On the subject of interrelationships by marriage, the Larson-Sletten connections are abundant. There were at least five marriages between the two families in the early 20th century. And now, I have discovered a distant biological relationship between the Slettens and a slew of Larsons (including myself and all descendants of Isaac, Axel, and Louise Larson), and of the Samuelsons. A certain Erland Sivertsen Raastad (d. after 1605) of Vaaga parish, Gudbrandsdal, is the 6th great-grandfather of Anne Samuelsdatter (Ole Larson’s first wife), and also the 5th great-grandfather of Ingeborg Eriksdatter, wife of Ole Ellefsen Sletten. So for example, Mary Lentine, in addition to being my second cousin on the Larson side, is my (approximately) eighth cousin once removed – by the Slettens.
Next: the Amundson connection.
Lois Larson Hall
Nov 1, 2009
Years ago, after Dad had talked about going to Wisconsin for the Larson-Sletten reunion the first time, I asked him who the Slettens were. I’d never heard the name before. “Oh, not sure how they’re connected but they’re shirt-tail relatives” he said. His knowledge of Sletten-Larson connection was just like ours up ’til now, knowing only that some Larsons had married some Slettens. Little did he know how right he was about a common ancester of the whole kit ‘n caboodle of us!