Kloten, ND
Nelson County
Inhabited as of 8/10
Kloten is situated about forty miles south of Highway 2, about halfway between Devils Lake and Grand Forks. Accurate population figures are difficult to find. Kloten’s population was reported at a suspiciously round number of 150 for many years, however our census records going back as far as 1960 do not include population reports for Kloten.
Nathan Mastrud contributed these photos of Kloten with the following comments:
Sign leading to Kloten reads “Dead End” but it still carried us through town. Maybe around 6-10 households remain in Kloten. Some of them were hard to tell if the were inhabited or not because most of the the yards were mowed …even the yards of houses that appeared abandoned. Also few of the remaining ones appeared to have a never ending yard sale.
The Kloten grain elevator still looms over the west side of town and a church still remains.
The old post office was barely standing with its roof falling in.
A Fire Hall bell was begging to be rung but a few dogs and the fear of shotguns advised otherwise.
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Photos by Nathan Mastrud & Punchgut Studio
I wonder if I can find Verna Paulson, any Christophersons, Krogh, Harold Habaak, etc….we lived in Kloten from 1963 thru 1967…great place, but hard on adults…:)
Shelly,
I’m Betty Christoferson’s daughter… if you want my family’s addresses, please send me an email to: melissa.kueber@yahoo.com
Sorry, I have not been on this website…I will e-mail you and thanks alot! so sorry for the loss of your mother, the three years I knew her, a great person…!
I am Connie Christofferson Lewis. Contact me and I can give you an update of or contact information for a lot of people. Kloten was a great place in our times, but it certainly has changed.
Hi Connie. Hope all is well with you. Would love to hear the news of your family.
I have lost touch with your sister Nancy….do you have an email for her.
Loved growing up there, sad to see so much falling down. A Wonderful chilhood; great memories.
Will they ever have another all school reunion again?
Hi from Ramona Solberg Langness. I went to grade school in Kloten (1953-1960). My Mom, Ida Solberg taught grades 1-3 there at the same time. I heard that Kloten had a reunion this summer. Anyone know when that took place? We stopped by Kloten on our way to Hostfest in Minot 2 years ago. Sure brought back great memories. My email is brlmnwa@gmail.com. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers those those years!
Hey Shelley,
We were in the same class, looonngg time ago. It was great seeing these pics on here. Great memories!
So terribly sad and forlorn. Someone long ago raised a family there and thrived.
Hi Shelley! I didn’t know about this site until a friend (Jennifer Burthold Larson) told me you were looking for me here. I still live on a farm northwest of McVille with husband Bob. Am now teaching 4-12 music in McVille and Petersburg. We have 3 children and one grandson. How are you doing?
Verna
My father used to take his mechanic work to a mechanic in Kloten. I believe his name was Alvin Rude. He had the cleanest mechanic shop I have ever seen. Does anybody else remember?
It was Alvin Lee. I used to live in Kloten and would drive my bike down to his shop any time my tires needed air.
Yes his name was Elvin Ree. He had a VERY neat shop. He passed away several years ago.
Verna,This is shelleys sister susan,How is your sister susie? she was my best friend when we lived there.My email is seattlesue1956@yahoo.com,would love to hear from her or you:)
Ha,ha,ha…yes, Elvin/Alvin Ree…good man, many people depended on him…a great mechanic everyone said!
I was 12 when we left there….
I lived in Kloten for most of my growing up years and attended school there. The mechanic was Elvin Ree, and he once rebuilt a ford engine for me.
That was the late Alvin Ree. He was the last remaining historian for Kloten. His garage is now owned by a mechanic and machinery collector named Larry Hagen.
His name was Elvin J. Ree – born 8/5/1912 – died 9/21/1999. He had not been seen at his shop for a couple of days – someone went to his house and discovered him sitting in his chair, coffee cup at hand, and the TV on in front of him. He, Gustav Locken, and my dad were fishing buddies for many years. He gave a presentation on Kloten history at the first Kloten School reunion held on July 1-2, 1978.
Loved Alvin Ree!! I was just a kid, but he always let us come in and sit behind the desk with him for the fun of it! He was VERY clean!!
Nathan Mastrud wrote: “A Fire Hall bell was begging to be rung but a few dogs and the fear of shotguns advised otherwise.”
Let me first say that I have been to Nathan’s web-site, and he is a very talented artist. (I recommend checking it out) But, a comedian he is not.
