Ingebor Gulbrandsdatter Næs & Knud Pedersen Rye

Birth of Knud Pedersen Rye

Source information: Oppland county, Nord-Aurdal, Parish register (official) nr. 1 (1808-1815), Birth and baptism records 1814, page 82-83. Right Page
(1) 1 Knud Pedersen Rye (Widower, not married to Ingeborg)
--------------------------------------------------
Birth: 12 Sep 1814, Nord Aurdal, Oppland, Norway
Death: 18 Aug 1861, Svennes, Nord Aurdal, Oppland, Norway
Father: Peder Andrissen Rye (1785-1867)
Mother: Kari Knutsdatter Ullsak (1788-1844)

Listed on Carl Johan's Confirmation record in Houston County of Minnesota record as his father and deceased at the time of his Confirmation.

Both Ingeborg and Knud come from the Valdres area of Oppland. Ingeborg was born in Vardal,
but moved back to Nord Aurdal and was confirmed there.

Oppland

Oppland fylke is located in southern Norway, and is one of two fylke in Norway that does not border on the sea (the other being Hedmark). This inland fylke contains large mountain regions - substantial portions of the Jotunheimen, Rondane and Dovrefjell mountain regions lie in Oppland fylke. In fact, 80% of the county lies 600 meters - 1,968 feet - or more above sea level. There are more than 200 mountains in Oppland that are more than 2,000 meters - 6,562 feet - high, including two of Northern Europe's tallest mountains Galdhøpiggen (2,469 meters - 8,100 feet) and Glitretind (2,451 meters - 8,041 feet).
There are two major valleys in Oppland: Gudbrandsdalen and Valdres, and farming there is focused primarily on raising cattle and sheep. The southern part of the fylke, on the other hand, is more flat, with larger farms that focus on growing crops.
In the southern part of the fylke, along the shore of Lake Mjøsa, lie the two cities of Lillehammer and Gjøvik. The former became known all over the world in 1992 when the winter olympics were held in Lillehammer.
Until 1756, Oppland was part of Akershus amt (the old word for fylke). In 1757, the area that is today Oppland fylke and Hedmark fylke was separated out and became Opplandenes amt. 24 years later, in 1781, this amt was divided in two, creating Kristians amt and Hedemarken amt. On 01 January 1918 Kristians amt was renamed Oppland fylke and Hedemarken amt was renamed Hedmark fylke.
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Birth of Ingeborg

Source information: Oppland county, Vardal, Parish register (official) nr. 4 (1814-1831), Birth and baptism records 1820-1821, page 33. #41 Right Page
Ingeborg "Isabel" Gulbrandsdatter "Gilbertsen" (Not married to Knud)
Birth: 4 Oct 1820, Vardal, Oppland, Norway
Christen: 15 Oct 1820, Vardal, Oppland, Norway
Death: 18 Sep 1896, Houston, Houston County, Minnesota
Confirmation: 4 Oct 1835, Svennes Oppland Norway

Marriage of Gulbrand & Johanne in 1819
They are Ingeborg's parents.

Source information: Oppland county, Vardal, Parish register (official) nr. 4 (1814-1831), Marriage records 1820, page 196. #14 Left Page
Father: Gulbrand Gulbrandsen Ridstie (1792-1857)
Mother: Johanne Pedersdatter (-1840)


Children: Carl John (1852-1933)
Spouse: Gjertrud Torkildsdatter Bo

(2) 1.1 Carl John Knutson
--------------------------------------------------
Birth: 11 Apr 1852, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
Christen: 25 Apr 1852, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
Death: 20 Feb 1933, Hawley, Clay County, Minnesota
Burial: Hegland Church Eglon Township Hawley Minnesota

Sometime in the late 1850's, Ingeborg and her son Carl Johan came to America and settled in Houston County of Minnesota. They lived in Looney Valley, next door to her brother Gulbrand (Gilbert) Gulbrandsen (Gilbertson). Gilbert married in Norway and came to America in 1862 with his wife Sidsel Helgesdatter who he married in 1859 in Nord Aurdal, Oppland, Norway.. She died in 1869 and left him with small children to take care of. Therefore his sister Ingeborg moved into his house and helped him take care of the small children. He remarried in 1872 to Elea Kittlesdatter and had more children with her. Someday I would like to find out what happened to all of the children. Every year I go on a Thelma & Louise trip with my good friend Kris from California. In 2006, we were in Houston County and took some pictures of the Looney Valley, which is a very beautiful place. There are no buildings left that I could find, after all, Carl Johan left Houston County about 1870.

LOONEYVILLE, a village in Looney valley along the Root River, first settled by John S. Looney, born in Nashville, Tenn.; he lived in Illinois and Wisconsin before coming in 1852, returning to Illinois in 1858. Looney with Elihu Hunt and Daniel Wilson had 40 acres surveyed for a townsite; Corydon Looney opened a store on his father's land in 1855 and moved to the West Coast about 1858, selling the store to Wilson, then postmaster, who moved the post office from his home to the store; the post office operated, 1855-70. James Looney, another son of John, platted 360 acres in sections 27 and 34 in 1857 as St. Lawrence, on the north side of the Root River, in hopes that the railroad would be located there; however, the railroad laid track south of the river, and the town died before it could be developed.
It is where they were located in the 1860 census. After her husband died, she moved to town and her step son Andrew took over the farm until he killed himself. Her son Christian took over the farm until he moved with his family to Washington State. Her other son Martin, with Ole Hanson was killed while visiting his brother Carl Johan at Hawley, Minnesota. He opened a window during a thunderstorm and was struck by lightning.

(Glyndon) Red River Valley News
Friday, August 12, 1886
Page 8

The most severe storm of thunder and lightning which we have ever witnessed passed over here on Monday last. For several days prior to the storm the heat was intense, especially on Sunday. During Monday afternoon heavy clouds appeared in the west and north, and shortly after four o’clock they divided, part going east and part south, seemingly following the courses of the Wild Rice and Buggalo rivers, and we thought we should not get very much of the storm here; but shortly after five o’clock the wind suddenly changed to southeast. When both parts of the storm came together, and the thunder and lightning in the vicinity of Hawley was most terrific. The lightning killed one man in Eglon by the name of Martin Hansen. He was in the act of opening a window to let some air in the room, when the lightning came through the room and struck him. Death was instantaneous, as parties who were in the room state that he never moved afterwards. One other man in the room was shocked pretty badly, but not hurt. The house was not damaged. Hansen was a married man about twenty-five years old, and leaves a wife and one child.

OLE HANSON
Male
Event(s):
Birth:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Marriages:
Spouse: ISABEL GILBERTSON
Marriage: 23 JUL 1859 , Houston, Minnesota
Messages:
Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the marriage date.
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
M530551 1885 1316885 Film NONE
Sheet: 00

Horrible Accident
Houston Valley Signal
September 18, 1896

A terrible accident, by which a human life was sacrificed, occurred last Friday afternoon. As the freight from the east into the yards at this place, the lower crossing was immediately cleared for passage. Mrs. Hanson, a lady seventy-four years of age, had been in the village buying some little necessaries and had started for her home, across the track. As she camee up to this crossing she saw the cars were slowly backing down but thinking she had ample time to get across before the crossing was closed, started. She had almost, but not quite, accomplished her design, when the corner of the car, struck her shoulder, staggering her, at the same time heer ddress was caught and twisted in such a manner that she could not free herself and she was slowly drawn under the cruel wheels. One of her limbs was severed and the other one crushed and mangled in a horrible manner. To make this awful thing worse, not a physician could be found, both being in the country, and in this condition she laid until a physician could be summoned which was done as expeditiously as possible. She lived until about ten o' clock that night and then her spirit took its flight. Mrs. H. was one of the oldest settlers in this valley having settled in this vicinity during the latter part of the fifties, coming here direct from Norway. One son, Chris, resides in this village. She was buried Monday fron the Presbyterian church, Rev. Jaastad of Rushford officiating.

Norwegian Genealogy Research Helps

Earlier this month I helped with a Genealogy Workshop and made up the following list of Research helps and sites that I use to hand out. I have included most of what I have found, hopefully some of you can make use of them.

Compiled by Margit (Nysetvold) Bakke, Flom, Minnesota
Research Helps
margit@eot.com

Check with your local library, most subscribe to Heritagequest, which has many biographical books online and census records up to 1920 that are searchable. Usually access is free and can be easily accessed from your home computer with a library card number.
Buy a Norwegian Dictionary, one of the best is "Norwegian-English Dictionary" by Einar Haugen. I use the "Engelsk blå ordbok" Engelsk-norsk / norsk-engelsk also. I also will use the "Engelsk/Dansk/Norsk Ordbog" by Martin Ulvestad from 1895 on occasion.

