Hillius family of Kulm, ND USA in Remmick-Hubert's Web Site Kulm, ND's Genealogy
Last Updated: 27 Aug 2002
Wrote the following to Herry.Fisel@t-online.de who was inquiring about the Hillius family of Kulm....
In the Kulm book on page 41-42 the following is found:
Mr. and Mrs. John Hillius
Mr. and Mrs. John Hillus were both born in Neuelft....." [Remmick note: That would be spelled Neu Alft in GR [German-Russian records.] "..., Bessarabia, South Russia. John on October 20, 1860 and Mrs. Hillius on October 1, 1860.
When Mrs. Hillius was 20 years old, she was married to Mr. Hillius.
Six years later they emigrated to America with their little daughter, Bertha. On November 27, 1887 they arrived by train in Ellendale, North Dakota. A Mr. Smearer from Ashley drove them from Ellendale to the homestead of Mrs. Hillius' sister who with her family lived eight miles south of the present site of Klum.
In the spring Mr. and Mrs. Hillius filed on a homestead of their own, three miles west of Klum. In order to file on the land, Mr. Hillus had to walk 40 miles to Hoskins, the first town in McIintosch country, to the land office of John Wishek.
On the homestead they built a sod house, Mrs. Hillius herself laying the 4000 sod bricks that covered a light framework.
By picking up buffalo bones and selling them in Ellendale, Mr. Hillius acquired a team of oxen and an old sled.
All their meals were cooked out of doors on a few flat stones. Mrs. Hillius tells how one day she and her sister started out with their oxen and sled for the Kroll home 8 miles away, taking their dough with them in order to bake bread in an oven made of clay.
In October of that fall, before the widow panes had been placed in their house, a big snow storm came up and Mrs. Hillius, being left alone, while Mr. Hillius was out looking for help, gave birth to her second child, a son. Upon his arrival with a neighbor lady the next morning they found the sod shack full of snow, but the mother and baby were smiling a welcome.
The following year they moved back to Ellendale, remaining there for about five years, then when word came that the Soo railroad had been extended to Kulm from Merricourt, the Hillius family moved a one room building up from Ellendale and started a restaurant. And addition was built to this later and it became known as the Hillius Hotel.
Mr. Hillius at the time was given the contract of driving a star route from Kulm to Edgeley had later also carried passengers and express.
In 1908 they bought the Klum Hotel and operated that for 15 years.
In 1922 Mr. and Mrs. Hillius both attended a night school for adults and Mrs. Hillius had the distinction of being the oldest pupil for two successive sessions. Soon after this she was taken over by Miss Minnnie Nielsen, Supt. of Public Instruction to give talks on night schools, which she did in a very efficient manner, thereby arousing much interest in that worthwhile project of eliminating illiteracy.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Hillius have passed on and also their oldest son Theodore.
The remaining children are Bertha [Mrs. Sam B. Ruud) of Albert Lea, Minn. and Otto of Portland, Oregon."
End of story.