Anne Erlandsdotter Lien
opl	I am looking for information about my gggrandmother, Anne Erlandsdotter Lien, born in Vågå, Norway in 1841 or 1842. She left Norway as a widow in 1888/1889, and brought with her her children, Erland, Østen, Anne and Mari (my greatgrandmother). They went to Lake Hanska, Minnesota, where Anne's brother, Erland Erlandsen Lien lived. He lived at a farm called the Rolandsfarm, together with his wife (Anne Hansdotter), and their children. He had a daughter called Anne that married a man called Olaf Solberg, we don't know if his other children had any family. My ggrandmother, Mari, met her husband in America, and they moved back to Norway. She was the only one of Anne E. Lien's children that got children, the other ones were unmarried. Does anyone know anything about these people? [?]
Hopkins	The 1900 US census for Brown County, Minnesota shows Erland Lien to be 61 yrs old born in Norway, immigrated 1878. He is married to Anna, 45 yrs old born Norway and the mother of 7 children, 4 still surviving at the time of the 1900 census. In the household live the following children: Sever born Feb 1882 in Minn.; Hans born July 1886 in Minn.; and Emil born Feb 1891 in Minn. Same census, same county but a little ways away also live an Ole Solberg, born Sept 1869 in Norway; his wife, Anne born Aug 1880 in Minn. and their daughter Olga born Sept 1899. The 1920 US census shows Emil Lien, 28 yrs old still still living in Brown County Minnesota with his brother Sever (36 yrs old), brother Hans (34 yrs old) and widowed mother Anna (65 yrs old). None of the brothers is married. Also in the household is a cousin named John Olson (39 yrs old, born Norway, immigrated 1902 and single).
Hopkins	The 1900 US census for Brown County Minnesota (Lake Hanska) shows 'Esten' Lien (born May 1875 Norway), Erland Lien (born June 1878 Norway) and widow Anne E. Lien (born June 1845 Norway) and Anne L. Lien (born Aug 1872 in Norway) living in the household of Paul Tiegen and his son Ole. The 1920 US census for Brown County shows 'Erlan' L. Lien (41 yrs old) and his sister Anna L. Lien (42 yrs old) both unmarried. Also living with them are three boarders - Carl Helgeson, Lars L. Pladson, and Christian Roland, all three also born in Norway. I think Brown County Minnesota would be the place to start a more detailed search for information of what happened to these persons. I feel fairly sure that they would have continued to use the surname Lien. (Well, I hope!)
Jo Anne Sadler	The Brown County MN GenWeb should be able to help you: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnbrown/index.htm Someone has a posting regarding an Anna Lien from Mulligan Township and there are lookup volunteers for Brown County history books. The MN Historical Society Death Certificate Index has more information, one is an Anna L. Lien, dead on January 1, 1934 in Brown County.
opl	Thank you both of you. I will start my search as soon as I can.
Jim McDonald	I saw your surname Baarstad and the reference to Vaga, so I wondered if you might be related to my great Grandmother Aagot Bolstad from Vaga. Her brother Sven used the surname Baarstad, because of a change in the farm lived on in Norway. Sven and his wife Caroline had 7 children, some of whom emigrated to the U.S. Some of Sven's siblings used the surname Bolstad, others Anderson or Eng. My great grandmother Aagot and her husband Johan Marius Christoffersen Hole emigrated on the ship Hero on 21 June 1878. They settled first in Byron, MN, later moving to McIntosh township, Polk County, MN.