Illinois:
Illinois Biographies online
http://geneasearch.com/biography/states/illinois.htm
http://www.illinoishistory.com/regbios.html
Illinois Genweb
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgenweb/il/ilfiles.htm
Multipe Searchable Databases in Illinois
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases.html

Wisconsin:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin Public Library Local Genealogy Indexes
Obituaries (1904-1959) & (1983-Present)
Births - by Parents' Name (1987-Present)
Divorces (1992-Present)
Marriages (1987-Present)
Cemeteries (La Crosse County, WI)
http://lplcat.lacrosse.lib.wi.us/genealogy/#
Waushara County Baptisms 1853-1880
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=MTMORRIS&spraak=n&metanr=2115
Western Wisconsin Scandinavian Obituaries
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wisobits/
Wisconsin Biographies online
http://www.rockvillemama.com/wicountyindex.htm
Wisconsin Genweb
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wigenweb/
Wisconsin Marriage - Bio's - Birth & Death Records up to 1907
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/vitalrecords/index.asp
Wisconsin 15th Volunteer Infantry The Scandinavian Regiment
http://www.15thwisconsin.net/

Iowa:
Chickasaw County, Iowa Baptisms 1857-1876
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=SAUDE&spraak=n&metanr=1938
Iowa Biographies online
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iabiog/cobios.htm
Iowa Genweb
http://iagenweb.org/
Scott County, Iowa Local Indexes to Search
http://www.qcmemory.org/Default.aspx?PageId=203&nt=203
Winnebago County, Iowa Baptisms 1864-1891
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=mtpleas&spraak=n&metanr=1922
Winnebago County, Iowa Baptisms 1868-1890
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=Mtpleasa&spraak=n&metanr=1923
Winnebago County, Iowa Confirmations 1868-1890
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=Mtpleasa&spraak=e&metanr=1921
Worth County, Iowa Baptisms 1853-1881
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=chiaworb&spraak=n&metanr=1917
WPA 1930 Graves Registration Project
http://iowawpagraves.org/

Minnesota:
Birth Records 1900-1934 plus some pre 1900
http://people.mnhs.org/bci/search.cfm?bhcp=1
Dalby Database - Bio's - Cemeteries - Records:
http://www.dalbydata.com/user.php?action=cemsearch
Death Records 1904-2001
http://people.mnhs.org/dci/search.cfm?bhcp=1
Faribault County, Minnesota Baptisms 1859-1889
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=blueeart&spraak=n&metanr=1921
Fillmore County, Minnesota Baptisms 1854-1883
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=CHMNFILB&spraak=n&metanr=1536
Fillmore County, Minnesota Confirmations 1860-1885
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=Chmnfilc&spraak=n&metanr=1780
Fillmore County, Minnesota Marriages 1856-1896
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=vi21001859fillmoreMN&spraak=e&metanr=3786
Lakewood Cemetery - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Lots of Norwegians buried in this cemetery.
http://www.lakewoodcemetery.com/f_welcome.htm
Minnesota Biographies online
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~froghursh2/Minnesota/countyindex.html
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~froghursh2/Minnesota/bioindex.html
Minnesota Genweb
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mngenweb/
Minnesota Place Names (Places and old names in Minnesota - searchable)
http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/
Norman County, Minnesota Obituary Lookups
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maggiebakke/normanobitbooks.html
Pennington County, Minnesota Historical Society
http://pvillage.org/
Pope County, Minnesota Baptisms 1869-1880
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=dp21001871popeMN&spraak=e&metanr=3785
Thief River Falls, Minnesota Obituaries online
http://www.trftimes.com/obits/
Note: Do not go by the dates, the obits go back to 1998 I believe
Watonwan County, Minnesota Baptisms 1873-1891
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=ODIN&spraak=n&metanr=2116

South Dakota:
Akaska, South Dakota History Book 1907-1957
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/akaska57.txt
Baptisms Little Rock Norwegian Lutheran Church 1889-1908
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=LitRock&spraak=e&metanr=1708
Baptisms Lone Rock Norwegian Lutheran Church South Dakota
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=LONEROCK&spraak=e&metanr=1700
Births 1876-1906 Oslo Norwegian Lutheran Church Moody County, South Dakota
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=OSLOmood&spraak=e&metanr=1777
Bowdle, South Dakota Centennial Book 1886-1986
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/bowdl86.txt
Bowdle, South Dakota History Book 1886-1961
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/bowdl61.txt
Delmont, South Dakota Centennial Book, 1886-1986
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/delmt86.txt
Eureka, South Dakota Centennial Book 1887-1987
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/eureka87.txt
Eureka, South Dakota Golden Jubilee Book 1887-1937
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/eureka37.txt
Herreid, South Dakota Diamond Jubilee Book 1901-1976
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/herr76.txt
Hosmer, South Dakota Centennial Book 1887-1987
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/hosmer87.txt
Ipswich, South Dakota Anniversary 75th Book 1883-1958
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/ipsw58.txt
Ipswich, South Dakota Centennial Book 1883-1983
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/ipsw83.txt
Java, South Dakota Centennial Memories 1900-2000
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/java00.txt
Java, South Dakota Diamond Jubilee Book 1900-1975
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/java75.txt
Leola, South Dakota Centennial Book 1884-1984
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/leola84.txt
Marriages in Oslo Norwegian Lutheran Church Moody County, South Dakota
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=OSLOMARR&spraak=e&metanr=1901
Mina, South Dakota Centennial Book 1883-1983
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/mina83.txt
Oslo N Luth Church Cemetery Moody County, South Dakota
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=krkoslosd&spraak=e&metanr=2475
Roscoe, South Dakota Centennial Book 1883-1983
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/roscoe83.txt
Selby, South Dakota Centennial Book 1900-2000
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/selby00.txt
Selby, South Dakota Golden Anniversary Book 1900-1950
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/selby50.txt
South Dakota Archives
http://www.sdhistory.org/arc/arcgen.htm
South Dakota Biographies online
http://www.usbiographies.org/biographies/index.php?1083
South Dakota Births over 100 years ago
http://apps.sd.gov/applications/PH14Over100BirthRec/index.asp
South Dakota Genweb
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sdgenweb/
Tolstoy, South Dakota Diamond Jubilee Book 1907-1982
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/tolst82.txt
Tombstones Bethania Church Cemetery Moody County, South Dakota
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=Bethania&spraak=e&metanr=2121

North Dakota:
Cass County, ND Divorce Records 1870's to 1942
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/databases/cass_divorce.php
Cass County, ND Marriages March 1872 - July 1944
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/databases/cassmarriage.php
Cass County, ND Probate Indexes 1870's to 1944
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/databases/probate.php
Fargo Forum Obituaries Index 1892-1908 1984-1995
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/databases/obituary.php
Grand Forks County, North Dakota Marriages November 1875 to June 30, 1925
http://www.library.und.edu/Collections/searchMarriageLic.jsp
McHenry County, North Dakota Biographies
http://www.odessa3.org/collections/towns/link/mchen85.txt
North Dakota Biographies Online
http://www.usbiographies.org/biographies/index.php?896
North Dakota Biographical Database
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/databases/bio.php
North Dakota Death Indexes 1881 -
https://secure.apps.state.nd.us/doh/certificates/deathCertSearch.htm
North Dakota Genweb
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ndgenweb/
North Dakota is very progressive, they have all census records online at each County website.
North Dakota Naturalizations
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/databases/naturalrec.php
North Dakota Partial 1885 Census
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/databases/census.php
State Archives and Historical Research Library
- will make copies and send for $5
http://www.nd.gov/hist/index.html
Stjordalen, North Dakota Baptisms 1882-1912
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=stjorbap&spraak=n&metanr=1983
Stjordalen, North Dakota Deaths 1886-1952
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=stjordea&spraak=n&metanr=1984
Stjordalen, North Dakota Marriages 1882-1930
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=stjormar&spraak=n&metanr=1985

Montana:
Billings, Montana Early Directories
http://mt-billings.civicplus.com/index.asp?nid=393
Billings, Montana Vital Statistics 1882-1901 from local Newspapers
http://mt-billings.civicplus.com/index.asp?nid=390
Montana Death Indexes Pre 1900 - 2002
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mtmsgs/death_records.htm?cj=1&o_xid=0000584978&o_lid=0000584978
Montana Genweb
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mtgenweb/
Montana Searchable Newspaper Index
http://montanalibraries.org/MKIndexPublic/MKFrameSetPublic.asp

Washington:
Ask a Librarian (Great free resource for obituaries in Washington State)
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/ask_form.aspx
Kittitas County, Washington Obituaries
http://www.washingtongenealogy.com/kittitas/obituary.htm
Tacoma, Washington Obituary Index - (free to search, cost money to order)
http://search.tpl.lib.wa.us/obits/obitopent1.asp
Washington Genweb
http://www.wagenweb.org/
Washington State Digital Archives
http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/default.aspx

Canada:
Alberta, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/alberta.html
Atlantic Provinces, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/atlantic-provinces.html
British Columbia, Canada Cemetery Finding Aid
http://www.islandnet.com/cgi-bin/ms2/rsd/search
British Columbia, Canada Free Genealogy Databases online
http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-777E20/gbsearch/Births,Marriages,Deaths
Basic Search on The Births Registration Index: 1872 to 1903, events up to 1903 (see note).
Basic Search on The Marriage Registration Index: 1872 to 1932, events over 75 years old.
Basic Search on The Death Registration Index: 1872 to 1987, events over 20 years old.
Basic Search on The Colonial Marriage Index: 1859 to 1872.
Basic Search on The Baptisms Index: events over 120 years old.
Canadian Biographies online - Free & Searchable
http://www.ourroots.ca/e/
Canadian Census Records 1901-1906-1911 (Free Searchable)
http://automatedgenealogy.com/index.html
Canadian Free 1881 Census
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp
Immigrants to Canada
http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/norwegian.html
Manitoba, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/manitoba.html
Manitoba, Canada Vital Records Search
Births (more than 100 years ago)
Marriages (more than 80 years ago)
Deaths (more than 70 years ago)
http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php
More cemeteries in British Columbia and Other Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/british-columbia.html
New Brunswick, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/new-brunswick.html
Newfoundland, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/newfoundland.html
Northwest Territories, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/northwest-territories.html
Nova Scotia, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/nova-scotia.html
Nunavut, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/nunavut.html
Ontario, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/ontario.html
Prince Edward Island, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/prince-edward-island.html
Quebec, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/quebec.html
Saskatchewan, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/saskatchewan.html
Saskatchewan, Canada Vital Records Search
Births (more than 100 years ago)
Deaths (more than 70 years ago) Currently includes deaths that occurred prior to 1917. Other years wil be added as they become available.
Marriages (more than 75 years ago) Not yet available. Work on this index will commence after the index of deaths has been completed.
http://vsgs.health.gov.sk.ca/vsgs_srch.aspx
Searchable Canadian Archives
http://search-recherche.collectionscanada.ca/archives/search.jsp?Language=eng
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/index-e.html (searches all databases at once)
Some Canadian Obituaries
http://www.generations.on.ca/genealogy.htm
Yukon, Canada Resources
http://www.islandnet.com/~jveinot/cghl/yukon.html

