North Dakota

The real story behind North Dakota's most famous ghost: The Gray Lady of Sims

Published

2 months ago

October 30, 2024

The real story behind North Dakota's most famous ghost: The Gray Lady of Sims

FARGO — When she was a child, Kari Dordal Christianson, of Elk River, Minnesota, remembers hearing stories of how her grandmother Bertha died young and was buried in a remote cemetery in western North Dakota. The rest of Bertha’s family — her husband and three young children — moved east following her death.

“I used to think how lonely it must be that Bertha was alone in that cemetery with no one visiting or caring for her grave,” Kari said.

Although Bertha’s grave marker — inscribed with “Mrs. L. Dordal, May 19, 1880 – May 8, 1917” — was rarely adorned with flowers lovingly placed by family, the nearby town of Sims never forgot her, and for some, it felt as though she never really left.

To them, Bertha is “The Gray Lady of Sims,” a ghost who still walks the church and parsonage in the dark of night.

Bertha Dordal trained to become a nurse at the Lutheran Deaconess School of Nursing in Chicago and later worked at an orphanage in Lake Park, Minnesota. While in nursing school, she met Anna Dordal, who introduced Bertha to her brother Lars, whom Bertha would marry in 1908.

Contributed / Kari Dordal Christianson

As another Halloween rolls around and eerie tales are spun of vengeful spirits, shadowy figures and restless souls crossing over from the great beyond, please understand that this is not one of them.

This ghost story is more sweet than scary. But one that still attracts visitors to this once-thriving town 47 miles southwest of Bismarck. The story has been told for more than 100 years, but not always accurately.

Bertha’s granddaughter, Kari, and grandson, Mark, visited Sims years ago and uncovered some of the truth about their mysterious grandmother and the legacy she left behind.

Sims, North Dakota, was founded in 1883 off the Northern Pacific train route. Coal mining and the town’s brickyard helped the population swell to more than 1,000 people within a couple years.

In 1884, Scandinavian immigrants — 35 men and eight women— built the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church and parsonage to house the minister who would lead the thriving congregation.

I like this one.jpg — The Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sims and its parsonage were built in 1884 and are the only remaining inhabitable buildings in Sims. First Lady Laura Bush once visited on a tour of historic churches in 2008. It remains an active and vibrant church community serving neighboring towns with services every other Sunday.

From 1916 to 1918, Rev. Dr. Lars Dordal, his wife Bertha, and their three young children, Raymond, Adeline and Harald, lived here.

The Dordals had answered the call to Sims (and nearby Almont) from Madison, Wisconsin, where Lars was serving as a pastor for a congregation. While there, Bertha contracted tuberculosis. They figured a change of climate in western North Dakota might help restore her health.

They moved to North Dakota in the fall of 1916. Lars’ brother, Rev. Jacob Dordal, wrote of them: “Joyous and happy, they undertook their work there. The congregations were also happy and thankful for the young and active minister and family God had sent to them.”

IMG_0882 (1).jpg — Rev. Dr. Lars Dordal with a confirmation class at Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church.

However, the disease slowly took its toll on the beloved pastor’s wife. Bertha soon was too weak to play the church organ or head Ladies’ Aid.

In 1917, just shy of her 37th birthday, she died.

Less than a year later, Lars remarried a woman named Clara, who had been hired to care for the Dordal children. (Over the years, several newspaper stories, magazine articles and books have reported that Clara was Bertha’s sister. She was not. Kari believes the confusion came because, for a time, Lars’ sister Anna cared for the children. The stories have also incorrectly reported dates the family was in Sims, as well as the age at which Bertha died.)

The Dordals left Sims in 1918. Lars eventually became a long-serving pastor in Larimore, North Dakota, where he and Clara added two more children to their family.

Harald at Bertha's funeral.jpg — Bertha Dordal’s funeral in Sims, North Dakota. She left behind her husband and three children: Raymond, 6; Adeline, 4; and Harald, 2. Kari Dordal Christianson, Harald’s daughter, believes he is the young boy in the white collar at the bottom right of the photo.

In the years after the family left, parishioners suspected Bertha hadn’t gone anywhere.

