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Down Memory Lane In The Docken Family
By Mabelle Nelson and Olga
Thompson
(Edited by Steve Thompson)
The text of this family history page has
been put together and written years back by Mabelle Nelson and Olga Thompson.
With the encouragement from family members, I have done some editing
and added the pictures from Mabelle's and Olga's collection.
Please read and enjoy the experiences of the older generations of the
Doecken and Rislov Families.
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Halvor Docken was born near Uvdal, in Numendahl, Norway on January 17, 1835. He came to America in 1868 and settled near Ridgeway, Iowa, in Winneshiek County. He worked as a farmhand for $1.00 a day during the busy season and for $12 to $18 a month in the winter. Halvor was the oldest in the family of eight children. In 1874, Halvor and his three brothers went to Sioux Falls, SD to file for a homestead and tree claim, one quarter section or 160 acres each. At this time, Sioux Falls was only a few shanties and a land office, in what was then Dakota Territory, a treeless prairie land. After staking their claims on some land about 25 miles north and east of Sioux Falls, SD. They returned to Ridgeway, IA and with their families and their parents, who also came to America with them. They left by covered wagons for their new homesteads, a distance of about three hundred miles. They also brought with them, thirty five head of cattle. The trip took about one month. These were trying times. Their first task was to break up a few acres of land on each claim for field, using the strips of sod to build their sod house. In order to prove up their land, they had to plant a grove of trees on their claim. Later this area was named Minnehaha County in the state of South Dakota. The state line bordered on the east end of Halvor's land. The nearest town where they could buy clothing and groceries was Worthington, MN, about 40 miles away. After the Great Northern railroad came through in the 1880's, the town of Sherman, SD was platted, one mile from the South Dakota and Minnesota state line and half a mile from Halvor's homestead. Halvor had two children by his first wife; Julia who was born in Iowa in 1872 and Oscar was born in 1874. Halvor’s first wife's maiden name was Tjyiestad. She died in 1878. They were charter members of the Rosendal Church, which was organized in 1874. Until they were able to build a church, the services were held in the members sod homes. Kristi Kringen (Grandma Docken) was born in Stordalen, Trondheim, Norway, on September, 28, 1860. She was the daughter of Fetter and Anna Kringen. She came to America with her parents at the age of 15, in 1876, by way of the St. Lawrence River, to Quebec, Canada. Then they traveled on to Minnehaha County in South Dakota. They settled on a farm near the town of Colman, SD. Kristi had five brothers, Sivert and Andreas who went back to Canada, Andre, Peder, and Peter, two sisters - Randy and Sigri, who didn't come with the family from Norway but came a few years later. Kristi answered an ad for a housekeeper and went to work for Halvor Docken who had lost his wife in 1878 and was left to care of two small children – Julia and Oscar. After working for Halvor for a few years, some Halvor Docken married Kristi Kringen in 1881. Later Halvor and Kirsti purchased and settled on a half section (320 acres) of land along Split Rock Creek, in Rock County, Minnesota. The farm was located about three miles northeast of the town of Sherman, SD. From this marriage, there were ten children: George, Alfred, Clara, Lydia, Anna, Hartwick, Melvin, Helen, Theodore, and Inez. Halvor died in June, 1924. Kristi passed away in March, 1925. She was laid to rest in the Rosendahl cemetery near Sherman, SD.
On April 19, 1890 Lydia Docken was born on what was then known as "the south place", one mile east of Sherman, SD, to Halvor and Kirsti Docken. When she was quite young they moved to a farm, three miles north and one half mile east, this was across the border into Minnesota in Rock County. Here she grew up with her sisters and brother and went to school. There were no roads east, so the children had to cross the railroad tracks or go around and over the railroad bridge or wade across the creek in the spring, summer, or fall for their visits to the east. Halvor built on to the little house that was there so as to provide for his family. Lydia was interested in ball games so she would go with her brothers, who were also involved in the games, into the town of Sherman when they had some of their baseball games.
