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.

MABEL GRAVLEY & "Scrappy" from Lyon County, Minnesota

While compiling Mabel's story, I have had the wonderful advantage of being in contact with her second daughter, Ruth. She has been a great help to me in writing her mother's story accurately. Ruth told me that she and her sisters knew that their mother had a pony, but not the details of the pony contest. Thanks, Ruth, for all of your help.

Mabel Amanda Gravley was born on February 11, 1901, and was the youngest of five living children (two boys had died.) Her three sisters and one brother were all older than she--Sarah (b. 1887), Otelia (b. 1888), Oscar (b. 1891), and Hannah (b. 1893.)

Mabel's father, Brygnel, was born in 1861 in Norway, and immigrated to the United States when he was ten years old. His wife, Bertina, was born in Wisconsin in the year 1862, and the couple married in 1886. From the 1900 census to the 1930, the family is always listed as living in Murray County, which is directly south of Lyon County. I do not know why this discrepancy occurred.

Mabel's parents lived long lives in their family home. Her father died in 1940, at 79 years of age; and her mother, Bertina, had just celebrated her 98th birthday when she passed away.

Unknown Girl, Nephew
Raymond, "Scrappy" & Mabel



Little Raymond in the photo is Mabel's nephew, and he was born in 1913. Raymond was the only child of her sister, Otelia, who died when Raymond was two years old. Mabel spent a great deal of time with little Raymond, so it is not surprising that he is seen riding "Scrappy."

Mabel was a country school teacher for many years after high school, sometimes boarding away from home. In the 1930 census, she is listed as living with her parents and brother Oscar who is 38 years old.

In 1933 Mabel married John Edwin Oppen who was eighteen years her senior. They had three daughters, Ramona, Ruth and Shirley. Sadly, John passed away on June 17, 1942, leaving Mabel to raise their three young girls, then ages 9, 7 and 5. Mabel was a woman with courage and faith. She wrote in a letter to her sister describing how tough life was after her husband's death, but stating that she wasn't going to worry, because it was a sin to worry.

Mabel and the girls stayed on the farm for a few years after John's death, but eventually moved to Washington state in 1948. Mabel's older sister, Hannah, had moved there some years earlier. The sisters were close and wanted to be together, besides Mabel hoped to find work there. She eventually did find employment at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard near Seattle. The two families were able to spend a good deal of time together. Big sister, Hannah was also a widow and had a daughter, so they must have had much in common.

Mabel's three daughters all married and stayed in Washington and are now in their 70s. To date, Mabel has six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild on the way.

Mabel Amanda Gravley Oppen lived a long life and passed away at the age of 88 in 1989.

Mabel ends her letter with, "This is my story, this is my song, praising my pony, all the day long." Mabel had substituted the word "pony" for "Savior." The famous, blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby wrote these words, and died the same year that Mabel won her pony, 1915.

Mabel's entire letter and both photographs can be seen on pages 156-157 of  The Farmer's Wife Pony Club Sampler Quilt.