The front page of the Bismarck Tribune dated May 5th, 1949 tells the sad story of my grandmother Clara's mother Gertrude 'Gerda' (Miljander) Nelson's sudden disappearance from the family home in Bismarck one late evening in early May of 1949.

Pictured on the front page of the newspaper is my Aunt Dian Marcella (Boutrous) Erickson looking quite uncomfortable at almost nine years old. Her birthday was only four days away. Also to the upper right is her mother Clara Amelia (Nelson) Erickson looking bothered at the ridiculous situation presented at her door. Some seriously sensational bad newspaper work there. Lastly a photograph of their home on Jefferson Avenue in Bismarck, the house where this mystery started.

On the evening of May 1st, 1949, while Clara, Dian and Frank were out to the movies, Gerda for whatever reason walks out of the house, leaves the door unlocked and heads off towards the Missouri River. She was never seen again alive.

No specific reasons were ever uncovered, just theories and what-ifs. Gerda had lived a nice long life, raised her kids on the family farm in Painted Woods. She had lived to see her children grow up and have families of their own. From the time she arrived in Dakota in 1903 from Sweden till that day in 1949 she had seen and experienced a lot. Eighty four years in total, not bad for back then, forty six in Dakota and thirty eight in Sweden.

Gerda's husband Anders had passed the year before and from all one can guess she seemed to feel it was time. A sad tale no doubts for the family. I never discussed this with my grandmother or really for that matter anyone except my father. It was always an uncomfortable topic even in that.

On May 11th Gerda's body was found two miles south beyond the Memorial Bridge, floating down the middle of the Missouri River. Two young men, Frank and John Campagna spotted what they thought was a body and Frank swam out to be sure what they had seen was true. They then notified the authorities. That day brought an end to the mystery, but the reality was a tough one to deal with. The May 11th article is below.