Norwegian relatives doing genealogy?
Vick	I have a general question: Does anyone in Norway (or any other country with the exception of the U.S.) have an interest in finding relatives who might have emigrated to the United States? In my genealogy research of the Vick, Mobeck and Ruud families, I would love to eventually discover that we still had living relatives in Norway. My grandfather, Lars K. Vick (Wik/Vik) and his brother Knute left their father, mother and sisters in Vestre Slidre when they emigrated from Norway to the U.S. in 1901. It would be great if a relative would also be looking for family over here. Does this happen often? Just curious! Thanks.
Hopkins	I have encountered a number of distant relatives still Norway - only because we were both researching in the same areas of Norway or asking questions about the same early ancestors. One man became a good friend and email pal before we stumbled across a family connection between us. He was travelling to visit his sister in the US and I decided to meet him face to face and keep him company at a long layover in my local airport - carrying my little 'genealogy laptop' with me for something to talk about if conversation lagged. He and I still laugh about it - we only figured out our family connection because I had a working list of my family tree that I'd been researching - and he noticed a name in common with his work in early early years of one particular area. We are 10th cousins! I've met others entirely through the internet - and I was never deliberately looking for living relatives. You will want to have a pretty solid base as to where your ancestors were from in Norway, what their names were and the vital dates and farm names associated with their lives to be able to verify any actual family 'connections'. The earlier these ancestors are in time the more descendants will possibly exist. Collect the names of brothers and sisters to your grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.
Hopkins	Most recently I found a Minnesota resident who was asking questions online about a particular family in Norway - that I am also descended from. I've sent him pointers about the earlier history of the family and he in return has generously offered to share copies of the early family photos that his side of the family had saved! My family had never seen the photos or even known of their existence. We are working together to identify the photos (many with no readable notation after all of these years). I know the names and the history - he has the faces! Our great-grandfathers were brothers.
Vick	Thank you for your encouraging responses. I hope I will be as fortunate as both of you! Researching genealogy is so exciting (addicting!) and I look forward to new clues, confirmations and surprises every day. - Vick
hasto	To the general question: Yes! Often this happen: 1. Some in US put a message on a genealogy board and hope some relatives in Norway will read it. 2. No relatives read the message boards. 3. Some Norwegian or American hobby genealogist like to track names by internet, and using online resources find the ancestors and eventually living relatives in Norway. 4. They make contact. 5 The Norwgian relatives are happy to get in touch. They maybe have tried to find information some other time or through other channels. To your own names: Vik in Vestre Slidre in 1900 census: http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f00543&gardpostnr=233&merk=233#ovre There are the parents Knut Knutsen Vik and Anna Larsdatter Vik, and daughters Guri, Kirst and Marit. In 1950 the same farm (Gnr 55, Bnr 1) is owned by Knut Olsen Koljordet. http://www.dokpro.uio.no/cgi-bin/stad/matr50?task=s&fnr=5&hid=123&gnr=55 He was not married to any of the sisters, according to this website: http://www.medsca.org/database/wga28.html#I4183 A website to find pesons in Norway: http://www.nettsnok.no/ (Tax lists and phone/addresses) Fylke: Oppland Kommune: Vestre Slidre I found one person in Vestre Slidre today born 1935 by surname Vik. There is a good chance he mighte be a relative or a neighbour.
Vick	Thank you for the information, Harald! I believe that this Vik family is that of my great-grandfather. Knute Vik was the oldest son, and then my grandfather, Lars Knut Vik (born in 1884) and then Guri must have been the first of three girls born to the family. I have a post card from Knut Vik (the father) from Norway. It was written to my grandfather, Lars. It's in Norwegian, and it has a picture of a church in Valders. The postmark says Vestre Slidre. I had someone translate it, and from what I remember it says something about his (Lars') sisters being ill. It's so exciting to finally know what their names were! Thank you, Harald. And I'd love to find out the name of the Vik in Vestre Slidre. I'm trying to learn some Norwegian so I can decipher some of the information. - Vick
hasto	Tax payer''s list: http://www.bt.no/skatt/index.jhtml?search=&fid=5&_D%3Afid=+&kid=543&_D%3Akid=+&fra=&_D%3Afra=+&til=&_D%3Atil=+&2000=true&_D%3A2000=+&2001=true&_D%3A2001=+&2002=true&_D%3A2002=+&fnavn=sverre&_D%3Afnavn=+&enavn=vik&_D%3Aenavn=+&_DARGS=%2Fpubs%2Fbtno%2Ftemplate%2FjhtmlLib%2Ftaxt%2Ftaxt.jhtml Phone directory: http://www.gulesider.no/gsi/whiteSearch.do?mode=A&linje=1&sort=2&spraak=1&for=&etter=vik&gate=&pn=&ps=&kommune=Vestre+Slidre&fylke=&tel=&private=on&mobile=on&profile=on