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Originally posted by Jo Anne Sadler

There is a very active GenWeb for Hamilton County, Iowa:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~iahamilt/

There is a Central Iowa Norwegian project that you might eventually want to add your ancestors to the database.

Here is the best dictionary I have found to read old records:

http://home.online.no/~otjoerge/files/word.htm

Here is what is online with Digitalarket for Søndre Land:

http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&fylkenr=5&katnr=&emnenr=&aar=&dagens=&knr=536

Here is what is available on Family Search:

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=145973&subject_disp=Norway%2C+Oppland%2C+S%C3%B8ndre+Land&columns=*,0,0

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Originally posted by Hopkins

Hamilton County, Iowa - Ellsworth township. That puts them near the towns of Jewell or Randall. Hamilton, Story and Hardin counties were locations in central Iowa with larger and EARLIER settlement by Norwegians than most (but probably the largest and earliest was up in the northeastern county in Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties).
The LDS library system has a book about Norwegian-Lutheran congregations in those areas. It lists the churches and their locations and I think it was published about the turn of the last century. It can tell you the names and locations of the churches. I'd think you'd want to know about the churches in the Bode (Humboldt Co.) area and near Jewell and Randall in Hamilton Co. That way you have names of congregations to search for. I might have that film at my nearby LDS Family History Center - but I can't look for it until at least next week or the week after.
I can give examples - in the Thor, Norway township area of Humboldt Co. there were three early Norwegian-Lutheran churches (earliest Norwegian settlers there didn't arrive until about 1872). Today they have all merged into one Lutheran church and the old records for all three are kept in the pastor's study safe. Permission to view them has to be given by the church council in advance of a visit. I know this - because I took a summer vacation trip a few years ago to do exactly that. In another Iowa County (Buena Vista) the Norwegian-Lutheran church records that I REALLY wanted to study for another family line were available copied to microfilm by the LDS library! That was wonderful and I was able to order and study them from my current location. So I recommend that you check for what can be obtained from where you are first. Check with local historical and genealogical societies in those Iowa locations as to whether the records are available and IF someone might be willing to do some 'lookups' for you. (Remember it has to be someone who hopefully has some experience with reading the old Norwegian church records - not hard to learn how to do - but not what you can really ask a stranger to be willing to learn for you.)

I see Christopher and Susana in the 1880 US census. If the census info is accurate we'd expect Christopher to be born about 1847 in Norway. Susana born about 1848. All three children born in Iowa and the oldest boy is 9 - so they've been in Iowa (and married probably) since at least 1871.
Iowa did state censuses in 1885,1895,1905,1915 and 1925. (The 1925 Iowa state census is GREAT - even lists peoples parents names and birthplaces - including mother's maiden name - if you look up Inger Olson it might have some additional info for you.) All of those state censuses can be ordered on LDS microfilm.

Check all genealogy related websites for Hamilton and Humboldt Iowa - see if you find any more information or repositories for old records.

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Originally posted by Kåarto

Hi Matthew, i find only one Karen: Karen M. Larsdatter Kindsæth age 6 in 1865, daugher of Lars Knudsen and Olia Andersdatter, both age 39 and free farrmers. Both the names Kristenshaugen and Kindseth are not commen names, it´s my first time watching these names and both in Søndre Land and Martin Haugen (Kristenshaugen) born in Søndre Land, it seems convincing to me, but.. Digitalarkivet has an English version : http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebFront.exe?slag=vis&tekst=meldingar&spraak=e. When Hopkins find Bode in Iowa and Kindseth´s in Humbolt County it semms ti be a right track. Martin Kr. Haugen knew where to go when he emigrated, others he knew well had send for him. only church records can prove the final evidence, these are not available online yet from this area and periode yet.

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