From Lier, Norway to Leer, Alpena Co., Michigan
kjenterI just started Norwegian research on my mom’s maternal side. I have been doing German surname research on my dad’s lines for about 15 years I know quite of few names and dates on mom’s maternal line, but can’t go back very far on mom’s paternal line. We descend from the 5 original Norwegian families who left Lier, Buskerud, Norway in the 1860’s and settled in Leer, Alpena Co., Michigan. I am missing dates, sibling and I am sure more lines. I wonder if anyone recognizes the names I have listed below. I have also shown farm names. I don’t speak or read Norwegian. Karen JENTER Michigan My great grandmother: Karen Ottersen Born 7 Dec 1848 Lier farm name is Kopperud Died 29 Aug 1933 Leer, Alpena Co, Alpena MI Married 02 May 1879 Norwegian Lutheran Church, Alpena MI Spouse Martin Olesen (see his stats below) Karen’s father: Otter Olesen Born 1 Jun 1821 Lier farm name is Kopperud Died 11 Jan 1894 Alpena, Alpena, Michigan Otter and his 3 wives had about 12 children Karen’s mother wife of Otter: Aderina Olsdt Born 11 Mar 1819 farm name Svangstand Died 08 Oct 1913 Leer, Alpena Co. Michigan Otter Olesen’s father:: Ole Olsen Born 9 May 1790 farm name Kopperud Ole Olsen’s father Ole Christensen Born 1750 Lier farm name Overn Ole Christensen’s father: Kristen Rasmussen Born not known probably Lier farm name is Gummerud Here is another one Ole Hansen born 17 Dec 1789 Lier farm name is Toverud OK, this is my great grandfather Martin Olesen Born 1854 Lier don’t know day or month though, farm name Kopperud Died 16 Feb 1923 Leer, Alpena Co., Michigan That’s all the farther I can go back on Martin Here is another family name Ole Hansen born 17 Dec 1789 Lier farm name is Toverud I have more family names and dates if anyone sees any connections
HolwellHello Karen I think I have found your family at Kopperud farm in "Liers Historie", but as I read it it is a litle confusion about the names you have listed here. I will take a trip to the libarary in Drammen and look it up, to see what is correct, yours or Liers Historie. If it is the correct family, Karen is listed together with the siblings Kirstine, Thea and Christian. I'll be back with more info in a couple of days. Halvor
kjenterHi Halvor, that is much appreciated, but please don't go out of your way. I am still learning the naming practices here and I may have the surnames mixed a bit. It seems that once they came to Michigan they adopted the more standard practice of surnames. I know the older brother of my Karen and her siblings was Otter I guess should be Ottersen, but he adapted and used Olesen whch has changed to Olsen. I am sure that is my family. I believe Thea would be the Dorthea. You know about a week or so ago, I read something. I cannot remember if it was here on this site or in an article in one of the genealogy magazines I subscribe to. It taked about farm names in Norway, and said something about there being not more than about 40 farms. And now, for the life of me, I cannot find where I read that. I have searched the internet to see if I can find out some more on farms and their names, but I did not find much that was in English. Do you know where I might read about them in English??? I sure apreciate all of your wonderful help!!!!! Karen Jenter Michigan
kjenterHi Halvor, I thought I would send you a list of all of the siblings. Several of them died in infancy or within a few years of their birth. I believe all of the first ones were born in Kopperud. Some of them the info I had just says Norway and one of them showed the farm Gunnerud. Thanks again!!!!! Karen
kjenterAmost forgot, here is the list of siblings in the family. Otter born 28 Oct 1844 Kopperud, Lier, Norway Christian born 06 Oct 1846 Kopperud, Lier, Norway Karen born 7 Dec 1848 Kopperud, Lier, Norway Kristine Christine born 07 Nov 1851 Kopperud, Lier, Norway Christian born 18 Aug 1853 Norway Dorthea born 16 Aug 1855 Norway Christian born 18 Jun 1857 Norway Carl born 21 May 1859 Gunnerud, Lier, Norway Christian born 1861 Norway Annette bon 23 Apr 1864 Norway Thanks Karen
