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Manuscripts by Subject - Family / Local History - #11218

Title: Elmer Osking Family Film

Dates: 1939-1959

Collection Number: 11218          

Quantity: 2.25 feet         

Abstract: Consists of fifty-six 8mm home movies, Castle Films News Parades, and two audio reels. The home movies contain footage of Hatton (N.D.), parades, aerials, football games, American Legion events, dedication of Eielson Air Force Base (Alaska) and family celebrations. Carl Ben Eielson house featured throughout films. The Castle Films New Parades (check for copyright before use) feature news stories during World War II until the 1954. The audio reels contain audio from the dedication of Eielson Air Force Base and memorial (Alaska). Elmer Oskings's wife was Elma Eielson Osking, sister to Carl Ben Eielson.

Provenance: This collection was donated to the State Historical Society by Eileen Mork on April 25, 2014.

Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.

Copyrights: Copyrights to this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs.  Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code or an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements is needed.

Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.   

Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Mr. Elmer Osking was born in Minneapolis (MN) on October 29, 1894 and attended school in Minneapolis (MN) and at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh (PA).  He served in the U.S. Army during World War I. He came to Hatton (ND) in 1919 and was manager of the Thompson Yards for several years.  He married Elma Eielson on August 23, 1920 in Moorhead (MN).  Elma was born on February 7, 1893 in Hatton (ND); she was the daughter of Ole Eielson and Olava Baalson.

In 1921, Elmer, together with R.S. Dean organized the Dean-Osking Potato Co.  He also served as president and manager of the True Foods and Potato Sales Co., of East Grand Forks and founded the Watertown Potato Co. at Watertown, South Dakota.  He spent several years in Florida where he managed the Florida Foods Co., at Belle Glade.  Mr. Osking served as mayor of Hatton for several terms and was a former director of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank of Hatton for many years.  He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, the Hatton Fire Department, of Garfield Masonic Lodge of Hatton, Carrol O. Flesche Post of the American Legion of which he was a past commander, the Hatton Civic Club, the Grand Forks Elks, and Scottish Rite Bodies in Grand Forks.  Elma was active in the Eastern Star, the American Legion Auxiliary, the St. John Lutheran Church and its ALCW, and was a founding member of the Hatton Eielson Museum Association.  She had represented the Eielson Family Home on official and social functions.

Elmer passed away on December 26, 1959 at the Veterans Hospital in Fargo (ND) after a two-year long illness.  Elma entered into rest on March 12, 1982 at the Tri-County Nursing Home in Hatton (ND).  Elmer and Elma had three children: Eileen (Kendall) Mork, Elmer Jr., and Ben.

Eileen Mork was born in 1921.  She married Kendall Eugene Mork on July 10, 1945.  Kendall was a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II.  His plane was shot down over Austria and he became a Prisoner of War from January to July 1944.  Kendall farmed east of Hatton (ND) and was an elected Director of the Garrison Diversion Project and National Diversion Project and National Water Resource Board. He was a founder of the Golden Lake Development Project and active in the formation of the Hatton Improvement Corporation.  Kendall was a member of the American Legion for 55 years.  Kendall died on April 3, 2001 at the VA Hospital in Fargo (ND). Eileen is a retired home economics teacher at the Hatton Public Schools.  Eileen and Kendall have three children: Kristi, Kendall II, and Kari.
 
Elmer Osking Jr. was born on May 5, 1926.  He was a veteran of World War II, he served in the United State Navy in the Pacific.  After returning from the war, he and his father worked in a canning business in Florida.  Then he returned to Hatton to work as a painter and carpet cleaner.  He was a member of the St. John Lutheran Church and the Carroll O. Flesche American Legion Post.  He passed away on August 30, 1986 in Northwood (ND).

Ben Eielson Osking was born in 1930.  He lives in Marathon (FL).

