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michelle olson-williamson
Starting member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2009 : 21:59:45
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I am just beginning to try to find information on my great grandmother’s family in Norway. Most of what I know about her I found in her obituary or in my grandmother’s Bible.
Anne Bakke was born 28 June 1872 in Gulbransdalen, Norway. She died 4 January 1946 in Mayville, Traill County, N.D., USA.
Anne’s parents: Lars and Gunhild Bakke Her brothers and sisters: Thea (married Hans Eide) – born 1887 Ole Bakke – b. 1877 died 1966 in Oakley, MN, USA Lars Bakke – imm. 1902, died in Clearbrook, MN, USA Mary – born 1881? (married Ole Hendrum) Anna (married ___Josephson) Anne Bakke could possibly have arrived in America 1894, bu I am pretty sure she arrived in Fosston, MN 1902.
She married – Tom Olson in 1903 in Hillsboro, Trail County, N.D. USA Children: Ervin Otto Olson (1904), Arthur Henry Olson (1905), Alice Mabel Olson (1907), Ida Terese Olson (1910), Victor Alvin Olson (1912)
It seems to me that when people emigrated from Norway to the US, they kept in touch with the folks back home… So I was wondering if this information enough to find out anything about Anne’s parents, Lars Bakke and Gunhild?
thank you so much |
michelle ~ mwilliamson2000@aol.com |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 02:02:27
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Your problem might be harder to solve than it first appears. All of those names are very very common, Thea a little less common but we have no information that she emigrated or when.
Gudbrandsdal in Oppland, Norway is a fairly large area. (region includes parish areas of Dovre, Nord-Fron, Lesja, Lom, Skjåk, Vågå, Sør-Fron, Fåberg, Vestre Gausdal, Lillehammer, Ringebu, Øyer og Østre Gausdal). The valley of Gudbrandsdal is a part of the northern areas of Oppland County, in the east of Norway. The valley stretches from the lake Mjøsa in south and northwards to the mountains in Jotunheimen and the county border to Sør-Trøndelag fylke.
Did you notice that both Lars and Ole use the middle initial O. in US census records? That usually indicates that their father's given name started with that letter. So how certain are you of the names Lars and Gunhild, that info come from a really solid source?
Ah, the online Minnesota Death Index lists that Ole Bakke died in Polk Co., MN (I found no record of any Oakley in MN) and the 1920 US census for Polk Co. lists that he immigrated in 1900. So, since the closest port I'd imagine him using coming from any of the Gudbrandsdal parishes would be Oslo/Kristiania I checked the emigration register for that port at the Digitalarkivet website.
Found, one Ole O. Bakke leaving Oslo/Kristiania in 1900 and headed for Minnesota. Listed as born in 1878 (close enough) and lists previous residence as having been in "Skiaker".
Ole O. Bakke emigrates 1900
Start your research for the family in Skjåk parish/district of Oppland, Norway. Be sure and be open to the possibility that the parents names you have may in error. Read the helpful 'how-to' articles under Links above on this page.
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 02:24:24
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The parents names are spelled a little differently in the 1900 Norwegian census and they no longer live on a Bakke farm (they didn't own land so that's not so surprising). They reside on a small sub-farm of the larger older Kvalheim farm with two of their younger children still living at home. (Hint - Thea's name is spelled Tea in this census.)
Anne's parents in 1900
Additional good 'how-to' for your study: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/DigitalArchives.html
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9301 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 03:19:00
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The town in Minnesota is likely Oklee, located in the northwest corner of the state, and a few miles south of Thief River Falls. It is now in Red Lake County but at one time was in Polk County.
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michelle olson-williamson
Starting member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 03:21:57
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This is amazing. Thank you, Hopkins, for your help. This explains a lot!
I am open to the possibility that Anne's parents names could have been listed wrong in her obituary and the family Bible.
And thank you Lyndal also. That makes sense too.
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michelle ~ mwilliamson2000@aol.com |
Edited by - michelle olson-williamson on 23/08/2009 03:23:31 |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 03:28:48
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Study and learn the basics. That's the only way you'll be able to check and verify any information given you. You'll also be able to do the research for yourself, which is actually the real fun of this hobby. |
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9301 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 03:51:50
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Here is an Ole O. Bakke from ancestry.com. He is travelling to Fosston, MN. He is going to visit his relative E. Bakke.
Name: Ole O Bakke Arrival Date: 23 Feb 1900 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1878 Age: 22 Gender: Male Port of Departure: Liverpool, England Ethnicity/Race/Nationality: Norwegian Ship Name: Teutonic Search Ship Database: View the Teutonic in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database Port of Arrival: New York, New York Line: 17 Microfilm Serial: 15 Microfilm Roll: T715_103 Page Number: 239
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michelle olson-williamson
Starting member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 03:55:41
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Thanks, again, Lyndal.
