Pembina County ND Obituaries and Death Notices

Welcome to North Dakota Genealogy Trails

Pembina County, N.D.
Obituaries and Death Notices

H.D. Borden
H.D. Borden, formerly clerk of court of Pembina county and well known in this city, died at Borden, Cal, on the 3d inst. [12 Nov 1893; Grand Forks Herald - Sub. by K.T.]

William H. Moorhead

PIONEER DEAD
William H. Moorhead Died Yesterday Morning at His Home In Pembina.
HAD BEEN ILL SIX MONTHS
And Underwent a Surgical Operation Here About Two Weeks Ago.
Mr. Moorhead was One of the leading Characters in the Early Settlement of the Valley and was a Typical Frontiersman —"High Water Bill" was the Name by which He was Best Known— The Funeral Occurs Tomorrow.

Pembina, N.D., July 3.—(Herald Special)— William H. Moorhead, better known during later years as "High Water Bill," died at his home in this city this morning, after an illness extending more or less over the past six months. This sobriquet he gained by his numerous prophecies as to just how high the water in the Red river would rise each year, and, be it said, his predictions were usually not far astray. As an incident in this line - it is said that this spring, before the snow melted, as he was lying in his bed on the lower floor of his house talking "high water" to a visitor, he reached down abont half way on one of his bed posts and said. "You'll see the water up to this spot when the snow melts," and his prediction was verified. He refused to be carried upstairs until the water came in on the floor.
Wm. H. Moorhead was born in Freeport, Pa., Sept. 26, 1882. He left Pittsburg where he received a common school education, April 1, 1852, and arrived in St. Paul, a month later, where he worked at his trade—that of a carpenter—for two years. The summer of '54 and the following winter he spent at Sauk Rapids trading with the Winnebagos, when they were removed to Blue Earth county. He then returned to St. Paul and organized a company to lay out paper townsites in northern Minnesota and Red River Valley. In August, '57, he came to Pembina in company with Joe Rolette to build a store building for a trading post for St. Paul parties. He completed the building and remained as clerk to February, '58, when he made a trip to St. Paul with a dog train, not seeing a single house between the two points. He returned to Pembina soon after, having some fearful blizzard experiences on the way. On June 8th of the same year he left Pembina on a buffalo hunt and returned in August with 15 Red river carts laden with furs, hides and Pemican. After the high water of '61 which was the flood, according to his tell, he moved out to Walhalla. Here he lived on very friendly terms with the Indians until hostilities broke out which ended in the Minnesota massacre and because he refused to sell ammunition to the hostiles, he had to leave. He moved near Devils Lake and pursued his trading. In 1862 he married Lizzie Rivier, who with her five children still survives him. About this time he moved to Pembina, where he has since resided. Mr. Moorhead has long enjoyed the distinction of being the second oldest white settler in the valley. Hon. Chas. Cavileer, of this city, being the oldest having come in 1841. When the Historical society of North Dakota was created in 1895, Gov. Allin appointed Mr. Moorhead a member of it and he has collected considerable information for it since.
Mr. Moorhead was a typical frontiersman and a general favorite. The history of the Red River Valley would be far from complete without an interesting reference to a man who was known far and wide for his genial good nature, and interesting stories of the pioneer's life in the northwest. Mr.
Moorhead has been a member for years of Pembina lodge No. 2, A. F. and A. M., and the funeral, which will take place Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock, will be under the auspices of that order.
[July 04, 1897, Grand Forks Herald - Sub. by K.T.]

Mrs. George Roadhouse
Cavalier Resident Dies
Cavalier, N.D., April 17 -- Mrs. George Roadhouse, wife of the register of deeds of Pembina county, died yesterday. The funeral will be held tomorrow. [18 Apr 1918, Grand Forks Herald - Sub. by K.T.]

Harold A. Swenson
Fatal accidents in McKenzie and Pembina counties Wednesday and Thursday raised the North Dakota traffic toll for the year to 32, compared with 14 in the same period a year ago.
Latest victim was Harold A. Swenson, 21, of Park River, killed when a car went out of control and overturned on a county road near Leroy in Pembina County Thursday. Swenson died of his injuries about 5:10 a.m... [10 Apr 1958; Aberdeen Daily News - Sub. by K.T.]

Swizer
Died, at Pembina, infant child of Mr. and Mrs. J.K. Swizer
[11 Aug 1895; Grand Forks Herald - Sub. by K.T.]

Emil Wendt
Helped Open Up the New Country
Pioneer of Pembina County Died at His Home in Walhalla
Walhall, N.D. - April 2 - Emil Wendt, one of the Dakota pioneers is dead.
It was in 1868 that he first came to North Dakota, being detailed with others to take a drove of cattle and distribute them at Forts Abercrombie, Totten, Stevenson and Buford. He came to Pembina first while driving a mess wagon for General Hancock, who with Generals Sykes, Green and Hurlbert, were looking for a location for a post near the boundary line in 1869 and coming east from the Turtle mountains, they encamped on night at Walhalla. In the fall they returned to Fort Snelling where a majority chose Pembina for the new post, although General Sykes was favorable to Walhalla.
In 1870 Mr. Wendt brought the carpenters and laborers to Pembina to construct the barracks for the fort. On this trip, also, he came through Walhalla, thence northeast to near Morris, Man., and then south to Pembina, as the winter trail was impassable.
In 1871 Mr. Wendt received an honorable discharge from the army and went to Pembina to locate on land and took a quarter about five miles west of Pembina, where he lived until 1878, when his crop being destroyed by grasshoppers for two seasons, he came west and located on a claim on Sioux coulee, west of the John Ireland home. Later he removed again to a claim north of Walhalla and lived there a number of years, moving his family into town some eight years ago and following the business of blacksmith until some three years ago when his health failed so rapidly that he was forced to give up all work.
Mr. Wendt was a hard working honest citizen whom all trusted and respected. He married first in 1877 but his wife survived only a few years and later he married again. He has raised a large family of seven boys and five girls, some of the latter being married and all doing well. They are as follows: William Wendt and Mrs. James Brown of Winnipeg; Mrs. John Senior of Vancouver, B.C.; Mrs. Wm. Minieke of Perth, N.D. and Walter, Lee, Gus, Benjamin, Eleanor, Otto, Herman and Frank live at home. [[April 02, 1910, Evening Times - Sub. By K.T.]

BACK -- HOME