Well today I got Maren's death certificate, but unfortunately they weren't able to find han's.
Stuff I transcribed real fast off of it: Place of Death:larimore, grand forks county, ND homer hospital? widow husband = hans birthdate feb 22nd 1879 father = Totland mother = Permilla? Totland died Nov 6th 1946 buried larimore 11-11-46 birthplace: Norway, had been living in the US for 51 years cause acute myocarditis
Now I'm gonna go try to find her Mother, the certificate was kind of hard to read but I believe the mother's name was Permilla. It might have been Pernilla.
Thank you Jan Peter, apparently she also had three brothers according to Glen Who immigrated before her. They were Tom, Andrew and the third name I had trouble reading it might have been larrie or something similar. Glen also said they came from Bergen
I'm sorry, but I think this Gudmund Larsen is a wrong track.. here he is on the Totland farm in census-1900, with a wife named Cecilia, and 8 children... Link
Are you able to interpret Maren Serina's chr record?
In Maren Serina's chr record it looks to me like the father's name starts with a gud..... larsen totland. I can't really read anything else from it. But you are right unfortunately some of these seem to contradict each other like Maren Størnisdtr Totland on the immigration record. Thanks again.
I think you found them Jan peter! :) Who else could be her family? Those siblings seem to be very good candidates for her brothers too. Just one nagging question though. Who is Maren Størnisdtr Totland. The two Maren's you found seem to be the only ones born in finaas in that time period. Maren Størnisdtr Totland doesn't seem to exist besides that one record, maybe it was transcribed wrong? I have looked for people with the name starting Størn and have had zero results. Thanks Jan Peter I think you probably have the correct people. Also what is good about this second family is that the kids did immigrate to America while kids of gudmund didn't seem to.
Hi, I believe Maren Størnisdtr Totland is your Maren, and that her name should have read Maren Gustavsdatter Totland in the emigration records.
"Noone" is called Størnis in Norway, that means no daughter should be called Størnisdtr either. So could it be a transcription error?
You could try to contact the The National Archives in Bergen (Statsarkivet i Bergen), who are in possession of the original records. Maybe the could double check Maren Størnisdtr Totland for you. An email address in given on the page, but I believe they usually answer those questions only by ordinary mail.
Jan Peter
ps: Maren can be found together with her husband Hans H. Smilden in Moraine township, Grand Forks County, North Dakota in census 1900. You should try to locate her brothers and sister in the same township, or possibly county...
You could probably look at the record yourself. LDS library catalog also indicates that have "Emigrantprotokoller, 1874-1900" for Bergen copied to microfilm which can be ordered and used at any LDS Family History Center.
Age in 1910: 45 Estimated birth year: abt 1865 Birthplace: Norway Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Norway Mother's Birth Place: Norway Home in 1910: Mekinock, Grand Forks, North Dakota Marital Status: Single Race: White Gender: Male Year of Immigration: 1882
I believe Mekinock Township is very close to Hegton township (where Hans and Maren lived in 1920)
Then in 1920 I find him in Minneosota
Name: Torkel M Totland Home in 1920: Oaks, Roseau, Minnesota Age: 54 years Estimated birth year: abt 1866 Birthplace: Norway Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Norway Mother's Birth Place: Norway Marital Status: Single Race: White Sex: Male Home owned: Own Year of Immigration: 1882 Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes
Now I only need to find the others siblings.
A quick search on google for Torkel Totland led me to someone researching this exact family in Norway. Torkel Totland
Also big thanks to both of you, I found a LDS Family History Center only about 6.5 miles away. I will try to look for Maren's immigration records there.
I think I have a good chance at finding the holy grail! http://www.rootsweb.com/~ndgrandf/gfq-z.htm The link I just posted is an index to a book called "Grand Forks County Heritage Vol. I & II", and apparently the index indicates there is information for a Maren Totland on page 241 section "moraine" in volume 1. This has to be my Maren they are talking about. I wonder what it says I need to find this book. I just looked more carefully at the index and they also have a Hans G Smelden also on page 241! I bet his middle name is Gerhard!
That's good stuff! Now we just need to connect this Torkel to your Maren in the US.., to prove that they are from the same family... This Torkel you found is for sure the son of Gustavus Larsen & & Pernille Torkelsdr.
About this "Tom"... I found one Tom on the SSDI: Tom Totland (17 Apr 1891 - Mar 1973) 55801 (Duluth, Saint Louis, MN), but he could not have emigrated before Maren (atleast not by himself...), being born 1891 he would have been only 4 years old then...
Age in 1910: 35 Estimated birth year: abt 1875 Birthplace: Norway Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Norway Mother's Birth Place: Norway Spouse's name: Anna B Home in 1910: Mekinock, Grand Forks, North Dakota Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Year of Immigration: 1890
Look same year and same town as Torkel Totland. :)
In 1930 I see that Andrew L. Totland has moved to Minnesota.
Home in 1930: Detroit, Becker, Minnesota Age: 54 Estimated birth year: abt 1876 Birthplace: Norway Immigrated: 1890 Relation to Head of House: Head Spouse's name: Anna B Race: White
He has a neighbor....
Name: Gustav D Totland Home in 1930: Detroit, Becker, Minnesota Age: 29 Estimated birth year: abt 1901 Birthplace: Minnesota Relation to Head of House: Head Father's name: Henry J Spouse's name: Olive V
Looks like Gustav is Andrew L Totland's nephew. Also it looks like Gustav's father lives with him: Henry J. Totland, this must be Andrew's brother. But what does the census say about Henry J. Totland?
Name: Henry J Totland Home in 1930: Detroit, Becker, Minnesota Age: 61 Estimated birth year: abt 1869 Relation to Head of House: Father Born: Norway Immigrated: 1888
Does this information match one of the norwegian records?
Information Jan Peter posted: Helge Johan, chr 27 JUN 1869, Moster, Hordaland Helge Johan Gustavsen Totland (19) emigrated on 13 Jul 1888. Looks like we found Henry! What do you think you said Torkel was for sure, I think I found enough evidence to say Andrew and Henry are his brothers.
Hmmm... good stuff! Henry J. sure looks like Helge Johan, although the "final" proof still looks to be missing... a lot of loose threads that needs to be tied together...
You could probably order Gustav Totlands death certificate?
From LDS: Gustav TOTLAND Birth Date: 30 Aug 1900 Death Date: Feb 1970 Social Security Number: 470-40-3854 State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Minnesota
Death Residence Localities ZIP Code: 56501 Localities: Detroit Lakes, Becker, Minnesota
The LONG Crossing of the Hannah Parr - Background Essay - The fascinating story of the Hannah Parr crossing the atlantic in 1868, the ship encountered serious trouble on the way. This is probably one of the best documented crossings of a norwegian emigrant ship of that era, thanks to Clair O. Hagen and James Overdahl
Smilden family
Posted - 12/06/2007 : 04:52:53