They heard footsteps when no one was there, and the organ played, even years after it had been removed from the church.

Was Bertha, once again, playing beautiful hymns for her congregation?

Olga Nelson lived in the parsonage with her pastor husband in the 1930s. She said she used to see “a gray shape upstairs.” Tuberculosis victims often have a gray pallor to their skin.

The term “gray lady” was born.

Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church, built in 1884, is believed to be the oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River. Reports of the former pastor’s wife, Bertha Dordal, walking the halls and playing the organ have been heard for years.

While the name “gray lady” might sound ominous, the reports of Bertha’s hauntings tell a different story. She is described as a warm-hearted and gentle spirit, known for covering guests with blankets on chilly nights, opening windows when the air was stuffy, and gently opening and closing cupboards to show where things belong.

As the years passed, the sightings of Bertha’s ghost continued, as Sims became a ghost town.

By 1946, Sims had lost most of its population. Today, the remains of a few old homes can be seen on the landscape. But the only inhabitable buildings are the church and parsonage.

The boom was over, the railroad moved, the post office closed and Sims was all but deserted, except for the beloved church and parsonage, which still served people in the neighboring area. It continues to serve the region today as an active church community with services held every other Sunday.

The church is also frequently visited by curiosity seekers, paranormal investigators and others who have heard the legend of the Gray Lady of Sims. It is even listed on

North Dakota’s Official Tourism Department website.

While tourists come to Sims to see the Gray Lady, the Gray Lady’s granddaughter hadn’t even heard about Bertha until 1988, when she read an Associated Press story about her in The Forum.

Kari said her father, Harald, knew the story but didn’t talk about it much.

Screenshot 2024-10-03 160433.png — Rev. Dr. Harald Dordal worked at Concordia College from 1947 to 1977. After he retired, his daughter said he gave presentations to his Kiwanis club about his mother Bertha Dordal being one of North Dakota’s most famous ghosts.

“The only mother he knew was his stepmother, Clara. So, I think he was protective of Clara’s role in the family,” Kari said. “Clara absolutely was our grandma.”

Harald, like his father, became a pastor and reverend doctor, serving congregations and later working in Concordia College’s education department.

Through his job, Kari believes Harald traveled to Lutheran congregations in the area, including Sims. Her assumption is backed up in William Jackson’s book “More Dakota Mysteries and Oddities.”

In it, Sims historian Sig Peterson said that, around 1960, he went out for coffee with Harald Dordal and a few other pastors in Sims.

“One of them told us about his first call in western North Dakota when he had to leave on account of a ghost,” Jackson wrote. “That’s when Harald told him the ghost was his mother!”

Kari said after her father retired from Concordia in 1977, he spoke more about his mother, the ghost.

People report seeing windows open and shut in the parsonage and seeing a gray shape walk up the stairs at the Sims Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church.

“He became very active in Kiwanis, and that was one of the stories he did for one of their meetings — ’I’m the son of the Gray Lady of Sims,’” she said, laughing.

She said her father had a sense of humor about the ghost stories; however, he and others in Bertha’s family were sometimes frustrated by inaccuracies and misinterpretations of Lars and Bertha’s life together.

“He liked ghost stories, but I’m not sure he necessarily believed in ghosts,” Kari said.

In 2014, Kari and her brother Mark, who lives in Moorhead, decided to visit Sims to learn about their grandmother Bertha, the famous Gray Lady of Sims.

“The stories we heard when we were in Sims was that this was a very kind person. She loved to hear children sing, and because she was a nurse, she would bring blankets to people at night when they were cold. Those were the kinds of things we heard, that she was a kind, benevolent kind of ghost,” Kari said.

H. Mark Dordal and Kari Dordal Christianson visited Sims in 2014 to learn more about The Gray Lady of Sims.

Two of the people Mark and Kari met in Sims had seen or experienced Bertha’s ghost in some way. But they didn’t have the same luck.

“Unfortunately, Bertha did not choose to come and greet her grandchildren. We tried!” Kari said with a laugh.

Even so, the trip to Sims, which she recorded in dozens of photos, was a win.

“We heard all kinds of loving stories about Bertha,” she said. “There was a lot of love.”

