My Birth and Baptism

When December 22, 1922 arrived, so did I. I came to my parents residence in Hawk Creek Township, section 15.This farmstead belonged to Halvor Gregorson and lay west of the Hawk Creek Townhall and was being rented by my parents. From the township road one could see the buildings to the far west with a background of trees that skirted a ravine. My parents were Helge Marius Haukaas who had immigrated from Kolbu, Toten, Norway April 28, 1914 and Alma Christine Fagerlie. The name for me came about by using the first initial of Dad and Mom’s names, Helge and Alma, thus Helen Ann. I never heard if there was a prepared list or if there was such a thing as a Baby Book in those early days. So here I was- born a farmer’s daughter!

MY BAPTISM

Baptism was eagerly looked forward to and took place in Our Saviors Lutheran Church (then called Synod Church) in the small town of Sacred Heart. The pastor was the Reverend Nils Giere and the date was January 14, 1923. My sponsors included Alma Golie (Skalbeck)-the mid-wife and Uncle Magnus and Aunt Martha (Kariliusen) Haukaas of Sacred Heart Township. Uncle Magnus had immigrated to America in 1907 but returned to Norway in 1911. In 1913 he came back to the U.S. A. and married Martha in Moorhead on November 10, 1914. Was there a dinner party to celebrate the event? I never thought to ask about this in earlier times.