Title: Sig Peterson
Dates: 1883-1967
Collection Number: 00409
Quantity: 84 items
Abstract: Street scenes of Almont and Sims (ND), baseball teams, farming, coal mines, railroad depot and crews, road construction, postmasters, and businesses.
Provenance: Sig Peterson loaned these photographs to the State Historical Society of North Dakota to be copied over a period of years from 1984 to 1991.
Copyrights: Copyrights to materials in this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researcher should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94‑553, Title 17 U.S. Code and an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements is needed.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection name, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
Biographical Sketch
From The New Salem Journal, Wednesday June 20, 2007
The community of Almont and a host of friends and family came together on Saturday, June 16, to pay their last respects to Sig Peterson at funeral services held at the Almont School Gymnasium.
Sig, a lifelong advocate of his beloved hometown, a life that spanned 97 years, was honored with song, words and prayer, by family and friends. Officiant for the service was Pastor Van Vechten Crane.
On Sunday morning, following the United Lutheran Church worship service a special service of joy was held in honor of Sig and Margie’s 70th wedding anniversary and Sig’s life was celebrated with the release of red and blue balloons with special messages inside, as one of Sig’s favorite hymns was sung, “How Great Thou Art.”
He will be missed by all. His obituary appears below.
Sig Peterson, 97, Almont, died June 12, 2007, at Elm Crest Manor Nursing Home, New Salem, following a short illness, on the day preceding his and Marge’s 70th wedding anniversary. Services were held Saturday, June 16, at the Almont High School Gymnasium, with the Rev. Van Vechten Crane officiating. Burial was in Almont Cemetery.
Sigurd was born on September 27, 1909 at Sims, the son of Peter R. and Thora (Dalund) Peterson. Immediately after his graduation from Almont High School in 1927, he began his chosen career in farming and ranching in partnership with his brother, Barney.
Following his marriage to Marjorie Nelson at Sims on June 13, 1937, this partnership with Barney continued until 1946, at which time Barney, their parents and brother Thorliev, moved from the home place to McIntosh, SD. Sig and Marge then purchased and moved to his parents place and continued to expand the operation.
Music played a major role in Sig’s life, beginning when he learned to read music before he could read the words, and learned to play the fiddle by age 4. As an adult, he sang with the men’s quartets, church choirs, community choruses and frequently played for local dances, accompanied by Barney on the saxophone. After he retired from active ranching, Sig was much in demand as an entertainer, singing Norwegian songs and old folk tunes as well as playing his ever present fiddle. He was very proud of his Norwegian heritage and along with his wife Marge, actively supported and participated in the activities of the Sons of Norway organization. They were still active in that role well into 2007.
Sig’s level of community involvement set a standard that few others will reach. As a young man, he served as a Sims Township supervisor, later followed by membership in and chairmanship og the Morton County Historical Society. He also served with Morton County Resource and Development Association and Morton County Water Management District. The North Dakota Beef Improvement Association and Morton County Soil Conservation District both honored him. Sig served for many years as 4-H leader and with Almont Commercial Club. The organization and operation of the Almont Historical Society, including the building of the local museum, were spearheaded by Sig. He loved Almont dearly and assumed much of the responsibility for cleanup and maintenance of the town. The town and its citizens will miss him.
He is survived by his wife, Marge, Almont; his daughter, Mary Harrelson, Peck, Kansas; numersous very special nieces and nephews; and his friend and pet, Angus.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his son Bruce; two sisters, Borghild Kruger and Valborg Fisher; and three brothers, Thorliev, Ralph and Barney.
Memorials are preferred to Almont Lutheran Church.