General Research Sites:
Arizona History & Archives-Out-of-state off-site patrons will be allowed up to one-half hour of free research once every four months.
http://www.lib.az.us/archives/email.cfm
Bureau of Land Management - General Land Office Records
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov
Cemeteries online
http://www.interment.net/
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi
English Entrance to Norwegian Records online
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?spraak=e
Family History Archives (Searchable Books online)
http://www.lib.byu.edu/fhc/
Family Search Labs-Very new, unique and free! (LDS)
http://search.labs.familysearch.org
Free Genealogy searches and databases
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
Free Online Ellis Island Search
http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/EIDB/ellisgold.html
Google Books-has books online, some genealogy
http://books.google.com/bkshp?hl=en&tab=wp
LDS Familysearch Site
(Careful with information from this site, not always trustworthy without sources)
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp
Newspapers online
http://www.smalltownpapers.com/
New York Times free Search from 1981
http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?srchst=nyt&&srcht=a&srchr=n
Norwegians in the 1850 Census in America-Free
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=US1850&spraak=e&metanr=1681
Norwegians in the 1860 Census in America-Free
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=ft21001860&spraak=e&metanr=3246
Norwegian Mailing Lists to join
http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/NOR/
Obituaries online-United States
http://www.arrangeonline.com/
http://www.obitz.us/
(Another great way to find obituaries is to find a newspaper online from the area the person has died at. Most newspapers online keep archives and several of them are free to view)
Online Norwegian Dictionary
http://home.online.no/~otjoerge/files/word.htm
Ships & Passenger Lists
http://www.norwayheritage.com/
Rootsweb:
Town Searches in the USA
http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/townco.cgi
United States GenWeb Archives
http://www.usgwarchives.org/
http://usgenweb.org/
USGenWeb Archives National Search Engines
(You can search all the archives at one time)
http://sitesearch.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/search

Dis Norge-Norwegian Resources online:
http://www.disnorge.no/genress/index.php?todo=visKategori&kid=99999
[Aust-Agder] - [Buskerud] - [Finnmark] - [Hedmark] - [Hordaland] - [Møre og Romsdal] - [Nordland] - [Nord-Trøndelag] - [Oppland] - [Oslo/Akershus] - [Rogaland] - [Sogn og Fjordane] - [Sør-Trøndelag] - [Telemark] - [Troms] - [Vest-Agder] - [Vestfold] - [Østfold] - [Svalbard]
(Click on one of the fylker listed above and you will be sent to the page with all the resources for that area of Norway that are online)
Searching the 1865, 1875 and 1900 censuses for Norway:
http://www.rhd.uit.no/folketellinger/folketellinger_e.aspx
(Less is better when searching this census, use Joh for John/Johan and Pe for Petersen/Pedersen/Pedersd)

Free 1880 Census records of Norwegians in the 1880 census records:
Norwegians in Dakota according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Illinois according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Iowa according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Kansas according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Michigan according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Minnesota according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Nebraska according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Wisconsin according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Texas according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in Nevada according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in New Hampshire accord. to 1880 Census
Norwegians in New Jersey according to 1880 Census
Norwegians in New Mexico according to 1880 Census
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&katnr=1&emnenr=&aar=&dagens=&fylkenr=21
Less is better when searching these records, for example, lets search for John Nysetvold who we know was born in Norway 1850 and lives in Minnesota. We will click on Norwegians in Minnesota 1880. Instructions:
1-Under A, click on the down arrow and you get a new menu, scroll down and choose Last name
2-Under B, click on the down arrow and you get a new menu, scroll down and choose contains
3-Under C, type in Nyset and then click search, you will get a new page
4-On that page are two names: (It is Mother and son)
Given name Last name Sex Age Occupation Birth place Father birth place Mother birth place Page Circuit County State
78952 John Nysetvold m 30 N N N 273 Fossum Polk Minnesota
78953 Kari Nysetvold f 56 mo widow N N N 273 Fossum Polk Minnesota
Click on the number to the left of John's name and you will see who their neighbors are in the 1880 census. They are actually living in Norman County of Minnesota, BUT Norman County was not in existence until 1882.

Norwegian Churchbooks online:
http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read
Choose English at the top of the page. Then on the left side choose "User's guide" and it will give you instructions on how to use the records. When you get into the actual records, the instructions below should help you with saving the information to your computer or sending the permanent page site to someone to help with translation of record.

Instructions for Reading Norwegian Churchbooks and to Bookmark them:
The links to the scanned images on the Digitalarkivet Churchbooks can be copied and pasted from the actual page from the display option available. At the top of the scanned image page is the option labeled Bildeinformasjon: (Norwegian version)/Image Information (English version( which is set to Ingen (Norwegian version) and means None in English. There are 3 choices and of the three choices I like Øverst (Norwegian version) which means On Top in English because it puts the information across the top of the page and is easier to see.
The first line Kildeinformasjon: (Norwegian version)/Source information (English version) is a really nice summary of the source of the information and is wonderful to have for making detailed source citations, footnotes, etc.
The second line Permanent sidelenke: (Norwegian version)/Permanent pagelink (English version) is the best line to capture if you want to save the exact URL location or share the actual scanned image and the source information. It allows the full capabilities for zooming in and out to best view the image and informs the recipient of the exact location, book and other details to be able to find the place you found the information.
The third line Permanent bildelenke: (Norwegian version)/Permanent imagelink (English version) is the one to use to print a copy of the image or to save a copy of the image in jpg format. This line will not capture the source information and therefore is not the line to copy to share online when requesting help or assistance in translating the image found.

Information and Search on Cemeteries in Norway (Choose English)
http://www.disnorge.no/gravminner/index.php

Instructions for searching the Emigrants from Trondheim database (Norwegian version):
(Example: You are searching for Petra Stavset who left Norway in 1882)

First, Go here: (Norwegian Version)
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMITROND&spraak=n&metanr=1396

1. Type in 1882 in the blank box.
2. To the left of the blank box you typed information into, are two pull-down menus. Click on the one that says Posttype (Rec. class.) and hold your mouse on there till you see many variables, go to År (Year) and let go.
3. Next go to the next pull down box to the right of it and hold your mouse on it and click, let go at Inneheld (Contains).
4. Then click on Søk (Search). A new page will come up and it will tell you that 6,689 people left in 1882.
5. A new search box shows up below your original search box, type in Petr in the blank box.
6. In the left drop-down box, click on it till you get to fornavn (first name), then let go. Next go to the next pull down box to the right of it and hold your mouse on it and click, let go at børjar på (starts with). Click Søk (Search).
7. You will get a new page with all the first names that start with Petr.
8. A new search box shows up under your other two search boxes, type in St in the blank, where it says Posttype (Rec. class.) click on it and choose etternamn (last name) and in the next box, click on it and choose børjar på (starts with) (you never know what name they used or how they spelled it in the records, so less is better).
9. Then click on Søk (Search). You will get a new page!
10. On it you will find three names, Stavset, Strinden and Størset. Click on the blue number to the left side of Petra. You will get a new page showing Petra Stavset in the Emigrant records and all the other people who were leaving at the same time as her.
English version of the Trondheim Emigration list:
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMITROND&spraak=e&metanr=1396

Special Norwegian characters:
(Here's how you type those special Norwegian characters on your computers)
For Mac Users
å = Alt/Option Key and a
Å = Alt/Option Key and A with Shift down
æ = Alt/Option Key and apostrophe
Æ = Alt/Option Key and apostrophe with shift down
ø = Alt/Option Key and o
Ø = Alt/Option Key and O with Shift down

Installing Norwegian Keyboard (Windows users)
1. Choose Start - Settings - Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Keyboard icon.
3. Click on Language tab.
4. Click on Add.
5. From Add Language drop-down list, choose Norwegian (Bokmal).
6. Click OK.
7. Click Apply. [You may need to insert your Windows disk]
8. Click OK to finish.

