Nels Tandberg, born March 20, 1859, in Gran Hedeland, Norway, emigrated to Iowa with his parents in 1871. After attending public schools, he moved to Northwood, North Dakota, in 1877, where he homesteaded. Tandberg attended Franklin High School, taught for two years, and later ventured into business, focusing on real estate, loans, and insurance. A strong Republican, he served in the first North Dakota State Legislature in 1889 and as Deputy Sheriff of Grand Forks County for twelve years. He married Belle Olson in 1891, but she passed away in 1892 during a trip to Norway.
Nels Tandberg is a Norwegian by birth, born in Gran Hedeland, Norway, on March 20, 1859. His parents were Gulbrand and Kari Tandberg, who emigrated to America with their sons Nels in July, 1871, and settled in the State of Iowa, where they lived for a number of years. Nels attended the public schools until 1877, and then moved to Northwood, North Dakota, and took up a homestead, which has ever since been their home.
Young Mr. Tandberg attended the high school of Franklin for about two years, after which he taught school for two years and then entered into business for himself, handling merchandise and machinery. However, his present business is real estate, loans, and insurance, with auctioneering on the side, from which he is enjoying a steadily increasing and comfortable income.
Mr. Tandberg has always been a strong supporter of the Republican party, and although he has never aspired to any political office, he was elected (really forced) to the first State Legislature of North Dakota in 1889 from the Fifth district, and was appointed Deputy Sheriff of Grand Forks county in 1890, which office he held for twelve years, with the exception of about four months which he spent in Europe in the winter of 1891.
On November 4, 1891, Mr. Tandberg was united in marriage to Miss Belle Olson, of Avon township, this county. Mrs. Tandberg accompanied her husband on his European trip, and while in Christiania, Norway, she passed away on March 5, 1892, thus bringing to a sorrowful close the pleasure and happiness they had been enjoying for weeks previous, and Mr. Tandberg returned to his home in Northwood, bearing the remains of his wife to her last resting place in the little cemetery in Northwood.
Mr. Tandberg is a man upright in character, strong in his friendships and loyal to his friends, always ready to give from his store of wealth and knowledge to those less fortunate than himself, and these, combined with his splendid social qualities, have won for him many substantial friends.
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.