BriningHi I think Halvor may have confirmed a theory I have. From Early Norwegian Settlements in Michigan Alpena County, Michigan "Isak Isaksen, an old sea captain from Egersund, was the first Norwegian here. He came here to Alpena City, which at that time consisted of 16 fisher cabins and a sawmill, in 1861. He fished there until his death - in 1896. Old Isaksen had sailed the Atlantic Ocean for 36 years. The next Norwegian settlers were Christ Hammer from Lillehammer, Ole Wilson from Valders as well as Gilbert, Erik and Otter Olsen from Lier, near Drammen. In the Lier settlement, not far from Alpena City, Bernhard Enger, from Lier, was the first. The settlement's main products for sale are potatoes, milk, butter and eggs. In Alpena County, there are 2 Norwegian churches and 3 congregations, both belonging to The United Church. Otto Gjørud from Ringerike has been a magistrate in Alpena City. In the Lier settlement, there is a post office by the name Leer (Lier)" In the 1900 census for Alpine County there is an Audrine OTTERSON age 81 immigrated in 1872 living with OTTO OLSON she had 12 children 4 living. In the 1865 census for Lier [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f60626&gardpostnr=1075&personpostnr=5397&merk=5397#ovre"]Click Here[/url] there is an Ole Otters. and Andrine Olsdtr. My theory is Gilbert, Erik and Otter Olsen are the sons of Ole Otterson and Andrine Olsdtr. They emigrated to the US 1st and Ole and Andrine followed along with Karen?? (she is also listed in the 1900 census as immigrating in 1872). Carla
BriningHi I haven't found anything to connect Eric and Gilbert Olsen as being part of this family so probably just had the same last name. I did find Ole, Andrine and family emigrating [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=emikra1&gardpostnr=5146&merk=5146#ovre"]Click Here[/url] but Karen is not with them. Carla
Hopkins1900 US census for Alpena Co., Michigan lists Martin Olson as born Dec 1854 in Norway, immigrated 1876?. Wife Karen married for 21 yrs, mother of 7 (5 still living), she immigrated 1872. I can't read the 1910 scanned image for that area... perhaps LDS can send better microfilmed image for study to a local FHC. 1920 US census for Alpena Co., Mich. lists Martin Olson as 65 yrs old and immigrated 1870? His wife is listed as Katherine! 71 yrs old born Norway, immigrated 1870? (makes you wonder who answered the enumerator's questions that year) If Martin and Karen/Katherine married 21 yrs before the 1900 census - they should hopefully appear in the 1880 US census. Could they be this young couple (Martin and Katy) in Apena Co. in 1880? http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=Mich1880&gardpostnr=137&sokefelt=skjul An application for marriage license in Michigan might give interesting info. Perhaps "Karen" was known by several other names... wonder which in Norway?
HolwellWell, lets see what I have found on this family. Follow the numbers from generation to generation. Hope it is understandable. Only the birth and marrige of Karen and her parents are controlled in the churchbooks, and reference given. The rest is from what Karen Jenter have posted and I have found in Liers Historie, so this must be cofirmed against microfilmed churcbooks. To much work for me to do all that, and churchbooks from before 1800 fromm Lier are not easy to understand. :-)) Karen will get a printout from my genealogy program listing siblings etc, off list, together with a couple of pictures from the churchbook- I know LDS gives Karen Ottersen (wrong), but Karen's father are Ole = Olsdatter Halvor in Lier CB=Churchbook , P=page, L=line - as reference 1: Karen Olsdatter Kopperud - Born 7 dec 1848 Kopperud, Lier CB 11, P 78, L 26 - Christened 11 mar 1849 - Dead 29 aug 1933 Leer USA --------------------------------- Parents of #1 Karen Olsdatter Kopperud: 2: Father Ole Ottersen Kopperud - Born 1 jun 1821 Kopperud, Lier CB ?, page 268, L 49 - Christened 17 jun 1821, Sylling - Dead 11 jan 1894 Alphena USA married 28 july 1844 in Sylling church CB 11, P 206, L 17 3: mother Andrine Olsdatter Svangstrand - Born 11 march 1819 - Dead 8 okt 11913 Leer USA ------------------------------------- Parents of # 2: Ole Ottersen Kopperud: 4: father Otter Olsen Kopperud - born 9 may 1790 Kopperud Lier - Dead 1832 Kopperud, Lier 5: Mother Kari Åkesdatter Kittelsrud - Born 1787 Kittelsrud, Lier - Dead 1840 Kopperud , Lier Parents of # 3: Andrine Olsdatter Svangstrand 6: Father Ole Hansen Toverud - born 1789 Toverud, Lier - Dead 1850 Lier 7: Mother Kari Olsdatter Svangstrand - No further info found ----------------------------------------- Parents of # 4 Otter Olsen Kopperud 8: Father Ole Christensen Viulstad - Born 1750 Viulstad, Lier Moved with his parents to Overn about 1763 - Dead 1819 Kopperud, Lier 9: Mother Dorthea Maria Fredriksdatter Busch - Born 1756 - Dead 1832 Lier Parents of # 5 Kari Åkesdatter Kittelsrud - No furher info found Parents of # 6 Ole Hansen Toverud 12: Father Hans Rasmussen Svang - Born 1761 Svang, Lier - Dead 1838 Toverud, Lier 13: Mother Marte Olsdatter Toverud - Born 1758 Toverud, Lier - 1830 Toverud Lier Parents of # 7 Kari Olsdatter Svangstrand - No further info found -----------------------------------------------
