Isaacson/Landro/Landreau/ Stordahl/Beckdahl-HELP!
carraj	Can someone please give me a shove in the right direction: Am looking for information on "Johann Stordahl" and wife "Jonetta Beckdahl", both possibly born in Stadsbygd, Prestigjeid, Norway. Have one source giving Johann's birthdate as Jan 2, 1812, and one source giving it as 1827, no day and month. Have one source giving Jonetta's birthdate as May 1, 1824, and one as 1831, no day & month. Have not been able to locate either in any "official" source to verify. Haven't been able to locate either in 1865 Census. One child, Anne Stordahl, b. May 31, 1847 in Norway, emigrated to Minnesota around 1875. Found her in Digitalarkivet in "Norwegians in Minnesota in 1880", wife of "Nels Landreau", who is listed in another source as "Nils Johan Isaksen Landro". Can find no record of their emigration, although that wouldn't help with the parents or rest of the family in Norway. Feel like I have tried everything under the sun, but I suppose I have overlooked something simple ... would appreciate a flashlight, trail of breadcrumbs, big pointy arrow ... anything! Thanks!
Hopkins	It would seem obvious that a birthday of 1831 for 'Jonetta' cannot be the correct information - with a child born in 1847. That might have been physically possible - but HIGHLY unlikely considering the higher age usually found in Norwegian marriages. So - let's work with the earlier estimate of Jonetta's birth - say from about 1822 to 1825 for purposes of searching the 1865 census. Stadsbygd Prestegjeld (Stadsbygd clerical district) is in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. We'll narrow the search to just Sør-Trøndelag in the 1865 census. 'Jonetta' might have a number of spelling variations through the years in different recordings. Therefore in a search of the census I'll only indicate that the given name should start with the letters Jo..... Here they are in the 1865 census - http://www.rhd.uit.no/folketellinger/ftliste_e.aspx?ft=1865&knr=1625&kenr=011&bnr=0044&lnr=000 They live on a farm called Størdahl in Stadsbygd, Sør-Trøndelag. The closest port for emigration would have been Trondheim... But Anne could have been married before she emigrated and therefore could have been listed under a married name. You have reason to believe that other members of Anne's immediate family also emigrated?
Hopkins	Anne's older brother and his young family leave from Trondheim in 1878 - http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMITROND&gardpostnr=16327&sokefelt=skjul Her parents left from the same port a few years earlier - http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMITROND&gardpostnr=14144&sokefelt=skjul 'Nels' and 'Anne' leave also in 1875 with two young sons? http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMITROND&gardpostnr=14124&sokefelt=skjul
carraj	Hopkins, I so appreciate your "teachings" in addition to tremendous thanks for your "findings"!! When I couldn't find them in the Census, I had pursued them from the farm name Størdahl angle also on Digitalarkivet. I realize now as I went back to see if I could figure out what I'd done wrong ... I looked right at these folks and didn't recognize them as the people I was looking for! The names are so different ... have to keep a more open mind! http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f61625&gardpostnr=868&merk=868#ovre In the 1875 emigration record you found for Nels and Anne and their two young sons, any light you can shed on the surname "Olstøren" listed for them? Is that another farm name? Did you notice the 4 Størdals and Ole Isaks. Olsøien (Olstøren?) listed right after the Nels/Anne family ... any thoughts on them - #14128 thru #14132? I think they may be Anne's brothers and sisters, the names and ages are right except for "Carl" and "Ole"? Anne's parents are on the same ship also, as you noted above. http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=EMITROND&gardpostnr=14134#nedre You've given me a huge boost on this line, in time for further research for a family reunion in August! Thanks very much!!
Hopkins	Your new questions are best answered by looking at the 1865 census on the Digitalarkivet. In that database you can look at a list of all the farm names in a district during that census. For example - that database shows a farm by the name of 'Landrøe og Ølsøren' -- that should give you some ideas.... It also clarifies that in 1865 there were at least 4 farms 'Størdahl' in this area AND an additional 5 that had 'Størdahl' as the root of their names. Possibly the other persons on that emigration protocol using the same surname came from those other farms? or had resided there after the 1865 census and before the date of emigration. Related? I'd have no clue. They don't have to be. You'll have to research into more primary records to learn that.
carraj	Thanks Hopkins, the 4 farms 'Størdahl' are where I had previously found these folks but didn't recognize them as the people I was looking for. I wasn't clear in the question I asked about Olstøren and I apologize for that ... I was wondering how, if they came from the farm 'Størdahl' did they end up with the surname 'Olstøren'. Though I messed up the question, you provided the logical answer ... "resided there after the 1865 census and before the date of emigration"! 4 of the others are definitely Anne's siblings, and I will do the further research you suggest to see if I can place the other two. Thanks again!!
ed_Stordahl_B	I am 6th generation to johann. I have a stordahl book I receved from my grandfather, unfortunatly it didnt have any information about before the imegration. if info is available it would be apreceated.
carraj	Hi Ed, sorry to be so late in answering, but have been off the board for a while. There are some links in the exchanges above that will give you information before the immigration, and I would be glad to exchange information with you. We most likely have relatives in common as my Stordahl relatives also have a "book". I'll see if I can figure out how to contact you offline and we can exchange the information we have.