Eminent Homemaker
County: Roberts
Marie (W. O.) Torvik was born on a farm near Spring Grove, Minnesota March 24, 1882. Her mother was a native of Norway, and her father of America. There were seven children in the family. Torvik obtained her schooling at home, unable to attend public school on account of her mother’s illness.
In June 1900, she married W. O. Torvik, who came from Norway in 1893 and homesteaded five miles north of Sisseton. The country was new, settlers were just moving in. There were many Indians. Their home was small and unplastered with only two rooms and a lean-to.
The Torviks bought and moved to their first farm home, one mile north of Sisseton in 1904. They had six children.
W. O. Torvik was educated in Norway and came to this country at the age of 22. He was active in the community and church affairs. He died in July 1933.
They were members of the Lutheran Goodwill Church of Sisseton. The children were baptized and confirmed in this church. The two younger children were members of the choir. Torvik taught Sunday school three years. She has held several offices in the Ladies Aid Society. As a member of the Mission Circle of the church, she helped raise money to remodel the church and parsonage.
Torvik takes an active interest in civic affairs. She has been a member of the Zenith club and the Home Extension club of Long Hollow for many years, holding different offices in these organizations.
Torvik has been a member of the Sisseton Chapter, Royal Neighbors of America, for 22 years.
She moved to Sisseton from the farm in 1940. Since then she has spent occasional winters in California. She attended the national meeting of Eminent Homemakers in Colorado in 1949 and in Mississippi in 1950.