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Skiaker
New on board
Norway
1 Posts |
 Posted - 21/12/2005 : 17:36:53
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Hey everybody. Im 17 year old boy from Gran, Hadeland. Please excuse my grammar, english is not my best side. I am doing a report in school about norweigians who moved overseas and settled, and especially theyre children and family. I am not looking for any specific person, but i would like to ask a few questions that i hope you will answer.
Those of you who has family that left Norway in the time period 1800-1900, how are your relations with Norway? How many of you speek norwegian? Do you still have contact with your family from the old country?
Also, since i know hadeland so well maybe i could help some of you with varíous things.
Sincerly yours Tobias Ingvar Skiaker |
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skbristol
Junior member
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2005 : 22:43:57
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Hi Tobias,
My family left Norway in the 1860s. Beginning with the first generation born in America, we do not speak Norwegian and do not have contact with family in Norway. We have been here for five generations (six now with my children). My ancestors came from Rogaland, Hordaland and Akershus.
Good luck with your report!
Sara Bristol, Yakima, Washington |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2005 : 23:37:34
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Studies have been done here and, in general, by the fourth generation, the native language of the "crossing over" generation is no longer spoken. There are many reasons for this, desire to assimilate, children marry people of other ethnic groups, english only schooling/media.
That said, Norwegian-Americans have managed to maintain their identity better than most groups.There are regional bygdelag organizations that promote Norwegian heritage, arrange heritage tours to their specific region in Norway and encourage members to locate family members in Norway.
http://www.fellesraad.com/
There are Norwegian festivals, mainly in the midwest, the largest is the Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota.
www.hostfest.com |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 22/12/2005 : 00:52:36
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Hello Tobias,
My great-grandfather, Rolf, was born in Jevnaker/Gran area in the 1860s and came to the United States with a friend when he was only 18 years old. His widowed mother and sisters also came to the US in the next few years.
Rolf worked the railroad for a number of years and then began to farm. He married a girl from Kvinnherad, Hordaland that he met in Iowa and they had 12 children. He was never a wealthy man but he was healthy and happy and he lived a long life. He enjoyed fishing and ice cream and large family parties.
I never had any contact with any Norwegian relatives until I started the hobby of genealogy. Since then I've made many friends in Norway by email contact and have two distant relatives come to visit me in the US. I've never made any deliberate effort to find relatives in Norway - but we seem to find each other anyway by our interest in our common ancestors and our family history.
I've learned to read some Norwegian - especially the old church records, census records and books that I've used to search for ancestors. I don't even try to speak Norwegian anymore. I've tried and people who DO know the language find my efforts hysterically funny. I'm told that my Texas accent just doesn't help at all.
I haven't been to visit in Norway YET. I hope to get the chance sometime in the next few years.
Good luck on your school report!
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Edited by - Hopkins on 22/12/2005 01:18:22 |
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 22/12/2005 : 04:30:20
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Hi Tobias
My father's father, Ed Olson, came from Norway in the 1860's from the Verdal area of Nord Trøndelag and Dad's mother was born in the US, but her parents came over in the 1860/1870's. The rest of the grandparents came in the early 1900's. Dad spoke some Norwegian and I'm not sure about Mom. I know that one of Ed's brothers kept in contact since I have seen the letters he wrote. I don't believe there was any contact with the 2nd generation but when planing our trip to Norway I was lucky enough to connect with cousins on Dad's side plus my Uncle on Mom's side had already been in contact with cousins from that side. The highlite of our trip was meeting and staying with relatives. Hopefully some of them will be coming over this summer to our reunion. So far we have kept up the contact but don't know if the next generation will.
I can't speak Norwegian but could read it fairly well for a while when I was translating some articles.
Good luck with the report
Carla |
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jwknudsen
Junior member
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2006 : 04:25:41
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Hi Tobias!
My g-grandparents, Petter Martin Knudsen, (born Hidra, 1853) and Marie Sofie Andreasdatter, (born Åkerøya, 1853) were married at Hisøy (Arendal) in 1878 and emigrated with their four sons to New York in 1891. They returned to Norway, along with a US-born daughter in late 1894, shortly before the birth of their fifth son. Petter died at Hisøy in July 1895. Marie lived there until April 1909.
Five of the six siblings eventually returned to live in New York, while one remained to make his home at Hisøy. Of those who returned to the US, only one continued to speak Norwegian at home, and only 4 US-born children in the next generation (12 US; 2 Norwegian), spoke Norwegian into adulthood. No one of the 7 members of my own generation speaks Norwegian. I have learned to read some for purposes of genealogical research, and to speak a very little for purposes of two trips to Norway.
