These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
April 27, 2025
In a newspaper from 80 years ago, the unexpected death of Almer Skrutvold, a well-known farmer in
Jadis Township, was announced. Just this past month his son Curtis Skrutvold died at age 99. Today I’ll
read about Curtis’ father who died on November 26, 1945.
Almer Skrutvold, who farmed a mile west from Roseau in Jadis township the past few years, died rather
unexpectedly at the Budd Hospital Monday morning. Mr. Skrutvold had not been well the previous week
but kept at his work. Saturday he suffered a stroke. He was taken to the hospital at once and care and
medical assistance of the best could not stop the inevitable.
Funeral service will be conducted this afternoon, Thursday, in the English Lutheran church at 2 o’clock.
Burial will take place in Hope cemetery. Rev. T. C. Hanson will deliver the funeral service and commit the
remains to the last resting place. Pallbearers will be Jesse Nelson, Olaf Jorgenson, Edward Erickson, John
Billberg, Ernest Klema and W. G. Rose.
Mr. Skrutvold was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Knute Skrutvold and was born at Gilman, Wisconsin,
December 31, 1884. He came to Roseau county in 1905, and was employed as clerk in the Ross store for
eight years and later served as cashier of the Wannaska State Bank, being in the position another eight
years. Following the consolidation with that bank and the Citizens State Bank of Roseau, Mr. Skrutvold
engaged in farming, moving to the recent farm a mile west of Roseau. He attended to his business well,
whether it was, as a clerk, as bank cashier or as farmer. Not given much to talking, he wasted little time
and made his work count. He married Miss Cordelia Lee, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John K. Lee of Pencer.
Mr. Lee died several years ago.
The Skrutvold family were members of the English Lutheran congregation of Roseau and took an active
part in its work.
At the time of that obituary 80 years ago, the surviving members of his family were listed as follows:
Besides his widow, he is survived by the following sons and daughters: Mrs. Walter (Clarice) Bussard,
Roseau; Mrs. C. R. (Ruth) Duhler; Clarence Skrutvold, who has served four years in the Air Corps; Miss
Mertrice Skrutvold, and Miss Ann Skrutvold, San Diego, Calif.; Carol, Curtis, Joan and Mae at home, and
Miss Helen Skrutvold, who is a student at Concordia College, Moorhead.
Two sisters are living. They are Miss Sarah Skrutvold, St. Paul, and Mrs. Arthur (Mabel) Nelson, Diamond
Bluff, Wisconsin. One brother, Ole, passed away two years ago at Ross, and one grandchild has gone
before.
The Roseau County Heritage Book contains more details about Almer and Cordelia Skrutvold’s lives. It
says that Almer was born at Spring Valley, Wisconsin, the sixth of seven children born to Knudt Skrutvold
and his wife Sigrid (Holdahl) Skrutvold. Sigrid had emigrated from Valdres, Norway in 1881. It says that
Almer came to Roseau County in 1906 and worked for a mercantile store in Ross, Minnesota, which was
owned by Sam Holdahl and Lars Odegaard, partners.
He married Cordelia Lee at her home in Pencer. She had been born September 1, 1894, to John K. Lee
and his wife Carrie (Rude) Lee, the second of ten children. When she was eight years of age, the family,
including grandfather Knudt Lee moved from Soldier to Pencer where they homesteaded. Her brothers
included Clarence, Archie, Wilbur and Olaf; and her sisters included Amy (Skrutvold), Alma (Alley), Jesse
(Austin), Hazel (Severson) and Nora (Schell).
Almer and Cordelia lived above the store at Ross until 1919, when they moved to Wannaska where he
managed the Wannaska Bank, a branch of the Citizens State Bank of Roseau. Citizens State had been
incorporated in 1905 by his two uncles, Bendix and Olaf Holdahl.
They raised their 10 children on the farm just west of Roseau until his death in 1945. After Almer’s death,
son Curtis continued with the farm operation. Curtis and his wife, Gloria (Paulson) Skrutvold, continued
to operate the home farm. Cordelia moved into Roseau in 1959 where she resided until her death in
1975. Almer and Cordelia are buried in Hope Cemetery in Roseau.
Thank you to 
for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.