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Cheryl
Starting member
17 Posts |
 Posted - 05/11/2003 : 04:10:49
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My g grandfather came from somewhere in Norway. All I know is he came around 1888 or before. His name on his naturalization papers says Hans Myhre, but he changed it to Hans Meyer. He was a wood carver. Family history says he came over to work in the Norwegian Exhibition at the Columbian Exhibit at the Chicago Worlds Fair. He later moved to Two Rivers Wisconsin. He was born 6/2/1861. He married Mathilda Sundborg who was from sweden also working at the Fair. Could there be any records of people working at this exhibit?? Thanks for any help or suggestions finding him.
Cheryl |
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2003 : 02:41:29
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Hi Cheryl I don't know if this is much help but here is an article on the Norwegian Pavilion which was built in Orkanger which is in Orkdal Sor Trondelag Click Here Maybe he came from that area.
Carla |
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Borge
Veteran Moderator
Norway
1297 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 18:51:26
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| Do you know if Hans had any siblings, or perhaps if he was married twice? What was the names of his children? |
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Cheryl
Starting member
17 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2003 : 13:15:04
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| Hans was only married once to Mathilda Sundborg from sweden. They met and married in Chicago on 12/8/1888. They never talked about their countries. My father said he came over as a wood carver and worked in the Norwegian Exhibition for the Chicago World's Fair. He became a citizen in 1888 so he arrived before that. He was born 6/18/1861. Around 1898 he moved to Two Rivers, Wisconsin. His children were Henry, Alfred, Reuben, Marie (Mae), Rose, and Thorval. We know nothing else about him. Mathilda is the same way except my father remembers her having a sister that lived somewhere in Minnesota. My father also said they he thought he heard the farm he came from was Myhrum. He changed his name from Myhre to Meyer on his naturalization papers. Thanks for any help. |
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thelebrity
Senior member
Norway
234 Posts |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2003 : 15:00:38
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Hi Cheryl,
fyi , The World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago in 1893, 400 years after Columbus "discovered" America.
I wonder if Hans already back in 1888 knew about the exhibition 5 years later... 
Jan |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2003 : 21:27:25
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1920 Federal Census done on January 14, 1920:
Two Rivers Township, Manitowoc County, WI, ED 124, page 15A:
Hans Meyer, age 59, immigrated 1884, naturalized 1890, born Norway, Supervisor ?
Matilda, age 55, born Sweden, immigrated-can't read it.
Alfred, son, 24, single, born Illinois
Reuben, son, 22 single, born Wisconsin
Thorval, son, 12, born Wisconsin
1930 Federal census done on April 18, 1930:
Hans Meyer, age 68, own home, owns radio, age at first marriage 28 (1890), born Norway, manager woodwork factory.
Matilda, wife, 65, born Sweden
Alfred, 38, single, born Illinois, bookeeper at wood work factory.
Thorval, 22, single, born Wisconsin, manager orchestra
The Wisconsin Gen Web is very active -couldn't make the link work but just do a Google inquiry or go through
www.vitalrec.com and you will find it. There are four Meyer inquiries under the Surname & Family History Section. There are also lookup volunteers for some of the local history books.
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2003 : 21:32:25
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| One more item, on the 1930 census it states Hans immigrated in 1871 and Matilda immigrated in 1886. |
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thelebrity
Senior member
Norway
234 Posts |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2003 : 19:00:37
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Yes, I agree with you entirely. The 1930 "1871" date seems really out of line and the 1920 "1884" date is probably correct. In doing my own family research, the 1930 census seems to have alot of errors. Census records have always to be taken with a grain of salt, but usually one gleans some helpful information.
The best documents are the ones that the individuals fill out themselves, marriage, naturalization, social security and draft applications. 
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Cheryl
Starting member
17 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2003 : 03:07:34
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Wow!!! So do you feel that this Hans Hansen on the farm Myrum is my g grandfather?? What about the Hans that came over in 1884? The age doesn't seem right there. I have another post out here asking where Gornibe is. On my grandmother's birth certificate it says he was from Gornibe, Norway. This could be a misspelling. Are all the other people listed on the Myrum farm siblings, parents, etc.??
Thanks so much for everyone's help. You wonder why he never spoke of his family. The same with Mathilda other than she had a sister. We don't know where she came from. |
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thelebrity
Senior member
Norway
234 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2003 : 09:03:41
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I was just wondering about the Gornibe. Is it a hand written word that you can't quite transcribe, or is it printed or typed like that.
If it's in hand writing, would it be possible for you to scan it and put the image in a message on this forum so we could have a look at it.
Lacking alternatives I think the Myrum farm in Vågå is worth while further investigating. The parish registers of Vågå could tell if this Hans was emigrating, and his (or his siblings) baptizm record and his parents marriage records could tell if "Gomibe" is an americanized version of the name of a farm he lived on/was born at.
Actually the relevant part of the Vågå parish registers should be searchable at Arkivnett Oppland:http://www.arkivnett.ol.no/dbsok/nkb.asp
but clicking on Vågå only gives you the message that nothing is yet registered. I have emailed Arkivnett Oppland asking them what is wrong. Hopefully the error can be fixed and the mystery solved. |
Per Helge Seglsten |
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Borge
Veteran Moderator
Norway
1297 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2003 : 17:58:26
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| This could be a realtive, Jacob Myrum, from Vaage (Vågå), also a woodcarver, going to Chicago in 1891 |
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2003 : 18:55:52
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Hi On the LDS IGI there is
HANS HANSEN
Male
Event(s):
Christening:
30 SEP 1860 Vaagaa, Oppland, Norway
Parents:
Father: HANS OLSEN
Mother: MARIT JACOBSDR
So if the birthdate you have is correct then this likely isn't yours 
Have you gotten copies of his marriage record (Illinois has it on line) and any of their childrens birth records. Is there any hint as to what Hans' fathers 1st name was or did Hans ever use an initial. Any hint as to what his patronymic name was.
Carla
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Cheryl
Starting member
17 Posts |
Posted - 15/11/2003 : 01:45:28
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| I know his birth date is correct. 6/18/1861. It is on his tombstone and also in all obits, etc. He never used any middle initial that we are aware of. I do have their marriage info. They were married 12/8/1888 in Chicago and I have a copy of it. My grandmother's birth certificate says he was born in Gornibe, Norway. It was written and not typed so it could be hard to decipher. Also, he spoke very little English so it's hard telling if the translation is correct. It also said his wife was born in Norway, but we know that she was born in Sweden. Could that be a town in Sweden and not Norway?? Hans' other children were named Henry, Alfred, Reuben, Rose and Thorval. We always thought my grandmother's name was Mae Violet, but on her birth certificate it say Marie Wielet which could be a Norwegian way to spell Violet. Thanks again for your help. Cheryl |
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 15/11/2003 : 15:44:12
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Hi Cheryl On the birthcertificate, you might try and find someone who is experianced in transcribing documents from the time it was issued (maybe local historical societies) The letters used then are often quite different than what we use now. Here is a page that may be of use Click Here Gornibe just doesn't fit in with anything we can find in Norway now.
Part of the problem is that Myhre/Myrum may not be the farm he was born on. It could be the farm he was living on before he left Norway.
The Norwegian v sounds like a w so Wielet was more than likely meant to be Violet..
You could try joining the Norway L mailing list. It's exremely active. Be sure and refer to the information found here so they don't research what has already been found.
Click Here
Carla |
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Hans Myhre Help!!!
