Knud Helgeson, a prosperous farmer in Ulen Township, Clay County, Minnesota, began his life in humble circumstances, living in a small log cabin with sod-covered sides. Born in Norway, Helgeson immigrated to the U.S. in 1871. After marrying Aasie Helgeson in 1874 and living on a rented farm in Dodge County, he moved to Clay County in 1882. Helgeson developed his own 160-acre farm, creating one of the county’s most beautiful homes with extensive cultivated land and well-built outbuildings. An active community member, he served as a road commissioner and school board member, and was a trustee of the United Lutheran Church. The couple had nine children, eight of whom survived.
Knud Helgeson is another prosperous farmer of Ulen Township who began life as a poor boy in a log cabin measuring twelve by fourteen, with sod on the sides. Four of his children were born in this cabin, where he lived for about twelve years before being able to build a larger one. His first trading point was twenty-one miles away, and he relied on ox teams for transportation. He now owns a quarter section of land with ninety acres under cultivation, along with a good house, barn, and other outbuildings, making it one of the most beautiful country homes in the county. After living on a rented farm in Dodge County, Minnesota for about three years, his ambition was to have his own farm. In 1874, he got married in Dodge County and obtained his first naturalization papers there, later obtaining his second papers in Ada, Minnesota. He came to Clay County in 1882 and has since played an active role in its development.
Mr. Helgeson has always taken a keen interest in local affairs, and he is known for his broad-mindedness, liberal views, and readiness to support any movement that benefits his town and county. He served for several years as a road commissioner and on the school board. He received a good education in the public schools of Norway before immigrating to the United States in 1871. His parents were Helge Nilson and Bertha (Knutson) Helgeson, and they had a family of five children: Nils, Knud, Corice, and Gertrude. Both parents have passed away, with the father at the age of sixty-five and the mother at the age of fifty.
Knud and Mrs. Aasie Helgeson have nine children, of whom eight are living at home: Helma, now Mrs. I. R. Swenson, resides in Idaho and has five children named Gilbert, Theodore, Christina, Annie, and Andrew, Carl, Ida, and Nils.
The entire family are members of the United Lutheran Church, where Mr. Helgeson serves as a trustee.
Source
C.F. Cooper & Company, History of the Red River Valley, Past And Present: Including an Account of the Counties, Cities, Towns And Villages of the Valley From the Time of Their First Settlement And Formation, volumes 1-2; Grand Forks: Herald printing company, 1909.