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This was really the beginning of the Rislov-Docken romance, because Ivrin was playing on the team, too. Lydia was kept busy helping in her parent’s home. Lydia always liked close family ties. She was a very hospitable person and always enjoyed doing things for other people. Ivrin attended a business college in Decorah, Iowa and had thought of the possibility that he would someday be a lawyer. Bet he fell in love with a neighbor miss (Lydia Docken) and a wedding was arranged. The romance blossomed, Lydia Charolette Docken and Ivrin S. Rislov were married on December 29, 1909, at the home of her parents, Halvor and Kristi Docken.
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The following picture shows the Docken house that was located in the northeast quarter of Section 21 Township 104 North, Range 47 West in Minnehaha County, 2 1/2 miles north of Sherman or 30 miles northeast of Sioux Falls, SD. They purchased 160 acres at a cost of $1.25 an acre.
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The following map shows the locations of the Docken/Rislov farms in the Sherman, SD and Jasper, MN areas.
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The below picture shows the Docken/Rislov farm along Split Rock Creek in the Jasper, MN area. It was on the Jasper farm where Lydia grew up. Ivrin and Lydia moved on this farm with their family from 1927 – 1935, before they moved to South Shore, SD area in 1935.
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Lydia felt they should remain in their home area to aid their aging parents. They were married in her parents home and they lived with his parents for some time after their marriage. Ivrin’s dreams to continue school were halted, but he did go to barber school in Minneapolis. MN for awhile, but he didn't finish. Their next move was to Jasper, MN as their family was growing. Irene. Hilma and Olga had joined the family, after three years in Jasper they moved to Sherman, where Ivrin worked in a grain elevator. They were in Sherman area during World War I and also during the influenza epidemic. Both Ivrin and Lydia were very ill when they had the disease. Lydia's sister Anna cared for them and their family while they were sick. They lived in the Pingrey house in Sherman SD, for five years. Sjur Rislov (Ivrin's dad) decided to retire and moved to Jasper. Ivrin and his family moved to the Rislov farm in 1927 and lived there for five years. During this time, Ivrin, who was always interested in politics, was put on the ballot one year for representative from Minnehaha County on the Democratic Party.
 | This was Grandpa Ivrin's campaign card that |
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During the previous years, Leland, Esther, Alda, Mabelle and Wallace had made their debut into the family. When Lydia was in her late thirties she had a lot of health problems. The doctor said she had a bad heart and was treating her for that and also for diabetes. She was on a special diet for that for one year. Her sister, Clara from California encouraged her to come to California fro awhile, so she and baby Wallace went out there for awhile. While there she saw a doctor out there who said her heart wasn't bad and that she didn't have diabetes. She came home feeling much better. Donald joined the family on June 13, 1928. At this time the family lived on Lydia's fathers place across the Minnesota border. Lydia had major surgery and after that her life took on new meaning, she now felt better than she had for a long time. Lydia was always active in the activities of the Highland church, near Sherman. The depression and the "dirty thirties" were hard to take. Ivrin had to see some of his of corn, used for fuel. He never believed in burning the last years straw piles like a lot of the neighbors did, and it was fortunate at this time as there was a big sale for straw at this time.
It was during this time that they decided to move up to South Shore, SD area on the Martin Amdahl farm in 1935 Ivrin's health wasn't the best so his oldest son, Leland decided to come up from Minnehaha County and help with the farm work. A short time later tragedy struck, Leland was working with United States government program, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and was going to work with a team of horses and flat bed, with two other young men - Melvin Nelson and Orville Knutson. As they were traveling along, another neighbor boy, Carl Gunderson came in a car and ran into them. Leland was seriously inured and passed away that night. This was very hard on the whole family, but Ivrin had the greatest sorrow with the loss of his oldest son - Leland. Ivrin still did a little farming and lived on various farms in the South Shore area. Ivrin and Lydia than moved into the town of Florence, SD where they lived until Grandpa Ivrin passed away in 1957. Ivrin had always been an avid hunter, he loved to walk down to Cottonwood Lake that was located to the west of their farm, to hunt and trap. Grandpa Ivrin walked many miles while checking his traps. On one of his last trips, a reloaded shotgun shell accidentally blew up. Some of the buckshot pellets were lodged in his face, so he had to be taken to a doctor in Watertown to have them removed. That was one of his last hunting trips.