Am I a little defensive? Maybe. (I grew up in Nelson County) But let’s not make people who have never been to ND think they need to watch out for crazy shotgun wielding psychopaths.
Bottom line…no one will shoot you or sick their dogs on you if you ring the bell in Kloten. (Or any other town in North Dakota)
Mike,
You are absolutely right.
mike schuck
Way to go Mike!! Nelson County was my home for 16 years and it taught me a great deal about life. North Dakota residents in general are great people with welcoming hearts. I agree that you won’t find a gun pointed in your face if you ring that bell!!! I truly love seeing the photos on this website….it brings me back to ND one photo at a time.
my cousin Corey Langness and I practically grew up in Kloten…My great aunts were Thora Homme and Thelma
Swanson, who was married to Mark Swanson who had a farm right outside Kloten…so many memories! Always went over to the grain elevator and bought orange Nesbit’s pop….My Grandma Eleanor Larson is still alive, we were just up there two summers ago, they just had torn down and burned her house and Thora’s a few months earlier….I think about Kloten almost every day….I remember when we used to walk over to the grocery store they had in Kloten, then go pick up mail at the post office….I was also baptized at that church….We thought McVille was a big town back then! I also remember the day they tore down the brick school…..
Hi Jason–my name is Veronica (Hillesland)–we are related. I grew up in Kloten and graduated from there in 1965. My grandpa was Dick Hillesland. Thora was my great aunt and Thelma, Eleanor was my mom (Helen’s) cousins. Dayton was a few years ahead of me in Kloten. Wondered what happened to family members on my grandma’s side (Sarah Homme–Thora and Sena’s sister)
my mother and uncles are also from there……Karen, Steven, and Dayton Larson…..they had some beautiful houses around town and one point, man, I’d like to get up there and look through some abandoned buildings and houses!!!!!
My Mothers family grew up in Kloten their last name was Nomeland, back in the 40s and 50s
Oh yeah I live in kloten
Mr Gehrke; We were back to Kloten in 2006 and meet a fellow that was living in my grandfathers home,it’s on the corner of 117 Ave.NE and 21st NE, on the NE corner. It’s know as the Rukke House. The home is white, with a little garage in the back. The fellow told us he worked on a big farm. I’d like to get in contact with whoever is in the home ASAP. My e-mail is rarukke@gmail.com, I’m also on Face Book. Home phone is (509) 924-2924 Beind born in McVille and not comimg back till 06 was really special for my sister and I as we have a lot of history there it. seems as my grandfather owned the Kloten Machinery and Hardware Co. untill fire destroyed it. My father and uncle played on the Kloten Tigers Ball team and were a part of their history. Also I’ve got to say I’m a proud Norwegian!! Sincerly Robert A. Rukke
cool
im not aware of anyone living in that house ….u mean elvan rees old house ?? idk
Logan; If nobody is living in the old Rukke house now, the last we knew it was a younger couple, and he worked on some big farm. Any chance you could find out who owns the place now and forward the info to me or get me a contact # or an e-mail address? If the house is for sale, maybe a Reality Sales Co. contact. Thank you Robert A. Rukke
Does anyone know a little more about the origins of the name “Kloten”?
I am a recent Swiss immigrant and live in Minnesota now. Kloten is also the name of a town in Switzerland and actually “hosts” the largerst airport of this beautiful country.
In 1906 Kloten was established when the Great Northern railroad extended it’s line from Aneta to Devils Lake. Charles Colson, who migrated from Sweden named the land for the city near where he lived in Sweden.
There is an interesting story about the name Kloten. One of the early shakers and movers in that area was Charles (Charley) Colson. His name is on many pages of old deeds and records at the courthouse in Lakota. Charley owned land in Lee Township that the Great Northern Railroad needed to cross on its leg from Aneta to Devils Lake. One demand made by Charley in return for selling a right-of-way was the right to name the town that was to be built there. The steam locomatives needed watering and coaling stations at fixed intervals to supply them with fuel and water. Charley was from Sweden and he chose the name of his childhood town in Sweden.
I am enjoying this website with my mother, Bertha (Bjugson) Schuck who grew up on a farm just southwest of Kloten. My best friend Brad Stromme lives in Kloten and is a beekeeper. I am the proud owner of the lot where the old barber shop stood. It’s a beautiful place on the prairie. My mother is now living at Waterford rertirement community in Fargo. Irving and Mrs. Naas are here for the winter months–long time family friends of the Bjugsons, northwest of Kloten.
my cousin’s are the bjugsons’………………..my last time in Kloten was Shirley Bjugson’s funeral two springs ago…….