SOURCES
Hatton Free Press, December 31, 1959
Hatton Free Press, March 17, 1982
Hatton Free Press, September 12, 1986
Hatton Free Press, April 12, 2001

INVENTORY
11218-00001       Home Scenes 1: 1939: Contains street scenes of Hatton; parade; swimming in lake; Eielson House; fashion show; dogs; trains; cars; baseball; picnic; WPA/CCC dam in river; Hatton High School, Hatton (N.D.) 1939
11218-00002       Home Scenes 2: 1939-on: Contains Eielson relatives; Minneapolis; farming gathering hay for threshing; turkeys; Eielson house; Andrerr H. Stavens homestead; flower gardens; Eileen Mork's husband in World War II military uniform; piano; soldier in front of house; wedding; fishing, Hatton (N.D.) 1939
11218-00003       Home Scenes 3: 1939: Eileen at Mayville Teachers College; football game; wedding; race cars; Austrian winter peas; Dean Osking Co. loading on train; aerial of Hatton and Red River Valley; Memorial Day processional at cemetery, Hatton (N.D.) 1939
11218-00004       Osking Family Trip - western United States; features Deadwood; Rapid City; Mount Rushmore; Salt Lake City; Independence Rock, Rapid City (S.D.) June 1939
11218-00005       Osking Trip West #2 - Zion National Park; "Great White Throne; Zion"; Boulder Dam and Lake Mead; Movie star homes: Ginger Rogers, Preston Foster, Dorothy Lamour, George Rafor, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Hotel, Mary Pickford's "Pickfair", Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny, Robert Montgomery, Fanny Brice, George A. Hormel (meat packer), Gary Cooper, NBC Studio, etc. Grauman's Chinese Theater; Santa Monica (Calif.) June, 1939
11218-00006       Osking Trip West #3 - Amphibian Airplane taking off; airplanes at Catalina Terminal; ship loading freight; Battleship Nevada at St. Pedro Harbor; Ping Pong; Gambling Ship "Rex" at Santa Monica; San Francisco; Chinatown; World's Fair; race track; orange and lemon groves in Filmore (Calif.) for packing June 1939
11218-00007       Osking Trip West #4 - World's Fair; outdoor drama; Crater Lake; Ben Halvorsen and wife; Red Bluff, Calif.; going through Oregon and Washington; Mrs. Ed Argall and Charlie and Ellenburg, (Wash.); sawmill           June 1939
11218-00008       Osking Trip West Coast and Florida Spud Friends - Mountain west; finding bears in park; dam; potato field at Fort Meyers (Fla.); "Florida growers"; seed potatoes from Dean Osking Company; Miami (Fla.); planted fields with Osking seed potatoes; title cards identify specific growers and fields in (Fla.) planted with North Dakota seed potatoes from Dean Osking Company              1939
11218-00009       Service Film I - Philip at his home; Alton Teie and Philip; Carl Stenbahl; Russell Ofsthage; Martin Salish; Walter Green and Andie Thompson; Roland Hegg; Sanford Stanson; Byron Sorenson; Harvey Arneson; Vaugh Champcaux?; Elliott Paulson; Kenneth Greene; Robert Lee; Donald Thurneau; Orvis Pederson; Orville Vall; Earl Stanens; __ Huldahl; Eugene Anderson; Donald Tolefson; Armisd Degenes; Eddie Hanson; Lief Erickson; Maurice Nuss?; Bill Dean; Steve Iverson; Marris Postvelt; Bob Aaker; Kenneth Havson; Gladys Amundson; Geb Morrey; Orville Bye; Ray Nelson; Parkanen; Edrime Finstad; Eidan; Nelson   Hatton (N.D.)     1940
11218-00010       Service Film II - John Glasrude funeral; Kendall Meade; Reingvald Aahn; Kenneth Guen; Green Family; Willard Sorenson; Elsworth Buran; Bill Dean; Fargo Camp; Ole Iverson; Rudolf Tobinson; Marvin Paulson; Robert Olson; John Wamheim; Arthur Tweten; Don Burker; Hamit Thompson; Elnor Thuneau; Norris Holmen; Rucher Aasen; Ruben Ber___; Numass; Tiddy Afsthaje; Carl Studahl; Holis Ahelin; Roger Beck; Kenneth Kordahl Hatton (N.D.) n.d.