I think E. Bakke is Edward - spelled Edvard on Hopkins' link.
Looks like he is a brother of Thea; he is living with her in the 1920 and 1930 censuses. Weird that he wasn't mentioned in Anne's obit.
But wait... it says that Edward imm in 1912... hmmm. |
michelle ~ mwilliamson2000@aol.com |
Edited by - michelle olson-williamson on 23/08/2009 03:56:56 |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 06:59:10
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In Annes baptismal record is noted that she was the 5th child and her father was a miller. Thea was born Febr 20 1887, see #7 Ole was born Oct 7 1877, see #63 Edvards baptismal record is #23 Peder, born Oct 28 1870, was the 2nd child, see #3 (It is noted that there were two children before the marriage) Marith, born Oct 28 1869, was the 1st child, see #2 Ole Ellefsen had a 3rd? child Hans born March 24 1868, the mother was Anne Olsdatter, see #36 Ellef was the 2nd child born out of wedlock Dec 15 1866, see #6, parents were Ole Ellefsen and Thorine Hansdatter. Stumbled across Ole Ellefsens 1st "leiermål" (illegitimate child) with Marith Torkildsdatter and their daughter Marith born Dec 11 1854, see #16 Hans born Dec 4 1863, see #11 was also an illegitimate child with the parents Thorine Hansdatter and Ole Ellefsen, Bakke. Mari born June 28 1879, see #13 Lars born Febr 6 1881, see #10 Livø born Dec 12 1882, see #3 Anna Dec 10 1884, see #4
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 23/08/2009 11:10:50 |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 07:18:20
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Annes parents were married Nov 4 1869, see #5 Her father Ole Ellefsen was then 42 years old, his father was Ellef Pedersen and Ole came from Bakke. Her mother Thorine Hansdatter was 26 years old, her father was Hans Rasmusen and she came from Skielkvale-eie, but she was born in Trondheim, see the 1865 census. Thorines baptismal record is #234 she was born Sept 23 1843 and was an illegitimate child. Her parents were Hans Rasmusen (25 years) and Anna Hansdatter (35 years) - both came from Gulbrandsdalen. Hans Rasmusen was an illegitimate child, born May 28 1819, see #42, his parents were Rasmus Andersen (a servant at Forberget) and Marith Amundsdatter, Bakke-eiet. Thorines sister Marith was born Jan 31 1854, see #13
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 23/08/2009 09:39:35 |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 11:27:35
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Ole Ellefsen was born Jan 12 1827, see #24 his parents were Ellef Pedersen and Marith Erichsdatter, Bakke. Ellev Pedersen and his parents and siblings in 1801 Ellevs grandparents (his mothers parents) are #2404 and 2405 in the same census. Soldier Ellef Pedersen, Bakke (24 years) and maiden Marith Erichsdatter, Vange (20 years) were married April 10 1821, see #15 right page. Marith Erichsdatter was baptized April 26 1801, see middle of page her parents were Erich Olsen and Anne Pedersdatter at Vange. Mariths parents and brother in 1801
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 23/08/2009 11:41:35 |
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michelle olson-williamson
Starting member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 17:30:54
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Oh my. Eibache, this is great! I don't think I could have figured any of that out for myself in 100 years of searching...
Thank you for uncovering this. I have to ask, and I'm trying to be delicate here and I don't mean this to sound offensive: was having illegitimate children common (at least for servants) back then or was it somewhat scandalous?
Maybe I'm assigning meaning that isn't there, but I'm so curious: with a family history like Anne's, might she have wanted to kind of put the past behind her, so to speak, when she left the homeland? Could that explain why the parents' names I have for her aren't accurate?
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michelle ~ mwilliamson2000@aol.com |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2009 : 21:45:52
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I may not be the right person to answer your questions, but I'll try. Children born out of wedlock was not uncommen, if you read baptismal records you will see them with the notation "uægte". I do not believe it was more common among servants than any other group of people. Having an uægte child had to be reported to the church and the one did the reporting was normally named in the parish register. The church would then formally excuse the wrong behavior and this would be listed under the heading Publice Absolverede in the parish register. I believe being born out of wedlock could have been the reason for some who decided to emigrate, in Annas situation it is difficult to say, she was not born out of wedlock, only two of her siblings were. Annas father did have three cildren born out of wedlock, two of them before he married Annas mother. The 3rd child being born just before he married Annas mother was quite another story, but Thorine obviously excused him for that and they married. |
Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 24/08/2009 10:49:26 |
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michelle olson-williamson
Starting member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 24/08/2009 : 00:01:37
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quote: Originally posted by eibache
I may not be the right person to answer your questions, but I'll try. Children born out of wedlock was not uncommen,..
Fascinating - thank you for the explanation. |
michelle ~ mwilliamson2000@aol.com |
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