PHOTOGRAPHS INVENTORY
00409-01 Alta Elvera Holritz 1910
00409-02 Group of men inside store
00409-03 Most elaborate house in Sims, known as the Anderson House and later the Gray House
00409-04 Farmers State Bank, Almont (ND), later the fire engine house
00409-05 Almont Baseball Team 1936.Seated: Norman Johnson, Wilbur Wanstrom, Ed Ruf, Norm Kilen, Milton Johnson, Irvin Olin, William Schaff. Standing: Leander Johnson, Willard Johnson, Charles Wanstrom, Palmer Johnson, Barney Peterson,
00409-07 Grading on Main Street, Almont (ND)
00409-08 View of North Main Street from Nelson Templeton building. 125 autos in Almont July 4, 1916 with 20-piece band furnishing the music
00409-09 Boy and girl in straw hats in farmyard
00409-10 Consolidated Coal Mine, Sims (ND)
00409-11 W. W. Bond on a steam powered tractor
00409-12 Men working at Sims Brickyard ca. 1885
00409-13 Wadeson Mine, Sims (ND) 1900
00409-14 Joe Schallach and his mule at Burton Mine at Sims (ND)
00409-13 Wadeson Coal Mine, Sims (ND) 1900
00409-17 Man standing on derailed train in snow east of Almont January 1910
00409-18 East side Main Street, Almont (ND)
00409-19 Students on the steps of Sims School 1911-1912
00409-20 C. L. Timmerman in his store, Sims (ND) 1901
00409-21 South side of Main Street, Sims (ND): Timmerman General Store, Theater, Oakes Hotel
00409-22 Timmerman General Store and Theater taken from East, Sims (ND) 1910
00409-23 Group of men at a brickyard
00409-24 Almont Baseball Team 1968: Jerry Stenehjem, Tim Christianson, Randy Christianson, Joel Olson, Kerry Wanstrom, Toony (?) Smith, Joel Miller, Leslie Bethles, Dennis Boyd, unknown, Larry Smith, Elliot Olson, Paul Genz, Orlyn Wanstrom, and Bruce Petersen
00409-25 Group of men in front of a truck August 1967
00409-26 Wagon with sign, ‘Welcome to Almont’
00409-27 Sig Peterson and Thorvald Larson, ‘siters & siters-in-law’ ride in horse drawn wagon, Almont (ND)
00409-28 Almont Baseball Team
00409-29 Elevators and E. W. Hyde Lumber, Almont (ND)
00409-30 Woman and child in front of sod house, Morton County (ND)
00409-32 Bertha Austad, Sims (ND)
00409-33 Cecelia Jacobson’s mother
00409-34 Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Petersen
00409-35 Hoisting the flag at the Almont townsite July 15, 1906. L-R: E. E. Templeton, Eber W. Hyde, J. W. Hurley, and J. W. Burt
00409-36 Old Settlers picnic held at Almont (ND) 1920s
00409-37 Flood, Almont (ND) 1914
00409-38 Group of young boys, Sims (ND): Nicholei Jacobson, Leon Jacobson, Enoch Willman, Raymond Jacobson, Ervin Olin, Alton Olin, Fredrich Holmitz, Leonard Baklan, Raymond Dordal, Jerald Olin, and Sig Peterson
00409-39 Rabbit hunters: Benny Ringham, John Thompson, George Chamberlain, Eugene Meyers, Albert Anderson, and Andrew Knutson
00409-40 Grandma with her spinning wheel March 1953
00409-41 Ben Olson at the coal shed, Almont (ND)
00409-42 Ben Olson at his cream buying business, Almont (ND)
00409-43 Ben Olson, Gurine Olson (3rd wife to Ben), and Tom Olson (son of Ben Olson by his 2nd wife) in front of their home and business, Almont (ND)
00409-44 Ben Olson in his harness and shoe shop
00409-45 Ben Olson at the old bank building, Almont (ND)
00409-46 Almont stockyards August 24, 1932
00409-47 Cars parked on Main Street, Almont (ND) for the Old Settlers Picnic 1926
00409-48 Postcard, ‘Greetings from Almont N.D.’ 1909
00409-49 Railroad section crew, Almont (ND): Elias Polson?, Conrad Christianson, Tony Lang, Floyd Christianson, Harry Miller, Carl Kilen, Richard Shrekk, Tollef Christianson, and Walt Bakken
00409-50 Old Settlers Picnic, Almont (ND) 1926. Photo by Nancy Christenson, Mandan
00409-51 Gabriel and Lina Peterson about 90 years of age, Almont (ND) 1932
00409-52 Lina and Gabriel Peterson, Almont (ND) 1932
00409-54 Sims School built in 1883 used by the Presbyterian congregation, Photo taken August 1900
00409-55 Group in front of Arjan Johnson home, Sims (ND) 1883
00409-56 Boy seated on running board of car
00409-57 Andrew Knutson store interior, Almont (ND) November 1909
00409-58 Almont (ND) 1907
00409-59 Depot, Sims (ND) 1910
00409-60 Depot, Sims (ND) 1910
00409-61 Chase Lumber Company taken before the fire, Almont (ND) August 16, 1910
00409-62 Group on Depot platform, Sims (ND) 1910
00409-63 Sears Motor Buggy ca, 1909
00409-64 Almont (ND) ca. 1909
00409-65 Man standing on horse drawn wagon load of lumber, Sims (ND) 1910
00409-66 Congregation outside church, Sims (ND) 1926
00409-67 Group photo in the trees
00409-68 Nelson Templeton Implement, Main Street, Almont (ND)
00409-69 Ben C. Bird on horseback at Almont (ND)
00409-70 Morton James’ outfit, Almont (ND) 1912
00409-71 Street building in Almont (ND)
00409-72 Ben Ramsland, Almont postmaster, 1945-1974
00409-73 Cornelius A. Knutson, Almont postmaster, 1913-1918
00409-74 Theodore O. Feland, Morton County Commissioner, 1906-1925
00409-75 E. W. Hyde, founder of Almont (ND)
00409-76 Clifford Kelsven, Almont postmaster, 1918-1933
00409-77 E. E. Templeton, first Almont postmaster, 1906-1913
00409-78 Otis Malone, Almont postmaster, 1933-1945
00409-79 George Chamberlain shoeing a mule
00409-80 Hotel Almont
00409-81 Railroad section crew with hand pump car at Sims Depot
00409-82 Almont flood 1950
00409-83 Mrs. Andrew Knutson at her spinning wheel
00409-84 Two men rowing a boat in Almont flood 1950
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