11218-00011       Service Film III - Betty Olson; Yvonne Wastweidt; Winnie Anderson; Duane Beun; Artis Tweeten; Alma Anderson; Elmer Osking Jr.; Kendall Mork; Clyde Curriers; Luke Tucker; Aaker; David Green; Nick Norgaard; Marvin Paulson; Elliot Paulson; Charles Zwisk        Hatton (N.D.)     1940
11218-00012       Home Scenes #6 - Hatton football game, 1940; Men's Night at P.T.A., silly costumes, Feb. 1941; people outdoors, picnic, swimming in lake, fishing; flowers; aerial view of Hatton and area          Hatton (N.D.)     1940
11218-00013       Shrine Parade in Duluth, 1940; Rapid City, SD; Air Show, 1948; After parade, there are service men at a base, military band, ceremony, military airplanes; cars on fire, fire department in action; family shots  Rapid City (S.D.) 1940-1948
11218-00014       Fishing trip - Canadian fishing trip, May 18-23, 1940; "Pilot" Elmer (Jelly) Smith; "Crew": Dr. J.J. Stratti, Grand Forks, ND; Dr. J.W. Brooks, Lancaster. MN; Gilbert "Gibb" Becken, Lancaster, MN; George Dahl, Lancaster, MN; Clarence Rustad, Neyes, MN; P.C.C. Wagner, Grand Forks, ND; John Ryan, Grand Forks, ND; Albert Hipp, Minneapolis, MN; Lester Thilen, Minneapolis, MN; "Photographer" Elmer Osking, Hatton (N.D.); Starting at Vermillion Bay (Ont.), we travel 26 miles by water on Lake Eagle to Winnange portage between Lake Eagle and Lake Winnange, where cabin in located Ontario May 1940
11218-00015       Spud scan - potatoes being inspected and sealed; sacks of spuds being stacked 1940
11218-00016       Westhope four row-planting potatoes - potatoes being seeded; loading seed potatoes; filling planter; seeding; working field (plowing, disking) n.d.                     
11218-00017       Potato Farming Operation #1 - Dean Osking Co. Potatoes; Growers; Shippers; Brokers; presents growing and processing of the far north Hatton (N.D.)     1939
11218-00018       Potato Farming Operation #2 - digging; picking; handling potatoes; placing into potato house; sorting; sacks of potatoes being stacked; certified seed potatoes being hauled away by steam locomotive; other harvesting scenes - grain bingers; brief clip of corn field; combine, swathe; threshing machine       Hatton (N.D.)     1939      
11218-00019       American Legion birthday party Hatton (N.D.)     1939
11218-00020       Church (1940-1942) - Choir picnic, 1940; Choir Christmas, 1941; Junior in choir; David and Punkie; Fauske reception; David alone; Fourth of July picnic, 1942 Hatton (N.D.) 1940-1942
11218-00021       City II - John and Dad; Ellen Gunderson; Mink format Baudette; Toto and Vick Hauelstade; Ralph Peterson of Phoenix and C.S. Anderson; road out of Finley (ND); Delta Kappa Gamma; Brekke Kiddies; Red Cross; Snow storm; Flood on 81 and Lincoln Drive; David Lauske; Cyclone, 1943; Mom's 1943 birthday; Minnie Brun (Breen?) 1943; Dr. Ralph Syrdahl; Auxiliary Jan, 1944; Finstad baby; Memorial Day Parade, 1944; Pheasants (baby) 1944; Aleliah Saliah's coffee party, 1944; Mrs. P.R. Syrdahl, 1944; Rev. Moss family and guests Hatton (N.D.) 1943-1944
11218-00022       Hot Springs, Ark. scenes; race track; Hot Springs National Park; film of town, streets, etc.; Home scenes; school play; Swedes graduation, 1944; Basketball team Hatton (N.D.)      1944
11218-00023       Christmas 1945-1950       Hatton (N.D.)     1945-1950
11218-00024       Home Scenes #4 - Sunshine Club; Legion Auxiliary; Hanna and Ray; Betty Thompson; Party at home; Hatton parade, 1947; Commercial canning; Hatton Diamond Celebration parade, 1947    Hatton (N.D.)     1946-1947
11218-00025       Home Scene #7 - Ben's confirmation; Eileen and Kendall; Florida; Paul Wagoner lake cottage; Lake Julia, Bemidji, MN in July 1939 Hatton (N.D.)   July 1939
11218-00026       Smith family; Potato digger; field of potatoes; row of sacked potatoes; digger lifting potatoes; loading sacks of potatoes on truck       1952                      