With Num Lock "on", hold down Alt key and type using your numeric keypad (not number keys at top of keyboard)
Alt 0216 = Ø
Alt 0248 = ø
Alt 0198 = Æ
Alt 0230 = æ
Alt 0197 = Å
Alt 0229 = å
Alt 0214 = Ö
Alt 0246 = ö

MAP-Norway Fylker (districts) and Kommuner (municipalities):
http://home.no.net/jerijeri/maps.shtml (Map available at this site, Click the individual Fylke in order to see the Kommuner)

Aftenposten Online (In English)
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/

Good Background information on Kommune’s over the years and how and when the names changed.
http://home.no.net/jerijeri/kommuner.shtml

Who is searching the same area of Norway as you? (You will need to register and it is free)
http://www.disnorge.no/sfbasen/index.php

Some are Searchable Databases:
Advanced Searching of the 1865/1875/1900 Census
http://www.rhd.uit.no/folketellinger/folketellinger_avansert_e.aspx
American Memory (Library of Congress)
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
Andebu, Oppland, Norway Bygdebøk Online (Searchable)
http://www.vestfold-slekt.net/andebu/Bygdebøk/
Arkivnett Oppland, Norway
http://www.arkivnett.ol.no:81/dbsok/ekb.asp
Ål, Buskerud, Norway Bygdebøk Online
http://www.aal-Bygdebøk.no/
Bokmålsordboka og Nynorskordboka (Bokmål & Nynorsk Dictionaries)
http://www.dokpro.uio.no/ordboksoek.html
Borre, Vestfold, Norway Bygdebøk Online (Look under Gårdhistorie for Informaton)
http://www.lokalhistoriskarkiv.no/arkivet/historiske_sider/gaardshistorie
Castle Garden-Free Database with Records from 1830-1892
http://www.castlegarden.org/
Census Abbreviations used in the online 1865/1875/1900 Census
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/census_abbreviations.html
Civil War Rosters (Arranged by State)
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/3680/cw/cw.html
Cleaning Gravestones Properly
http://www.gravestonestudies.org/faq.htm
Cyndi’s List - Norway/Norge
http://www.cyndislist.com/norway.htm
Dating Old Photographs
http://www.familychronicle.com/dating.htm
Dictionary Online Norwegian to English / English to Norwegian
http://www.freedict.com/onldict/nor.html
Digital Archives English Entrance
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebFront.exe?slag=vis&tekst=meldingar&spraak=e
Digitalarkivet - 1801 Norwegian census
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&katnr=1&emnenr=2&spraak=e
Digitalarkivet - 1865 Norwegian census
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&katnr=1&emnenr=3
Digitalarkivet - 1875 Norwegian census (Not Complete)
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&katnr=1&emnenr=4
Digitalarkivet - 1900 Norwegian census
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&katnr=1&emnenr=5
Dis America-American Resources online
http://www.disnorge.no/genress/index.php?todo=visKategori&kid=341
DIS-Norge (Genealogy Society of Norway)
http://www.disnorge.no/eng/index.html
Distreff-Database to search the families of the Genealogy Society of Norway-Click on English
http://www.disnorge.no/distreff/
Duluth, Saint Louis County, Minnesota Obituary Index 1862-Present (Searchable & $2 for Obit)
http://dlibrary.cpinternet.com/scripts/runisa.dll?dlibrary:pgobitsearch
Easy Google Ancestor Search
http://www.searchforancestors.com/google/searcher.html
Ellis Island-1892 to 1924 Immigrant Arrival and Passenger Records
(You will need to sign up for a user name and password, it is Free)
http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/
Examples of Old Handwriting
http://www.genealogia.fi/faq/faq031ce.htm
Fylkesarkivet-Sogn og Fjordane
http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?lang=eng
Gjøvik og Toten, Oppland, Norway Slektshistorielag (Click on English)
http://slektshistorielaget.no/
Guide to Norwegian Bygdebøker, UND, Grand Forks, ND
http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/library/Collections/Famhist/Bygdebøk.html
Hemnes, Nordland, Norway Bygdebøk Online (Downloadable)
http://home.online.no/~caolsson/hgsfiles.html
History of the Norwegian Settlements by Hjalmar Rued Holand (download 3800 Name Index pdf)
http://www.astrimyastri.com/featured-history.php
Jelsa, Rogaland, Norway Bygdebøk Jelsa I Gards og Ættesoga Online
http://www.slektsdata.com/Bygdeboeker/Jelsa/JRamme.htm
Karmøy, Rogaland, Norway Bygdebok Online
http://www.slektsforumkarmoy.no/b-bok/gardsliste.html
Kviteseid, Telemark, Norway Bygdesoge Volume I Online
http://www2.vest-telemark.no/_privat/slekt.asp
Kviteseid, Telemark, Norway Bygdesoge Volume II Online (Index & More)
http://www.jfredpeterson.com/kvgard/kvindex.htm
Lier, Buskerud, Norway Bygdebøk Online
http://www.lier.kommune.no/liers-historie/lier.htm
Masfjorden, Hordaland, Norway Masfjordboka, Bind II Online
http://www.scandion.no/hordaland/masfjorden/masfjordboka1978/1.html
Matrikkelutkastet av 1950 in Norway (Land Register in 1950)
http://www.dokpro.uio.no/cgi-bin/stad/matr50
NAGC & NL - Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library
http://www.nagcnl.org/
NAHA - Norwegian American Historical Association, St Olaf College
http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/genealogy/index.htm
Name Statistics in Norway (How common is your name?)
http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/navn_en/
Nordmændene i America deres istorie og Rekord Online
http://da2.uib.no/cgi-win/WebBok.exe?slag=lesdok&bokid=ulvestad&sideid=211&gstorleik=
Norway in America (The bibliographical collections of Thor M. Andersen - Searchable)
http://www.nb.no/baser/tma/english.html
Norwegian-American Bygdelagenes Fellesraad
http://www.fellesraad.com/
Norwegian Emigrant Museum
http://www.museumsnett.no/emigrantmuseum/index_en.html
Norwegian Farm Names by Olaf Rygh
http://www.dokpro.uio.no/rygh_ng/rygh_form.html
Norwegian Historical Data Centre (English Entrance)
http://www.rhd.uit.no/indexeng.html
Norwegians in the Civil War (Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum)
http://vesterheim.org/CivilWar/index.html
Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, Minneapolis, MN Mindekirken
http://www.mindekirken.org/
Nøtterøy, Vestfold, Norway Bygdebøk Online (Searchable)
http://www.vestfold-slekt.net/notteroy/Bygdebøk/index.html
Old Searching with variables of the 1801 Norwegian Census
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/websys.exe?E
Rootsweb Obituary Daily Times
http://obits.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/obit.cgi
Sandeherred, Vestfold, Norway Bygdebøk Register Online
http://www.vestfold-slekt.net/sandar/Bygdebøk/
Scanning Tips
http://www.scantips.com/
Selbu, Sør Trøndelag, Norway Bygdebøk Online Bind III & IV (Searchable)
http://www.selbunett.no/Bygdebøk/
Sigdal, Buskerud, Norway Emigration Lists 1839-1920 (Some are still online)
http://web.archive.org/web/19990423205332/www.netutah.com/akre/sigutvan.htm
Sem og Slagen, Vestfold, Norway Bygdebøk Online (Searchable
http://www-bib.hive.no/tekster/sem_slagen/index.html
Stokke, Vestfold, Norway Bygdebøk Online (Searchable)
http://www.vestfold-slekt.net/stokke/Bygdebøk/index.html
Storjorden og Hattfjelldalens Bebyggelse Online (Nordland)
http://www.iva.no/storjorden.htm
The Promise of America-Norwegian Emigration to America & Norwegian-American History 1825-2000
http://www.nb.no/emigrasjon/emigration/
Tjømø, Vestfold, Norway Bygdebøk Register Online
http://www.vestfold-slekt.net/tjome/Bygdebøk/index.html
Trønderlag Genealogy Sources
http://www.tronderlag.org/resources.htm
Trøndelag Farm Pictures
http://www.ub.ntnu.no/baser/spessaml/fw/data/fw-gaarder-main.htm
Tromsøysund, Troms, Norway Bygdebøk Online
http://flowerpot.myftp.org/tromsoysund/
University of Minnesota Libraries, Norwegian Bygdebøker
http://wilson.lib.umn.edu/reference/bygdebkr.html
Wisconsin Newspapers Online (Use to check for current obituaries)
http://www.wisinfo.com/wmain/newspapers.shtml

