Up North: Memories and Reflections of a Lundell Farm Boy

By Kenneth Lundell

I was born on July 11, 1922, to Philip and Esther Lundell on a farm (later known as the East Farm) in rural Kennedy, Minnesota. Kennedy is a small town in Kittson County, which is located in northwest Minnesota, in the Red River Valley of the North. When I was six years old our family moved three miles west to a larger farm (later known as the West Farm). This was where I spent my growing-up years. My grandfather, John Lundell, moved up alone to that area from southern Minnesota in 1883 to settle on the homestead he had laid claim to the preceding year. That fall he met Mathilda Danielson, who had recemtly arrived from Sweden, along with her parents and several siblings. John and Mathilda were married in 1885. They established their home on John's farmstead, located six miles east and one and one-half miles north of Kennedy. Eventually 13 children were born to them, including my father, Philip, their third oldest. Two of the 13 children, Alma and Lilly, died in infancy. Three, George, Lizzie, and Roy, died as adults in 1923. Three sons became farmers - Arthur, David, and my dad. Their farms were within a couple miles of each other. Alice married and lived in nearby Bronson (later renamed Lake Bronson). Edith, Ethel, and Harry eventually moved away from the area. The youngest child, Melvin, died in 1936 at age 26. Grandpa died in 1935, and Grandma in 1942. I attended two rural elementary schools, the North School in Jupiter and the Garfield School in Tegner Townships. After graduating from eighth grade in 1936, I started farming with my dad and my older brother, Archie. My earlier years had been quite carefree, with plenty of time to play when I wasn't attending school or helping with chores (including pumping up and carrying in water, bringing in wood for our stoves, and carrying lunches to my dad and Archie when they were working in the fields). Church life was very important to the Lundell families. In my earlier years we went to a small Baptist church in the community. When I was about 12 we began attending the nearby Jupiter Mission Church, which was affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination. I'm very thankful to have grown up on a farm in a rural community in those early years, along with my parents, three older siblings, Archie, Doris, and Ruby, and my younger sister, Phyllis. With so many uncles and aunts nearby, cousins arrived and added another enjoyable dimension to my life. The memories I share in this book center around my earlier years and include experiences related to farming, school, church and community, our Lundell family, and more. Most of my stories are based on quite clear memories. However, at times in dealing with the past I have used a bit of imagination as to what might have taken place, what was said, and so on. I think the reader will be able to tell the difference. My stories are not unique. Most of them, with some variations, could also be the stories of cousins and friends in my generation who were born and raised up north so many years ago. Kenneth Lundell, 2005

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1511400897
• ISBN13: 9781511400893
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 188 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.5" x 8.5"