Peter Espe, son of Lorntz & Beret Espe, and Thilda Dahlgren, daughter of Olof & Helena Dahlgren, were married on September 17, 1916 at the home of her parents in Malung township, Roseau County, Minnesota. Their first home was at Malung, very near the center of this map, along the banks of the Roseau River. Their son, Omer, was born there in 1917.
It is unclear just how they met each other, but Peter and Thilda started dating about the time he began delivering mail on the rural route between the post offices at Malung and River, Minnesota. His route included the Dahlgren home near Malung. One can imagine that Thilda was often waiting at the mailbox when the mail was delivered to their farm. His interest in her is evident by the picture post card (picture of himself) that he sent her.
Their first home was at Malung, very near the center of this map, along the banks of the Roseau River. Their son, Omer, was born there in 1917.
Peter’s father had bid and won four-year contracts for mail delivery on that 32-mile route for some years. As a young man, Peter would take the route when his father was busy with farming. He was proud of the fact that he was the first to begin using an automobile instead of horses on that route – at least in the summertime. When not using the Model T Ford, he used would use a team of horses to pull a wagon in summer and a sled with a small caboose with a wood stove in winter. When he reached Malung, he would switch to a different team of horses for the journey back to River, leaving the first team there. He originally sub-contracted for the route, under his father, but eventually bid for it when his father was no longer able to continue. He spent a total of about 20 years as a rural mail carrier, but there were times when he was out-bid and had to find other means to provide for his family.
In 1920 the US Census lists Peter, Tillie and Omer (misspelled as Homer) living as renters on the Carmody farm in Badus Township, Lake County, South Dakota, about 30 miles south west of Brookings. His father, Lorntz, had lost the mail route bid, so Peter found work in construction and on the Carmody hog and dairy farm. Their living quarters on this farm, a converted garage, were not ideal. For a short time they endured an infestation of rats. Peter soon tired of hearing the rats in the walls and caught one in a trap, singed it’s hair, and then let it go. All the rats immediately scurried out of the house, ran across a ditch, and moved in with the hogs, permanently.
After returning to Minnesota in 1921 or 1922, Lorntz again won the mail route bid for delivery from Malung to River. The family was back in Malung when Omer began his formal education in the one room school nearby.
In 1927 another party won the mail route bid, so they had an auction sale and moved to Moorhead, Minnesota where Pete and Tillie began working in the kitchen at Concordia College. Omer had fond memories of going to the 6th grade in Moorhead, although he didn’t like studying ancient history. They apparently moved back to Malung after the school year ended.
Although Omer’s memoir has the family living in Malung until 1932 when Peter won the mail route bid again, the 1930 US Census lists the family as living in Beaver Township, Roseau County, Minnesota. In about 1937, Peter purchased the farm located HERE in the northwest quarter of Section 31, near the southwest corner of the township. According to this 1935 Beaver Township Map, that quarter of land was owned by the state. It was originally homesteaded by Peter’s brother-in-law, John Sannen. Pete and Tillie were farmers during this time period, raising grain, and milking dairy cows. Peter also bought a team of large horses and hired out to help build roads for Roseau County. Thilda, Omer and Thilda’s brother, Oscar, tended to the farm work while Peter built roads. Thilda was also very accomplished as a homemaker, cook and baker.
The 1930 United States Census shows Peter, Thilda and Omer living in Beaver Township, Roseau, Minnesota. (It is interesting to note that Peter was listed in the 1932 obituary of Berit Espe, his mother, as being from Malung – likely an error). The 1940 US Census record for Beaver Township, Roseau, County, Minnesota lists Peter Espe, as well as these family members living in the same household: wife Thilda, son Omer, daughter in law Myrtle, grandsons Glenn and Marvin, and his aged father Lorntz.
A newspaper article written in 1966 about their 50th wedding anniversary indicates that Peter delivered his last piece of mail in 1944, having lost the bid again. As a result, he and Thilda moved to Minneapolis. However, in 1943, the employment record (above) lists Peter’s address as 909 4th St. No. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a building that no longer exists. He was again employed briefly by Twin City Lines – this time as a streetcar operator. His employment card shows that his streetcar collided with another car, resulting in him being required to spend 45 hours as a student driver. He refused to comply with this order and quit the job, stating that no one could have prevented the collision, due to leaves on the track. He then worked in defense plants until the end of World War II.
After the war (WW II), Peter and Thilda spent a period of time in International Falls, Minnesota, where he worked at the paper mill. They also had a one-pump gas station located HERE, not far from their farm in Roseau County.
