Almont North Dakota
1906 Centennial 2006
~The Story of the Kilen family and where I fit in ~
~By Mark Esser~
The Kilen family originates from Norway. Kilen is a self-explanatory farm-name; Kile is Norwegian for wedge. The original farm where the story about the Kilen family starts is located in the west end of the Dalsdal Valley which at this point runs steep up on both sides. The Dalsdal Valley is situated at the end of the Sognefjord. The Sognefjord is 125 miles long and that makes it the longest fjord in Norway. Rock- and snow slides are quite common in this area.
Kilen is probably an old farm although we are unable to find it mentioned prior to about 1605. At that time the king of Norway owned the farm, but in 1662 he sold it to Jens Christenson as a fuhr farm. The farm later remained within the Lemvig family until Ole Olson became an entire self owner in 1767.
Until the end of the 19th century the main road from Luster to Jostedal went through the Dalsdal Valley across the mountain to Vigdal and on to Myklemyr in Jostedal. At that time Kilen was the last resting place before climbing the mountain. The road distance from Kilen to the Dale Church in Luster is a little over 6 miles.
During parts of the 17th century the Kilen farm was divided into two farm units, Kilen and Kilebotn, but they finally merged in about 1695. Kilebotn was later known as a crofter place under Kilen. Kilen then remained a single farm for more than 200 years.
My great great grandfather Töger Larsson Hatleberg was born on 10th of February 1834 and was the first in my family to live on the farm in Kilen. From that time on he used the name Kilen, as that was usual in those days. He married Gjertrud Olsdotter on the 15th 0ctober 1863. They had two children together.
Töger, Gjertrud and there two sons were buried in a snow avalanche. Töger was able to dig himself out, but was unable to save his wife and two children. Two years later on 4th of July 1867 Töger married Gjertrud’s sister Kari Olsdotter Bergseth. Töger and Kari had eleven children. Töger lived to be 102 years old and he was in good health until his eyesight failed when he was 91 years old. Töger died on the 9th of February 1936. Kari his wife died when there 11th child Christopher (Chris) was born.
Due to increased fear of rock- and snow slides in the Valley, the farmers of Kilen moved out in the 1950’s, one after the other, and since 1959 none have been permanently resided on this farm. The farm is still standing and in hands of Kilen’s. The land is being used by farmers out the neighborhood.
My great grandfather Christian (Carl), born the 20th of January 1888 was the 9th child of Töger and Kari Kilen. Carl was born in Luster, Norway and he grew up around the farm area of Kilen. In 1907, when Carl was 19 years old he and his brother Chris came to America where they joined their brothers Andrew and Elias. Carl worked as a farm laborer in the Tobacco fields in the Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin area. Later he settled in the Curlew area ND where his brother Andrew lived and began working as a section laborer on the N.P. railroad in 1917.
Carl Kilen got married to Frances Drury on the 9th of July 1921 in Mandan. Frances was born on the 22nd of January 1902. For several years they lived in the section house at Curlew. Carl and Frances Kilen had ten children together. Five boys and five girls. Carl died at the age of 74 on the 18th of May 1962. Frances died at the age of 89 on the 26th of December 1991.
My Grandfather Norman Theodore Kilen was the second child of Carl and Francis Kilen. He was born on the 18th of January 1922. He married Helen Alma Pauline Joersz on the 26th of March 1944 in New Salem. The Joersz family originates from Waren, former East Germany. But that’s a different story all together.
Norman en Helen Kilen had a farm in Almont that they farmed. They lived at different places in and around the Almont area. They got 5 children, 4 girls and one boy. My mother Norma Martha was the oldest of the five. Norman died in a farming accident, near Almont on the 4th of June 1977.
Norma Martha Kilen married Gijsbert (Bert) Esser in Almont on the 26th of April 1975 after being pen palls for many years. They decided to go and live in Wolvega, the Netherlands. They got two sons which I am one off. My brother Norbert Christiaan was born in Meppel on the 29th of December 1976. I ( Mark) was born on the 31st of January 1979 also in Meppel.
