

Click on the image below and you will come to the City of Fosston - where the Prairie meets the Pines.
Here you can read about what is going on in Fosston today but also about it's history.

Some Minnesota Facts!

Minnesota became the nation's 32nd state in 1858. The state seal depicts a farmer plowing a field near St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. His axe, gun and powder-horn are nearby on a stump. He is watching an Indian riding a horse. Minnesota's motto, "L'Etoile du Nord," French for "Star of the North," appears on the seal.

Minnesota's name comes from Minisota,  is from a Dakota Sioux Indian word that means "cloudy water" or "sky water" and refers to local rivers. Minnesota has 11,842 lakes that are over ten acres in size, covering 4,967,510 acres.. The major ones are Upper Red Lake, Lower Red Lake, Mille Lacs Lake, Vermillion Lake, Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lake Superior, Leech Lake, Winnibigoshish Lake, Lake Pepin. Rivers and streams number 6,564, going a distance of 92,000 miles. Major Rivers is Minnesota River, Mississippi River, Rainy River, Red River of the North, St. Croix River. Highest Point is Eagle Mountain - 2,301 feet (701 m) above sea level.

Minnesota's official flag was adopted in 1893. The flag has a royal blue background, In the center of the flag is the state seal. The central seal pictures a farmer plowing a field and an Indian riding a horse toward the sun. The scene is surrounded by the lady slippers, Minnesota's state flower. A red banner with yellow letters has the state motto, "L'ETOILE DU NORD," meaning "the star of the north" in French.

Three dates are on the flag: 1858 (at the top), the year Minnesota became a state; 1819 (at the left), the year Fort Snelling was established; and 1893 (at the right), the year this flag was adopted. Nineteen yellow stars surround the seal on a white band; these stars symbolize that fact Minnesota was the 19th state to enter the union after the first 13. The largest star represents Minnesota. "MINNESOTA" is written in red on the white band.