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AnnNY
Starting member
USA
7 Posts |
 Posted - 07/11/2005 : 00:21:44
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I'm trying to find any information on my Great-grandmother's mother's family. My grandmother gives her mother's mother's name as Betsy Margretta and that is all. The children are named Donaldson. My grandmother says there were 3 named Catherine Ann, Daniel and Laura. The exact date they were born (or even if they were born in Wisconsin or Norway) is unclear, but it seems to be between 1856-63. My grandmother says the father was a ship's captain, but there is no first name. I'm having a terrible time trying to find any records of them before 1878 (Laura marries in Wisconsin.) But there are three children the the Waukesha Reform school in 1870. One is named Kate, one Daniel and one Boyon (a girl). (Laura gives her name is Laura B.) It says they were all born in Norway. Something very bad must have happened for these children to end up in this situation.
If anyone knows anything or has any guesses, I'd be happy to hear of them. |
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Jean Marthaler
Junior member
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 23:02:03
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Hi, could you tell us what you know about Laura, Kate or Daniel. I am assuming you are descended from Laura since you know a marriage year for her. Who did she marry? Could you tell us where she lived once she was married and where she may have lived at the times of the 1880, 1900, 1910, etc censuses. Also the names of her children might help in giving us some clues to work with.
Do you know for a fact that these children in the Waukesha School are Laura and her siblings?
Any extra info might help us with a search for you.
Thank you, Jean |
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AnnNY
Starting member
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2005 : 23:56:50
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Thanks for your interest.
I don't know for a fact that the children in the reform school.
In fact, they are supposed to have been born in Wisconsin. But there is some mystery here that has me fascinated, since Donaldson is the only grandparent my grandmother doesn't have a first name of. Also, there is some story that doesn't make sense of Laurie's mother (Catherine) being left on a doorstep. Also, Laura and Catherine keep changing their stories every census about where thier parents are from. (I think some people in the upper midwest had a prejudice against Scandinavians.) But Catherine Ann was my great-great grandmother. They apparently called her Kittie.
The first trace of any of the siblings that is for sure is the marriage of Laura to Milton Ailes in Milwaukee. They first move to Minneapolis and then to California. Catherine was married in 1880 apparently. I first find her in the 1900 census, married to my great-great Grandfather Winfield Scott Hamilton. They were living in Minneapolis.) They had two children--Ernest and Laurie. Later Catherine and Winfield were divorced and he remarried and had more children.
The only thing in the early Wisconsin censuses that sound remotely like they could be the three siblings, is in this reform school--and it would make sense that stories were made up about being left on a doorstep (how can you be left on a door step and have siblings) and not seeming to be able to keep straight where your parents are from. Daniel married Ella Clement, but he seems to have died young. At some point I see a widowed Ella Donaldson, also living in Minneapolis.
But my great-grandmother does seem sure that the siblings mother is Betsy Margretta from Norway, and I can't find any trace of her whatsoever. I thought Margretta was her last name, but now that I have read this website, I think it must be a double first name.
Thanks again for your interest. This is my most perplexing genealogical case!
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2005 : 04:52:02
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Hi This appears to be Catherine (Kate) and William living in the same boarding house In the 1880 census for Minneapolis Click Here
Listing their fathers birthplace as Scotland seems to be consistant and the name Donaldson would fit with that. Donaldson is not a name that appears in the 1865 census for Norway but names did get Americanized when coming to the US.
This article click here refers to "a complete history of each inmate is kept at the school in a book prepared for the purpose, as well as birthplace, age, occupation, habits, and condition of parents". I wonder if those records still exist.
Carla |
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Jean Marthaler
Junior member
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2005 : 05:40:14
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I also saw the info on Catherine in the 1900 census where she is living in the Minneapolis area. There it says she was born in Wisconsin in August of 1863 with her father born in Scotland and her mother born in New York. I find who I would believe is the Laura B. Ailes (the sister) listed as born in May of 1861in Wisconsin, father born in Scotland and mother born in Wisconsin.
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I am putting the info below out just in case it could mean anything. Here we have in the 1860 census for Racine County, Wisconsin a family that could possibly be them, this shows the mother Betsey born in Norway. This has a Daniel who is age 3 and this could match the Daniel in the Waukesha school; also notice the one year old female with the name of Boyer.
Nordmenn i USA i 1860-teljinga
State County Circuit Page Given name Last name Sex Age Birth place
43422 Wisconsin Racine Racine 143 Charles Daniel m 40 Norway
43423 Wisconsin Racine Racine 143 Betsey Daniel f 29 Norway
43424 Wisconsin Racine Racine 143 Daniel Daniel m 3 Wisconsin
43425 Wisconsin Racine Racine 143 Boyer Daniel f 1 Wisconsin
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In the 1870 census for Yorkville, Racine County, I find a 40 year old Betsy Daniels, INSANE living with a group of others also listed as insane.
Could this be the correct family in the 1860 census and could Betsy have had mental health problems and the children where then sent to live at the Waukesha school.
This still doesn't answer the question about the Scotland, New York and Wisconsin birth listings for the parents in the later census years.
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BELOW WE HAVE A BETSY DANIELSON BURIED IN THE YORKVILLE CEMETERY WHO WAS A NATIVE OF NORWAY. THIS COULD BE THE MOTHER, BETSY WHO COULD BE BETSY MARGRETTA. Notice Betsy father is listed as Ole Nelson.
Yorkville Cemetery
The following was done with the combination of
Cemetery Records from the Town of Yorkville in May of 2002
and the transcriptions of head stones done by this
Writer in May and June of 2002.
This Writer also has added actual death dates from the
Racine County Register of Deeds Office of those
Individuals she has personally researched.
