Interested in my ancestry
KjetilMHi! I'm a 19 year old guy from Norway who is very interested in reasearching for my American ancestors. Here the other day I spoke with my grandma and my great-grandpa (yeah, he's actually still alive - 93 years old), and they told me about relatives (waaay, way back in the old days) in the USA who owned big farms up in Minnesota, and something about this lady being a archbishop or something in New York. Quite interesting! Still though, I haven't had a chance to gather up any useful information to start looking or getting help. How can I do this? If anyone would like to help, here's what I can tell you. (Dunno if this is worth anything at all though) It's on my Mom's side. Their surenames would either be Solli (great grandpa's lastname) or Rausand (grandma's lastname). My lastname is Magerøy, thoguh I haven't heard about anyone on my Dad's side emigrate to the US. I know this is very roughly considering the information, but I'll try to check up more as soon as possible. Most likely we're talking many many many generations back, but that doesn't matter. Thanks for any possible help!
HopkinsUS census indexes indicate the surname Solli in various locations. Could not find any using name Rausand. What given names for the person or persons you seek? What time period? Were they born in Norway? When did they return to Norway? I seem to recall some names spelled like Sollie and Solie also in use by Norwegian emigrants.
jwiborgHi, in what part of Norway did they live? ...Møre & Romsdal (as you)? There are some Røsand's emigrating from Trondheim on June 7th, 1893. They are from Kristiansund: Elen Røsand (34), and her children Ingeborg (10), Astrid (8), Karl (4 ½) and Kristianne (3). [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMITROND&gardpostnr=77910&merk=77910#ovre"]click here[/url] And searching the [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe?slag=vismeny&fylkenr=&knr=&katnr=5&aar=&dagens=&emnenr=1"]Emigrants from Kristiansund 1882-1930[/url], you'll find 20 people with lastname containing Røsand. Their firstnames are: Alexander, Anders, Ane, Elling Chr., Gudrund, Halvor, Halvor P., Hanna, Henrikka, Kristian, Kristine, Malene, Ole, Peder, Robert and Seriane Jan
KjetilMThank you very much for the response. After posting on this forum I've really checked into my relatives, and I found this book at my grandma's house called "Genealogy from Gussiås & Istad" (That's the name of two aereas/farms). In it I found a LOT of information about American relatives, yet, I haven't even tried to place them yet. Just to answer the questions mentioned above: All relatives that emigrated lived in Norway on the west coast region, more or less only in Møre & Romsdal. Røsand is unfortunately someone else. Anyway, I know seem to understand a lot about my ancestors and how it all fits together. This is what I found: Descendants of Lasse and Margrethe Istad Lasse (dob unknown, died 1919) Margrethe (dob 1844, died 1934) They got 6 children: 1) Helene Lassesdatter Istad (dob 1863, died 1949) (Lassedatter translates to Helene, Daugther of Lasse Istad) 2) Karolina Lassesdatter Istad (dob 1872, died unknown) 3) Thea Lassesdatter Istad, (dob 1875) 4) Johan (aka. John) Lassesen Istad (dob 1878, died 1964) ----- Johan emigrated to America: Johan Lassesen Istad emigrated to the state of New York. He later moved to Chicago where I worked for United States Steel in a engineer, I believe. He was married to Johanne Myren (dob 28.06.1884, from Spjelkavika, died in 1961) Johan Lassesen Istad & Johanne Myren had 4 children: 1) Floris Istad, (dob 05.12.1909 - died in 28.04.1985) who got married in 1931 with Knute Habenicht (dob 1906 in Denmark, died in 1977) They got two children: Karen Habenicht, (dob 14.09.1937, died 1994), who has three childre named Elizabeth, William and Carol (all info listed on children). Second child, John Weslie Habenicht, (dob 14.10.1940), who has two kids named Spencher and Susan Habenicht (all info listed on children) 2) Weslie Istad, (dob 1907, died 1931 of tetanus due to stepping on nail 3) Jennie Louise Istad (dob 1916 in Chicago). Got married in 1941 to Francis Michael Moran (dob 1909 in Utah, died in 1992). Got three children. (Won't list them up now.) 4) Helmer Christian Istad (dob unknown). Married twice. First to Helen w/ children Loretta and Ronald, then married to Marion. ----- 5) Olaus Lassesen Istad (dob 1881, died 1967) Also emigrated to America like his brother, Johan. He was married to a Swedish girl from Bohuslen, Sweden, named Josefina Johnson (dob 1880, died 1944). Olaius changed his name to Ole Nelson before he married because he was tired of spelling it to the Americans (*laughs*) Olaus Lassesen Istad and Josefina Johnson had 4 children: 1) Harry Nelson (dob 1907, died 1989) 2) Signe Nelson (dob 1908, died 1989) --- Signe was married to Jack Habenicht (dorn 1913) Who had two children: 2a) Nelson Habenicht (dob 1944), lives in Chicago with two children from his first marriage named Kristen (dob 1967) and Jason (dob 1970), and Jack (dob 1986) and Katherine (dob 1988) from his second marriage. Unknown name of wives from both marriages. 2b) Paul Habenicht (dob 1947) Chicago, Divorced, no children. -- 3) Blanche Margrethe Nelson (dob 1911) married to Ralph Wagner 4) Gwendolyn Nelson (dob 1913, died 1989) married to George Simcox 6) Lars Mathias Istad (dob 1884) married 1906 with Randi Marie Gussiås (dob 1888) They had 11 children! It's Lars Mathias Istad who is my great-great-grandfather. Which makes Lasse Istad, Lars Mathias father, my great-great-great-grandfather. This is starting to become almost a PhD or something. Aaaanyway, to make an already long story short, my great-great-grandfather, Lars Mathias' brothers Johan and Olaus emigrated to America. So obviously the ones I wanna get in touch with are their descendants again. Which almost doesn't make me in relation with them anymore though. How can I get in touch with these people? I've found the phone directory online, http://www.anywho.com/, but haven't checked it out yet. Any ideas? Thanks for great response by the way.
LynneHello, You are looking for me. I am grandaughter to Olaus, daughter of Gwendolyn. I have been to Norway, Molde and Kville, and met some of the relatives. I know the name Solli. I think I might be the one that they are calling an "archbishop"...but not in New York. I would be happy to be in contact and fill you in on the relatives here....as much as I can at least. I probably know more than anyone else here. Lynne fitchum@aol.com
LynneWhoops, I mean Kleive. Kville is my Grandmother's home in Sweden. Sorry. By the way, my nephew, who would be your fourth cousin I think, lives in Stoickholm and is fluent in Swedish. Lynne
LynneKjetil, I have tried to contact you with no luck. Anyone out there know how I can reply to Kjetil? I did forward his inquiry to the Norwegian relatives who actually live in the same town. They were going to try to find him. One of them has written a book on the family, which I suspect is where he got the information he has. Lynne