The year 1914 gave way to pioneering moments; the first scheduled commercial flight took place with one pilot and one passenger, Babe Ruth made his Major League Baseball debut, the first traffic signal was installed. A little closer to home, the city of Fairview was established and Severt Sponheim was born.
The 68th Annual Fairview Festival kicks off Friday, July 18th and runs through the weekend. Severt Sponheim, celebrating his 100 year birthday on July 16th, was elected by Fairview Festival Committee to be represented on the 2014 Fairview Festival button.
Severt was born at home in Cartwright, ND by a midwife, affectionately called Grandma Bergie. The oldest of three, he described his childhood as “happy”. Time was spent hunting, fishing, swimming and playing baseball when not helping out on the family farm.
Cartwright, ND offered a mercantile, blacksmith, pool hall, delivery stable and 3 churches during Severt’s early years. The only way to travel to nearby Fairview, MT was by cable ferry across the river. Kids in the neighborhood proceeded to complete their high school years in Alexander, ND as the cable ferry was not a reliable source of year round transportation. Severt stayed at home after elementary school to continue working on the family farm.
Childhood memories flowed as Severt talked about the “Wishing Book”, the Hart-Parr Tractor, kerosene lamps, teams of horses and the Model T. A Sears Roebucks Catalog was called the Wishing Book. As Severt explained, “As you looked through the Sears catalog by kerosene lamp, we would say, ‘wish I had this and wish I had that’; that is why it was called the Wishing Book.”
Severt married the love of his life in 1938. Gunny and Severt had three children, 2 boys, Lyle and Dale, and a daughter, Arlene. They continued to live and farm in Cartwright. Through the years, they raised cattle, hogs, chickens and milk cows. Severt was known in the region as the “Community Mechanic”, a “Jack of all Trades”.
“When electricity was brought to the community it was like you came out of hell and into heaven”, laughed Severt. Electricity made every aspect of life a little easier. Homes were furnished with one single light bulb and one outlet. Severt’s talent of “Jack of all Trades” and his love of reading led him to be a self taught electrician. He then proceeded to help out friends and neighbors by wiring additional outlets and lights in their home.
Severt described himself as “kind of wild” in his younger years and shared stories of making dynamite while working in a coal mine with a friend, sitting on the drill box, jumping off running to the tractor when it arrived at the end of the field. He would turn the tractor around and then jump out of the tractor back to the drill box. He stated, “I lived this many years because I always had a guardian angel with me when I would pull crazy stunts. Also, I eat oatmeal every morning. That’s the secret to a long life.”
Severt worked on the farm and ran the tractor up until he was in his 90s. His passion for reading made him a world wide traveler through books. Three books Severt always had in his home were the Bible, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian. “Life is too short to read fiction” is one of Severt’s quotes his kids and grandkids cherish.
A poet, a farmer, an electrician, a plumber, a husband, father, grandfather - Severt Sponheim continues to support his friends and family and the town of Fairview through his knowledge, generosity and love of life. His only regret is not learning to play an instrument. Though, I would disagree. As we wrapped up the interview with Severt he belted into song, “The Strawberry Roan” by Marty Robbins. His voice, a strong tenor –a God given talent, the best instrument there is.
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