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susanharkins
Starting member
Canada
18 Posts |
 Posted - 11/09/2013 : 16:59:35
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| I could be wrong as i found two dates .. I have also found a picture of Lena and her family in 1912 .. all names are of her siblings .. sorry unsure how to post it |
Susan Irwin-Harkins |
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susanharkins
Starting member
Canada
18 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 17:06:39
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here is a story that i found about the Olsens
The Iver Olsen family of Minnesota had heard the phrase "Go to Canada" so often from their neighbors Emil and Charlie Johnson, that in 1909, one son, George made the trip. He visited their friends, the Cranstons, who had already immagrated. As a result, George filed on land which became the home place. The following spring, Iver, and another son Emil came to Canada. Iver claimed a quarter section along the present Number 9 Highway for Christ (known as Chris) since he was twenty-one years old, and Emil claimed another quarter section. Chris stopped off at the Archie Cranston's place at Shepard, when he came to Alberta in 1910. From there he went on to George Cranstons homestead near Olds. George, Matthew, Andrew, James, father Robert and sister Sarah moved to "Blooming Prairie", about the same time as Chris Olsen. In the same year, Iver Olsen returned to USA, but before he could bring the remainder of his family to their new home, he passed away. George was required to go back to Minnesota to settle affairs and bring his mother, his sisters Ida, Lena, Clara and Ella and brothers Ingvald, Julius, and Alvin to Canada. In Vergus, Minnesota, they were told that they would be unable to bring six prize sheep across the border, so they had no choice, but to open to box-car door and turn them loose on the streets. George, and a friend, John Babcock, remained in a railroad car with the family's possessions all the way to Stettler. It was a long, cold trip from there to the home farm via livery wagon. Since the bachelor shack was too small for a large family, and Emil had typhoid fever, the Olsens had to live upstairs over Harry Drysdale's store until a house was built.
Chris was just getting work started on his homestead, when jobs working on the railroad became available. This was a life-saver as a man could make forty dollars a month, or with two horses and a slip, the wages were seventy dollars. It was quite an experience for these young men to live in tents, and see the meat for meals taken down from high polls it had been hung on for the preservation purposes. While working near Rosebud, the two lady cooks quit, so Emil was elected to fill in as a temporary cook for fifteen men. The bread supply was low, so he decided to make some. When the dough seemed rather obsinate, he made the whole batch into cinnamon buns. This turned out very favorably, as the men praised him for his culinary art.
The task of drilling for water was a difficult one. George and Emil dug fifty-five feet by hand and windlass, but found no change in the soil, except for a slight sign of coal. Finally, Max Meller drilled wells on the homesteads, using horsepower. The Olsens mined their own coal supply at the river, and cut spruce tree poles for fencing. Chris was assigned the job of breaking land with a walking plow and four horses, and broke about 85 acres the first summer. Haying was also important but strenuous work. Emil owned a threshing outfit, and thus helped many neighbors with their harvest. In those early days, Emil and Charlie Johnson owned a flour mill powered by gas, in Morrin, located near the present Pool Elevator site.
The younger Olsens attended school held in the United Church, where Frank Boyer was their teacher. Mrs Olsen and her family travelled by sleigh in the winter, and a democrat in the summer to church services at Anthill or Hillsgreen, which was quite a long distance away.
George farmed the home place. He was also a good mechanic and carpenter, and with the help of his brothers and hired crew operated a threshing outfit in the district for many years.The younger Olsen boys went to school, and helped on the farm, but were given time to participate in athletics. The Olsens have been members of ball and hockey teams ever since they came to the district. The younger generation now growing up gives every indication that they, too will excel in sports. In 1930, George married Louise Maren Pettersen who had come from Norway the previous year to visit her sister, Mrs Hans Henningsmen. Grandma Olsen made her home with George and Louise until her death in 1941.
June, the eldest in the George Olsen family writes, " Some of the early memories I can recall from home are - of Grandma Olsen sitting in her chair at the north window of the kitchen and knitting. I don't think we ever bought a pair of mitts in those days for she kept us well supplied. - Of Mother preparing hot chocolate and whipped cream on cold winter nights as a treat before we went to bed. - Lawrence Hickey walking down the track to visit us and being our babysitter when John was born. - Walking to school with Windle Hickey and really having no hustle along in order to keep up. - Of my Dad hitching up the horses and sleigh no matter how cold to get us to Church and Sunday School. - The Sunday drives to Munson and Rowley where we would be treated to a five cent ice cream cone and just how wonderful it was. - Dad bringing home a five cent O-Henry bar to be divided five ways - Five cent s really meant something in those days. - Of Mr Pierce, Sr bringing the baby chicks on the speeder because the roads were usually snow bound. - Our annual holiday at Buffalo Lake and later Pine Lake - Always at Pine Lake we lived on Perch fish the whole time there and resented Mother even bringing meat along.