HopkinsOle Hansen on a Toverud farm in Lier - 1801 Norwegian census http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=f10626&gardpostnr=155&personpostnr=3874&merk=3874#ovre Ole still with parents in the 1815 census for Lier - http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=ft06261815&gardpostnr=3784&sokefelt=skjul
HolwellTo learn more about Norwegian farms, naming practice etc, I think you should try to read a couple of articles found at Norway Lists webpage at Rootsweb: Neil Hoflands's newbie notes are a good start:: http://www.rootsweb.com/~norway/NewbieNotes.htm and then John Follesdal's pages. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/index.html Jump around and read and learn
kjenterHi everyone, I just came in for a few minutes to thank everyone for the HUGE amount of help you have all given me. I will be back later this evening to explore and digest it all. I have to run take a cake out of the oven. Aganin a HUGE THANKS to you all!!!!!!! Karen
kjenterI have had a chance to go over everything and Halvor has indeed found my family. I will be forever grateful for all the work he has done. There were 2 other children in the family but they died before the family left for America so Gilbert and Erik are not part of the famiy. And yes that is my family in the 1880 census. I have something in notes that shows that Karen was called Katy or Katie. And Hulda was their first child. They are also in subsequest census for Michigan, and the name jumps around from Olsen, Olson. The gravestone for Martin and Karen actually Olson One thing that puzzles me is that Karen does not show up with the family on the ship list. I too have gone through it, boy I am getting good at that site, I am so proud of mysef. I did find this link. http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_list.asp?jo=2075 you wll see Ole and wife Andrine, it is spelled wrong and 2 of the children. My Karen was about 24 at the time, and also her brother Christian is missing, he would have been about 11 at the time. Can someone tell me if there is a place to look at the original ships list?? Does the LDS have a fim of it? I am just not sure how or where to look for a copy of the original. Thanks again everyone!!!!!! Karen
BriningIn the 1880 census I think Ole Otterson became Otto Wilson [:0] [url="http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1880US_7338160&HOUSEHOLD_SUB=1&frompage=5"]Click Here[/url] He is the correct age with wife Andriene and son Christ. And Otto Olson listed as Otto Wilson [url="http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1880US_7338433&HOUSEHOLD_SUB=1&frompage=5"]Click Here[/url] The age doesn't match but in the 1870 census there is an Otto Ulson age 25 married to Lena with sons Albert age 2 and William age 6/12. If this is them, I wonder where the Wilson name came from. Were they trying out a more American sounding surname or is that what it sounded like to the census taker. Carla
kjenterHi Carla That is them in 1880 I am pretty sure the ages match, but from what we know the name did not change to Wilson, I believe that was the census taker. That is not them in the 1870. They did not come to America until 1872. They came on the SS Woodham that sailed from Chistina 27 July of that year. I found this http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_list.asp?jo=2075 And have also been here and found them, although the list is not complete. http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebMeta.exe I’ve asked to get a copy of the manifest. Thanks so much Carla Karen JENTER Michigan
BriningThe 1870 census is for the son Otto/Otter Olson. In the 1900 census he lists his immigration year as 186? can't tell if it is a 2 3 or 7 so he was here before his father. Carla