A single paragraph in the “Looking Back” (75 Years Ago) section of the April 2, 2002 edition of the Roseau Times-Region newspaper stated: “Pete Espe sold his residence property on Main Street opposite the Messelt Direct Service Station to Thor Folling.”
The 1950 United States Census lists Thilda (Tillie) Espe along with her husband, Peter Espe, as lodgers in Roseau, Minnesota. There were two other lodgers listed at the same location. The Head of Household is listed as Lena Olson, a 50 year old widow. The building location is listed as the “first house on the left side of Ritchey Ave as one turns north of Clark Street”. These streets were later renamed to 2nd Avenue SE and 2nd Street SE, respectively. In 2022 the location of that house would be across the street to the west of the Roseau Fire Department building.
The 1951 obituary of Peter’s father, Lorntz, indicates that Peter and Thilda were living in Grand Forks, North Dakota. While there, Peter worked at the North Dakota Mill until his retirement in 1955 and Thilda worked at a Woolworth’s store, and also cared for a couple of elderly women in their homes.
In 1955, Pete & Tillie moved back to Roseau. They had previously purchased and rented out a home, located at this location on 9th Avenue SE in Roseau. It is possible that they had moved the house from the rural gas station onto this lot in town. After retiring, they worked part time in Roseau for a few years: he for a local used car dealer and she as a clerk at Ben Franklin (a “five and dime store”).
They were long time members of Salem Lutheran Church, which was located in the Malung area. Only the steeple of the church building remains, just in front of the Salem Cemetery where Thilda’s parents and several other relatives are buried.
Thilda died unexpectedly at home on August 2, 1970 at the age of 74.
Peter continued to live in their home until failing health resulted in moves to nursing homes in Thief River Falls, and finally Baudette, Minnesota. He died in the Baudette hospital on October 19, 1978 at the age of 90. His funeral was on October 21, 1978 at Salem Lutheran Church and burial was at Hope Cemetery in Roseau, Minnesota.
See Obituaries below.
OBITUARIES FROM THE ROSEAU TIMES-REGION NEWSPAPER
| PETER ESPE | THILDA ESPE |
|---|---|
| Funeral Services for Peter Espe, 90, who died October 19 in Baudette, were held Saturday, October 21 at 2:00 pm at Salem Lutheran Church, Wannaska, with Rev. Dennis Slaathaug and Rev. Bruce Dalager officiating. Interment was at Hope Cemetery, Roseau. Peter Espe was born in Trondheim Norway on June 13, 1888 to Mr. and Mrs. Lorentz Espe and came to Minneapolis in 1890 with them. They moved to Faribault County and later to Roseau County settling in Beaver Township. He later moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota. He returned to Roseau in 1955 and had lived here since. He was a farmer and had been a mail carrier for nearly 30 years. He is survived by a son, Omer Espe, Roseau; seven grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren, two sisters: Bessie Grundfor, Moorhead and Mary Geroy, St George, Utah. He was preceeded in death by his parents, his wife, a sister and one brother. He was a member of Salem Lutheran Church. Pallbearers at the funeral were Glenn, Marvin, Duane and Milo Espe; Paul Trangsrud (sic) and Perry Espe. (from the Roseau Times Region, Roseau, Minnesota, October 1978) | Funeral services for Thilda Espe, who died in her home in Roseau August 2 after being in failing heaith the past few years, were held Wednesday, August 5 at 2:00 P. m. in the Mission Covenant Church in Roseau with Rev. Theodore Kronberg officiating. Interment was in Hope Cemetery. Thilda Dahlgren was born in Malung Township on March 16,1896 to Mr. and Mrs. Ole Dahlgren and had lived in Roseau County most of her life. She married Peter Espe in Malung Township on September 17, 1916 and had been a housewife and retail clerk most of her life. She is survived by her husband and by a son Omer, of Roseau; two brothers –Axel and Oscar Dahlgren, also of Roseau. She was preceded in death by her parents, 2 sisters and two brothers. She was a long time member of Salem Lutheran Church in Malung and later belonged to the Mission Covenant Church in Roseau. Pallbearers at the funeral were Bernhard Dalager, Maynard Erickson, Lloyd Craven, Raymond Geroy, Torris Olson and Julius Brunell. Funeral arrangements were by Helgeson Funeral Chapels, Roseau. (from the Roseau Times Region, Roseau, Minnesota, 6-AUG-1970) |
