Homesteading  on the  Knife River Prairies

by Pauline Heher Diede

This book contains the history of the German-Russian Neher and Martin Families who immigrated from Russia and then settled and farmed in Mercer County, North Dakota. Several of the chapters are based on the family history which was told to her by Diede older relatives. He recalls the many hardships, help from other Germans and also Catholic Irish families. The book is developed in 4 parts, starting with the Neher Family in Russia. The family then imigrated through Canada and to ND.

Their settling was particularly hard because the good farming land was already taken by the first German land seekers, so they needed to settle farther away from German speaking people, and another disadvantage was they arrived in the autumn. The first years were spent living in a boxcar in Ashley. They moved onto a Homestead in 1910. There were many hardships in obtaining even the barest living and supplies. Their story is told from both the viewpoints of the men and women. It includes many details of their difficult management and coping.

Throughout are line drawings and 2 sections of 7 photographs of the family.

Published under the auspices of Germans from Russia, Bismarck, ND in c1983;  4^th printing 1992. 5 ½” X 8 ½”. 88 pages.

This paperback is in like new condition.