SELMA DILLBERG & "Bud" from Lyon County, Minnesota

Lyon County, located in southwest Minnesota, was named after General Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed in the Civil War.

Selma Isabell Dillberg, the winner of "Bud" was the youngest of seven children. Her father Swan (b. 1858) and mother Dorothea (b. 1855) both came from Sweden. Her older siblings were born in Illinois, but Selma was born in Minnesota, so they must have recently moved there. The family made their home in Coon Creek Township.

Lyon County, Minnesota

The Dillberg family is really very interesting, but a bit complicated to explain. Some random thoughts...

First of all, their names changed...a lot! Brother Evest is also Fred; brother Ernest is also Cernent; sister Gertrude is also Yarda; and Selma is also Zelma. In that era it was more common for the family to stay in one area, but not so with the Dillberg clan. I have found death records for the family in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Boise, Idaho; Los Angeles, California; and Nicolette County, Minnesota.

I wonder if the Dillberg parents enjoyed having a full house more, or an empty one. It seems that it was either feast or famine for them. In 1900, they lived with their seven children, the oldest being 19. In the 1910 census, all the children were still at home, along with Mr. Dillberg's widowed brother Adolph and his two motherless children, Josie, age three and Robert age one. A 21 year old female boarder finished out their family, for a total of thirteen people.



In the 1920 census when the parents were in their 60s they lived alone. By 1930, however, their home was full again. Their household included, daughter Gertrude and her husband Ollie and their three daughters ages 11-15. A nine year old grandson, Keith Dillberg, is also listed. 







Selma, "Bud" and Friends

 Now back to Selma. She was born on May 25, 1899. In the 1920 census we find that she and her sister Rose are boarders in Minneapolis, Minnesota, about 150 miles from their Lyon County home. The next ten years must have been trying for her. I wish I knew her story. In 1921 she became the mother of a son, Kenneth (Keith) Girard while she was still in Minnesota. I could not discover the first name of her husband or how long they were married.

In 1930 she was living in Los Angeles, California, and is the wife of James Donald Bellor. I was unable to find if she had any children with Mr. Bellor. Selma died on January 13, 1947, in Los Angeles, California, never reaching her 48th birthday. Her son too, died very young, at just 46 years of age.


Selma thought “Bud” was the best present in the world. Here is a portion of her letter. “When I want to go to a picnic, I take my little pony and drive him. He takes the buggy right along as easy as can be and he is as kind as a kitten. I take my pony to town for groceries sometimes and sometimes I take my mamma out for a ride in the afternoon. One day mamma and I went six miles and I thought that 'Bud' would be tired but he did not get tired or lazy.” 

Selma's complete letter and two photographs can be found on pages 22-23 of The Farmer's Wife Pony Club Sampler Quilt.