According to the 2020 census, Fingal, North Dakota, has a population of just 92 people. Alma Hollanitsch, however, remembered a time when Fingal was a thriving community of more than 300 residents. On this date in 1996, one month after celebrating her 100th birthday, Alma was interviewed. Her memory was still sharp as she reflected on a long life closely connected to Fingal.
Alma was born in Fingal on December 31, 1895, to Martin and Ada Olson. Martin, originally from Wisconsin, and Ada, from Canada, married in Buffalo, North Dakota, in 1893 and soon moved to the newly established Fingal. The Soo Railroad founded Fingal in 1891, the same year the town’s first post office opened. Martin opened a drugstore in Fingal and operated it for 60 years. Ada served as Fingal’s postmaster for 20 years and later ran the drugstore for several years after Martin’s death.
Alma fondly recalled life in early Fingal. The family’s first car was a Ford with no windshield, making for dusty rides. Each Fourth of July, farmers paraded their finest farm equipment through town. She also remembered milestones like the arrival of electricity and the town’s first telephone line.
Alma completed three years of high school in Fingal and spent her final year in Valley City, commuting home by train on weekends. Encouraged by her mother to continue her education, she graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1917. Alma taught high school English in Devils Lake, Valley City, Duluth, Minnesota, and Rock Springs, Wyoming.
In 1926, Alma married George Hollanitsch. Early in their marriage, the couple purchased the former Congregational Church in Fingal and converted it into a home, where Alma lived for the next 67 years. George worked at the Fingal State Bank throughout his career. After his death in 1955, Alma served on the bank’s board of directors until the age of 95.
Alma moved to Fargo in 1994 and passed away in 1997 at 101 years old. Fingal has grown quieter over time. The high school closed in 1979, and the elementary school followed in 2000. As of 2026, the town still supports a post office and a few churches. The bank where George Hollanitsch worked continues to operate today under the ownership of Hometown Community Bank.
Dakota Datebook by Trista Raezer-Stursa
Sources:
- Associated Press. “Low Enrollment Forces Fingal School Closure,” The Fargo Forum, May 26, 2000, pg. B2.
- Author Unknown. “About Hometown Community Bank,” Hometown Community Bank. https://secure.hcbmn.com/Pages/history.html, accessed January 6, 2026.
- Author Unknown. “Alma G. Hollanitsch,” The West Fargo Pioneer, April 16, 1997, pg. 6.
- Author Unknown. “Martin Olson, Fingal, Dead,” The Fargo Forum, September 19, 1948, pg. 8.
- Author Unknown. “Mrs. M.N. Olson Dies in Fingal,” The Fargo Forum, April 9, 1964, pg. 19.
- Carlson, Nick. “Enjoying the Good Life in Fingal,” The Fargo Forum, July 14, 1989, Farm Section, pg. 1.
- Gilmour, Deneen. “A New Year’s Treat for Alma,” The Fargo Forum, December 28, 1995, pg. B1.
- Haux, Coreen Stevick. “Fargo Centenarian Makes the Most of Each Year,” The Fargo Forum, January 30, 1996, Generations Section, pg. 6.
