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One Family Under God

Thoughts on the Odens/Toews family histories
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Church, Schools and the Dangers in Farming

November 27, 2021 Jim Odens

(Background notes: The church mentioned in this section of the Olfert’s Montana homesteading story is the Lustre Mennonite Brethren Church.…

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Filed under: Eye loss, Lustre Bible School, Lustre Mennonite Brethren Church, Peter H. Franz

A Wedding and Testimonies

October 30, 2021 Jim Odens

(Introductory notes: The Anna described in the first paragraph, being Kathrina Franz Olfert’s sister, was also the sister of Grandma…

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Filed under: Anna Olfert Funk, Olfert children, Testimonies, Wedding

Church in a Barn, Sunday School Teaching and Immersion

October 9, 2021 Jim Odens

(The saga of Montana homesteading by Dietrich and Kathrina Olfert continues . . .) The first summer we had Sunday…

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Filed under: Immersion, Mennonite Brethren Church, Teaching Sunday School

Then Came Children, Combines, Coasters and Coyotes

September 20, 2021 Jim Odens

(Introductory notes: Some of the Olferts’ children are mentioned in this portion of their homesteading story. As you can see…

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Filed under: Children, Coaster wagon, Combine, Coyote, Elsie, Elvin, Ethel, Marilyn

Vehicles, “Ambulance” Driving and Close Calls (The Olfert Story continues)

August 28, 2021 Jim Odens

After a while we really got big. Each family got a little Ford truck—a one-ton truck. Then we put a…

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Filed under: ambulance driving, Dietrich Olfert, Fordson tractor, Kathrina Olfert, Model T, Nash auto

Relatives, Wild Horses and the Challenges of Homesteading

August 7, 2021 Jim Odens

Some of Kathrina’s family also came to Lustre to homestead. Her brother Henry came in 1921 and bought a farm…

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Filed under: Dietrich Olfert, Homestead, Kathrina Olfert, Piano-Organ, Wild Horses

Settling in and Struggling in Montana

July 17, 2021 Jim Odens

Our second trip out included materials for building a 16×24 frame building. We got the studding up for a slant…

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Filed under: Dietrich Olfert, Drought, Kathrina Olfert, kerosene stove, Peter Franz, plow

Arriving in Montana

June 23, 2021 Jim Odens

The latter part of March (1916) we loaded an immigrant railroad car in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. Peter Franz, Kathrina’s brother,…

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Filed under: Dietrich Olfert, Homestead, Kathrina Olfert, Montana, Wolf Point

Getting Land and Getting Married

June 12, 2021 Jim Odens 2 Comments

(Dietrich and Kathrina Olfert continue their life story. You may notice a discrepancy in the spelling of the name of…

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Filed under: Dietrich Olfert, Homestead, Kathrina Olfert, Montana, Wedding

More About Kathrina’s Childhood

May 21, 2021 Jim Odens

In Kathrina’s family the work was divided among the children. My sister Susan was not so strong, so she did…

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Filed under: Bethel Mennonite Church, Coals of Fire, Heinrich Regier, John M Franz, Kathrina Olfert

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