Norway Heritage Community (© 2002)

Town Names/Locations
Neil	I am looking for the location of three towns (I believe they are towns) in Norway. My ancestors, three different ones, came from these towns and I would like to know where they are located. 1. Surenden 2. Fjeldborg 3. Revig Any help would be appreciated. Neil
Hopkins	We are related to each other. Let's see... Your "Jon Johnson" was born 1826 in what is now Ølen, Rogaland, Norway -- but at the time was Fjelberg parish in Hordaland. Jon was known in Iowa as John and sometimes as John Chelsvig or John Kelsing. He died in 1901 and is buried in Wright County, Iowa. His parents were Jon Jonsen and Dorothea Ingebrectsdtr (both b. 1806). Dorothe died in Norway but John Jonsen came to the US as a widower and is also buried in that same Wright County, Iowa cemetery. Your John's future wife was Ragnhild Torbjørnsdatter (later called Rachel). They married 1852 in Fjelberg and most of their eight children were born on the Hauge Øvre farm (one female child died after only living a few weeks). 'Rachel' Johnson died in 1912 and is buried in Norway township cemetery, Wright County, Iowa. Your John Johnson was older brother to MY great-grandmother, Anne Johnsdtr. But John had two younger sisters named Anne/Anna. One married Torkild Larsen - the other married Hans T. Asbe. I'd heard a distant rumor that there were 'cousins' named Hill.... but never ran into any of them before. What you spelled as 'Novada' would just have to be Nevada, Iowa - that's in the Story and Hamilton County part of Iowa. Fair warning - this family seems to suffer from being "date challenged" - few of the dates they recorded in family bibles, etc. that I could find, were found to be correct when compared to primary sources from Norway. Some of the family went by the name Johnson and others adapted the farm name (Kjellesvik) to be known as Chelsvig or Chelsvik. There is a group photo of the grown 'Johnson' children - your John must be included -- that small circle inset in the upper right??.
Neil	Well, "cousin", Hello! I see by the number of your posting that you must have been at this much longer than I have. You have provided a lot of missing information and for that I thank you very much. Did all of your last message get posted? I do not have a copy of the picture you mentioned, but would love to get a copy. I do have a picture of John and Ragnhild and their family. Perhaps we could communicate directly outside the forum? You can reach me through the user profile.
Hopkins	I will contact you in a few days. (I was hoping you had an original of that photo - all I have is a copy of a copy of a copy....) I also made an error - Anna Johnsdtr was my great-great grandmother. You'll probably have much better luck with those other two Norway locations if you can add names and vital identifying dates to go with each location. That allows searching in such databases as the 1865 Norwegian census - or emigration registers and gives more possiblity for cross-checking.
Neil	Thanks again, here is more info. on the other two towns (?). 1. Rovig or Revig - All I have is the name of an ancestor Thomas T. Hill born February 13, 1855 at Revig, Norway. He came to America in 1880, settling at Roland, Iowa, where he was united in marriage to Miss Johanna Johnson on April 19, 1883. Later Mr. & Mrs. Hill moved to Wright County, Iowa where they farmed until 1908 when they purchased a farm in Belmont Township, Jackson County, Minnesota. In 1919 they moved to the town of Jackson and in 1925 moved to a farm in Enterprise Township, Jackson County. Thomas Hill died there in 1926. 2. Surendalen - All I have is the name of an ancestor Gunhild Sather born December 2, 1858 at Surendalen, Norway. She emigrated to Windom, Cottonwood County, Minnesota in 1871 and was married there in 1878 to Thore Bottem. Mr & Mrs Bottem moved to Holt, Marshall County, Minnesota in 1906. She died there in 1936.