June completed high school at Camrose Lutheran College amd them received her RN from the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary. She worked in Three Hills and Grande Prairie where she met her husband Tom Martin. They married in 1956, lived first in Vegreville and then moved to Lethbridge where Tom is employed in the automobile business. Their three children Dana, Paige and Tommy attend school. In the summer holiday season June operates a take-out food business at Wateron Lakes.
George and Louise's four sons, Orville, Ivan, Alf amd John decare their happiest memories are concerned with hockey games and ball tournaments. They also remember helping on the threshing crew with their Dad, the last few years he operated the machine. Orville worked for the Starland MD for several years, - farmed for awhile and is nos working for the Co at Olds, where he remained. He married Nita Winslow of Drumheller and they have three sons Kelly, Reg and Gordon. Alf married Marjorie Skoglund of Morrin. They live at Barons where Alf is a grain buyer for National Grain Co. They have a daughter Pam and a son Jim. John farms the home place. He married Paige Cumberford of Drumheller. Their son Bradley and daughters Becky and Deanna attend school in Morrin, with Sherri still at home. George passed away on November 20, 1964 and his wife followed on July 28, 1965.
Elvira (Vi) Noble came from Saskatchewan, as a young girl and worked in her aunt's (Elliot) boarding house in Morrin where good meals, hospitality and fun were served generously. Chris and Vi were married in 1922 and moved into the bachelor shack on a quarter section which Chris had bought from Fred Lang. They made it as comfortable as was possible and built an addition onto it. During the next few years, the local doctor, with Ida Olsen acting as midwife, delivered three children - Esther, Leonard and Gordon to this pioneer home.
On looking back over the "Dirty Thirties" when times were difficult, the things Chris remembers the most are - the terrible dust storms that blacked out the sun, so that coal oil lamps were lit in the afternoon; the fire which destroyed their home, and Gordon being recued from a nap in the blazing house, by Vi; living in Jens Hildahl's cookhouse and a granary that summer, and moving into an uncompleted house in the fall; two more children - Irene and Keith joined the family circle; the worries over the year and a half that Gordon spent in hospital for operations on his leg because of osteomyelitis; the anxiety over Keith, at the age of four when he fell beneath the teeth of the cultivator and had to have many stitches; the skating rinks he built on the garden patch every winter for his family and the Water's children across the road; watching Vi balancing the cost of weekly food supplies with the homemade butter that she had for sale; the years he spent on the school board with Mrs Doan and "Jock" Morrison; and his work as road boss to build better roads when Jim Cranston was a councillor.
Fred Lang remained on the Chris Olsen farm, helping out by doing odd jobs, until his death. He visited the local bar frequently, but no matter how inebriated he was, upon arriving home, he always asked "Christy are the chickens all in the hen house? It had always been hiis custom to close the door against any night prowlers, when he was sure the chickens were all safely inside.
Chris and Vi enjoyed retirement by moving to Drumheller in 1964. But in 1968, Vi passed away, leaving adeeply felt break in the family circle. Chris is still living in Drumheller, and the children have each gone their seperate ways, being busy with their work and families. Esther, a school teacher, married Alvin Notland in 1945. Leonard started working for E O Parry Co in 1945, driving a truck after school hours. Two years later he was working full time as parts man in the machine department. He was in charge of this department when the business was sold to Schinnours in 1961, and continued working for them for six years. He is now a partner in Morrin Farm Supplies which opened for business in 1968. In 1954 Leonard married Marion Johnson. Their children are Bernard, Patricia, Judy and Holly.
Gordon, a field supervisor for Banister Construction, married Donna Bremer in 1953. Their four children - Milton, David, Brent and Maureen are all in school. They live in Red Deer, but Gordons work has taken them on projects to Brandon, North Bay an Port Arthur, as well as countless spots in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Irene, a registered nurse, trained at Medicine Hat School of Nursing. Following her graduation, she went to Bermuda and worked in the King Edward VI Hospital. While there she married William Halliday. The next three years, according to US Navy orders, were spent in Louisanna, Alabama and Texas. In 1961, they returned to Canada. Irene is living in Drumheller and has Kathy, Donald and Ronald (twins) in school and Robert in kindergarten.
Keith, a grain buyer for a few years now, is now farming in the district. He married Patricia Coyle of Drumheller in 1957. Pat worked in the office of the Starland Municipal District for several years. They have one small daughter Luanne.