In 1981 we moved from Wolvega to Hoogeveen. My father and I still live in Hoogeveen. My mother Norma Esser sadly died of cancer on the 14th of January 1997. My brother got married in Muskegon Michigan on May 6th of 2006 with Wendy Löss. She is from Muskegon, Michigan. They live in San Jose, California.
In 1988 my family, Bert, Norma, Norbert and me visited Kilen, Norway. We were joined by my mother’s aunts and uncles. Raymond and Ann Marie, Mavis and Florence.
This summer (2006) my dad and I visited Kilen again. Not much has changed. It’s still pretty hard to get to. The roads are very narrow and steep and mostly gravel. The farm and barn where Töger started still stands and hasn’t changed much. The farm is still in hands of Kilen’s. The land is still being used as farmland.
Ancestral line of Norma Martha KILEN
Generation I
Tore Gunnarson HAMRANE, died 1778 in Hamrane.
Married 1759 in Laerdal Norway to
Velgierd HATLEBERG, born 1730 in Hatleberg.
From this marriage:
1. Lars Thoreson HATLEBERG, born 1764 in Hamrane.
Generation II
Lars Thoreson HATLEBERG, born 1764 in Hamrane,
died 1812 in Larsgard.
Married 1793 in Laerdal Norway to
Guro LARSDOTTER, born 1765 in Laerdal Norway, died 1801 in Larsgard.
From this marriage:
1. Lars Larsson BORGUND, born on 23 October 1796 in Hatleburg in Burgund
Norway.
Generation III
Lars Larsson BORGUND, born on 23 October
1796 in Hatleburg in Burgund Norway, died on 8 October 1881 in Jostedal
Norway at the age of 84.
Married at the age of 27 on 28 October 1823 in Jostedal Norway to
Eli Olsdotter BERGSETH, born 1801 in Furehaugen, died on 14 June 1886
in Bjork.
From this marriage:
1. Lars, born 1824, died 1902.
2. Ole, born 1825, died 1893.
3. Anders, born 1827, died 1892.
4. Guri, born 1828, died 1921.
5. Kari, born 1830, died 1845.
6. Rasmus, born 1832, died 1832.
7. Rasmus, born 1833, died 1888.
8. Töger Larsson KILEN, born on 2 October 1834 in Jostedalen Norway.
9. Iver, born 1836, died 1911.
10. Lars, born 1837, died 1907.
11. Eli, born 1839, died 1905.
12. Maria, born 1841, died 1911.
13. Anna, born 1843, died 1846.
14. Claus, born 1845, died 1932.
Generation IV
Töger Larsson KILEN, born on 2 October 1834
in Jostedalen Norway, died on 2 September 1936 in Luster Norway at the
age of 101, buried in Luster Norway. He lived in the farm area of Kilen
in a valley that was very steep on both sides, which was very common
for snowslides and rockslides. Kilen was where people would stop to
rest before climbing the mountains.
Toger, Gjertrud, Lars en Ole were buried in a snow avalanche. Toger
was able to dig himself out, but was unable to save his wife and 2 children.
Toger lived to be 102 years old and was in good health until his eyesight
failed at 91 years old.
Married (1) at the age of 29 on 15 October 1863 in Jostedalen Norway
to Gjertrud Olsdotter BERGSETH, 26 years old, born on 7 October 1837
in Jostedalen Norway, died on 28 September 1865 at the age of 27. Toger,
Gertrud, Lars and Ole were buried in a snow avalanche. Toger was able
to dig himself out, but was unable to save his wife and 2 children.
Daughter of Ole Rasmussen BERGSETH and Johanne Togersdotter NYSTOL.
Married (2) at the age of 32 on 4 July 1867 in Jostedal Norway to Kari
Olsdotter BERGSETH, 24 years old.
From the first marriage:
Kilen Photos
(Click on Photo to see large picture)
Kilen Photos
 Town of Kilen Sign Mark Esser |
 Town Of Kilen Sign |
 View from Sognefjord |
 Kilen Farm View |
 Old Kilen Barn |
 Old Shce Kept Milk, Cheese and other Produce |
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 P7210074 |
 P7210075 |
 P7210077 |
 P7210079 |
 P7210081 |
 Mark Esser with Stone of Toger Kilen Greatgrandfather of Mark Esser. |