Trond	Your #2 Gunhild Sæther is most likely Gunhild Olsdatter Sætherøien from Moen parish, Suredal in “Møre og Romsdal”. You can find her at the census of [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f61566.wc2&gardpostnr=77&personpostnr=483&merk=483#ovre"]1865 on Digitalarkivet[/url] living together with her mother and father and two younger brothers (they had 2 cows, 2 sheep and some barley on the farm Sætherøien in 1865).[8)]
Hopkins	About #1 Thomas Hill -- do you know the names of any of his other family members, such as siblings or parents? There were some Norwegians in the Story County and north central Iowa area who took the surname Hill - and some of those were also from the Ølen (old Fjelberg) area. You can see those others for yourself in the "Norwegian Immigrant Registry of Central Iowa" at http://genloc.com/NorStory/ Would Thomas and Johanna have attended the same church in Wright County as her parents and her grandfather? Records of your other 'Johnsons' were in the church records for St. Johannes church, near Kanawha -- they are on LDS microfilm 1403455. That area is on the borders of Wright County and Hancock County and just east of Humboldt County, Iowa.
Hopkins	1900 census for Norway township, Wright Co. Iowa (sheet 5B in enumerationd district 157) seems to indicate that the Hill family will probably attend that same church. That page lists a cousin - Tom Asbe, son of Anna (Johnson) Asbe - one of John Johnson's sisters. The next family on that page is Tom T. Hill, wife Johanna and their children Rachel, Ben, Joseph, Ida, Cornelius B., Anna, Tillie and Minne. Following immediately is the listing for Johanna's parents - John Chelsvig (this is John Johnson), wife Rachel (Ragnhild) and a son listed as Engebregt (spelled a number of different ways through the years).
Neil	Town #2 - Thank you very much, I now know where to start my search in Norway.
Neil	Town #1 - Unfortunately I have no other names in the Hill Family. Still checking with some relatives. Thomas and Johanna did attend the St. John's church. I have a picture of the Church and a copy of my grandmother's baptism certificate from there. It did mention in Thomas' obituary that he had two brothers and two sisters still alive at the time of his death, but it did not give their names. I'll have to get the LDS film you noted. I understand that family groups often traveled together, and it sounds like there were several members of the Johnson/Hill family in Wright County. I wonder if they may also have traveled from Norway to Iowa together? Do you have any information on the ship that your Johnsons were on when they came to America? You had mentioned that John Johnson, his father John, and his wife Rachel were all burried in Wright Co. Are they all in the Norway Township Cemetery?
Hopkins	If I get time today - I'll try to look at that microfilm too. In it's earliest years they called it St. Johannes and they kept the records in Norwegian. I really haven't studied the emigration for all of the brothers and sisters. I know my 2g-grandparents left in 1866, two of the Johnson brothers left BEFORE the 1865 Norwegian census and were in Story County Iowa, 3g-grandpa John Johnson (their dad) left as widower with some of his in-laws - your family might have left about the same time he did. (All sailed from Bergen.) I think all three we were discussing are buried in Norway Township Cemetery - Wright County. But there is another 'Norwegian' cemetery nearby called something like 'Twin Lakes' and I think we have family members buried there too. I grew up in the area not knowing anything about these particular locations or persons - but now live far far away - I can't just go walk the area without planning a long summer vacation trip. (US censuses might help us identify Thomas Hill's siblings - how many Hills born in Norway???) I'll be helping staff at the FHC today - so cannot predict if it will be quiet enough for me to get to work on my own projects. I tried to send you an email through user profile the other day -- don't know if you got the message.
Neil	Yes, my g mother's baptism certificate is in Norweigan. Johanna's obit indicated that she and Thomas had, with other settlers, help organize the St. John's church, however my research indicates that they probably arrived in the area after the chuch was in operation. I had talked to the Secretary of the Luthern Church in Kanawha. They have the old records for the St. Johannes, or St. John's church and she is snail mailing me some info. on Thomas and Johanna, exactly what, I'll have to wait and see. I grew up in southern Minnesota, but am now in the southeast U.S., however, I do go back through that area every summer, so I could swing by Wright Co. to check out the cemeteries. Can't provide any more info. right now on the Hill's - don't know how many were born in Norway. My cousin has an old Berge or Hill family bible which is in Norweigan and has some family info. in it, but I don't even know which branch of the family it covers. Will contact him to find out more. I did get your e-mail and just now sent a response.
Trond	Some thoughts! Hill does not sound Norwegian, more likely an Americanized name, directly translated Hill is Fjeld in Norwegian. This could open up a lot for combination names (farm names) all starting with Fjeld.
