Ole's Blog

I finally was able to look through a book I have been coveting for some time. It is not an old book, but is quite rare, and not available for inter-library loan, or even local library loan. The nearest copy to me is in the PLU library “special collection.”

Ringebu parish, Gudbrandsdal, is where the Slettens and the Moens came from. The first 40 pages of the book contain a narrative and discussion of emigration from Norway in general, and from Gudbrandsadal in particular. I copied that section, and will get part of it translated eventually. The rest of the book is filled with names of emigrants, arranged chronologically. I was lucky enough to find ten names I was looking for.

I began with Engebret and Gunder Olson (Sletten) as kind of a warm-up exercise. I had already found their emigration record, which shows they departed Oslo on 3 June 1881, on the steamship Angelo. As I hoped, they were easy to find.Encouraged by this success, I began scanning the following pages for the rest of the Slettens, who were said to have come at some unknown later date, not necessarily all at once. It turns out they *were* all together, in 1884.So, this is the new (to me) information: “Papa” Ole Ellefsen Sletten, Elsie, Johannes, and Mathia (the spellings they used in America), departed Oslo 16 May 1884, also on the Angelo. That gets them as far as England. Still to be traced is how they got from there to America. Note that there is no “residential” surname associated with any of them, not “Sletten” nor any other.

As for the Moens, cousin Orrin’s book “Whence We Came” says they came over in 1877, and sure enough:Gunder Torgerson (Moen) is Anna Moen’s father, my great-grandpa; Torger, then, is my great-great. This record is the first I have seen with destination Minnesota.  Be that as it may, they settled permanently in Vernon County, Wisconsin, as did the Slettens. I visited their graves in June 2009 at Brush Creek and Coon Prairie. I didn’t check with Orrin yet; he may already have known the date and ship, but they are new to me. Two of Torger’s daughters, Randine and Sigrid, are not listed. They must have come separately, as Randine married and raised a large family here. Orrin’s book has no information on Sigrid, other than she had no children, and a picture of Randine and Sigrid together.

Also of note in this record is “Moen,” as part of the residential surname, Rørviksmoen. The suffix “moen” appears with many farm names; I haven’t figured out what it may signify. A very few farms are named simply, “Mø.” which also means “maid” (??). Orrin, who has explored the area, once told me he didn’t think there even was a “Moen” farm associated with the family. This is not at all unusual (see Slettens).

Analagous to the “moen” in “Rørviksmoen,” may be the suffix “-haugen,” as in “Skurdalshaugen” and  “Bakkehaugen.” “Haugen” is translated as “pasture,” or “small hill.” There are also a few farms named “Haugen,” period. Think: Professor Harold “Hill.”

Pardon the poor copy, it was scanned from the newspaper-like printing of Orrin’s book. Thanks to cousin Orrin for publishing it all those years ago.

Date of photos unknown

This *may* be my last post before Thanksgiving. I need to get some fiction written; I’m falling behind on that project.

Again, it was a comment by cousin Lois that kind of got me on a kick. She remarked how much the childhood picture of her dad resembled her own childhood pictures. In fact, I found one that is pretty blurry but really captures what Lois was saying. Not only the expression, but the stocking cap, and even the hands – as if grasping a steering wheel (or maybe reins, in Walt’s case). I have some cuter and clearer pictures of little Lois, but this one best makes her point.But it isn’t just Lois and her dad. Check out Reatha and daughter Darlene – both in one of their cheesier moments.Sorry if I’m embarrassing anyone. Now I’m going to flog myself a little. Here I am celebrating my fifth birthday with a pout as big as any of my dad’s “famous” ones.Even though my high-school portrait is one I thoroughly loathe, there are a few similarities to my infinitely more handsome father and uncles.

And to my (even more handsome) Grandpa.

Finally, a couple of pairs from the next generations.

Next: Pictures of poverty

Cousin Eric took the “Shack” photo from the previous post, and edited it for more contrast and clarity. Thanks, cousin! I have been fooling around with this photo and others, trying to duplicate Eric’s excellent results. So far, I’m not even close.

The Shack, c. 1910, clarified

Tomorrow: the Nesseth connection.

In one of those albums at David Kasold’s is what must be the original print of the famous 1910 “shack” photo.This print, although smaller than the picture postcard I made my best copies from, is at least as clear, perhaps a little clearer. On the same album page is what appears to be the main portion of Isaac’s “real” house, located on Smith’s land claim.Lots of interest here. First, in the foreground, two sod structures that must be root cellars or other food storage. Cropping in a little closer, we can see parts of two vehicles.On the left, behind the tree branch, appears to be a horse-drawn wagon, and on the right, mostly hidden by the sod structure, is the rear of an open buggy, or perhaps a “horseless carriage.” And ramped up to the native resolution of my scanner,we can make out the figure of a man near the right corner, and possibly another human form framed by the doorway. This picture seems to be taken from the west.

I am guessing that the side with the door is where an addition was later built, giving the house its final and more familiar shape. If so, then the  picture below (by Uncle Ivan, approx. 1941) was taken from the opposite side, which became the “front.”Note the lean-to structure behind the house, which looks similar to the one in the foreground of the older photo, supporting my guess about the viewing angles. The final interesting detail is that the second photo was labeled “Isaac’s,” even though it must have been taken long before Smith “disposed of” his claim when he reenlisted in the Marines.