11218-00027       Uncle Smith's Florida; Africa USA; Florida vacation pictures; shots of African animals at 1953         Florida  1953
11218-00028       Tulley Turk, Florida; house of the Tulley Turk's resort/hotel pool area; people in street scenes    Florida  1953
11218-00029       Belle Glade; Cyprus Garden; Ben in Army; Les Smith  Florida  1951
11218-00030       Florida 1947-1950
11218-00031       Florida 1947
11218-00032       Eastern Star Style Show                1950                      
11218-00033       Fishing 1950; Herb Hjelmer, John 1950
11218-00034       Home Scenes #5 - 1948: Bucker wedding; snow and flood; Ben's graduation party; Carl ___; skiing 1949; Swede and Dorothy wedding; Trip to Florida Hatton (N.D.) 1948-1949
11218-00035       Washington and Mackinac Island; Home flower; Silver wedding; Melvin Pederson Washington   1949
11218-00036       Kristie; Ben's wedding   Hatton (N.D.)     1950
11218-00037       Cuba; Key West   n.d.
11218-00038       Cuba; rural scenes ca. 1930-1940
11218-00039       Alaska #1 - includes group in front of Eielson Public School; McCord Air Force Base; Eielson Memorial Building; Eielson Air Force Base ceremony with speakers; Carl Ben Eielson monument Alaska       1957
11218-00040       Alaska #2 - shows Eielson memorial and entrance to Eielson Air Force Base; Yellowstone National Park and other stops in Montana, Alaska   1957
11218-00041       Nassau, Bahamas; Ray and Hannah; Elma Osking 1957
11218-00042       Duluth; Two Harbors; Kakabeba Falls; Port Williams; Boat and Zoo; mining of iron ore Duluth (Minn.)       n.d.
11218-00043       Miami, FL 1952 Shrine Parade Miami (Fla.) 1952
11218-00044       Alaska   n.d.       
11218-00045       Christmas  Hatton (N.D.) 1939-1944
11218-00046       Florida, 1952 - Ken, Eileen; Parrot Garden
11218-00047       Castle Films - News Parade 1937-1938
11218-00048       Castle Films - News Parade 1939-1940                   
11218-00049       Castle Films - News Parade 1941-1942                   
11218-00050       Castle Films - News Parade 1943-1944                   
11218-00051       Castle Films - News Parade 1945-1946                   
11218-00052       Castle Films - News Parade 1947-1948   
11218-00053       Castle Films - News Parade 1949-1950   
11218-00054       Castle Films - News Parade 1951-1952                   
11218-00055       Castle Films - News Parade 1953-1954                   
11218-00056       Castle Films - News Parade 1955              
11218-00057       Castle Films - Commercial Film U.S.S. Panay         1938                      
11218-00058       Official Films - News Thrills of 1942 Vol. 1  1942                      
11218-00059       Official Films - 1943 Vol. 1             1943                      
11218-00060       Castle Films - Movie Headlines   n.d.                       
11218-00061       Castle Films - News Parades - 155.  MacArthur liberates Manila  1945
11218-00062       Castle Films - News Parades - 153.  Rome falls to Allies and Invasion of Fortress Europe 1944                       
11218-00063       Castle Films - News Parade - 147.  U.S. Marines captures Tarawa               1943
11218-00064       Castle Films - News Parade - 146.  Italy surrenders 1944
11218-00065       Castle Films - News Parade - 139.  Battle for Tunisia!  Surrender at Stalingrad 1939
11218-00066       Castle Films - News Parade - 141.  Yanks bomb Tokyo 1942
11218-00067       Castle Films - News parade - 133.  Midway - Coral Sea Battles 1942
11218-00068       Castle Films - Kiko the Kangaroo - Paul Terrytoons - 783.  Red Hot Rhythm March 5, 1937
11218-00069       Audio recording of Eielson Memorial dedication Alaska   July 12, 1957
11218-00070       Audio recording of Eielson Memorial dedication Alaska   July 12, 1957

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