Not everyone will believe ghost stories — scary ones or sweet ones like Bertha’s. But for the Gray Lady’s granddaughter, that’s OK.

The Northern Lights shine over the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sims in the early morning hours of Oct. 11, 2024.

“I would say that there’s a part of that end of existence, or existence in a different realm, that I absolutely do believe,” she said. “I think there are things that I don’t understand.”

While she didn’t meet her grandmother, it was comforting to see that Bertha wasn’t alone in that cemetery in Sims, after all.

IMG_0858 (1).jpg — A view from the Sims cemetery to the church and parsonage below.

“I saw that it is well cared for and well-loved, and it’s the most gorgeous, peaceful, beautiful cemetery that I’ve ever seen,” she said.

Bertha’s meticulously kept grave rests on a hill overlooking the church where, on this Halloween, 106 years after her death, she could still linger. A lucky few might see or feel her presence. The luckiest few — those who spend a chilly night in Sims — might even feel the warmth of an extra blanket.

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North Dakota

8 Most Unconventional Towns In North Dakota

Published

6 hours ago

January 2, 2025

Press Room

8 Most Unconventional Towns In North Dakota

Everyone who has ever visited North Dakota can rightly say that it is one of the friendliest states in the US. After all, the Sioux word “Dakota” means “friend” or “ally,” and even the International Peace Garden right at the US-Canada border encapsulates the friendliness that the state provides. Of course, you will also come across a handful of the most unconventional towns in North Dakota that are both amicable and unusual in their attractions. Whether you are admiring the romance of President Theodore Roosevelt’s life in Medora or taking pictures of animal statues in places like Walhalla, Garrison, or Jamestown, the most unconventional towns in North Dakota will prove to be rather accommodating and exhilarating a destination for newcomers to the state.

Walhalla

Downtown Walhalla, North Dakota. Image credit: Andrew Filer via Flickr.com.

Walhalla may be a Norse paradise for slain Viking warriors, but the small town of Walhalla is a heavenly destination on the banks of the Pembina River. The Gingras Trading Post State Historic Site is a popular tourist attraction in Walhalla, as it was once a former trading post from the 1840s that a Metis legislator and businessman named Antoine Blanc Gingras utilized to improve both his business and his community. There is also the Kittson Trading Post, which an agent of the American Fur Company named Norman Kittson handled in 1843. Beyond the quaint historical monuments to Walhalla’s past, you will come across several notable areas of interest for you to explore, such as Pembina Gorge, the Tetrault Woods State Forest, and the Tetrault State Forest Lookout Point. If ever you are interested in spending a longer vacation in Walhalla, then you ought to first book a room in one of the town’s beautiful lodgings, like the Forestwood Inn.

Jamestown

The World’s Largest Buffalo Monument in Buffalo, North Dakota. Editorial credit: Ayman Haykal / Shutterstock.com.

Many will be proud for visiting “The Pride of the Prairie,” the town of Jamestown. Dakota Thunder, a 26-foot-tall buffalo statue, is considered the World’s Largest Buffalo and an immortal guardian and mascot for the thousands of grazing buffalos dominating the James River and Pipestem River as well as the prairies surrounding Jamestown. The National Buffalo aims to protect these majestic herds while also providing informational histories and documents regarding American bison. Every year on the month of June, Jamestown celebrates the beloved Kite Fest where people can send their kites soaring into the sky. Meanwhile, on the next month of July, the James River Rodeo attracts hundreds of newcomers with its festivities and entertainment. Since Jamestown is only midway between the big cities of Bismarck and Fargo, you will find the place a convenient stopover to the many other wonders to find in North Dakota.

Valley City

The Sheyenne River Valley shelters the unconventionally beautiful town of Valley City, which is about 60 miles away from the city of Fargo. Gundy the Triceratops, a popular prehistoric mascot, welcomes visitors who are out on an adventure in the Sheyenne River Valley. The Barnes County Museum chronicles Valley City’s contributions to local agriculture in the valley, while the Camp Sheardown State Historic Site and Fort Ransom State Park offers more insight into Valley City’s development. Lake Ashtabula and the Sheyenne River are delightful loci of interest for those enthusiastic for wading about. Then there is the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway which provides panoramic routes of the Sheyenne River Valley and the surrounding landscapes of Valley City. There are plenty more surprises to discover in Valley City, even in quaint lodgings like the AmericInn, Grand Stay, or Three Oaks Guest Inn.