Next: more about the Nesseth’s.

Here is a large group photo from one of the “Louise” albums, one of the few that has a date attached. I emailed this to a couple of you a few months ago, after my first visit to cousin David K., but I got very poor copies then, using a hand-held camera. This time I brought along my own scanner and captured the best copies I could hope for.

A few general comments: 1) The background is positively the North Dakota, Larson brothers’ homestead country. That is a little vague in this photo, but others confirm it. 2) I admit I am very poor at ID-ing people from old photos. After literally hours of staring and comparing with all the other pics I have, and with all my family info, I can only guess at a handful of these folks.

Even the adults named without ? marks are open to question.  Here is another shot almost surely from the same occasion. Some of the same people are in it, wearing the same clothes, but there are key changes.

Both Walt and Lovell are there now. They are almost the only ones in either picture I am really certain about. Oscar and Olaf (if that is who they are) are now down in front; Axel and Isaac are missing, and Anna is standing behind that handsome dude with his sleeves rolled up, who is sitting next to Olaf. For a while, I thought that one might be Isaac, but the resemblance (in my eye) is extremely poor.

Thanks to Edna’s notes, and to other photos like the one below, I am sure I have her  and Lenora pegged.

But yikes! Who the heck are “Ruth” and “Lois??” They are in the group shots as well. They both look older than Edna, so must have been born between approx. 1898-1903. I have scoured the “Larsons and Slettens,” plus the Samuelsons, Moens, and even the Nesseths, and can find no one by those names that could possibly be them. The little tyke with the white collar is another huge mystery. He must have been born in 1915 (give or take a year), and there is no one in my records who fits.

At least one of the babes-in-arms is also unaccounted for. One is surely Harvey. Another could be Vernon, although he was only three weeks old on this date, and none of them look that young. But even if so, there is no one to match the third baby. So, pipe up, cousins! I need some serious help on this one.

Next: a new, early picture of “Isaac’s house.”

I just got back from a trip to northern California. The main purpose was to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 94th birthday, but I made a side trip to visit (second)  cousin David Kasold, the grandson of “Aunt Lucy,” Louise Larson. David has several old photo albums, apparently assembled by his mother Edna, but containing snapshots from Louise (most likely taken by Smith Larson). Some of these photos I have seen before, but most of them are new to me. The latter include the earliest photos yet of Waldemar and Lovell. The first one is positively Walt; a similar but less clear shot is labeled as such.

Walt c. 1914

Next is obviously Isaac and Walt on the right. The other man and child are less certain; after some very insightful comments (see below), I am fairly settled on Isaac’s close friend Con Brunsvold and his eldest son Howard (wh0 was about Walt’s age).

Isaac, Walt, and ?? c. 1915

Below must be the earliest photo yet known of Lovell.

Walt and Lovell c. 1915

Finally (for today), the two of them with a barnyard pet.

Walt, Lovell, and calf, c. 1917

This is a luxury, very few of these are labeled at all. Next: some large group shots with identity crises.

The drive from Dubuque to northern Vernon County, Wisconsin took longer than expected.

After a nice lunch at the “Badger Crossing” with Aline, Clarice, and Sam, we went to Brush Creek church and cemetery.

Brush Creek church

No one among us knew when the church was built. It must have been after the fire anecdote that Aline related in “Larsons and Slettens,” and prior to 1906. Great-uncle Axel’s wedding photo from that year (published in the same book) shows in the background the very artwork that is still displayed in the chancel.

Church interior

Out in the cemetery, Aline guided us to the graves of a slew of relatives. The first was Ole and his first wife Anne (Samuelsdatter).

Ole's stone

The stone was placed by cousin Aline relatively recently, prior to about 1980 when my mother photographed it.

Nearby is the grave of Ole’s mother, Anne (Larsdatter).

Anne's stone

Her correct birth date, as discovered in the primary sources, is 1801. Anne is buried alongside Ole’s sister Mari, Mari’s husband, and one child. Anne’s stone is very similar to those of the three Stigens; they must all have been placed by the Stigen family.

Stigen stones

Anne Samuelsdatter’s brother, Ole (Samuelson), is also buried at Brush Creek, as are his wife and at least one son, Sidney.

Several of Ole Larson’s children are there, including Smith Larson.

Smith's stone

I had thought that Smith was a merchant marine. Maybe that was after he was a US Marine? I also heard for the first time that Smith had died after losing a leg with gangrene. Unclear how long that was before his death, or what kind of injury the leg had suffered. Other details are needed on these questions.

On the Moen side, Anna Moen’s parents, Gunder and Maria, are buried at Brush Creek.

Gunder Moen's stone

There are lots of other Moens there. When I get home and see the Moen book, I will try to figure out which ones are related.

So for myself, and all the grandchildren of Isaac Larson, we have four great-grandparents and one great-great buried at Brush creek. There are some more great-greats at Coon Prairie, coming up in a later post.

Sorry this is taking so long. I’m just really busy right now.