Henry Royal Kampen, John Kampen, George Kampen, Albert Kampen, Fanny Kampen, Carrie Kampen, and Annie Kampen.

Here is an excerpt from the 1976 County History Book of South Dakota.

William Kampen family

William and Kate (Swalve) Kampen came to Dakota Territory in a covered wagon. They had been living at Holland, Minnesota and after their first crop was hailed out (after William had only made one round around the field cutting the ripe grain) they decided to try Dakota. They were greeted here by varied Dakota weather including a cyclone while living on a farm just West of the Kilborn Township Hall.

In 1888 they had lived at Marion, South Dakota and their oldest son Henry was four days old when the famous "Blizzard of '88" hit the area. William had gone into town for coal and beame lost in the storm on the way home. He turned his horses loose and crawled into a barn with some pigs to keep warm and to wait out the storm. In the meanwhile, Kate kept herself and the baby warm by staying in bed as the stove fuel was gone. They then moved back to George, Iowa for a time.

William Kampen was born at Adeline, Illinois January 1, 1859 and died at Corona, South Dakota September 14, 1943. During his lifetime he worked as a carpenter and farmed in several areas. He married Kate Swalve who was born at Silver Creek, Illinois December 13, 1868. She passed away on May 26, 1962 and both parents are interred at the Corona Baptist Cemetary. They were the parents of four sons: Henry, George, Albert, and John, who are all deceased, and three daughters: Fanny, Carrie, and Anne who reside in Milbank."

This photo and excerpt was submitted by William and Kate's great grand daughter Myla Johnson from Watertown, SD. This was from the family archives of Ardyth Ann Johnston, Myla's mother.