Word Translations and Abbreviations used in the Norwegian Census and Churchbooks:
(Depending upon the time period, different words were used)
Aar/År og Datum=Year and Date
Adoptert=Adopted
Adresse=Adress
Ægte Født=Legitimate Birth
Alder=Age
Alderdom=Old Age
Ane=Ancestor
Anetavle=Pedigree Chart
Anmærkninger=Remarks
Arbeider=Laborer/Worker
Arkiv=Archive
Avslutt=Finish
B/Besøkende=Visitor
Barnet/Barn=Child
Barna/Borna=Children
Barnebarn=Grandchild
Barnebarnsbarn=Great Grandchild
Barnehjem=Orphanage
Begravelse/Jordet=Burial
Begravelsesdagen/Når Begravet=Date of Funeral
Bestefar-Grandfather
Besteforeldre=Grandparents
Bestemor=Grandmother
Bet. i Amerika=Paid in America (when someone emigrated from Norway often someone in America paid)
Bibliotek=Library
Bier=Bees
Bilder=Pictures
Bok=Book
Bonde=Farmer
Bopel=residence
Broder/Bror=Brother
Bruden=Bride
Brudgommens=Bridegroom
Bruker=User of Farm
Bryllup=Wedding
Brød=Bread
Bygdebøk=Information on certain areas and farms contained in a book.
Confirmerede/Konfirmerte/Konfirmasjon=Confirmation
Copulerede/Ægteviede/Gift/Vielse=Marriage
D/Datter/Dotter=Daughter
Dåp/Døpt/Døbte=Baptism/Christening
Dåpsdatum (også for hjemmedøpte)=Baptism/Christening date (also for home baptisms)
Den Eldre=The Oldest
Den Yngste=The Youngest
Døde/Død=Dead/Deceased
Dødfødte=Stillborn
Dødsdagen/Dødsdag=Date of Death
Domkirke=Cathedral
Drenge/Dreng=Male/Boy
Druknet=Drowned
E/Enke/Enka/Enkemann=Widow/Widower
Ektemann=Husband
EL/Enslig Losjerende = Single lodger, not related to the family
Eldre=Older
Emigrantprotokoller=Records of those who emigrated
Ender=Ducks
F/Fraskilt = Divorced
Faddernes=Godparents
Fåder/Farens/Far=Father
FL/Losjerende, hørende til familien=Lodger, related to the family
Farmor=Father’s Mother
Fattig=Poor
Fattiglem=Pauper
Fattigmann=Poor Man
Felles Sønn=Son of Both Parents (Census)
Fødested=place of birth
Fødselår=Birth year
Fødte/Født=Born/Birth
Folktelling=Census
Forældrenes/Forældre=Parents
Forlovelse/Trolovelse=Engagement
Formiddag=Morning
Formynder=Guardian
Forsørges Av=Supported By
Fosterbarn=Fosterchild
G/GM/Gift/=Married
Geit/Kid=Goat
Gjess=Geese
Haandtering=Occupation
Hest=Horse
HF/Husfar=Husband
Hingst=Stallion
HM/Husmor=Housewife
Høns=Chicken
Hoppe=Mare
HP/(Selv) Hovedperson=Head of Household
HU/Hustru=Wife
Hytte=Cottage
Indflyttede/Innflytning (ogsaa Børn)=Coming/Moving into the Parish (including children)
Jordfestet=Internment
Kalkun=Turkey
Kalv=Calf
Kart=Map
Kjønn=Sex-Male or Female Census
Kone=Wife
Ku=Cow
Kvindekjøn/Kvinnekjønn=Female
K/Kvinne=Woman
M/Mann=Man
Mandkjøn=Male
Militær=Military
Moder/Morens/Mor=Mother
Navn=Name
Okse=Ox
Piger=Female
Plass=Place
Prestegjeld=Clerical District
Register=Index
Reinsdyr=Reindeer
Slekt=Family
S/Separert=Separated
S/Sønn=Son
Skifte=Probate
Skriv=Write
Sogn=Parish
Stedson=Stepson
Svin/Gris=Pig
TJ/Tjenestetyende=Servant
Tyr=Bull
Uægte Født=Illegitimate Birth
Udflyttede/Utflytning (ogsaa Børn)=Leaving the Parish (including children)
Utvandret=emigrated
UG/Ugift=Single
Val=Choice
Vaccineret/Vaccinerede=Vaccination
Vallak=Gelding
Velg=Choose
Vielsesdagen=Date of Marriage

Months of the Year: Days of the Week:

Januari=January Mandag=Monday
Februar=February Tirsdag=Tuesday
Mars=March Onsdag=Wednesday
April=April Torsdag=Thursday
Mai=May Fredag=Friday
Juni=June Lørdag=Saturday
Juli=July Søndag=Sunday
August=August
September=September
Oktober=October
November=November
Desember=December

Reminder:
When working with dates in Norway, the day of the month is always listed “before” the month. For May, 10, 2008, it would be written 10/Mai/2008 or 10/5/2008.

Norwegian Maps (Choose English if available)
http://ngis.statkart.no/norgesglasset/default.html
http://home.no.net/jerijeri/maps.shtml
http://www.hvor.no/
http://www.borgos.nndata.no/Norge.htm

Old Disease Names & Definitions
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/olddiseases1.htm
http://www.pricklytree.webhostingpal.com/tools/
http://www.homeoint.org/cazalet/oldnames.htm
http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/pebbles2/tools.html#disease

Aasgaard's & Brohaugh's from Akershus & Hedmark

Ole Christophersen Brohaugh
1808-1873
Eidsvoll, Akershus, Norway From the book “The Brohaugh’s in America” by Agnes Brohaugh and Don Brohaugh, published 1985, used with permission from Don Brohaugh.
Ole is the grandfather to Martinus Aasgaard, and the great grandfather to Mina (Aasgaard) Nysetvold Ole Christophersen was born in Norway in 1808. He bought Søndre Brohaug (Southern Brohaug) in 1831 for 400 daler.
Brohaug Farm in the 1865 Census of Norway The official records show that he bought the farm from his uncle, Peder Bentsen, who then moved to Rønsen for better pasture and hay fields. Other records, however, show that Ole’s father, Christopher Bentsen, also lived on the farm, and had obtained free maintenance for himself and his wife in exchange for the deed to the property. Possibly both his father and his uncle had previously farmed Southern Brohaug.
Ole had married Berthe Olea (Oline?) Jensdatter in 1830. Berthe died in March of 1836, only 25 years old, leaving one daughter Marthe Christine.

After the death of his first wife, Ole married Karen Andersdatter Langseth in 1838. Although we have generally not delved into the genealogy of the wives, the following information was found about Karen’s family:

*Karen’s grandfather was:
Henrik Andersen, born 1749. He married Berte Taraldsdatter and had a farm at Langsettun from 1790-1807.
Their son, Anders Henriksen, born 1785 (died 1849), he married Olea Olsdatter and had the farm at Langsettun from 1807-1849. Their children were:
Ole, Hans, Berthe Marie, Anne Dorthea, Karen and Ingeborg Marie.

Karen and Ole had eight children, but one, Gustava,died at about three years of age.
Karen herself died in Norway in 1861.

In addition to farming, Ole apparently engaged in logging some of the forested area of the farm. Once a violent storm came up while his logs were being floated down the river (Vorma?) to a mill. Rafts were broken apart and logs scattered. Since the value of the timber would have been almost one thousand dollars (U.S.), it was a tragic loss for the family. One of Ole’s sons said later it was the only time he saw his father cry. In 1869, Ole Christophersen Brohaugh and the seven children from his second marriage emigrated to America. Rumors have persisted that he left to avoid local pressures to get married again, but these were probably jocular. The more likely reasons would have been economic, as discussed in Chapter 1. They left Norway in April, 1869 and arrived in New York City in May, on board the ship "Alepo".
The passenger list for this ship shows the following arriving passengers. Ole Borhaug age 59 and his occupation was a Laborer from Germany.
Christophin Borhaug age 27 and his occupation was a Laborer from Germany.
Berd Borhaug age 25 and his occupation was a Laborer from Germany.
Olava Borhaug age 29 and she was a spinster from Germany.
Olina Borhaug age 22 and she was a spinster from Germany.
Ole Borhaug age 14 and his occupation was a Laborer from Germany.
Gustav Borhaug age 11 and he was listed as a child.
Marthia Borhaug age 10 and she was listed as a child from Germany.
Hans Borhaug age 38 and his occupation was listed as a Laborer from Germany. Note the typical misinformation in public records, notably the atrocious misspellings and the wrong country of origin. From New York they traveled on to Red Wing, Minnesota, the last stage of the journey being made by river steamboat. The youngest son, Gustave, kept a brief record of the trip in a little notebook (which we still have) given to him before he left Norway. A translation of the trip commentary from this notebook follows: (Translation by George Olaf Brohaugh)
I left Christiania (now Oslo) the 23rd of April. Had good weather over the North Sea and Arrived at Hull in England the 26th at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and then left by train at 10 o'clock in the evening. The train travelled fast and we came to Liverpool at 6 o'clock April 27th where we quartered in a hotel. And now we had time to see the city: its parks, musuem, its cemetery and D.O.L. (????) Tuesday, May 4th at 4 o'clock in the afternoon we left Liverpool on the ship Alepo and had good weather all the time over the ocean. On the 25th we took on board the harbor pilot and on the 16th we saw land. On the 17th at 11 o'clock in the forenoon we landed in New York. Travelled fast and came to Pittsburgh where we changed cars and lay there several hours. Travelled again on the train and came to Chicago the 21st at 7 o'clock in the forenoon. We lay there until the 24th. Left there and came to Red Wing, Minnesota on the 25th of May 1869. The family lived in Red Wing for about a year. Then Ole purchased an 80 acre farm near the village of Esdaile, in Pierce County, Wisconsin, just across the river from Red Wing. This farm, the S 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 16, is labeled B.O. Brohaugh in the 1877 plat map shown in Fig. 3.2. As part of an 1846 Act of the U.S. Congress approving Wisconsin as a state within the Union, sections numbered "16" in every township were granted to the state for use of schools. This particular section number 16 was sold to a William N. Fairbanks in 1865. He in turn sold the S 1/2 of the SE 1/4 to Ole C. Brohaugh on September 9, 1870 for $800. Thus Ole was only the second private owner of the land, and almost certainly the first one to farm it. Apparently no cash changed hands during this sale, as a mortgage for $800 was also recorded on September 9, 1870 from Ole C. to William Fairbanks. Ole Christophersen and his family became charter members of the Eidsvold Lutheran Church in Esdaile. The Congregational Member Inventory of 1873 showed them among the 95 members as: Ole Chr. Brohaugh
Chr. O. Brohaugh
Bernt O. Brohaugh
Ole O. Brohaugh
Gustave O.Brohaugh
Olava Olsdtr. Brohaugh
Oliana Brohaugh
Martine Brohaugh Ole lived only three years on his new farm: he died on December 16, 1873. Eidsvold Lutheran Cemetery
Hartland Township
Pierce County, Wisconsin Brohaugh Clarence O. 1890-28 Mar 1943 WI Pvt. 3rd Inf.
" Mabel 1894-1974
" Joel 1926-1927
Brohaugh George N. 1897-1953
Brohaugh Nels 1865-1942
" Gitta 1866-1946
Brohaugh Ole C. 1808-1873
" Bernt O. 1843-1904 Since he died intestate, with property, several legal documents had to be created which are still on file in the Pierce County courthouse. For instance, the Estate Inventory and Appraisal shows the extent of his possessions: Real Estate:
40 acres..........$850.00
40 acres..........$300.00 Personal Property
One Cow..........$ 20.00
One Cooking Stove..........$ 8.00
One Bedsted..........$ 2.00
One Featherbed..........$ 6.00
Two Chairs.......... 50¢ There were insufficient funds to pay Ole's debts (which included the mortgage) so the farm was put up for sale. At a public auction, held December 14, 1874, one of Ole's sons, Bernt, was the highest bidder and purchased the property for $1,150.00, that amount to be paid in two years. In a complicated financial arrangement, the mortgage was paid off by the eldest son, Christopher and two new mortgages, payable to Christopher and another son, Ole O., were issued by Bernt.
Naturalization Record of Bernt: Brohaugh, Bernt O; 15 Dec 1885; Pierce County WI The two minor children, Gustave and Martina, were awarded $300.00 each as a part of the settlement at the same time that the court appointed a guardian (Petter Johnson) for them. The two older daughters, Olava and Oliana, apparently received nothing from the estate.

