Bonanza Belle

In 1908, Carrie Amundson left her home and family in Spring Grove, MN, to follow her brother to North Dakota, where they both became employed on a bonanza farm. Carrie was in awe of the immensity of not only the farm itself, but the huge amount of machinery and manpower required to reap a harvest on these endless acres of wheat. She was also amazed at the amount of food and preparation it took to feed this horde of laborers. After several years of toiling in the bonanza farm's kitchen, Carrie married and moved to town. One tragedy after the other befell her and altered her life considerably. Eventually she found herself back on the farm, where her family lived and toiled during the Great Depression. Carrie was witness to many life-changing happenings, such as the coming of the telephone, the automobile, and rural electrification, which occurred in the first half of the century. Carrie changed from a carefree young girl to a grown woman of great depth and stamina. Her strong faith in God was evident in the way she reacted to happenings outside her control and how she lived each day of her life.