Bottineau

Spring, summer, autumn, winter—these four seasons can all be appreciated in “The Four Season’s Playground” of Bottineau. A plethora of perennial activities can be experienced from foothills of the Turtle Mountains all the way to the border of Canada, among them the Mystical Horizons which are also known as the “Stonehenge of the Prairie” due to the enigmatic arrangement of stones in the place. Lake Metigoshe, Lords Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and Pelican Lake are some of the many outdoor landscapes you can traverse and see dozens of North Dakota’s bodacious wildlife. The Pride Dairy is widely known for being the last small-town creamery in North Dakota, while Tommy the Turtle is a gigantic turtle on a snowmobile which you can take selfies or groupies of at your leisure. Should you ever get exhausted from all the seasonal travels, then keep yourself safe and sound in fine accommodations such as the Turtle Mountain Inn or Cobblestone Inn & Suites.

Devils Lake

Devils Lake is both a town and a lake just across the Spirit Lake Reservation of North Dakota. It is undoubtedly one of the best destinations to go boating, kayaking, and fishing in the state. Furthermore, the town promotes a handful of scenic trails and treks in places like the Grahams Island State Park, the Devil’s Lake State Park. and the White Horse Hill National Game Preserve where elk and bison graze. Fort Totten is an excellent spot for you to immerse yourself in the history of the Lake Region and in Devil’s Lake specifically. The Lake Region Pioneer Daughter’s Museum, likewise, details much of the pioneer and military expenditures that Devil’s Lake was part of. Aside from Devil’s Lake, you might also fancy strolling the strands of Lake Alice or Dry Lake. In the end, you ought to rest for the evening in either the Devil’s Lake Sportsmans Lodge, Devil’s Lake Inn, or Fort Totten Trail Inn in preparation for a new day of adventure in Devil’s Lake.

Minot

Minot, a small town reminiscent of the Scandinavian countries in Europe, is just an hour away from Devil’s Lake. The Scandinavian Heritage Park contains a number of cultural and historic features from each of the nations of Scandinavia. For example, you will find a windmill similar to those in Denmark, a sauna akin to those in Finland, a stabbur (storehouse) from Norway, and a Dala horse from Sweden. On the other hand, Minot is also home to the Dakota Territory Air Museum where American aircrafts used in World War II are on full display. The Roosevelt Park Zoo is home to many exotic animals, most of whom have been rehabilitated at this very site. Finally, the exquisite lodgings of the Sierra Inn, the Hotel Revel, and Hyatt House will keep you satisfied and comfortable on your vacation in Minot.

Medora

President Theodore Roosevelt was certainly a great man who surmounted many challenges and difficulties in his career. But even a giant of a man needs a little simplicity in his life, and for him he found “the romance of his life” in the small town of Medora. It was beside the Little Missouri River that President Roosevelt raised cattle in the Maltese Cross Cabin, which continues to inform visitors more on Roosevelt’s simplistic lifestyle. The badlands of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park are abundant with wild elk, prairie dogs, and bison which you ought to be mindful of in your wanderings. The Perception House is an unconventional abode designed to create illusions, in stark contrast with the Von Hoffman House which offers a clear and precise illustration of how Medora became a prosperous small town beside the Little Missouri River. For those of you curious to see Roosevelt’s romance of his life, you should first book a room in places such as the Rough Riders Hotel, Hyde House, or Wooly Boys Inn for a merrier stay in Medora.

Garrison

Garrison, located at the northern strands of Lake Sakakawea, is lauded for being “The Walleye Capitol of the World” due to its abundance of walleye fish in the area. Only about 47 minutes from Minot, visitors to the Walleye Capitol of the World can admire a statue of a walleye fish called Wally the Walleye that represents the bountiful and prosperous fishing community in Garrison. Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon are two excellent spots for you to go fishing for walleye and other fish species around Garrison.