Hopkins	Those spellings appear "odd". Have they been "Americanized"? What Norwegian persons can you connect with the location you call Fjeldborg? What were their names, when were they born? when did they leave Norway? I had ancestors from an old parish that was called Fjelberg in Hordaland, Norway. With some names and dates, I might be able to make some link to old records of that parish.
Neil	The spelling may very well be incorrect. My great great grand parents came from "Fjeldberg". Their names (probably Americanized) were Jon & Ragnild (or Ragnela) Johnson. Their daughter was Johanna Johnson Hauge. The Hauge may be a farm name. Johanna was born in "Fjeldberg" on May 12, 1860, and was confirmed, at the age of 14, at the Fjeldberg parish church in the fall of 1874. Johanna came to America with her parents in the spring of 1881 and they located in Hamilton County, Iowa. She married Thomas T. Hill on April 19, 1884 at Novada, Iowa. They moved north a couple of times and ended up in Jackson County, Minnesota. Neil
Hopkins	I checked some early church records for St. Johannes church on the border of Hancock and Wright Counties Iowa. They listed "Thom T. Hill" and family a great deal in baptisms and confirmations. Thom and his wife, Johanna (occasionally called Hannah) as witnesses to many other baptisms including regularly for a couple of other "Hill" families. Two different Ben Hill families - both appear to be slightly younger than "Thom". In the church records section headed as "Fortegnelse over Menighedslemmer" the records list Thom T. Hill as born 18 Feb 1855 in Strandebarm! (That's in Hordaland - on the western side of the Hardangerfjord from Kvinnherad and Fjelberg areas.) According to US census enumerations he should appear in emigration records about 1880 -- original name unknown - but possible family connection with a Ben...
Hopkins	Thom T. Hill - I believe him to be the man listed as "Thorstein Thorbjørnsen" b. 1855 of Rørvig farm in Strandebarm, Hordaland, Norway -- emigrated from port of Bergen 14 Jul 1880 - http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=0121emig&gardpostnr=57&sokefelt=skjul There is at least one family, possible two, with history on that cluster of Rørvig farms with male given name of Berge in their history. It is quite unusual for Norwegian emigrants in that part of central Iowa to have made such drastic changes to their original names - unusual but not unknown.
Neil	All good news! I've checked the 1900, 1910 and 1920 Census and found a Ben Hill in the 1910 Census in Norway Twp, Wright Co., Iowa. In the 1920 Census this same family apprears in Jackson Co., Minnesota which is where Tom Hill was located. It looks as though there is a good chance Ben was Tom's brother. Tom T. Hill also has a son Ben but it looks as though he didn't marry until after he arrived in Minn. Tom's death certificate list him as being born on February 13, 1855, so must be the same man. I wonder what the relationship is between Strandebarm and Rovig or Revig? At least now I have a place to check in Norway. Thanks again for all the help.
Neil	Sorry, I missed your previous message as it jumped to page 2. You can ignore my last question. You have really helped me a bunch. Thank you so much. The Berge name in my family comes much later as my grand mother Tillie Hill, Tom and Johanna's daughter, married a Berge. I'll keep in touch via email. Thanks again you have really solved a problem for me.
Lynell	quote: Originally posted by Neil Thanks again, here is more info. on the other two towns (?). 1. Rovig or Revig - All I have is the name of an ancestor Thomas T. Hill born February 13, 1855 at Revig, Norway. He came to America in 1880, settling at Roland, Iowa, where he was united in marriage to Miss Johanna Johnson on April 19, 1883. Later Mr. & Mrs. Hill moved to Wright County, Iowa where they farmed until 1908 when they purchased a farm in Belmont Township, Jackson County, Minnesota. In 1919 they moved to the town of Jackson and in 1925 moved to a farm in Enterprise Township, Jackson County. Thomas Hill died there in 1926. 2. Surendalen - All I have is the name of an ancestor Gunhild Sather born December 2, 1858 at Surendalen, Norway. She emigrated to Windom, Cottonwood County, Minnesota in 1871 and was married there in 1878 to Thore Bottem. Mr & Mrs Bottem moved to Holt, Marshall County, Minnesota in 1906. She died there in 1936.