Anna Serum Interview

Collection

Identifier: SC 645

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Typed summary of two interviews with Leonard Sackett. First interview (2 leaves) with Anna Serum mentions the death of her father, working for Rachel Holstrom, and some of the men employed at Grandin Farm. Second interview (1 leaf) with Amelia (Melting) Oien, Anna's sister, a cook for threshing crews at Grandin Farm No. 1, includes mention of her wages, her husband, Clark Oien, and their purchase of farmland near Halstad, Minn. Also includes commentary (2 leaves) on a photograph of Anna Serum, seated before a lily pool on Grandin Farm No. 1 and wearing the uniform required by Rachel Holstrom. Includes comments by Frank Herman on other housekeepers employed by Rachel Holstrom, men who cooked for Grandin Farm crews, comments by Amelia Oien and Frank Herman on a photograph of farm crews in the winter and a description of buildings at the Grandin farmstead.

Dates

1955-1956

Creator

Serum, Anna, 1895- (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection is held by the NDSU Archives.

Biography

Anna Gustine Melting was born on September 2, 1895, at Trondheim, Norway, to Anton Melting and Anne Bergitte Dahl. She came to America with her family in 1902. The familyy settled near Halstad, Minnesota. She first worked in Fargo, later was hired as house servant by Rachel Holstrom, wife of A.G. Holstrom, Grandin Farm manager. She married Orlando O. Serum in 1920. They were the parents of four children. She died on January 14, 1986, at Halstad.