My father remembered only a few Norwegian nursery rhymes, and that his parents only spoke the language when they wanted to keep their conversations private. While serving in the Eighth Airforce during WWII, he was swept up along with other Norwegian-Americans in his unit to assist British commandos into Norway. His nursery Norwegian didn't serve serve their purposes, so he remained in England.
Since the recent death of a cousin whose family retained the language and had kept correspondance with friends and relatives in Norway, the extended family has lost direct contact. My g-grandfather's family in Norway is all deceased. I'm currently trying to reconnect with some of my g-grandmother's decendants, but my cousin's records have proven to be quite sparse and the relationships rather vague.
Best of luck with your report.
JK
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edr
Starting member
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2006 : 07:21:02
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Hi Tobias,
My great-great-grandfather and -mother left Hedmark in 1866. They settled in Wisconsin and took their Norwegian farm name (Ringnes) as their "American" last name. Although they were farmers in Norway, and probably their ancestors had been farming for a long time, when they moved to America they became city dwellers, and none of their descendents took up farming.
Their children and grandchildren have moved all over the United States. Very few are left in Wisconsin. Unfortunately by my generation no-one speaks Norwegian or knows much about Norwegian culture, or knows any relatives in Norway.
This sounds silly, but when I was a kid my only exposure to Norwegian culture was that my dad and his brothers used to eat pickled herring at family gatherings.
Until I started researching genealogy I didn't know anything about my Norwegian ancestors before they came to America. It is fascinating to find out who they were and what their lives were like. I am learning the Norwegian language now.
Best of luck with your schooling. Your English is very good.
Ed, from Seattle, Washington |
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trea
Starting member
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2006 : 08:14:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Skiaker
Hey everybody. Im 17 year old boy from Gran, Hadeland. Please excuse my grammar, english is not my best side. I am doing a report in school about norweigians who moved overseas and settled, and especially theyre children and family. I am not looking for any specific person, but i would like to ask a few questions that i hope you will answer.
Those of you who has family that left Norway in the time period 1800-1900, how are your relations with Norway? How many of you speek norwegian? Do you still have contact with your family from the old country?
Also, since i know hadeland so well maybe i could help some of you with varíous things.
Sincerly yours Tobias Ingvar Skiaker
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Trea |
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trea
Starting member
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2006 : 08:20:16
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| Hello, I'm 3rd generation, My great grandparents came from Tune, Aremark area of Norway. I have a Norweigen learner's book , but no one who speaks Norweigen anymore. Would love to know if I have any relatives in Norway. I remember my Grandfather speaking Norweigen and The Lutheran church I went to as a child was in Norweigen until I was about 6 or 7.when it went to English. I remember my grandfather drinking his coffee out of his saucer black in the morning and with cream and sugar at night. Lutefisk every Christmas Eve. Any thing else can I help you with Trea |
Trea |
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Wally
Medium member
USA
142 Posts |
Posted - 28/07/2007 : 20:08:38
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Hi, Tobias, my greatgrandfather and greatgrandmother, and family came here in 1881.
They were originally from Bo I Vestalen, which I understand is quite north in your country.
With them came my grandmother, Mathilda Sivertsen, who changed her name to Mathilda Severson, and her brother Josef/or Joseph Sivertsen/Severson.
I understand I have some distant relatives in Norway, but I have not communicated with them.
Although I grew up in a largely Norweigen speaking , Lutheran environment I haven't learned the language. Tobias, I hate to say the Norweigan language is a dieing art art around here. I happen to know some neighbors who could not speak a word of English, now don't know how they can answer if I ask them a question about some item in my Norweigan background. |
Wally Rutter |
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Wally
Medium member
USA
142 Posts |
Posted - 28/07/2007 : 21:33:01
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Tobias, My late dad visited your great country a number of years ago. I wait until I can.