Ida, the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Iver Olsen, was known as her mothers "Right Hand", as they always worked side by side. She passed away in 1929.
Lena, married Robert Leslie McTavish, who was a mechanic in Calgary. She passed away in 1923, leaving three young daughters. The McTavish girls have fond memories of the time they lived on Grandma's farm and walked the tracks with the Doan girls to attend school in Morrin. Today, these girls are all living on the west coast. Mrs Herb (Orpha) Schmidt, Victoria has three children -Colleen, Marsha and Danny. Mrs Jack (Ida) Peyton, Campbell River BC also has three children - Robert, Barbara and Johnny. Mrs Sidney (Eva) Powell, Vancouver has two children Rodney and Gail.
After giving up farming, Emil was an engine expert for Massey Harris Company for many years. in 1947, he married Lillian Hanson of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota and was predeased by his wife, when he passed away on December 1968.
Clara and Roy Hanson live in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. Roy is a World War I veteran, being totally disabled from a head wound. Besides being a homemaker, Clara has done domestic services and worked several years in the school cafeteria. Church activities are Clara's main interests. Their eldest girls Lillian and Edna attended school in Morrin for some time. Lilliam married to William Kuhn, lives in Lafayette, Indiana. They have three children, William Jr, Kristin, and Paul. Edna married to Gustave Carlson, lives in Morrhead, Minnesota. Alvin Ivan Hanson spent many years in the Marines in the Pacific area during World War II. He married Dorothy Denes, and they are located in Reseda, California. They have a daughter Carolyn (Mrs Dale Glenn) and a son Richard. Louise Hanson married Wilford Rostad. They have four children, Larry, Dennis, Dale and Barbara. Nellie Hanson married to Dr Paul Sponheim, lives in St Paul, Minnesota and is kept busy with three sons - Mark, Rolf, and Scott. Robert Hanson and his wife, the former Jane Christianson, have two school-aged sons, David and Robbie.
Ingvald attended the Lutheran College in Camrose and Agricultural School, Youngstown, Alberta. During his lifetime he was very active in community affairs, a skilled gardener and also an ardent sportsman, as far as baseball, hunting, fishing and curling were concerned. He was the first agent when the Alberta Wheat Pool elevator was built in Morrin. He was transferred to Bulwark for one year. On July16th 1932, Ingvald and Elsie Dodd were married and moved to Delia as the Pool Grain buyer for twenty years. In 1952, the family moved to Drumheller. where he was agent for the Pool until his retirement in 1964. Their daughter Shirley, attended the University of Calgary and taught school in Lethbridge. She married Robert Redgewell. They live in London Ontario, and have two school-age children, Janet and Ian. Kenneth Olsen attended the University of Calgary and is teaching in Drumheller. Ingvald and Elsie enjoyed retirement in Drumheller until his illness in 1968. He passed away April 2 1969.
Ella attend Camrose College and worked in the Morrin Bank of Montreal. She was one of the original members of the Tinla Club. In 1930 she married Roy Skippen, who operated an Imperial Oil Service in Calgary for 25 years. Ella keeps busy with church work and a part-time job. Roy is service manager in a large office building. Their daughter Wilma, a teacher, is married to Andrew Burchill. They live in Stettler and they have three children -David, Adele and Anne Marie. Grant Skippen and his wife Doris have two children - Douglas and Karen.
Julius (known as Judy) operated Langevin Service Station, Calgary, for 32 years. In 1936 he married Julia Wiemer and raised one daughter Patricia. Patricia, a registered nurse, is Mrs Joseph Coptin. They have two small sons - Dale and Randy. Judy and Julia are retired and live in Calgary.
Alvin started buying grain for the Albert Wheat Pool in August 1932. He married Harriet Crawford in 1932 and they have two daughters. Eleanor, a registered nurse, is Mrs John Halliday, and they have four daughters Aletha, Brenda and Alva (twins) and Margaret. Frances a teacher is married Dwayne Gibbs and they have three young sons - Bradley, Richard and Donald. At present Alvin is buying grain at Delacour, Alberta.
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Susan Irwin-Harkins |
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susanharkins
Starting member
Canada
18 Posts |
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JaneC
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3020 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 17:26:57
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Oh my goodness!!! What a rich history! When and where did you find that incredible history of the Iver Olsen family?
