Gudbrandsdalen with dandelions www.visitnorway.com
Here are some photos of the ancestral region of Ole Larson’s parents.
Gudbrandsdalen housing www.visitnorway.com
Farm with mountains famsteen.com
Bunader (festival costumes) are distinctive in each of Norway’s regions. The ones below are from Gudbrandsdalen.
Bunader www.lailas.net
The next photo is from the website of the Skurdal family of North Dakota. It is definitely Gudbrandsdalen, but is not the Sore Uppigard Skurdal (“South Upper Skurdal”) farm, where the family’s matriarch, Anna Skurdal, was born in 1890. The Skurdal farm, South Skurdal in particular, was the home of the Lars Poulsen family. I have tried unsuccessfully to contact the ND Skurdal’s. But now, I have visited the area for myself, and posted several photo essays. For more complete information on Skurdal, visit this post. For the complete tour, use the category “Ancestral Sites in Norway.”
Gudbrandsdalen, www.skurdal.org/
Below is a photo cousin Clarice took of Skurdal in 1991.
Skurdal farm 1991
Thanks to Clarice’s daughter Betty Ann for sending me this one. There are six Skurdal or Skordal farms in S. Fron parish, less than a mile apart, according to current Gule Sider maps and satellite photos. The land rolls of 1904 list them, roughly translated as Upper, Lower, North, South, and Middle Skordal, plus Skordalshaugen. Anne Larsdatter was born at Davidhaugen, also part of the Skurdal complex; she and Lars Poulsen raised their family on South Skordal. “Haugen” means “hill’ or “pasture.” Names of tenant farms are not recorded in land transactions or tax rolls. In the churchbooks, they are, but the names seem to be quite fluid. Quite possibly the family was raised on the same plot where Anne was born, listed under two names in various documents.
All this beautiful scenery, coupled with Ole’s story, reminds me of a saying I’ve heard describing some remote Indian villages in Alaska: “poverty with a view.”
Lars Graff
May 13, 2010
Hi,
I grew up in the neighborhood of the Skurdals. The “Norwegian Housing” are “sæters”. These were summer huts used only in ther summer time when the cows were taken up to the mountains for pasture. Most of them are now restored and used as recreational cabins.
As for “Poverty with a view”, You simply don’t find poverty in Norway any more. The comment would probably not be appreciated.
Regards,
Lars Graff
Wisconsin, USA
George
May 13, 2010
Thanks for the comment, Lars. I am sure that, of all countries, modern Norway is the one of the most poverty-free. I was speaking of the 19th century, especially the Gudbrandsdal crop failures of the late 1830’s when, according to historian Einar Hovdhougen, people were “grinding up birch bark and moss to make bread.” Hovdhougen also confirms that it was poverty that drove most of the millions of emigrants in the latter half of the century.
Per Ludvig Bjerke
Jun 7, 2010
Hi
I am a neveu of Lars living in Norway.
The picture Gudbrandsdalen is taken from Sødorp in Vinstra 5 km north of Sore Uppigard Skurdal. It is taken from east to west againt the villages Ruste (left) and Kvikne (right) on the opposite side of the valley of Sødorp. The mountain little left of middle is Feforkampen.
I do not know the name of the farm in front, but can find it out if you are interested.
Regards
Per Ludvig Bjerke
Norway
George
Jun 7, 2010
Tusen takk, Per. Can you tell which of the Skurdal farms is the one photographed by my cousin in 1991? And, is there still a place called Skurdalshaugen?
I hope to visit the area next year (for the first time). Perhaps we can meet. Is your surname from the Bjerke farm in Øyer parish? I have ancestors from Bjerke, besides those from Skurdal.
Mary Hinsverk
Jun 29, 2010
One of my cousins happened upon your blog and sent it onward to me. My mother was a Skurdal and I have several uncles and an aunt (Skurdal) that live in Williston, ND. My mother Ruth’s mother was Anna Skurdal and she married over in Norway Anton Skurdal (they werent related-just had the same last name). You mentioned you had tried to get a hold of the ND Skurdals but couldnt. Well, if you want me to ask them anything, now would be the time, since they are all up in their 80’s and 90’s.Anna & Anton were both born in Gudbrandsdalen area and Anna Skurdal was born in 1890.
George
Jun 30, 2010
Thank you so much. My ancestors were husmenn who left Skurdal for America in 1865, so would not likely be known to your family. I was looking for more information about the farm(s), which I have found (a little) through other contacts. I mainly wonder if “Søre Uppigard Skurdal” is the same farm that was called “Sondre Skurdal” in the old days.
My cousin Lois, a frequent commenter here, has family on her mother’s side who still live in Williston, and Lois has visited there recently. I asked her if any of them (their surname is Nelson) knew any Skurdal’s, but I am not sure if she asked them. Thank you again for commenting.