Marthe Christine Olsdatter Brohaugh
1830-1901
Martha Christine was the daughter of Ole and his first wife Berthe. Since she was only 5 years old when her mother died, she was brought up with Ole's second family. Christine married Lars Aasgaard and emigrated to America at about the same time as her father (1869) although she did not travel with him. Marthe's Family,Leaving Norway The Aasgaards settled near Osseo, Wisconsin.
Their son Martinus, married Anna Maria Larsen in Wisconsin who was also from Eidsvold and went to Home Lake Township in Norman County, Minnesota and homesteaded. Martinus died in 1904 when a barn door fell on him. [Photo]
Martinus Larsen AasgaardAt the turn of the century Martinus Larsen Aasgaard was one of the best known and most progressive farmers and stockmen of Home Lake Township in Norman County of Minnesota. He was born in Norway in 1858 and came to the United States in 1869 settled in Arena in Dane County, Wisconsin, where he worked for fifteen years. The name Aasgaard means "farm by the creek" in Norway and is located north of Oslo near Lake Mjosa, the largest lake in Norway.
(Note: The Aasgaard Farm that they came from was in Stange, Hedmark, not in Eidsvold, Akershus)
He was married in Wisconsin and in April of 1885 they moved to Minnesota. All their worldly possessions were represented by fifty dollars in cash. His brother Ole, had come to Norman County before him and was teaching school in Home Lake Township, School District No. 44. He was rooming at the John Homelvig farm to which Martinus and his bride came with a rented team of horses and wagon. He returned the team to Ada, making the trip back on foot: twenty six miles largely covered by swamps and water. In the spring of 1886 Martinus Aasgaard homestead one hundred and sixty acres of land in Section 26, Home Lake Township; and in 1898 he bought forty adjoining acres to increase his holding. He carried out an extensive series of improvements, including new buildings, the erection of fences and the setting out of groves. One well known feature of the farm was a well built round barn.
In those days farmers had no cream separators so they took their milk to a creamery to be separated--sold the cream and took the skim milk back home with them. In 1891 a creamery was established in Home Lake Township. It was located north of what was known as Home Lake--the only lake in Norman County. Martinus Aasgaard and Anton Lerud helped organize this creamery and were stockholders. A few years later this creamery was sold to the Twin Valley Creamery Association and they moved the building to a site north of Twin Valley where it was operated for many years.
Mr. Aasgaard helped organize School District No. 16 in 1886--to serve the children living farther south in the township. A new building was put up for $55--the lumber cost $278.18 and M. Aasgaard painted it for $5. The first teacher was Ole Aasgaard who received $105 for a three month term. The school year was divided into two terms: the first starting about March 10 and running to the first part of June--and the second from November first to the middle of January. Spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, grammar, and history were taught. Ole clerked in a general store in Twin Valley when he was not teaching and children loved to have him wait on them because he gave such generous helpings of candy for their pennies.
Martinus was the first clerk of the school board of District No. 16 and held that position for several years. He was a life long member of Wild Rice Synod Church and served the congregation as trustee for several years. He died in 1904 at the early age of forty six years.
In 1884 Martinus Aasgaard was united in marriage to Anna Maria Larson, a native of Norway, coming from the Sorlie farm near Eidsvold in Eastern Norway. She was born in 1863. She came to America with her parents at the age of three years. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took thirteen weeks.
The first year in Home Lake Township was one of harships; credit was difficult to obtain and money was still more difficult to secure.
Lawrence, the oldest of their nine children, was born at this time (1885). He grew up to the life of a farmer and in 1909 bought a farm of his own in Home Lake Township and married Hannah Albertson. Both are now deceased. They had six children.
Inez, the second child of Martinus and Maria, was born in 1887. She was married to Warner Johnson and they had five children. They also farrmed in Home Lake Township and are now deceased.
Mina was born in 1891 and was married to Ole Nysetvold, a contractor and builder, and they lived in Twin Valley. They are now deceased. To their union eleven children were born.
Oliver was born in 1893 and he stayed at home and helped his mother farm until he died in 1922.
Almer was born in 1895. He was drafted to serve in the first World War and gave his life for his country in France on September 15, 1918 and is buried at Plot D Row 07 Grave 11, Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Fere-en-Tardenois, France. He was a private in the USA Army, 305th Field Artillery Regiment, 77th Infantry Division.
Julia was born in 1897. She married Sidney Aamoth and they had two children. He died and later she married John M. Bentley and they had two daughters. Julia died and John has died also.
Clarence was born in 1900 and was killed in an accident in 1928.
Two sons died in infancy.
The Aasgaard's were esteemed people in the community and were interested in the welfare of their family and were sympathetic to the needs of their neighbor's. Often, in the abscence of a doctor, an undertaker, or a pastor, Martinus acted in those capacities, doing the best he knew how to show concern for his fellow man.

Anna Olava Olsdatter Brohaugh
1839-1905
When Olava's mother died in Norway, the youngest child in the family was only three years old. Olava therefore gave up plans for marriage to assume the responsibility of caring for the family. She continued to do this after they came to America. Later she lived in Chicago and then moved to Minneapolis. The Minneapolis City Directories list her as being a laundress in the early 1890's. They also list her as being a nurse, but since she had no nurses's training, we have assumed "nurse" was a misunderstanding of a heavily accented pronunciation of "laundress".
Olava moved to the home of her brother, Rev. Christopher, for the last few months of her life, and died in St. Paul in 1905. She is buried in Oakland Cemetery, St. Paul, Minnesota. [Photo]

Christopher Olsen Brohaugh
1841-1908
Christopher Olson Brohaugh was Ole's eldest son. He apparently stayed in Red Wing, Minnesota for a while after the family moved to Pierce County in Wisconsin, for he was the only Brohaugh recorded in either the Minnesota or the Wisconsin 1870 Federal Census.
Christopher was ordained a Lutheran pastor October 9, 1873 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since he was 28 years old when he came to the United States, he may have had some theological training in Norway.
He started his pastoral career as a member of the Ellings Synod, a synod organized by Elling Eielsen in 1846. Eielsen was a Norwegian lay preacher who came to America in 1839, became very active in the Fox River Norwegian settlement in Illinois and later was officially ordained by a German pastor.
The Ellings Synod changed its name to the Hauges Synod in 1876, remained independent until the large Lutheran merger f 1917, and then became part of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America.
Thus for most of his career, Christopher was a Hauges Lutheran. He served pastorates at the following locations:
1873-1876, Red Wing, Minnesota and Esdaile, Wisconsin
1876-1880, Minneapolis
1880-1893, Chicago, Illinois
1893-1906, St. Paul, Minnesota
He was a prolific writer, hymn writer and editor, and is even listed in the St. Paul, Minnesota Directories for 1907 and 1908 as an editor. Some of his editing responsibilities included:
1873-1898, Budbaereren
1885, Bornenes harpe
1887, Vaegteren
1903-1907, Budbaereren
1907-1908, Haugianeren
1907-1908, Bornevennen
The Norwegian paper "Budbaereren" was the official organ of the Hauges Lutheran Synod and "Bornevennen" was an illustrated Sunday school paper established by Rev. Brohaugh in 1877.
He was also the author of several books, including (as co-author) a popular biography of Elling Eielsen, and some music books. Some of his works are:
1883, Eilling Eielsens liv og virke
1887, Vaegterrosten
1887, Missionaer Chr. Borchgrevink
1898, Harpelegeren med guitarskole
1900, Harpelegeren
Christopher married Julia Nelson in 1877, and they raised four children who all graduated from the University of Minnesota.
Their children are:
Mary, the oldest, was a teacher and never married, and died when she was only twenty-eight years old.
Peter Adolph, who worked for the federal government in Washington, D.C. and married Amy Owen, but did not have any children.
Oscar, who obtained a legal degree from the Atlanta Law School and became chief of the commerce department for the Southern Freight Association. He married Mabel Wilkes, but they had no children either.
Gustave, who worked as a civil engineer for the Minnesota Highway Department until his retirement and then established his own engineering consulting firm. He married Eulalie Bern (Lally), and they did have several children.

