Ellen Stoeser (Nellie M. Lynch) was born in 1871, “about the time of the Chicago fire,” near Grand Meadow, Minnesota, to Irish immigrant parents. Her father fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, while his brother served in the Union army. The family lived in southeastern Minnesota before coming to North Dakota, homesteading in Elm Grove Township in Grand Forks County. Stoeser taught at rural schools in Grand Forks County and near Williston, North Dakota. She attended Mayville State University, Valley City State University, and the University of North Dakota. After retiring from teaching, she traveled across the country. Her memoir Saga of a Prairie Teacher (1950) details her life and teaching career.

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Pioneer Life