Don't you wish someone in every family would write a story like that? :D |
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susanharkins
Starting member
Canada
18 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 17:36:52
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I found it in ancestry.com ..  |
Susan Irwin-Harkins |
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JaneC
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3020 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 17:43:50
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Nice work! This family story fits all the details we found during our search. For example, the occupation of Clara's husband is listed as "war veteran" in the census I posted, which made me guess he was incapacitated by war injuries. The town of Olds, Alberta, which is mentioned, is a town in central Alberta, Canada within Mountain View County - just 61 km (38 mi) south of Red Deer. In other words, I find the details in the family story to be highly credible. If we believe the story, it proves your Lena belonged to the Otter Tail County family (previously our only link was an unsourced family tree on Ancestry.com and a convergence of coincidences). Jan Peter found the essential link to Norway in the immigration of Jensine Marie with daughter Agda Marie - which states they are headed to Pelican Rapids.
The path is now complete, from Lena Olsen McTavish, who died too young in Saskatchewan, Canada, to her Minnesota family and onward, back in time, to her Norwegian roots. |
Edited by - JaneC on 11/09/2013 18:06:17 |
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susanharkins
Starting member
Canada
18 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 18:36:24
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could this be the Elizabeth Iver Andreas Dass Olsen born 17 March 1860 in Alstahaug, Nordland, Norway, son of Ole Mathias Olsen (Vogsvig) and Elisabeth Johanne Jacobsdatter quote:
Originally posted by JaneC
quote:
Originally posted by susanharkins
could Elizabeth (another family name) Johanna be the Jenonie 49 that came over with Iver ? ... my grandmothers (Orpha Ella) first marriage was to Marshell Clarance McDonagh
Thank you SO MUCH for the comment about your mother. We're working for her - as well as you - it matters.
And...apparently you read that summary, I'm impressed. Sorry about omitting Marshell Clarance McDonagh, I added him now.
Re. "Jenonie": You are referring to the 1910 US Census in Dunn, Otter Tail County, Minnesota:
Iver Olsen 50 born about 1860 Norway, to USA 1883
Jenonie Olsen 49 born about 1861 Norway -- [this is Jensine Marie Kibsgaard Pedersen]
Jensine Marie and Iver travelled separately to the USA.
I am very curious: Who is Elizabeht Johanna?
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Susan Irwin-Harkins |
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susanharkins
Starting member
Canada
18 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 18:38:38
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could this be the Elizabeth Iver Andreas Dass Olsen born 17 March 1860 in Alstahaug, Nordland, Norway, son of Ole Mathias Olsen (Vogsvig) and Elisabeth Johanne Jacobsdatter quote:
Originally posted by JaneC
quote:
Originally posted by susanharkins
could Elizabeth (another family name) Johanna be the Jenonie 49 that came over with Iver ? ... my grandmothers (Orpha Ella) first marriage was to Marshell Clarance McDonagh
Thank you SO MUCH for the comment about your mother. We're working for her - as well as you - it matters.
And...apparently you read that summary, I'm impressed. Sorry about omitting Marshell Clarance McDonagh, I added him now.
Re. "Jenonie": You are referring to the 1910 US Census in Dunn, Otter Tail County, Minnesota:
Iver Olsen 50 born about 1860 Norway, to USA 1883
Jenonie Olsen 49 born about 1861 Norway -- [this is Jensine Marie Kibsgaard Pedersen]
Jensine Marie and Iver travelled separately to the USA.
I am very curious: Who is Elizabeht Johanna?
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Susan Irwin-Harkins |
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JaneC
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3020 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 18:53:43
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Oh, okay, you are asking about Iver Olsen's mother - Elisabeth Johanne Jacobsdatter born 23 Feb 1837 in Jerpbakken, Hemnes, Nordland. Sorry about the confusion. The Frode family tree does not say where or when she died. It also does not include a death date or death place for her husband Ole Mathias Olsen and daughter Oline Emilie Klæbo Olsdatter. Did any of them immigrate to the USA? Don't know, but it's an interesting question. However, we can say with certainty that Iver Olsen's mother is NOT listed on the 1910 census with Iver and family. She would be about age 73. We could look for her near them in 1900 and 1910 US census. (There is no 1890 US census, or very little remains - it burned in a fire). We could also search the 1885, 1895, and 1905 Minnesota state census. You have access to Ancestry.com, which includes those databases. You can also find it here, at the Minnesota Historical Society:
http://people.mnhs.org/census/search.cfm?bhcp=1
Also at the Minnesota Historical Society are a birth index and a death index. All of this is free to search. I don't see an Elisabeth/Elizabeth Olson/Olsen born 1837 in the death index, but that database is very picky about spelling (unless you choose Soundex option, which sometimes yields too many names). She could also be called Johanne, Johanna, Hanna, Hanne, Hannah, and even Anna.