Bernt Olsen Brohaugh
1843-1904
Bernt Olson Brohaugh bought the family farm in Pierce County in December of 1874. In 1879, he must have been strapped for cash, as he sold half of it (40 acres) to Andrew O. Lund for $400.00. The deed contained the following stipulation:
Andrew Lund is to have right of way across Brohaugh land from ...to said Brohaugh's grainary. Brohaugh reserves the right to cut and take away all timber except for what Lund will need for fencing and building a house. It is agreed that all of said timber except 5 acres is to be taken off before 1882 and the last five acres in 1882.
The deal apparently fell through, as Bernt bought back the 40 acres later the same year.
Later on, in 1893, he bought the adjacent 40 acres in Section 15 and an additional 40 acres in Section 17.
Bernt married Julia Paulson in 1875, and they raised seven children on the farm. It was interesting to find that they preferred not to use (or perhaps to spell) the Brohaugh name for the 1880 Federal Census taker. The census lists them as:
Olson, Bernt age 36 and a farmer
Olson, Julia age 28 and his wife
Olson, Clara M. age 4
Olson, Ole A. age 2
Olson, George P. 1/12
Bernt died on his farm, July 23, 1904.

Oliana Olsdatter Brohaugh
1846-1932
Esdaile church records show that Oliana married Olaus J. Dorr on December 14, 1873, just two days before her father, Ole C., died. They lived on a farm near Esdaile for many years.
Oliana and O.J. raised five children on their farm before they sold it and retired.
Their children were: Karen, who taught in Wisconsin and North Dakota rural schools. She married Gustave Simmons and they operated a drug store in Montana for a while. They had no children. Later she married Bjorlin Orbeck.
Joseph, who operated a hardware store in Norman County, Minnesota for a while and later ranched in Arizona. He never married. Oscar, who stayed on the farm.
Marie was a seamstress who married Frank Ulberth. They too had no children.
Emelia and Oscar remained on the farm, and when their parents retired, moved with them to St. Paul, Minnesota, securing employment in Minneapolis.
Then they bought a house on Keston St. in St. Paul, Minnesota, where several of their nieces and nephews used to visit them while attending the university nearby.

Ole Olsen Brohaugh
1852-1932
Ole Olson Brohaugh apparently stayed at the family farm in Wisconsin for a while after his father's death, for he applied for U.S. citizenship in Pierce County on March 27, 1874 as Ole O. Brohaug. Shortly thereafter, he went to Red Wing, Minnesota to engage in business, and then moved to Minneapolis.
In Minneapolis, he and a partner established a meat market (Brohaugh and Sather, 1519 South 5th St.) which operated from 1876 to 1879. In 1880, the partnership was dissolved and Ole ran the market by himself for a short time.
While living in Minneapolis, he met and married Albertina Hansen, and their first children were born there. In 1881, he moved to Ada, Minnesota in Norman County in western Minnesota, just a few years after the village was started. In Ada, he also operated a meat market and in 1885 bought some lots within the city. Later he moved a short distance to Hendrum, Minnesota where he bought into a mercantile store and also became the village postmaster. Some of his children have said that he was too lenient with credit to the local farmers and did not do well financially as a store owner. Anyway about 1900 (the deed transfer is dated Nov. 1900) he traded the store for the A.H. Gordon farm near Shelly, Minnesota and farmed there for twenty years.
In 1920, the farm was rented, the machinery, animals, supplies, etc., were auctioned off, and Ole and his wife moved back to Ada for their retirement.
As mentioned before, Ole married Albertina Hansen, and their first children were born in Minneapolis. Albertina had come from Norway when she was fourteen years old. She had travelled alone, in care of the ship's captain, to join her mother in Madison, Wisconsin. Later she moved to Minneapolis where she was a milliner and met Ole. Ole and Albertina had ten children, nine of whom lived beyond early childhood. The children were encouraged to obtain advanced education, in spite of the lack of available funds. Education came first, before any of life's amenities.

Gustave Olsen Brohaugh
1855-1928
Gustave was the scholar of the family. He attended a Normal School, as teacher's colleges were called then, at River Falls, Wisconsin to earn a teacher's certificate, and then began his long teaching career. He continued his formal education until he had earned four degrees. A tabulation of his career highlights include:
December 1878, Normal School Certificate, River Falls, Wisconsin
1879-1928, Professor at Red Wing Seminary (except for 1893-1895)
June 1889, BA Literature, University of Minnesota
June 1893, LLB, University of Minnesota
1893-1895, Sup. of Schools, Red Wing, Minnesota
June 1895, Admitted to the Bar, Dakota Territory
June 1895, Admitted to the Bar, State of Minnesota
October 1906, MA, University of Wisconsin, Political Economy and History
June 1909, Ph.D, University of Minnesota, (Thesis: The Minnesota Pine Lands)
The Red Wing Seminary played an important part in Gustave's life. The Seminary opened in September, 1879 with Rev. I. Eistenson as principal and Prof. G.O. Brohaugh as his assistant. The purpose of the school was to furnish a general Christian culture and more particularly to prepare ministers for the Hauge Synod. In addition to the theological department, the Seminary had a "preparatory" department in which Gustave taught. He taught English language and literature, mathematics, political science, history and penmanship! He spoke four languages fluently: Norwegian, English, French and German and spent several of his summer vacations in Europe to perfect his linguistic ability. For many years he was the only Ph.D on the staff, giving academic stature and acceptance to the Seminary.
Gustave had several hobbies, including painting. One of his efforts still survives: a large oil painting of the bridge across the Vorma River at Minne, near Eidsvoll, Norway was painted from an old photograph.
Professor Brohaugh was also noted for his frugality and his astute business sense. He told one of his nieces (Agnes) that he had taken his $300 share from the sale of the family farm in Wisconsin, deposited it in a bank, and never withdrew any part of it. He became president of the 1st National Bank in Red Wing and later president of a bank in Dawson, Minnesota.
For forty-nine years Professor Gustave Brohaugh was involved with and taught at the Red Wing Seminary. He had planned to make it fifty years and then retire. Death intervened; he died June 5, 1928 and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, overlooking the Seminary. That was his wish. [Photo]

Karen Martina Olsdatter Brohaugh
1858-1940
Karen Martina was only fifteen years old when her father died, so she may have remained on the family farm after Bernt bought it. She lived for awhile in Chicago, Illinois with her brother, Rev. Christopher's family.
There is no record to indicate when or whey she came to live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but we know she was there in 1885. At that time she became the housekeeper for Dr. and Mrs. George Edwin MacLean and stayed with that family for fifty-three years. She followed them throughout Dr. MacLean's career as:
Profesor English Literature, University of Minnesota, 1883-1895.
Chancellor, University of Nebraska, 1895-1899
President, University of Iowa, 1899-1911
U.S.A. Educational Commission, Washington, D.C.
Martina was a kind, pleasant, genteel person. She was fond of her nieces and nephews and remembered their special days, such as graduation, with appropriate gifts.
After the death of Dr. MacLean in 1938, she returned to Minneapolis where she lived with her niece, Karen Dorr Simmons. She died on August 3, 1940 and was buried in the Red Wing Cemetery beside her brother, Gustave.

Erik Rotvold - A Special Tydaling

Erik Henningsen & Margrethe (Olsdatter Hyttmo) Rotvold
Gatzke, Minnesota

From Jul i Neadalen
Årsskrift for Selbu og Tydal Historielag.2004
Pages 22-24
Odd Svelmoe, author
English Translation by Olaf Kringhaug

Erik Rotvold - A Special Tydaling

Erik Rotvold was born the 25th June 1833 on the Rotvold farm in Stugudal as no. 3 of 7 children. His parents were Henning Larsen from Stuevold Østre and Ellen Gjertine Sakariasdtr. Barmann from Hitra. They bought the farm in 1830 from Sakse Henningsen of Møsjødal (Rote). Formerly the farm had been a seter under Jensgården in Græsli. Erik grew up here - certainly an existence of much struggle and toil for all to sustain the family.

The farming society changed a great deal during the 1800s. There was more and more an end to the idea that absolutely all goods had to be produced on the home farm. New eating habits led to the need to purchase such goods as coffee, tobacco, sugar, salt and flour etc. The payment could be made with cash, but most often the purchase was made through exchange of their own farm products. There were peddlers or 'veskytter' earlier but a more organised trade of goods now began.

