The Prairie Princess

2012 Oil on Old Barn Wood
24″ x 23″ unframed
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On Christmas day, 1889, Gunda Mellumbraaten was born in Norway.  Losing her mother while still a baby, she was raised by her aunt and uncle.  At sixteen she fell in love with Lars Borg, they married a year later, and eight children were soon born in the house built by Lars. In 1911, when just 22 years old, she, Lars, and the six surviving children embarked on a small cattle boat  for Liverpool, England. They would then take a passenger ship to America, where her brother and two of Lars’ brothers lived.  Enduring a foot of water in their cabin caused by high seas’ breaking the portholes, they discovered their second ship was also badly damaged by the same storm and unable to sail. Thus, they set sail for Quebec, Canada, from which they traveled by train to Sault St. Marie and entered the U.S.  Lars worked as a carpenter in Minnesota, where another daughter was born, until they were finally able to move to Montana in 1913, first to Sidney then on to the Fairview area, where they took over the homestead of Gunda’s deceased brother.  Six more children were born after their arrival in Montana.  Our princess was Edith, child number fourteen, born on October 25, 1920.  The painting shows the female part of the family walking home from Sunday service at the Scandinavia Lutheran Church, a half-mile away from their home.  The other three young ladies are Gerda, Thyra, Anna, and Ruth with Nellie still to be born four years later.  When she could take time from parenting, cooking, and gardening, Gunda crocheted and knitted.  Princess Edith’s fine attire was surely hand-made by her mom, Gunda, while the regal carriage must have been created by her father, Lars.