It is unknown when Ivrin first started playing the violin, but it was always a favorite pastime for as long as he lived. Ivrin played his violin often and one of his daughters would chord in on the piano. He would always encourage his children to stand around the piano and sing along. Ivrin’s grand-daughter, Phyllis Tweeton, bought his violin, when Lydia sorted through some of her possessions, before giving up her home. Ivrin was an avid reader; he would sit and read from "Ridpath's History of the World Encyclopedias" by the hour.
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Ivrin loved to reminisce, sometimes about his younger years and then about any timely subject. He would talk to his children, grandchildren to anyone who wanted to listen to his many stories. “Many of us are sorry that we should have listened to more of Dad’s stories, we could have had a wealth of knowledge of the things that we search for today,” a quote from his daughter Mabelle (Rislov) Nelson.
Many was the time when there was a good baseball game going on. Sometimes it was just the family and other times it as with the neighbors and Ivrin was always out there with the kids. Not long before he passed away, he was visiting one of his daughters homes, they wondered where he had gone, someone looked out in the yard and there he was, out with the children playing ball. Grandpa was right behind the catcher, calling all the plays. Ivrin died November 1, 1957 and was buried in the Bergen Cemetery northwest of Watertown, SD in the Florence/South Shore area of the farming area where he and Grandma had lived.
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 | Wanda, Inez, Inez & Lawrence in 1961 |
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Esther & Ted Docken in 1957
Melvin, Ted, & Hardwick Docken in 1959 |  |
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After Ivrin died in 1957, Lydia moved into Watertown and she kept her own home. She had been active in the Ladies Aid at the Bergen Church, north of Watertown but later became a member of the Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown. Through the years, she had helped bring many children into this world. She was a helping hand to many including her own children. She loved all of her children and grandchildren as did Ivrin. She would always do special things for birthdays and other special days. Whenever there were family gatherings, she always provided prizes, encouraged games and entertainment especially for the children. After Ivrin died she spent much of her later years visiting her children’s homes. Lydia started to have eye and other health problems and after her last eye surgery, Grandma Lydia and her doctor made arrangements for her to enter Jenkins Methodist Home, where she spent the last eight years of her life. Occasionally she would go out to family homes, where she always enjoyed visitors. Her favorite pastime was crocheting; she made hundreds of pot-holders and doilies besides other things that adorn all of family members’ homes. Because of arthritis, she was in a wheelchair for the last years of her life. She was very alert mentally until the last few days and she would have been 94 on her next birthday. Grandma Lydia passed away on October 12, 1983 and is buried beside Ivrin in Bergen Cemetery in the Florence/South Shore area of South Dakota. Blessed be the memories of both Grandma Lydia and Grandpa Ivrin Rislov.
Ivrin S. Rislov was born on January 17, 1880 in Sherman, SD and died on November 1, 1957 in Florence, SD.
Lydia Charlotte Docken was born on April 19, 1890 in Sherman, S.D and died on October 12, 1983 in Watertown, SD.
To marriage of Ivrin and Lydia Rislov on December 29, 1909 - nine children were born, namely:
Hilma Senora: February 18, 1912 – May 29, 1999
Olga Myrtle Elvira: May 18, 1913 - June 1, 2004
Leland Ivrin: January 16, 1915 – October 23, 1936
Esther Sylvia: January 30, 1917 – November 10, 1980
Alda June: June 15, 1919
Mabelle Jeanette: February 13, 1922
Wallace Stanley: October 8, 1924
Donald Dwain: June 13, 1928
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