Marit Olsdtr Kveto was the last of the children born at Bekkelund (farm home), in Østre Slidre (kommune), Slidre (parish), Østre Slidre (sub-parish), Valdres (valley), Oppland (County), Norway. After she was born they moved to Kveto. She was baptized and confirmed a few miles away at the Hegge Stave kirke in Hegge, Østre Slidre, Valdres valley, NO. This church was built before 1327 when it was first mentioned in written records.

Marit was thought to have emigrated to America when she was 16 (1898). But, according to the US Census of 1910 she immigrated in 1899 so that is most likely her arrival year also. Her oldest sister Bertha Olsdtr (Berit in Norway) had immigrated about 1895 and lived in the Fargo, ND area. Both of them dropped Kveto and used Olsen as their last name.

Bertha was married to Carl Hegrenes (Johannes' older brother). Marit's brother, Andreas (Andrew) lived in America from 1901 - 1920 and then returned to Norway.

Johannes had emigrated to America in 1897 at the age of 20 and found employment farming. He and Marit met at the home of Carl and Bertha. They were married December 1, 1900 and lived in the Fargo area. In 1904 they moved to Silverton Township, Pennington County, MN to homestead.

Johannes and Marit returned to Norway, soon after they were married, with the possible intention of staying there but decided to return to America via Philadelphia, doing so on July 11, 1901. Their daughter Hazel (Oden) learned while visiting their original farm in 1986, that John tried plowing some virgin (unplowed) land. (Hazel was shown the ground, 85 years later, that they had attempted to plow and it was as they had left it.) Marit was pregnant with Selma before they returned and gave birth to her in October, 1901.