Bettie Sandeen - Ulseth
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Betty Sandeen, came from Sweden to the US when
she was seven, and finished her schooling in
Minnesota. She often said that she was glad that
her first teachers had insisted that she learned to
make the English "th"-sound correctly. At the age
of sixteen she took a six-week Teacher's Training
Course and taught school for two years. This
background was a big help to her children when they
started school.
Bettie married Kristoffer
Ulseth in Minnesota and they had 4 children in
the United States and the others were born in
Alberta. They were married in May 1905 and lived on
a farm near Hill River until they emigrated to
Canada (Veteran, Alberta) in 1914. Chris'
brother-in-law persuaded him by saying that it was
"prairie"-land and needed no clearing. "Just hitch
your team to the plow and you're in business."
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Chris travelled to Canada in 1913 to apply for a
homestead. This meant registering on a quarter section, 160
acres. To "prove his claim" on his homestead he would have
to live on the land and within three years produce a crop on
it. The 1/4 section would then be his. Betty followed Chris
in 1914 but later told that she had missed the woods and the
wild fruits that was so plentiful in Hill River.
They had four children when they made this move to
Canada. At first they lived in a small shack, but soon began
planning for a larger house. In was built in stages and
finished in 1926. When Dean, the ninth of eleven children,
took over the farm he moved this house into Veteran and his
family grew up in it.
Chris was an even-tempered, patient father. He and Bettie
were well respected in the community and were often called
to other homes to give help and comfort in sad and difficult
times. From the early days Chris had to do his own
blacksmithing, harness and machinery repairs. There were
good years and bad with hail, frost, drought and the
depression. Through it all they had the satisfaction of
having their own home and the will to survive.
Chris' spiritual life changed when in 1895 he was
converted to an evangelistic faith. A few years later he
experienced a new spiritual dimension through the
Pentecostal church which gave him a joy that would be a part
of him for the rest of his life. In Minnesota he visited
various assemblies, with Carl Carlson, preaching and
sharing. In Canada most of his Norwegian neighbours were
also Pentecostals, meeting in each others homes, and Bettie
and Chris found instant support in their faith. Chris was
active as an Elder and Leader for many years.
Bettie became widely known as a midwife and practical
nurse. Many times women came to their home for their
confinement.
Also her kindness and compassion were appreciated by many
old bachelors in the sickness and in health. Bettie died of
cancer in Dec 1948 after fighting the disease for nine
years. Chris lived with Myrtle and Jack after Betty's death.
He died of congestive heart failure and pneumonia in
1955.
Bettie and Chris had eleven children.
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