kjenterHi Cara, Yes the son Otter came to the USA with his pregnant wife in 1867. They lived in Buffalo, NY for 1 1/2 years, their first child Albert was born there. They got a letter from a fellow Norwegian from Alpena in about 1869 and moved there. They prospered well so in 1872 they sent money home for his parents and 4 remaining siblings to come to America. Sister Karen is my great grandmother and I was named after her. Otter went to have 13 children, with 3 wives His second and third wife were sisters. He had 10 children with hhis first wife, but she hemoraged so bad at the 10th birth, he walked fron the Leer settlement into Alpena for the dr, but by the time he returned with the dr, she was dead. The baby lived a month and died. He married wife 2 and they had 2 children. Shortly after the birth of the second child, she found out she was suffering from TB, so she wrote to her sister in Norway and begged her to come to America and care for the children. She came and Otter married her and they had 1 child. Otter's granddaughter is my mom first cousin. they were in the same class and graduated from Alpena High School rogether. thanks again Karen
kjenterCarla, One question I keep forgetting to ask. I trying to find the emigrant data base, but with the English like you found in one of the previous messaages, that you have the Norwegian sub titles But when I go to find it the year starts in 1874. What am I doing wrong. I amd getting around the site pretty well and I have clicked English at the bottom, but can't figure out what I am doing wrong, that I can''t get to 1872. Thanks Karen
HolwellHere you will find an english "userguide" to Digitalarkivet. Hope it helps: http://www.rootsweb.com/~norway/DigitalArchives.html
BriningHi Karen, It seems like when you click on the link, the selections I have made (years around 1872) stay in there limiting the search. Try using this link to the home page [url="http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebFront.exe?slag=vis&tekst=meldingar&spraak=e"]Click Here[/url] Click on "database selector" on the next screen under source categories pick Emigrants and sub category Registers. When searching in the Digitalarkivet, you need to remember to "Abandon Search Results" or "Ta bort søkeresultat" when you are starting another search or selections you have made will stay in memory. Carla
kjenterHi Carla, Sorry I did not get back to you sooner, I have been so busy with church activities. Last week I tried the site again, and was still having probems with it. But, yesterday I was at my local LDS and copied a bunch of U.S. Michigan census pages for my family, so today I am going to be working on the Norwegian ancestry so I will go to the site again. Also yesterday I received a letter from my mom's cousin in Alpena. She is my moms age (81) and is an RN. She actually took care of my uncle (actually mom's uncle Henry) he died at age 105 1/2. She said his mind was so clear up until the day he died. He told her so much about the family and she has written it all down. What he told her was that my great grandma Karen Olesen did not come with the rest of the family in 1872, but she actually came the year before in 1871, so that is why she is not shown on the passenger list with them. Uncle Henry told the cousin that Karen came the same time as the Chicago fire Oct 1871. Uncle Henry said that smoke from the Chicago fire drifted into Michigan and at the same time there was a forest fire in Wisconsin and smoke also drifted over from that. Karen said that thy had to turn lights on in the day time in Alpena because the sky was dark So now I have new info to search for Karen. I must run now for a bit, but I will be back soon. thanks again Karen
Hopkins7 November 2005 -- Two new databases of information extracted from Lier have been added to the Digitalarkivet collection, Baptisms in Lier 1777-1794 and Baptisms in Lier 1824-1827 (See that announcement with links to the databases on the opening page of the Digitalarkivet). Baptisms in Lier 1777-1794 finds the Ole Hansen that we'd mentioned here in earlier discussion. Other children born to same parents can be found by searching by one of the parents names and/or farm name combination of database delimiters. Witnesses/sponsors for each baptism are also included in the databases. http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=dp06261777&gardpostnr=1491&sokefelt=skjul