Neat–Mike Schuck is my dad, Halvor and Shirley Bjugson were my great-aunt and uncle. Bertha Schuck (nee Bjugson) is my grandmother.
small world…..were you at Shirley’s funeral at all?
I should have been but was not–I was living in CA at the time and had just visited Fargo before she passed away–couldn’t get time off work. All the rest of my family (incl. brother Franz who has posted on here) were present, though.
I”m sure I met them……did the men have shorter, stockier legs and build?
Ha well I cannot say I about just the legs! But my father and brothers are 6′+. Shirley and Bud’s sons are shorter than that I think, maybe stockier. They are also blonds, as are their kids, whereas the Bertha side of the family (my side) has brunettes–if that helps you remember who you met.
I worked for Brad and Nick Stromme the past couple of summers out in Kloten, hands down the best town in North Dakota. Nothing beats climbing the grain elevator and looking out over the vast prairie, going to my great grandmother’s old farmstead in the Cheyenne River valley, harvesting tons of Stromme honey, and tending to some new family-owned land!
Message for Nathan Mastrud: thanks for the beautiful and telling pictures of Kloten, a town I spent many a summer day tearing around when I was a kid. But please keep the snarkiness to yourself. People still live in Kloten, and the town is in tough enough straights without you giving it a bad rap on this website with comments like “fear of shotguns” etc. If you want to do this town a favor, take it from me and the other poster Mike Schmidt and take that comment off your description–ND has enough trouble reminding the rest of the United States that it even exists, let alone getting people to visit, without comments like that (besides which, it’s not even true. Nobody in Kloten is going to come after you with a shotgun or sic the dogs on you).
Thanks for the lovely site!
my dogs a german shepherd and the nieghbors dogs are a rotwiler and a newfoundland, and ronny might have been shooting a shotgun that day at a rabbit or something or it could have been me cleaning geese and with my shotgun on the edge of the picnic table, but if u think someone around here is going to use a shotgun for any other reason than hunting than your the biggest wuss ive ever seen, no one would have cared if he rong the firebell ……and theres only one abandend house in kloten and i mow most of the yards so dont think that klotn is abandend…kloten is where i live and its a pretty cool town ….hope to see u next summer franzzz…..zing high five
Logan; I was born in McVille, but lived in Kloten. My garndfathers home is one block south of the chuch and a block east on the northeast corner. it’s known as the Rukke home. If you see the post above to you I’d appreciate it if something could be done on this subject . Thank you Robert a. Rukke
na i was kidding …it doesnt concern me about the shotgun and dogs thought it was funny
I grew up south of Kloten, My grandpa Bjornarra & aunts & uncules lived in Kloten. I graduated from Kloten High school in 1950 my classmates Gary larson Rodney Jacobson Joan Hanson. It would be nice to here
from any one that was around at that time.
Parents, Adolph & Rose Jacobson, born and raised on the Jacobson Farm located about three miles NW of Kloten. Our neighbors consisted of familes like Elmer Ophaugh, Charlie Hillesland, Oscar Naas, Obert Krokie, Obert Hansen. I completed the seventh grade in Kloten my classmates were Gary Hansen, Leslie Larson, Ardell Naas, Wanda Paulson, Sally Hanson, at that time there were about 60 kids in the whole school that went from first grade thru graduating high school. Kloten was a great little town, Bill krogue was the postmaster, Oscar Glumberg had a store next to the post office, Lud Larson was the standard oil man, Paul Lilke was the railroad station manager, you had the Alvin Ree garage and behind that was Gertie Nomeland cafe and across the street Mable Stone had a little store, Leroy Larson was the rural mailman to the farmers. Come from the farm and going to town was a big thing a lot of good friends and memories from kids like Harry, Carol, and Marion Larson, Lloyd Guldie, Pat torfin, Loren Lilkie. It was a great place to be from, I didnt think a person can ever forget roots from a place like North Dakota especially Kloten. I apoligize if I got some of the Names wrong but in my mind thats the way it was.
hey i have updated information for you on kloten. no po anymore. once thriving pop 350 with school and businesses. now pop 14 with nothing much left. church, old elevators, houses. there is 1 business in town now. beekeepers( elizabeth stromnie). on the map between aneta and meville.
