Grandfather Elias
stevejI am trying to get any info on Elias Johnson,born March 1 or 15,1884 in Vang, Hedemarke.I have no info on his parents,but I do know that he emigrated with a brother named Alfred.they left christinia on April 20,1906.There is a question about the ship they left on,which I have also posted.Any info about his family would be wonderful.Thanks
askeroiHm. Strange. There is no suitable Elias Johnson/Jonsen etc. in the norwegian 1900 cencus, neither in Vang or anywhere else. And no suitable brother Alfred either. When I go to the DA emmigrant lists I find noone by that name at that date. BUT I DO find an Elias KRISTIANSEN, 22, from Vang, leaving Christiania on that date, ship Romeo, agent M R Raffel. And he travelled together with Johannes Kristiansen, 28 - a possible brother. Back in the 1900 cencus I find this Elias on the farm Skjelset, father Kristian Skjelset, mother Marie Mikkelsen. And on one part of the same farm in the 1865 cencus there is Johannes Larsen (Kristian's father? which explains the "Johnson" name?) and on another part Mikkel Andersen (Marie's father?). But this time Elias is listed as born 1889... This is the best guess I can give from the facts you've given. Do you know when "Alfred" is born? That COULD help finding the brothers? Good luck! askeroi
stevejAccording to the only info. that I have on Alfred,he was born 26,Dec.,1881.The naturalization papers of Elias list his last foreign residence as "Eidsvold",could this be Eidvoll,Akershus?They both were coming to Wisconsin,and settled in Dunn County,is there a destination listed for any of them? Thanks! Edited by - stevej
askeroiYES, "my" brothers were heading for Wisconsin! Alfred is worse, though, I can't find him neither in Vang nor in Eidsvoll (and I don't believe there's more than one Eidsvoll in Norway - the famous place were our constitution was made in 1814). Maybe your library has a "bygdebok" for Vang? Sorry I can't help you more at the moment - but I still think it's a good guess... I mean, Kristiansen, isn't easy to pronounce in English, and at this time most people got themself a sirname by taking their fathers' patronymicon. And then Johnson would be a good american way to shorten Johannesen? I'll keep you in mind and do some more research, but please don't expect a follow-up answer tonight... askeroi
stevejI cant thank you enough, I will keep digging on this side of the pond!