In the past, the town was known for being a coal-mining center, which the Custer Mine Interpretive Site elaborates, specifically on the nearby Truax-Taer Mine, which you can explore. Additionally, you can go exploring the Heritage Park & Museum as well as a 1905 train depot for more insights into Garrison’s past. As the town’s name implies, there is also a bit of military history for you to see in the Fort Stevenson Guardhouse. Last but not least, the North Shore Inn & Suites and Garrison Motel are two examples of excellent lodgings you can find in Garrison.

Almost 90% of all of the United States’ honey comes from North Dakota. As such, you might come across vast hectares of honeybee hives and farms in the most unconventional towns in North Dakota. There are plenty of fishes to find in Garrison, buffalos to admire in Walhalla, and even a statue of a giant turtle riding a car in Bottineau. Most importantly, there are unique cultures and etiquettes to admire in Nordic-themed towns like Minot and resplendent communities such as Devil’s Lake and Valley City. Travelers from far and wide will all feel as welcome as friends in the friendliest state in the US.

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North Dakota

Letter: Thank you for keeping the election running smoothly

Published

14 hours ago

January 1, 2025

Press Room

Letter: Thank you for keeping the election running smoothly

Thank you to those who made North Dakota’s general election run smoothly. I participated as a voter and a League of Women Voters of North Dakota election observer. The poll workers I encountered carried out their duties diligently and professionally. Without their hard work and that of those behind the scenes, November’s election would not have been possible.

By participating as an election observer, I had the awe-inspiring experience of seeing Fargoans come together and cast their ballots. The election observer program is an important initiative of LWVND, a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding voting rights. It enhances the transparency of North Dakota’s elections and aims to identify areas for improvement. In November, more than 60 volunteers monitored election sites throughout the state. Their feedback was then compiled and submitted to county auditors.

Fortunately, the LWVND election observers found few major issues, and election inspectors addressed several of those problems on Election Day. Resolving these issues reinforced the integrity of the election process and allowed those legally eligible to vote.

As the election observer program expands, I encourage you to volunteer for the general election in 2026. Visit the LWVND website (

www.lwvnd.org

) to see how. Or sign up at the Secretary of State’s site (

www.sos.nd.gov/elections/voter/be-poll-worker

) to be a poll worker.

Kate Bladow lives in Fargo.

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North Dakota

5 North Dakota Stories to Watch in 2025

Published

22 hours ago

January 1, 2025

Press Room

Members of Legislative Management meet on Nov. 13, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota will start the new year with a lot of unfinished business from 2024.

Many of the state’s biggest stories from last year — including those related to taxation, abortion and incarceration — remain unsettled. State leaders could reignite public discussion of these issues as early as the 69th legislative session, which starts Tuesday.

Here are five state government stories to watch this year:

Property taxes

The ballot measure to eliminate property taxes based on assessed value put a spotlight on the property tax issue in 2024. Although it failed in the statewide vote, Measure 4 got the attention of legislators.

Expect several bill drafts related to property taxes in the 2025 legislative session that starts Tuesday. In November, Legislative Council reported it had already received dozens of requests to prepare bill drafts related to property taxes. Gov. Kelly Armstrong has also repeatedly said that property tax reform will be one of his administration’s top priorities.

Abortion

A judge last year struck down North Dakota’s law banning most abortions, declaring it unconstitutional.

In a September order, South Central Judicial District Court Judge Bruce Romanick found that women in North Dakota have a right to seek abortions until the point of fetal viability.

Summit pipeline

In 2024, Summit Carbon Solutions successfully obtained permits for the portion of its carbon dioxide pipeline and storage area planned for North Dakota. But the Iowa-based company still faces appeals from two North Dakota counties and a group of landowners.

Higher education

Bismarck State College, Dickinson State University and Lake Region State College will all be looking for new presidents in 2025, and the North Dakota University System also will be looking for a new leader.

Chancellor Mark Hagerott, who oversees the 11 colleges and their presidents, is stepping down at the end of 2025.

Inmate population

North Dakota’s prison system has been over its capacity for men since July 1, 2023, resorting to using county jails and a waiting list for some prisoners to get into a state facility.

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