Edward and Elmer T. Lian Papers, 1969-1995

Collection Overview

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Administrative Information

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Edward Lian

The first series consists of two autobiographies written by Edward Lian.

Box 1

Folder 1: Autobiography: From Fjord to Prairie, 1972

An autobiography recounting his life from birth near Ringerike, Norway, to his later years in Fairdale, North Dakota

Folder 3: Letter: 90 Years of History, January 20, 1975

Lian wrote this letter on his 90th birthday.  In it, he looks back on many of the changes he has seen in the world during his life. Some of the subjects include farming, medicine, science, outer space, and socialism.

Series 2: Elmer T. Lian

The second series is the largest in the collection and consists of material written by and/or related to Elmer T. Lian.  This includes several publications related to Lian's experiences as a POW (Prisoner of War) in the Second World War, several autobiographical publications, an oral history interview and newspaper clippings.

This series also includes scanned copies of two underground newspapers from Stalag Luft I. "POW-WOW" was the official underground newspaper and contained news articles gathered from a hidden BBC radio at the camp. "BOW-WOW" was a spoof of the official "POW-WOW" and printed "only unreliable news." Both of these publications were gathered by Elmer Lian and scanned by his son, Steven. The scans are preserved on a Special Collections server and are available by contacting Special Collections.

Box 1

Folder 2: Prisoner of War: Germany - WWII, 1969

Preliminary Draft. The true story of Elmer T. Lian as a POW in Germany during WWII

Folder 4: Mentally Retarded: Outcasts of Society Volume I, 1973

Folder 5: Mentally Retarded: Outcasts of Society Volume II, 1973

Folder 6: Mentally Retarded: Outcasts of Society Volume III, 1973

Folder 7: Mentally Retarded: Outcasts of Society Volume IV, 1973

Box 2

Folder 1: USAF Prisoner of War: Germany–WWII. Volume One, 1973

Folder 2: USAF Prisoner of War: Germany–WWII. Volume Two, 1973

Folder 3: USAF Prisoner of War: Germany–WWII. Volume Three, 1973

Folder 4: USAF Prisoner of War: Germany–WWII. Volume Four, 1973

Folder 5: Carl Ott. The True Stories of Selected North Dakota War Veterans: North Dakota World War II "Dakota Demon"

Folder 6: Elmer Lian. The True Stories of Selected North Dakota War Veterans: A True Story of One Man, One Crew, and One Plane, in One of the Great Air Battles Over “Fortress Europe"

Folder 7: A series of articles in the Grand Forks Air Force Base Leader telling the story of Elmer T. Lian's battle over Europe and his experiences as a POW in Germany. Article from the Western Viking, a Norwegian-American Newspaper telling of Lian’s exploits (2 copies), 1983

Folder 8: Peder H. Nelson. Krigsflyver av Rineriksaett (1983) The story of the WWII activities of Elmer T. Lian printed in the Norwegian Historic Magazine Ringerike.

Folder 9: Elmer T. Lian. POW Picture Book, A collection of photocopies of photographs relating to WWII, Elmer as a POW, and his family (2 copies)

Folder 10: Photocopies of WWII photographs

Folder 11: Elmer T. Lian. The Great Depression Strikes the Prairie: Writer's Guide Instructions

Folder 12: Elmer T. Lian. The Great Depression Strikes the Prairie: Writer's Guide Instructions. (Revised Edition)

Folder 13: Elmer T. Lian. The Strange Saga of Dr. John Olaf Sethre as a Life Long Hermit on His Homestead on the Prairie in Western North Dakota

Folder 14: Interview by Elmer T. Lian. John H. Bosch: A Great American Agricultural Leader, August 28, 1974

Folder 15: Elmer T. Lian. Where Am I or My Place In the World. A questionnaire and information sheet dealing with the passing of familial information from one generation to the next

Folder 16: Charles E. Stabo. The Saga of the Great Depression

Folder 17: Elmer T. Lian. American Air Force Pilot, Prisoner-of-War

Folder 18: Elmer Lian. The True Stories of Selected North Dakota War Veterans: A True Story of One Man, One Crew, and One Plane, in One of the Great Air Battles Over “Fortress Europe”

Folder 19: Elmer T. Lian. North Dakota 100 Years: years of hope, years of progress, years of pain. Volume I

Folder 20: North Dakota 100 Years: years of hope, years of progress, years of pain. Volume II

Folder 21: North Dakota 100 Years: years of hope, years of progress, years of pain. Volume III.

Folder 22: Oral history interview with Elmer T. Lian, by Terry Hjelmstad, February 9, 1990

Folder 23: Elmer Lian. American Air Force Pilot, Prisoner of War: Germany–World War II

Folder 24: Elmer Lian. A True Story of One Man, One Crew, and One Plane, in One of the Great Air Battles Over “Fortress Europe”

Folder 25: Grand Forks Herald Articles, 1970-2001

Prisoner of War Writes His Story by Marilyn Hagerty, 9 September 1970

Prisoners of the Nazis by Darrel Koehler, 2 April 1995

POW hero Lian dies by Stephen J. Lee, 4 June 2001

Elmer Lian: 'An extraordinary man' (editorial) by Chris Breitling, 17 June 2001