Amanda Ruby Rusten

  Research Notes:

1. Ancestry.com Public Member Tree 'dahl-portz owner dj1953' with last login on 29 Sep 2014
- copies of marriage licence; obits;


2. Amanda Obit: Published: The Daily Inter Lake
28 Apr 1971 Kalispell, Flathead, Montana

- born at Badger, Polk Co, MN;
- lived in MN in 1912;
- moved to Claresholl, Alta [Claresholm] in 1912 with family - her mother had died in 1902; her father **
- then to Columbia Falls, MT Iin1916
- 10 Mar 1925 married to John Brunner and they farmed SW of Columbia Falls
- survived by 2 sons, Lawrence and John R of Columbia Falls; 3 daughters, Ruby (Mrs James Steyee) of Devon [abt 20 kms east of Shelby; 2014 likely a ghost town or only a small rural community - google shows a Devon Lutheran Church, but only shows a few old buildings not used], Birdena (Mrs Preston Kimbrough) and Alice (Mrs Conrad Nelson) both of Columbia Falls


** Peel's Prairie Provinces - newspapers

Claresholm Review, 26 Apr 1911 and 5 Feb 1914; "report card" - Manda Rusten, grade 4


3. John Brunner Obit: Published: Kalispell Daily Inter Lake
22 Sep 1970 Kalispell, Flathead, Montana

- born at Columbia Falls, MT
- survived by wife Amanda Rusten, sons Lawrence and John R of Columbia Falls, daughters Ruby Steylee of Devon, MT, Birdena Kimbrough and Mrs Alice Kelsey


4. US Canada Border Crossing, May 1910 Port of Emerson, MB ... as linked by Dahl-Portz FT on Ancestry

- R A Rusten, age 39, farmer fr Minnesota going to Alberta
- Mrs Rusten, age 23, wife (2nd wife, Nettie)
- Manda Rusten, age 11, daughter
- Norman Rusten, age 1 (second page poor copy, part of the page is blocked off;

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1344/images/30928_0000395693-00811?usePUB=true&_phsrc=QeA228&_phstart=successSource&pId=1920508

Note: Richard A Rusten is recorded in MT in the 1910 US Census [Chouteau County, Montana], with the enumeration as of 15 Apr 1910 - no one else from the family is recorded.
Also Note: Richard died on 10 Jun 1912 at Sweetgrass, Toole County, Montana


5. Census Data

- 1900 - Badger Twp, Polk Co - with parents
- 1905 - Badger Twp, Polk Co - with father in the household of her grandfather, Anders Rusten
- 1910 - US Census 15 Apr 1910, Badger Twp, Polk Co, MN; ED 0185; sheet 1A; dw/fam 7 [enumerated on 9 May 1910]
Thora Sorum (ancestry index), female age 31 [1879] in Nor; em 1908 ???; married (but no husband is recorded); farm
.. dau Inga, age 7 b in MN [1903] ???
- brother, Martin Berg, age 24 [1886], single, born in Nor emigrated 1910 working as farm labor
[don't know who he is .... 5 May 2025
- Manda Rusten, age 11 b in MN; recorded as a 'boarder'
1910 ... https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/images/31111_4330239-00642?usePUB=true&_phsrc=QeA229&_phstart=successSource&pId=13262156

... it seems that Thora Sorum's surname was Sveum - living with her son, Peder Sveum age 36 b in MT - 1950 US Census at Sweetgrass ..
she died 1955 and funeral at Sunburst, Toole Co [about 20 + kms south of Sweetgrass [obit Cut Bank Pioneer Press, 3 Nov 1955 - see Newspapers.com] ... appears that some of Thora's family had used Berg as surname for awhile. Her name in the 1910 US Census is likely a transcription error.

I have no explanation of why Amanda, aka Manda, was staying with Thora in 1910

Note: Richard Rusten is recorded in Beatrice Twp, Chouteau Co, Montana and is recorded as married, Farm - own farm; his new wife, Nettie and son Norman are with Nettie's parents in Woodside Twp, Polk Co



1911 Canada Alberta, District MacLeod; sub-district 26; Claresholm

- page 13, line 19 - Amanda Ruston, age 12 born Mar 1899 in USA; servant; emigrated in 1900 ??? [ they came in 1910 ] in home of ???? - ancestry has it indexed as Jean Parr - but copy (on ancestry and Lib Canada) very poor quality and very difficult to read the head of household and Amanda's relation to head of household - almost looks like "domestic ..."

but - no Richard or Nettie or Norman indexed for Claresholm or for MacLeod District

1916 Canada Alberta, District MacLeod; sub-district 39, Twp 11, Range 28 - likely east of Claresholm
as of 1 June 1916

- A .... a (could be Amanda) Rusten, age 17, born in USA ; servant/housekeeper in Leith (maybe Keith) Maxwell and his wife Mary born in US but of Scotish Nationality

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Migration - 1910, May 1910, Alberta, Canada. ¹¹⁶⁸ R A Rusten and his 2nd wife and daughter Manda crossing into Canada at Emerson, MB with designation of Alta (Alberta)

2. Residence - 1940, 1 Apr 1940, Kalispell, Flathead Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹¹⁶⁹

Amanda married John Brunner on 10 Mar 1926 in Kalispell, Flathead Co, Minnesota, United States.¹¹⁶³ (John Brunner was born on 29 Sep 1893 in Columbia Falls, Flathead Co, Montana, United States,¹¹⁶³ died on 20 Sep 1970 in Whitefish, Flathead Co, Montana, United States ¹¹⁶³ and was buried in Conrad Memorial Cemetery, Kalispell, Flathead Co, Montana, United States.)