The life of Mrs. Martha (Sebby) Tweet has exerted an influence which has been uplifting as well as sympathetric upon those whom she came in contact. As a valuable companion of her husband, during the days of his early struggles in the uncultivated sections of Minnesota, she has proved to be a woman of rare wisdom, firm convictions and true sympathy. The success attained by her husband was attributed byhim to the efforts of his wife, whose presence and advice lent inspiration to his business endeaavors. Those who have had the good fortune to know Mrs. Tweet, speak of her as a woman whose life was full to the brim. Her usefulness has extended along various lines until she can truthfully be classed with those women whose descendants "rise up and call her blessed".

   The birthplace of Martha Sebby was twenty miles north of Bergen, in Norway, where she was born on the 27th day of March 1847. She was the daughter of Torger and Otilda Sebby, both of whom were natives of Norway, the former being born there on October 7, 1807, and the latter born September 17, 1815. Torger Sebby had a life-lease on the farm where they lived in Norway, which meant that the farm belonged to him as long as he lived, but after his death it would go back to its original owner. Knowing this, he realised that after he died his family would be left without a home, and, decided to go to America. In 1869, after selling their personal property, they left their home in Norway and sailed to America, locating in St. Croix county, Wisconsin, where Mr. Sebby bought 40 acres of land and where he and his wife spent the sunset years of their life.

   In 1870 Martha Sebby became the bride of Peder Tweet, who was a native of Norway, and came to America on the same boat with the Sebby family. Mr. Tweet worked in the Pineries of Wisconsin until 1871, when he came to Otter Tail county, where he bought eighty acres in section 30 of Erhards Grove township. (E 1/2 of NE 1/4 of section 30.) from [sic] one Peter Grina. His brother-in-law Jacob Sebby had settled in Erhard Grove [sic] township the year before and had written him about the wonderful farming country in Otter Tail county.

   In the spring of 1872, Mrs. Tweet and their two small children, John and Sarah, in company with Knute Gilbertsen, his mother and step father and the Knute Anderson family started out for Erhards Grove. They had three covered wagons drawn by oxen. This was during the month of June, and strawberries were plentiful. Every time they camped they picked strawberries, practically living on them the entire trip. They were three weeks and three days on the road. Fergus Falls and Elizabeth were only small villages at that time. There was no Village of Erhard as that village was not platted until 1882.

   When Mrs. Tweet arrived at their farm in Erhards Grove, which was a wilderness with only a few acres under cultivation, she found a small log shanty, with only one room, and the barn was made of logs with hay for a roof. There was a hole in the floor of the house where the cat and dog crawled in and out, and once, while the Tweet family were away, a skunk crawled into the house, and was there when they returned. They waited outside until the skunk left the house, which was late that night.

   It was in the capacity as a farmer's wife that Mrs. Tweet proved her greatest worth. She and her husband were obliged to live in the log house for several years, until they were able to erect a frame house. Their log house is still standing on the farm, a landmark of the early privations endured by the pioneers. After their struggles had terminated in enjoyment and prosperity, Mrs. Tweet lost her husband in 1915. He and his wife were devout members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and among its first members.

   To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Tweet the following children were born: John, Sarah, Amabda, Christina, Martin, Elling, Peter, Theodore, David, Anna and Andrew.

   After the death of her husband, Mrs. Tweet remained on the farm with her son John for several years, then retired to the Village of Erhard, where she is now living. Mrs, Tweet is now 93 years of age, and is still enjoying good health.

   During her lifetime she has seen many remarkable improvements--the development of the Northwest from the wagon trail days to fine highways, and airplanes as a means of travel; the changing of the Red River Valley from frontier towns to triving cities with finely equipped farms dotting the country side. She has lived to see the tremendous improvements in communication facilities and the invention of the radio, submarine, electrical equipment and many other achievements of modern science. The century in which she has lived is one of marked progress.

Interviewed: Mrs. Peder J. Tweet.
Dated: July 26, 1939.
"Information collected and compiled by Works Projects Administration."
C.M.