This house was built in 1946. The first owners were Simon and Leora Lee. Simon was a full Norwegian born in Wisconsin. He was a very early resident of Bemidji. His marriage to Leora Edmond took place in Bemidji in 1909. Mr. Lee was engaged in construction work and helped construct the Paul and Babe statues on the lakefront and the Fireplace of States. His wife Leora Lee died Feb 16, 1959. He died in 1972.
They had eight children. Helen, Edmond, Dolly, Grace, Faye, Harry, Manfred, and Richard.
Helen married Joe Walters. Manfred Lee died on Aug 2, 1923, only three years old. Their son Edmond Andrew Lee was just a schoolboy when he died of complications following scarlet fever on Aug 7, 1923.
Dolly married Harry Schussman.
Faye Lee married Pete Strowbridge. She died in 1968, and Pete married her sister Grace.
Grace Lee married Charles Koenig. After his death in 1967, she married Pete Strowbridge on July 19, 1969.
Mrs. Florence Gillman lived here from about 1964 to her death in 1976. She and her husband farmed in Dassel for twenty years and then moved to Nebish in 1938 where they lived until moving to Bemidji. Edward Gillman and Florence were living in this house in 1964, according to the city directory. In 1967, they were joined briefly by their son Howard, his wife and son Perry, when he was transferred by the Minnesota Highway Department from Willmar to Bemidji. They intended to purchase a home in Bemidji. Edward Gillman died in 1968 and Florence lived here as a widow. Mrs. Gillman hosted the Missionary Sewing group of the Baptist church here in 1971. She died Oct 1976 in the hospital at Hibbing. Her daughter Viola Mohawk lived in Hibbing.
Vacant (1977) A burglary was reported to the police by Gary Mohawk. The residence was broken into by smashing in the back door sometime between March 8-13, 1977, when the house was vacant. A stereo, color TV, and food were taken and were valued at about $400.
Regina Gonshorowski, a student, granddaughter of Alexander Gonshorowski, owned the house in 1978.
Alexander Gonshorowski (1984-1994) He lived in Bemidji for about ten years. He moved to Moorhead about 1994 and died there at the age of 92.
Changed owners in 1996
Clayton and Ruby Madson owned it from 1996 to at least 2003. Clayton moved to Bemidji In the summer of 1966 and worked for C.D. Haugen as a truck driver until he retired in 1991 so it was during his retirement that he lived here. He died in May 2000. Ruby lived in the house until at least 2002, possibly as long as 2005 when the house changed owners again. They were the parents of four sons, Jerrald, Ronald, Chris, Steve and a daughter Jodi, who married Lyle Lortie.
Elizabeth Kangas lived here in 2005-2007. Ashley Elliot lived here from 2006-2007. It is currently a rental home.