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Edited by - JaneC on 11/09/2013 19:02:43 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 20:34:37
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The picture I put up was a generic picture of Dønna Island, and not of the Lillevik farm.
Jan Peter |
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JaneC
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3020 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 21:12:40
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Ah - thanks. What a beautiful place.
Susan - I found your great-great-great grandfather Ole Matias Olsen in Otter Tail County, see below.
As posted earlier, Iver Olsen's brother Helmer Christian Olsen born 18 Jul 1863 at Lillevik could be the Hilmer immigrating with Jensine Marie Kibsgaard Pedersen (Olsen) in 1884. And here he is.
Find a Grave memorial:
Helmer Christ Olson
Birth: Jul. 18, 1863
Death: Jul. 6, 1937
SPOUSE: Jonete Christine Karlson (Olson)
(09 May 1870 - 12 Dec 1961)
CHILDREN:
Julia Charlotte Olson (1898 - 1998)
Harry O Olson (10 Sep 1900 - 28 Dec 1982)
Alma Josephine Olson (24 April 1905 - 27 Nov 1981)
all buried at Pelican Valley Cemetery
[--additional children shown below]
Burial:
Pelican Valley Cemetery, Pelican Rapids, Otter Tail, Minnesota, USA
Obituary for Helmer's daughter Julia:
"Julia C Olson, 99, died January 5, 1998 at the Evenside Nursing Home, Moorhead [Minnesota]. She was born December 27, 1898 at Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, the daughter of Helmer and Jeanette (Karlson) Olson. In 1919 she was injured in a tornado in Fergus Falls. Preceding her in death were her parents, three sisters, Lena, Dena and Alma; two brothers, Henry and Harry."
More about the 1919 tornado that struck Fergus Falls:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fgf/?n=fergusfallsf5
1910 US Census
Helmer Olson 47
Jonetta K Olson 39
Henry C. Olson 18
Lena E. Olson 16
Dena M. Olson 13
Julia C. Olson 11
Harry O. Olson 9
Esther C. Olson 7
Alma J. Olson 5
Ole M. Olson age 77 born about 1833 in Norway <------------------------------
Iver's father (and Helmer's father) was Ole Matias Olsen b 07 Aug 1833
Find a Grave memorial
Ole M. Olsen
Birth: Aug. 14, 1833
Death: Jan. 7, 1929
Buried Pelican Valley Cemetery, Pelican Rapids, Otter Tail, Minnesota
I don't see Iver's mother, Elisabeth Johanne Jacobsdatter b 23 Feb 1837. Buried at Pelican Valley Cemetery is a Nilla Olson born 23 July 1837 and died 1918, but if this is Iver's mother, she should be with her son Helmer and her husband Ole in 1910. |
Edited by - JaneC on 11/09/2013 22:24:42 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 22:42:45
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Emigrating to Pelican Rapids, Minn on 09 Jun 1888:
Ole Ols. 55
Lisabet Ols. 52
Oline Ols. 15
Paul Ols. 11
Pauline Ols. 20
Jonette Ols. 18
Jan Peter |
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Kåarto
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
5861 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 23:10:07
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Old spellings for Lillevik in the 1600s and 1700s if these names appears.
Lilleuige, Lilleuiche and Lillewiigen.
Lillevik - Little bay
In 1910 there were 57 persons living in Lillevik farms on Herøy.
There are two islands named Herøy in Norway.
- Herøy in Nordland county where your ancestors lived consists of several populated islands.
- Herøy in Møre and Romsdal county.
Kåre |
Edited by - Kåarto on 11/09/2013 23:25:23 |
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JaneC
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3020 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 23:33:26
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quote:
Originally posted by jwiborg
Emigrating to Pelican Rapids, Minn on 09 Jun 1888:
Ole Ols. 55
Lisabet Ols. 52
Oline Ols. 15
Paul Ols. 11
Pauline Ols. 20
Jonette Ols. 18
Jan Peter
Woo hoo!
Are they departing Trondheim on a "feeder" ship (the Argo) bound for Hull, England? (from there the typical route would be the train to Liverpool and board a transatlantic ship there)
Kåre, are you saying we might have the wrong Lillevik farm in mind? |
Edited by - JaneC on 11/09/2013 23:36:54 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2013 : 23:37:44
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quote:
Originally posted by JaneC
Woo hoo!
Are they departing Trondheim on a "feeder" ship (the Argo) found for Hull, England? (from there the typical route would be the train to Liverpool and board a transatlantic ship there)
Yes. And arriving Quebec on 01 Jul 1888 on the S/S Polynesian.
Jan Peter |
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Lena Olsen daughter of Iver Olsen