My parents, Adolph & Doris Lilke, came to Kloten in 1940. My dad was the depot agent there for the GN RRY. I was born in McVille in 1941. I had 3 older sisters. We all graduated from Kloten High School, Morna in 1944, Lois in 1948, & Ruth in 1951. I graduated in 1959 along with Lloyd Galde, Harold Larson, Karen Larson, & Marvin Arlien(deceased). I left that year to go to college in Fargo, and have returned only sporadically since. Businesses I remember are the grocery store run by Donald Jenson, then by Oscar Franson, then by one of LeRoy & Janet Larson’s boys, Duane (I think). The post office was just next to the south side of the store and Bill Krogh was the postmaster. Walter Paulson had a garage and gas station to the north of the store. Elvin Ree had his shop a block to the west. Gertie Nomeland had her cafe just around the corner from Ree’s garage. We lived in 4 different houses (all but one were there as of 2009) and my parents bought what was called the “Rukke House” in 1946. It was directly across the street from the school. My parents lived there until they retired in 1967, then moved to California to be closer to my sisters. They sold it to a lady named Luella ??? (i think) – it was eventually bought by Peter and Bertha (Bjugson) Schuck, who remodeled it extensively. They eventually sold it to a Gehrke family who were living in Lud & Alma Larson’s house which burned down. I was last there in June of ’09 & except for a couple of people still there it’s pretty much a ghost town of what it once was. If anyone wishes to contact me – ado4164@bendbroadband.com
Pete and Bertha did a great job with that house! I was in it many times, I think one passed away and one is now in nursing home
Mike Schuck, here. I’m at the Waterford Retirement Community in Fargo, reading these great messages about Kloten with my mom Bertha (Bjugson) Schuck. My dad passed away on January 9, 2010 and, yes, he and my mom bought the Rukke House from my great aunt Luella Homme’s sons after she passed away. My grandmother Charlotte (Lottie) Bjugson lived on the farm southwest of Kloten and I spent many wonderful days there walking the hills and enjoying the prairie wind. Brad Stromme the bee keeper in Kloten is my classmate from Shanley High School. We both lived out on the farm with my grandmother one summer and Brad never left the area. My mom and I will be visiting there tomorrow, especially the Valley Grove cemetary where all the Bjugsons and their extended families are buried.
Back in the late 40′s some time after Ben Bjugson passed on, Lottie Bjugson once in a while used to walk down to visit with my mother Doris at the Galde farm. I am sure she was lonely and mother was allways gracious to her. Interesting how other peoples recollections trigger some fond memories of our Kloten heritage. I can recollect some fun memories of the Halloween nights in Kloten and what happened with a bunch of young kids. It was fun reading some the Kloten comments and wish others would continue to pass along their recollections.
My brother Adolph just about covered everything that I was going to write but I can add one story about the fire bell. My sister Ruth was visiting when her children were young and the first thing that they did was to ring the fire bell. No one even seemed to care and get upset except for my mother. I graduated from H.S. in 1948.
Heard a rumor that the church was sold to that character that has tuned the town into a junk pile, but the church bell was not included and moved out to the cemetary. Fact or fiction? Any comments?
Yes, sadly the church was sold to a private party, minus the bell & tower.
The bell & tower were to go out to the cemetery….
I am T. Leslie & Ethel (Thompson) Brooks’ granddaughter….
Was a sad, community gathering the day of the auction….
I have a really good photo of the church from one of It’s final services…. May take it to Pekin Days Art Show……
The church was originaly located at the cemetery, but was moved to its present location after the town was established.
My great-grandparents are buried in the cemetery outside of Kloten, Nils Gilderhus and his wife. Nils donated land for the cemetery and the church. The church has been moved into town. I have visited the town once. Emmy Vaught Roorda, granddaughter of Tosten & Anna Gilderhus from Sheyenne, ND.
My mother and her family came from Kloten. The Evenson’s. Vern, Norris, Bubs and Elaine. Ellen was my Grandmother. She was buried there in 1968. So much fun to here how active Kloten was at one time. My Grandmother ran the hotel in the 20′s and 30′s!
Hi folks; I’m Bob Rukke,i’m glad to hear some comments about my grandparents home there in Kloten. We visited there in 1960, the first time back since leaving in 42/42?. We took a tour of the home and we were very pleased to meet the owners who invited us in to look around. They later sent us some pictures for a heritage album that we were making up for my side of the family. I might say that a lot of the names mentioned in these post I remember from conversations with my Uncle Walter and my dad Robert, both are gone now to rest in Valhalla.
