DID YOU KNOW……..

A look back at early area history as found in the archives of the Enderlin Historical Society and Museum ……… by Susan Schlecht

This week’s information comes in part from The Enderlin Centennial Book 1891-1991, pages 198-199, concerning the family history of Christ O. and Christine Velline. You will learn which famous performer had family roots in the Enderlin area.

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Christ Velline was born January 5, 1874 in Balestrand, Norway to Ola K. Sjotun Velline and Brita B. Thue. He was educated in Norway and worked on his father’s farm until 1892 when he and a sister, Synneva, came to America. For several years he engaged in farming and merchandising in Horace, Minnewauken, Hatton and Gardner. In 1900 Christ married Christine Fimreite Thompson in Fargo. Christine was born at Sogndal, Sogn Norway in 1875. She came to America in the late 1890’s.

Christ came to Buttzville in 1903 where he was associated with the Andrews and Gage elevator and the William H. White Lumber Company. He opened a general store which was in business until 1929 when he moved to Fargo. He was postmaster at Buttzville and became a citizen in 1904. The family attended West St. Olaf Church near Enderlin. Christ and Christine were the parents of eight children: Oscar Theodore, Willard Ferdinand, Albert Bennett, Christ Jr., Sydney Rolland, Aagot Bernice, Douglas Horace and Harold Bentley. Two of the sons, Christ Jr. and Willard, were graduates of Enderlin High School in 1923. The sons lived in town in one of several boarding houses during the winter months because daily travel home was too difficult.

Another one of the sons, Sydney, who was musically talented, later became the father of the famous concert performer and recording star Robert Velline better know as Bobby Vee. Sydney was born December 29, 1907 in Buttzville. He married Saima Tapanila and they had three sons, William (Bill), Sydney, Jr., and the now-famous Robert.

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Sue’s Comments: Even though Bobby Vee himself did not reside in rural Enderlin, I am sure the country schools and West St. Olaf Church were instrumental in development of the musical talents of the early Velline family and possibly enjoyed some of their talents. For those too young to have heard the story, Bobby Vee got his lucky break and became one of the longest lasting of the teen idols of the early Sixties when he and his brother Bill and his band, the Shadows, filled in for the late Buddy Holly on February 3, 1959 after Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash on their way to a concert in Moorhead, MN. Bobby was only fifteen years old at the time of the Moorhead concert. Bobby would go on to place thirty-eight songs in the Billboard top 100 charts, six gold singles, fourteen top forty hits and two gold albums. Among the most famous songs of Bobby Vee are “Susie Baby”, “Devil or Angel” and “Rubber Ball”. On June 20, 1999, Bobby was presented with The Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award by ND Governor Ed Schafer. Further information can be obtained at the following website: www.classicbands.com/bobbyvee.html