Until then, I invite you to visit our great country. I am sure you will find it has many things that will interest you. |
Wally Rutter |
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TLarson
Senior member
USA
205 Posts |
Posted - 30/07/2007 : 00:04:33
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Hey Tobias
My great grandmother came from Gran Hadeland and was born in 1884 and left Norway in 1904. Her name was Martha Ensrud and she had a brother and sister that both lived fairly long lives. I have many letters through which they kept contact. There are no Ensrud's left in Norway that I am related to, but I recently found relatives of my grandmother's mother's family so that was very exciting. The name there is Melaas. I have never been to Norway yet, but my grandparents have been there twice. I am only 18, but I have still learned quite a bit in the last few years of my grandmothers ancestors in Gran. I unfortunately cannot speak Norwegian, but I can read a very limited amount. I hope this is interesting to you! |
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Lislcat
Advanced member
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - 30/07/2007 : 00:23:35
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Hello Tobias,
My great great grandparents came over in the 1850's, 1870's, 1880's and early 1890's. Most of them came to Wisconsin because they weren't going to inherit land in Norway, because they weren't the first born son, they had little money and one grandfather, because his father had died and his mother remarried. I did have one great great great grandfather that was a master blacksmith and he decided to come to Wisconsin after his wife died.
My grandparents always spoke Norwegian at home and with other Norwegian American families. My father didn't learn English until he started elementary school. He still spoke an Americanized version of Norwegian with his siblings. I learned a few words and know how to tell the dog to lie down behind the stove, thanks to my grandmother. :) Needless to say, that didn't get me very far in life.
I think since genealogy has become a billion dollar industry and more information is readily available, because of the internet, there is a new interest in our Norwegian roots. Maybe this will spawn a new awakening and more Norwegian Americans will bring back some of the traditional ways. They can skip the lutefisk! Sorry, Jo Anne, but I just couldn't resist.
Good luck! Wanda |
Lislcat |
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Kåarto
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
5861 Posts |
Posted - 30/07/2007 : 01:43:06
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Hei Tobias,
My grandfathers oldest brother Torkel Torgersen Rolfstad em.from Sigdal 1905.
I am a native Norwegian but I have several 2 cousins in ND and Iowa, and I have met some of my cousins and and their parents, and yes, "blood is thicker than water" (An old saying)
None of them speak Norwegian exept a few words like "Tusen takk, lefse, besøke etc", but to understand each other is no problem.
Strange experience:
Early in the 60´s several TV-programs was made by Erik Bye in NRK (Norwegian tv company) from the Norwegian settlements in Wisc., Iowa, Minnesota and N. Dakota.
The elder generation in these settlements spoke perfect Norwegian dialects from dif. parts of Norway, old dialects that was spoken generations back. None of them had ever been visiting Norway.
This transmissions was of the most interesting I ever seen on TV.
Hilsen
Kåre
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Edited by - Kåarto on 30/07/2007 02:01:08 |
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Arden Anderson
Starting member
USA
29 Posts |
Posted - 30/07/2007 : 03:36:16
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I have two grandparents from Norway and two from Sweden. I am very proud of them and what they did. They all came to America as young adults and found their spouses here and got married here.
My grandfather came to America in 1891 as a twenty year old. He was born in Oppland County, Faaberg in a parish named Guasdal. I have found his birth, confirmation and emigration in the parish records. I have visited the farm, Maelum, in Faaberg and saw where he lived. He sailed from Oslo to Hull, England and then went overland to Liverpool. Within a few days he sailed from Liverpool to Quebec, Canada and landed in October 1891. After a short stay in Wisconsin, he moved to northern Minnesota and went to work in the iron ore mines. At this time he homesteaded land in Minnesota.
What this means that he could apply for citizenship to America and then receive for no cost, 160 acres of land for his own farm. The only requirement was that he must show improvements on the property. He built a house and a barn.
My grandmother came to America in 1893 and also came through Quebec. She went to Cummings, North Dakota and she said she didn't like it because there were few trees. She moved to Northern Minnesota and met my grandfather and they were married in 1898. My grandmother came from Sor-Trondelag, a small village of Grong. I have also visited the town of Harren, Grong and have stood on the rock she told me she played on as a child.
I write to my family in Harren, Sor-Trondelag and we trade Christmas cards each year. I am trying to locate children or grandchildren of my grandfather's family. Their name is Wold and live in Olso, but so far haven't found them. I will continue to try.
My grandparents had 9 children and as adults they could only speak a few words of Norweigen. My mother told me, however, that when she went to school for the first time she could only speak Norweigen. But since there were Finns, Swedes, etc. at school they all spoke in English as children.
I always feel that it wasn't war, famine or persecusion that prompted my grandparents to come to America. It was for economic reasons. More land and better opportunities.
As a child we always had lutefisk at Christmas. I'm glad I'm a Norweigen! |
Edited by - Arden Anderson on 30/07/2007 03:41:02 |
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Norwegian student asking you about Norway