To Nathan, I have lived in Kloten since 1976, My husband and I built our home here and we raised our children here, we still run our family owned Apiary right here in Kloten. Your comments about being run off by dogs or shotguns, if meant to be humorous, has really missed its mark. I wish anyone who is curious about Kloten, comes to Kloten and actually makes an effort to make contact with a actual resident….Klotenites do exist and we are a welcoming, friendly, hospitable and generous mix of people. Our hamlet has seen better days and the sign on Hwy 15 does read Kloten ‘No Service’ but I’ll bet that if you drive those two miles into town and search out any one of us that call Kloten home, you would be met with nothing more terrorizing than a cold beer or a hot cup of coffee…I think it is time you update your post.
@ Elizabeth Stromme
I’ve bought some of your family’s honey. I used it to make some mead. Delicious! I’m going to have to make it to Kloten one day and see your operation.
I drove into Kloten in March of 2012 and was fortunate to run into Brad Stromme, who was out for a walk. We had a nice visit. I will stop again and take you up on the offer of a cold beer. I knew Brad many years ago, while attending NDSU. We had some great conversations. I spent a fair amount of time in Kloten when I was growing up. My great Aunt Ella and her husband Bill lived there. Lots of great memories, and a lot of great folks hailed from Kloten. I’ll visit again.
Russ Lofthus
So glad I found this site. My name when lived in Kloten was Veronica Hillesland. I went to all 12 years of school in Kloten–graduated in 1965–my grandpa was Dick Hillesland–my mom was Helen Hillesland. My grandpa (Dicks wife) was Sarah Homme Hillesland and great aunts were Thora (Homme) Ljoseviet and Sena (Homme). Of course cousins included Thelma Swanson (daughter Naomi), Eleanor Larson (children Karen Larson, Dayton Larson and Steven Larson) I don’t have much history of The Homme family and know there is a history book that was made–I have misplaced mine and if any of the Homme family members might have one–would love to pay you for a copy. My mom, Helen, and us rented what used to be the Kloten Hotel from Alvin Ree across from his garage. Can get in touch with me at vapolony@msn.com
Hi Veronica, my great Uncle was Dick…my mom is Karen Larson, my grandma is Eleanor!
Hello, my name is Cole Young I’m not here for myself but for my grandfather who is originally from Kloten. Well him and and most of his family was born there and he lived there from 1915-1939. I found this site early early summer and showed him and the stories he told me where amaazing. He knows a good majority of the names listed on here in one way or another. The reason it took me so long to post on here was since July I’ve been dealing w/ having heart surgery and tryin to recover. Anyways. my grandpa who is still alive and will be 98 in jeanuary is named Frank Palmer Kjeseth. He went mostly by Palmer over Frank. But I thought I’d post on here to try tohelp him reconnect w/ some people. That would be excellent and make his day.
Cole
I hope that this note finds you and your Grandfather in good health. I was wondering if you would ask your Grandfather about things pertaining to what he remembers of his days in Kloten. I have been gathering information and pictures about Kloten. So if you wouldn’t mind either posting the stories on this website or emailing me @ jjaeger@gondtc.com I would greatly appreciate it. Kloten was a great place to grow up at and I know that everyone that has lived there has strong wonderful feelings about it.
I did not grow up there,but my memories are of relining grain bins in the winter of 63-64 at the Kloten elevator for an elevator company out of Minneapolis…..Marvin Rostvet and I who was from Adams also and working there in Kloten stayed at an old hotel in McVille at the time,those were fun years…We ate in the hotel cafe and Marvin had a crush on a lil’ redhead who was the waitress at the time…..I drove by Kloten a few years ago and it was sad to see everything pretty much gone.
Merry Christmas from the Bjugsons to all of our friends and family. Happy Holidays. God Bless.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
I graduated from high school in 1955. Glendora Hanson Galde (she married to my eldest brother Robert) was the remainder of the class. Oscar Glunberg managed the grain elevator. I remember making big bucks shoveling coal from boxcars into the storage bins along the railroad siding. At that time a man’s wage was $1 per hour for farm labor. I would skip school to unload coal @ 50 cents per ton. I earned $5 per hour by unloading 80 tons in 8 hours. I doubt I could do that at present.
Hello my name is Jonathan Loyland. My grandfather Dreng (howard) Loyland grew up in Kloten along with his brother Oren Loyland. This was probably in the late 1920′s and 30′s. My great grandparents were Ed and Sarah Loyland who lived there also. Also related to Roislands from Kloten. Are these names familiar with anyone??