Writer: Doris L Demet
A published copy of the following is also located at
Graham Public Library, Union Grove, Racine County, WI.
Lot 209 Grave 1 Batsey Danielson
Natvie of Norway died Dec 20, 1911
2 Child of Ole Nelsen
I am putting this all out on this board in the hopes that it will help in the search for this family.
Thank you, Jean Marthaler
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AnnNY
Starting member
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2005 : 20:01:57
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Wow, thanks so much for your input!
I think this must be Kate and Winfield from the 1880 census. He's down as William, but that would be an easy mistake to make. His age, his birthplace and parents birthplace match up.
I saw the Betsey in the insane asylum and thought the same thing about the children in the reform school. And the 1860 census, it seems to me, must be also the same children. Boyer or Boyon as a female name is very unusual, isn't it?
Also, the fact that in 1880, Catherine is listed as Kate Donaldson and in 1870 a Kate Donaldson is in the reform school, does seems to make it more probable they are the same person.
Betsey is an uncommon name, and the only Betsy D., I could find in Wisconsin in 1870, was the one who is insane. I checked the 1880 census and a Betsy Daniels is working on a farm in Racine, Wisconsin, so that's good news.
Thanks again for your help. Most of this information is completely new to me. And I think you may well be right on track.
I did see that records were kept for the reform school, and I want to look into that.
I just checked the 1860 census and found Charles Daniels & Betsy. I also checked my Grandmother Laurie's notes again. She had written about Betsy husband: Charles? and sea captain. And in the census Charles is a sailor! Since Betsy didn't change her name from 1860, perhaps the children's names were changed in the reform school. |
Edited by - AnnNY on 11/11/2005 06:48:39 |
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2005 : 13:03:28
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Hi I think I have found Daniel in the 1880 census Click Here also living in Minneapolis.
Carla |
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AnnNY
Starting member
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2005 : 19:28:02
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Maybe that's him, but in this census he's saying not only are his parents from NY, but he is, too. On the other hand, if it's a rooming house, maybe the owner did the best he/she could.
In the meantime, I also found this on Family Search
Click here
I don't know if the link will work, but if not, you can look up Charles Daniels, born 1819 in Norway, and the family up to Boyer (who is said to be a male, I'm sure incorrectly). It says Charles and Betsey were married in 1854 in Norway and Daniel was born in 1856, so they came to the US sometime in those two years, but I don't find them in the Emigrants.
Does anyone know the Norwegian version of Charles, and has anyone heard of the name "Boyer?"
Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, but I am coming to believe that these are the parents of Catherine, Laura and Daniel.
Here is a photo the the gravestone of Betsy Danielson. |
Edited by - AnnNY on 11/11/2005 19:36:18 |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2005 : 04:51:33
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The entry on the LDS Family Search website was only submitted by an individual who may have been encountering the same confusing information we've just seen the various census listings. Have you tried searching for that same information in the CD version of the IGI as can be used at many LDS Family History Centers - OR have a member of that church help you to try and learn the name of the original submitter. As it stands on the website it is not reliable information.
I think you should contact that 'reform school' to get any and all information that might be available from their records.
Search for birth records in the possible Wisconsin locations where the kids might each have been born. |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2005 : 00:52:31
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| Believe it or not, Betsy (Betsey) was a nickname for Ingeborg. This happened with my great grandmother as well as two other Ingeborg's I found who were born in Norway. I do not believe Betsy was a proper given name in Norway in the 19th century. I could never find my great grandparents marriage record in Minneapolis until I started searching for a Betsy, not an Ingeborg. |
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Odd Hansen
Junior member
Norway
33 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2005 : 16:35:11
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Hello !
I have red in a book at the library something about a
Anton Skjorholm who married a women called Elsi Donaldson born 1893 up in Red Wing I think it was in 1955, her parents were Ellis and Emma. If it is your family I can look it up again for more details.
Odd |
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AnnNY
Starting member
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2005 : 21:22:49
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| Thanks very much for your posting, but none of the names match up, so I don't think it's my family. |
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AnnNY
Starting member
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 17/07/2007 : 08:16:47
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Thanks for everyone's help. Two years later I finally received the records from the reform school that confirm that the three children where my gr-gr-grandmother and her two siblings. Charles apparently was in the "US Service" which I take to mean the civil war and came back with shell shock or something. His children and wife were left to roam the streets until they ended up in 1870 in the reform school and the house for paupers. Fortunately, things improved for the sisters and the mother.
If the Family Search records are correct they came to the US between 1855 and 1858, but I don't know their original names except of course I suspect the surname was Danielson and not Daniels. Also, I can't find any info on what happened to the father.
I did find on the LDS website two possibilities: Christen Danielson born in the correct year and changing one's name from Christen to Charles makes sense.
I also found a Ingerborg Olsen, daughter of Ole Nilsen, also born in the correct year. Obviously, these are wild guesses,
If anyone has any further thoughts or might know what happened to Charles Daniels, I'd love to hear them. Your input has been a tremendous help.
I should re-label this post Daniels/Danielson/Donaldson in Wisconsin, but I don't know how.
Ann
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
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AnnNY
Starting member
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 18/07/2007 : 06:49:10
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Hi--
Thanks for the lead. I have used the website for other relatives. It's excellent, but no help with my questions in the last post. Someone mentioned the Ingeborg/Betsy thing in a previous post, that is why I thought may be the Ingeborg daughter of Ole Nilsen might be the person. Charles Daniels is common name, so I'm not having much luck figuring out when he might have died.
Anyway, I spent something like five nights up until 4 am on Ancestry.com trying to get further. I'm writing a book about my family and it begins with Betsy.
I've sort of hit a brick wall and I'd thought a post again, because you helped me so much to sort things out.
Ann |
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Donaldson in Wisconsin
