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Ginger82
New on board
Norway
4 Posts |
 Posted - 16/11/2006 : 21:36:38
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Hello!
There have been ruomers for over 100 years that my great grandfather Mathias Andersen Olstad had a second family in America. He is born in ringsaker, Hedmark in 1869 (or 72)..
He married here in Norway with Anna and got seven children with his norwegian wife, but he spend around 17 years in America, and took several trips there before and after he was married to Anna. Before he went on his last trip he said he had to go there to "fix things". He was gone for 2-3 years....
He worked at Nils Persons (Or Pedersen?) brothers farm in Wisconsin, Minnesota. Nils Person was married to Mathias`s mother, and his brother lived in America. (Dont know his name!)The Persons came from Sweden.
I found a record on Mathias in a passenger list from 1905. He arrived there on the majestic ship... I think that was his second trip there after he got married with Anna.
I can`t find out anything more about him and his trips!!!
If he really did have a second family there, my grandmother has siblings in America! (Probably they are not still alive, but my grandmother who is a healthy woman born in 1925 would probably have nieces and nephews there....)
I really appreciate all help i can get, cause im not an expert in searching for ancestors....! Thank you so much. 
All the best
Siw-Hege Bredesen, Norway
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Looking for my great grandfathers family in America! (Mathias Andersen Olstad, from Ringsaker.) |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 17/11/2006 : 02:03:46
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He arrived at the Port of NY on November 8, 1905, born 1871, going to Benson (Swift County), Minnesota. He had been in Benson, MN previously. Contact in America, nephew, Amund Mathiasen, Lauris (?), Minnesota. Passage paid by cousin, he is a laborer.
This is the only record I could find on Mathias in the Emigrants from Oslo database on Digitalarkivet:
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&sidenr=15&filnamn=EMIOSLO&gardpostnr=176181&merk=176181#ovre
You can also search the other Ports databases to see if he left from other ports. He would have had to register to leave from Norway:
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&fylkenr=&knr=&aar=&dagens=&katnr=5&alle=true
More information on Nils Peterson and his family in America, you know that this is a very common name.
I really think you need to get more information in Norway, your information is very vague. Exactly when did he and Anna get married? Birthdates of the children, you just need to go back nine months to establish when he was in Norway (or maybe not ).
Where did in finally settle in Norway? Have you found him in the Norwegian 1900 census? If not, then he was probably in America.
When exactly was he born? Parish records have been microfilmed, have you checked farm history books? All these bits and pieces of information can help find information.
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 17/11/2006 : 02:23:25
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Well, I looked again and found him in the 1900 census done on June 4, 1900:
Swift County, Swenoda, Minnesota
Mathias A. Olstod, born April 1871, 29, single, immigrated 1887, hired man.
Living with Adolph Englis, born Wisconsin
Wife Audnaua (?), born September 1864, in Norway, she immigrated 1885, they had four small children under 10.
If he had been in America for 13 years and was still a hired man then he was not very successful, he probably slept in the barn. That is probably why he went back to Norway. I doubt if he had a second family. Maybe the rumor was started by a trouble maker but that is just my opinion.
Swift ties in with the 1905 passenger list that he was going to Swift County. Unless someone paid for his passage, I do not think he could afford to take several trips back and forth to Norway on a hired man's salary. |
Edited by - Jo Anne Sadler on 17/11/2006 02:36:38 |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 17/11/2006 : 02:29:45
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Here is Mathias leaving Norway in 1887, his fare was prepaid:
click here
Black River Falls is in Jackson County, Wisconsin. |
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Ginger82
New on board
Norway
4 Posts |
Posted - 21/11/2006 : 15:52:09
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Oh my god! Thank you so much for all your help!! I am so unexperienced (as you noticed ) and dont know where to look and how to look for clues.
I am not sure when Anna and Mathias got married, but he bought the farm from his steph-dad, Nils Persson(?) in Norway in 1909. They got children in 1906,08,13,16,19,21 and 25.... When he went to America in 1905 he was already married to Anna.
Nils Persson lived in Norway, but his brother lived in America and Mathias was working at his farm for a while.
I will keep on searching, and i know a lot more now thanks to you!! 
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Looking for my great grandfathers family in America! (Mathias Andersen Olstad, from Ringsaker.) |
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Ginger82
New on board
Norway
4 Posts |
Posted - 21/11/2006 : 15:59:15
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| The farm he bought in 1909 is in ringsaker, hedmark, norway. I grew up next to that farm... I think my grandmother has some old papers at home, i will check them out next time im going to visit her... She is the youngest from the siblings so she doesnt know much about his history.. |
Looking for my great grandfathers family in America! (Mathias Andersen Olstad, from Ringsaker.) |
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Ginger82
New on board
Norway
4 Posts |
Posted - 21/11/2006 : 16:35:31
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He arrived at the Port of NY on November 8, 1905, born 1871, going to Benson (Swift County), Minnesota. He had been in Benson, MN previously. Contact in America, nephew, Amund Mathiasen, Lauris (?), Minnesota. Passage paid by cousin, he is a laborer.
I don`t understand where the nephew Amund Mathiasen is coming from..? Mathias only had one half brother, Even Børresen born in 1864... |
Looking for my great grandfathers family in America! (Mathias Andersen Olstad, from Ringsaker.) |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 21/11/2006 : 18:06:49
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| Maybe it was a nephew on his wife's side or just the son of a friend and it sounded better to say he was a nephew. Someone else to research. |
Edited by - Jo Anne Sadler on 21/11/2006 18:10:15 |
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Mathias Andersen Olstad Wisconsin Minnesota
