Almira Markell, a schoolteacher, moved to Aberdeen in the Dakota Territory in 1882 at the urging of her friend, Lorette Bliss. She began homesteading in Edmunds, 32 miles from Aberdeen and also took out a timber claim. Markell returned home to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in 1884 and did not return to the Dakota Territory.
Lorette Bliss moved with her husband, C.A. Bliss, from Minneapolis to Aberdeen in the Dakota Territory in 1881. There C.A. Bliss became a successful merchant and banker and was active in civic affairs. Lorette kept house, entertained frequently, and was active in church and community affairs. In 1886 the Blisses adopted a baby girl, Margie.
From the description of Almira Markell papers, 1881-1913. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702137433
