Manfred History & Preservation, Inc.
Ole and Clara Gladheim1
Husband's Full Name: Ole Bernhard Gladheim
Husband's Place of Birth: Stokkebryen, Nord Aurdal, Valdres, Norway
Husband's Father's Name: Ola Ranheim Stokkebryn
Husband's Mother's Name: Barbro Olsdatter Gladheim
Husband's Siblings' Names: none, several half siblings
Wife's Full Name: Clara Genette Ranum Gladheim
Wife's Place of Birth: Cottonwood, MN
Wife's Father's Name: Ole Juel Ranum
Wife's Mother's Name: Guri Knutsdotter Melby Ranum
Wife's Siblings' Names: George, Konrad, Emil, Ida, Gladys Pfundheller
Children's Names: Bernice (Vern) Nelson, Mildred (Olaf) Nelson, Gerda Berky, Doris Lippelgoos, Ordean, Cora Solberg Mauk, Ora Johnston Thompson, Carol Weymouth
Clara Jeanette Ranum was born May 23, 1894 in Cottonwood, Lyon Co. MN. She was the daughter of Ole J. and Guri K (Melby) Ranum. Both Ole and Guri had parents who were early settlers of Manfred, Juel O. and Guri Ranum and Knud O. and Guri Melby. She was the 5th of 6 children, Konrad, George, Emil, Ida, Clara, and Gladys. Konrad and Ida both died young. Clara's family traveled from Minnesota to North Dakota, living in several places before settling in Manfred sometime in the early 1900's.
Ole Bernhard Gladheim was born on July 18, 1895 in the Valdres region of Norway, on Stokkebryn, a farm owned by his parents, Ole O. Stokkebryn and his wife Barbro O. Gladheim. Barbro died soon after childbirth and young Ole was raised by his mother's parents on the Gladheim farm. When he immigrated to the US, he went by their name, although in Norway, he is still referred to as Ole Olson Stokkebryn. Ole was Barbo’s only child, but his father remarried and descendants from his half-siblings still live in Norway.
Ole Bernhard Gladheim arrived in New York in 1912, sailing from Liverpool, England on the Lusitania, two years before her historical sinking in WWI. He made his way to Manfred, ND to visit his aunt, Anna (Stokkebryn) Melby, wife of Christian Christianson Melby. While visiting, he met the grandniece of Christian Melby, Clara Ranum, daughter of Ole and Julia (Guri) Ranum. On March 8, 1916, Ole Gladheim and Clara Ranum were married. Let it be noted that Ole and Clara had an even closer familial tie; their paternal grandfathers were brothers making them 2nd cousins!
Shortly after the marriage, Ole and Clara moved to Sanish, North Dakota where they homesteaded a farm on the cliffs overlooking the Missouri River to the west. Here they raised 8 children, Bernice, Mildred, Gerda, Doris, Ordean, twins Cora and Ora, and Carol. As in Manfred, the area around Sanish and Van Hook had many other families related to Clara, including her brother and sister's families. But the 1930's were not good for the Gladheim family at Sanish, so they moved back to Manfred where they took up the farm from Clara's parents. All eight of the children reached their adulthood in Manfred. Ole died in 1952, killed in an auto accident while traveling in Montana. After his death, Clara sold the farm to her oldest daughter Bernice and her husband, Vern Nelson. Clara lived in Minot for many years before relocating to Vancouver, Washington to live with her daughters there. Clara died in 1986. Both Ole and Clara are laid to rest in the Vang Lutheran Cemetery near Manfred, just a short walk south from their farm.
Source: Elaine Homan, 30 Jan 2003