Original article
In 1941, Herman Uden from Helena, MT, bought this Victorian house from Chuck Ellis. Originally from Minnesota, Herman served in the famed Rainbow Division under General Douglas McArthur in France. After returning home, he moved to Dickinson in 1928 to manage the J.C. Penney Store, and married Jennie Kittleson. In 1936, Herman became the manager of the J.C. Penney store in Hebron, ND.
When D.C. Mohr retired from his position at the J.C. Penney Store in Mandan in 1937, Herman moved to Mandan and took over as manager until he retired in 1957. The Uden family lived in this house from 1941-1987 until Jennie Uden, one of the four Uden sisters, passed away.
Ruth Uden, the oldest of the sisters enjoyed growing up in this neighborhood. She worked at the Purity Dairy during the summers after she graduated from Mandan High School in 1951. Her sister Jean worked at the soda fountain in the Mandan Drug during high school.
One of Ruth’s childhood memories includes an ice skating rink that use to be in an empty lot where the St. Michael’s Catholic Church now stands. There also was a barn north of the rink that belonged to J.D. Allen, where Ruth and her friends would look into the windows at all the birds and animals that were being mounted and run.
Copy-edited article
In 1941, Herman Uden, formerly of Helena, Montana, purchased this Victorian house from Chuck Ellis. Uden was born in Minnesota and served in the famed Rainbow Division under General Douglas MacArthur in France. After returning home, he moved to Dickinson in 1928 to manage the J. C. Penney store and married Jennie Kittleson. He became manager of the company's Hebron store in 1936.
When D. C. Mohr retired from the Mandan J. C. Penney store in 1937, Uden moved to Mandan and managed the store until his retirement in 1957. Members of the Uden family occupied the house from 1941 until 1987, when Jennie Uden, one of the family's four daughters, died.
Ruth Uden, the oldest daughter, remembered enjoying the neighborhood while growing up. After graduating from Mandan High School in 1951, she worked summers at Purity Dairy. Her sister Jean worked at the Mandan Drug soda fountain during high school.
Ruth recalled an ice-skating rink in the vacant lot where St. Michael's Catholic Church was later built. A barn belonging to J. D. Allen stood north of the rink. Ruth and her friends peered through its windows at the birds and animals being mounted by the taxidermist.