City merchants had formerly had exclusive right to all sorts of trade. In 1838, Stortinget asked the muniipalities to give their opinion whether farmers who lived more than 40 km from a town should be allowed to trade goods themselves. The Selbu and Tydal council did not like changes in the existing situation. They came to the decision that it was neither desirable, beneficial or useful that the farmers could trade in 'necessities'. As late as 1861 Lensmann Schive stated, "A number of buyers swarm through the district....to whom people sell their products of their farms, partly for cash and partly with trading for other goods. Some trade in illegal goods, sometimes even spirits is associated with these persons"

Erik early showed great energy and was quick to take on new things. At only 25 he started with commerce at Lunden. That was comparatively early. Fr. Birch in Selbu opened his store in Selbu in 1852 as the first in the valley. Petter Olsen at 'Varhusbakken' was the first Tydaling who operated trade in food. Much of the goods were purchased from Birch in prepaid amounts. In 1860, Peter bought goods for 500 speciedaler (2000 kroner) from him. Erik was a good merchant and in time forced Petter Olsen out. (Perhaps it was him that Schive referred to with regard to sale of spirits).

Erik was very good at calculation but he never learned to write. He certainly did not get a complete education up at Stugudal either. The priest Hansteen said when he passed a confirmant of 18 who had been turned back 3 times, "One cannot expect anything else from you who lives up among the birds"! Trading in credit could have led to problems but Erik solved the accounting with the debtor rather cleverly. A cheese was a circle while a grindstone was a circle with a square hole in it! The system functioned remarkably well. In 1867 he started a 'branch' in Ljungdalen in Sweden. In summer he brought goods like grain and salt etc in pack saddles 60-70 km over the mountain. In winter he used sleds on the same route. He brought back iron wares and other goods the Swedes had produced. There were no roads, only trails.

In June 1861, Erik married his cousin Maren Larsdtr. Brendås, born 1840. Maren had a son before marriage, Ole P. Brendås. He grew up with Erik. Over time they had four children together, Lars, Ellen Gjertine, Henning and Peder. As adults, the three oldest went to America while Peder married into Løvøia. As a married man, Erik had to have a farm, so he bought the Berget Vestre property and lived there after.In 1867 his father-in-law sold half of the neighbouring Brennåsen to
Erik. The other half was sold to Ole A. Bakken (Hyttmo) from Ålen. With all the forest and outfields that accompanied the purchases, Erik had a significant farm by Tydal standards.

Unfortunately Maren died of tuberculosis the 6th July 1874. With 5 minor children to care for and a large farm to operate, it became too hard to be alone for long. As early as April 1876 he maried Margrethe Olsdtr. Hyttmo (born February 1857). It must have been rather tough for a 19 year old girl to marry a man who was 24 years older and at the same time take responsibility for the children. It looks like it went well. From 1876 to 1894, they had 11 children together; 7 boys and 4 girls. Nine of the children grew up but only two remained in Tydal. Their son Lornts died, 23 years old, in a rock fall. Over time six children emigrated to the USA.

In addition to his goods trading, Erik was very busy with the purchase of livestock for sale in the city. His stepson Ole P. Brendås remembers that as a child and youth he had to herd the animals barefoot in the mountains all summer before in the fall they were driven down to the railroad for slaughter. In addition Erik had 'rental' cows on may farms and cotter's places. One of these was the cotter 'Berginn' at Bergrommet. He did not have his own animals but Erik had a cow and two sheep 'boarding' there. His parents had operated Berget in their time but he had to move when Erik bought the farm. Ole Pedersen Aas, as he signed himself, was fond of the strong stuff. Berginn supported himself partly with building and carpentry. For the most part he did farm work for his farmer. This did not provide much income. He played cards and drank with Erik in the evenings. Erik played cards in earnest, so much of the earnings went to that and spirits. It was said that Berginn was able to keep just enough that his family did not starve to death. In 1882 the family were helped with a one-way ticket to America. As usual Ole had had a drink and his parting words were that they were now going to depart "this here manure hole". Afterwards clever tongues said that "the manure has gone, but the hole remains".

Many Tydalngs enjoyed a party with spirits and card playing on the weekends. Erik was among them. He held an open house for the young people so they could dance. It is told that one fall there was a dance in the summer house. Erik lay fully clothed in a doored bed and watched the young people. On a little table in front of him he had a "doktor" that he sipped. Stor-Ingebrigten of Aasen and his brother Henning got fired up about something and settled up outside. Even though Henning was a powerful man, he met his match in Ingebrigt. Ingebrigt went right back in and danced. But Henning was not finished with the matter so he found a reasonably long pole that he threw through the window. The pole went over Erik's head in his bed and past Ingebrigt and through the other window. Erik exclaimed, "What, Lord Jesus, what is it?" Then he drained his cup in one swallow, pulled his toque over his face and pulled the fur cover over himself. He remained lying there but the party continued without him.

Several of his neighbours also enjoyed card playing and a dram. It happened often that they sat up all night and played cards, often "femkort/kule" (a sort of whist). In a set there are two tricks. As the drams were drunk, a little sense was lost. They argued as to who had the most tricks. "I have a trick," said one. "But I have two," said Erik and swallowed the drink. Now and then Erik accompanied a neighbour home to fetch a cow or sheep out of the barn when they did not have enough money to pay up. The next morning was up at the crack of dawn and chopped wood or worked at something - fresh and active, while his neighbours stayed in with hangovers and regretting the night before. It was said the spirits did not affect Erik. The secret is probably that he drank a full glass of cream before the partying began. Margrethe dutifully sat up and looked after the stove, food and coffee. When her husband got tired of the party he got up and said to his life's partner, "If you love me, you'll follow me to our chamber"!

One Christmas, Erik overestimated his strength. They were at a party with Lars Halvorsa at Halvorsgården. Erik certainly drank much or perhaps the quality was a little poor? He became unsteady and did not feel fit to walk home. It was below minus 20º outside. His pals decided to put him on a sled and drag him home. So that he would not fall off, they took a rope and tied him down securely.On the way, the rogues came on the idea that they would go in and say that he had fallen and was dead. Erik also thought this would be humorous. He wished to find out what his wife and children would say when he had 'gone' away. Down in the farmyard the helpers would go in and tell the widow and fatherless children the sad news. Erik lay well fastened to the sled an awaited the reaction. There was the snag that when they got in, they asked if Erik was at home. As they knew, he was not, so they asked if they could come in and have a drink before they went further. This was immediately granted. Erik lay outside and became angrier and angrier and more and more frozen. The rope was well tied and things could have gone badly. Eventually he got free and went in. The intruders received the order to depart immediately. Such poor friends he did not wish to see in his house!

One Christmas with a great snowfall and strong winds, the old man decided to take a trip up to Bønstrøa and Lars Halvorsa. It was in the middle of the night so it was hopeless to walk. They then hired Svend Aasgård, who was just a youth, to drive them. He refused at first but he would get 10 kroner for the task. (This was several day's pay at that time) The assumption was that they would arrive without the sled being upset. If he could not manage that then he would get a real old-fashioned beating! Sven had a big strong horse and good equipment and they set off. he almost made it but unfortunately the sled upset in a big snow bank. The old man kept his promise and gave Svend a beating before they went the last bit on foot....one's word was one's word.

Erik held strong opinions about much. If he did not like a person he did not compromise. This also happened within the family. He quickly got out of step with one of his daughters-in-law. Perhaps he felt she was too domineering? Margrethe felt this was bad. "I feel sh elooks kind," she said the Erik - or "Old-Erik" as he was called when he got up to the "old man" age. "Just wait until she beomes known," was the answer. At the wedding he wished everyone welcome to the table. The in-laws were not mentioned at all!

Three of the oldest children emigrated to the USA about 1890. Two of them settled as farmers at Gatzke in Minnesota and after a time did rather well. "Old-Erik" crossed the 'pond' early in the 1900s and liked what he saw there. In the spring of 1911 he sold the farm and took Margrethe and the 4 youngest children on the long trip to Minnesota. Up on Karlshaugen by the highway, they stopped for a rest and looked over Bergegrenda for the last time. "Such beautiful green hills you will never again see, Margret," said Erik, before they went further down the valley. He is believed to be the oldest emigrant to leave Tydal. Erik was then 78 years old.

In the USA they lived for the most part on the farm of his eldest son, Lars. Erik was in good health for a long time and helped with the farm work well into his 80s. He continued with a little card playing and a dram on the weekends. A temperance society was established among the Tydalings and other Norwegians in Gatzke about 1915. Erik did not like this. People who invented such modern foolishness he wished to have nothing to do with, he told one of the "apostates".

In 1923 Erik celebrated his 90th birthday at Gatzke surrounded by family. Over time there were many descendants in Norwegian America - 9 children and 48 grandchildren. Now it goes further to great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren so that today there are many hundreds of descendants of Erik. Many of them have done well over there. In addition there are 3 children and 12 grandchildren with descendants at home in Norway. One can confidently say that Erik was a remarkable and strong personality who left a deep mark after him.

Erik died in June 1924, just over 91 years old. His dear Margrethe died in 1930. Both are buried in Landmark Cemetery in Gatzke. The life that started in poverty up in the mountain forest at the foot of Skarsfjellene, ended in Minnesota's fertile and flat land, deep in the USA.

Note: Erik came from the same area as John & Guri Nysetvold in Norway. He was related to both of them. The picture is from John Nysetvold's glass negative plates that I have and scanned.

Sources: Tydalsboka
Bygdebok for Tydal
"The Tronsaune-Rotvold History"
Conversations with older Tydalinger about Erik.

All Translation Rights Reserved
Republication or redistribution of content or any derivative work for "private use only" is permitted, as long as users acknowledge and attribute any use of material to Olaf Kringhaug. No part of these translations may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without written consent from Olaf Kringhaug 2008