Hellek/Hellik Eivensen Sisjord to USA 1894
Kara Ishii	I am looking for 1865-1894 genealogy information on Hellek E. Sisjord and his brothers Andrew (Anders) and Ole, who came from Bø, Telemark, Norway, to the USA, departing from Oslo/Christiansand on July 28, 1894, and arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on August 10, 1894, on the s.s. Gothia. Hellek, Andrew and Ole's father's name was Eiven. Hellek was born around 1878, Ole around 1881, and Andrew around 1884, according to their ages stated on the ship's manifest. Hellek's wife's name was Mary Torstvedt, who came either from Oslo or "Torstvedt Village". Since the 1875 census has no information for Bø, Telemark, but the brothers (but not the father) emigrated prior to the 1900 census, I can find no sure information on the brothers or their parents. Any suggestions on where to find this information? Kara D. (Kosmatka) Ishii
Borge	Hi Kara At the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, - [url="http://www.und.edu/dept/library/Collections/Famhist/telemark.html"]Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections[/url], they have this book: Henneseid, Stian. Bø-Soga II: Telemark. Bø: Bø Kommune, 1964. Bd. I-IV - Gards og Ættesoga Call No. DL596.B612 B63 v.1-4 This is a so called "Bygdebook" which contains information about the farms and the people who lived there, the genealogy found in these kind of books are often quite impressing. This "bygdebok" is printed in 4 volumes. It might contain the family history of your people. I should think that you might be able to order this book through ILL from some library in the US. Or someone in Norway on this board might have access to it. Let me know if you can't get it, and I will try to get it from my local library. Børge Solem
Kara Ishii	Thank you so much. I will see if I can borrow this book through ILL. Kara D. (Kosmatka) Ishii
Kara Ishii	Mr. Solem: I contacted the Special Collections Department, and they said the bygdebooks do not circulate; I would have to go to the library to look at them. But I am in California, and they are in North Dakota.... Is it possible for you to get it from some other place, as you suggest? Kara Kara D. (Kosmatka) Ishii
Borge	I will check with my local library. Børge Solem
Borge	Books ordered! I will post any info that I might find regarding your family, as soon as I get the books. Børge Solem
Kara Ishii	I need to give you the whole story, to help you find the right information. I was originally told by my grandmother the following information: From a family photo: Mr. and Mrs. Eiven Sisjord, circa 1865, had Hellek, Ole and Andrew Hellekson Sisjord; they were from Bø, Telemark. Circa 1865 the boys looked abt 10, 6 or 7, and 2 or 3, respectively, and "Mr. and Mrs. Eiven Sisjord" looked like they could be in their 30s or even 40s (or 20s for very hard working people). Eiven did not come to the USA. Hellek did and I believe she said Ole and Andrew did also. Hellek was in the Norwegian army and married Marin "Mary" Torstvedt and had Hellek Hellekson Jr., Halvor and Henry. Hellek Hellekson Jr. (b. July 24, 1893; d. June 14, 1969) married Jennie Theodora Stavn on 04 January 1916. I believe Hellek Hellekson Jr. and Jennia Theodora Stavn lived in Park River, North Dakota, USA. What doesn't make sense to me is that our family called Hellek Hellekson Jr. as a "Jr.", meaning his father's name must have been Hellek Hellekson. BUT if his father's father's fornavn was Eiven, then his father's patronym must have been Eivensen, or something like that. I found a Hellek, Andrew and Ole E. Sisjord from Bø, Telemark coming to Canada on the S.S. Gothia; they were heading for Park River, ND, but the ages didn't match what I had. The names did seem to make more sense. So that is the information I originally posted, but I'm not certain which information is correct. Thank you for your help. Kara Kara D. (Kosmatka) Ishii
ninakarls	Great-grandfather Hellek was born Nov. 7th 1854, died in America 1939. He was married to Mary, Mari or Maria, born June 17th 1863 Halvorsd. at neighbouring farm Torstveit, who died in America 1945. He had siblings: Andres b. May 15th 1845, Eivind b. Sept. 10th 1847, Olav b. Oct. 10th 1849 d. 1870, Gunhild b. July 3rd 1860 d. 1886, Tor b. March 23rd 1864 d. 1933 in America (m. Aasta Marie Halvorsen, daughter of Andres Halvors. Paalskaas) Their father, Hellek Gunders. or Gunnars. born Sept. 27th 1802 d. 1872 also had a son named Hellek in his 1st marriage, born Dec 13th 1829. He supposedly emigrated to America too. When H.G.'s first wife died in 1839 he married Gunhild Andersd. b. Feb. 14th 1816 at farm Paalskaas d. 1881, who became the mother of his 6 youngest children. Helleks brother Eivind (b. 1847) and his wife Ingrid Olavsd. from Hellekås who died 1887 had three sons (Hellek 1878, Olav 1881, Andres 1884), who went to their uncles (Hellek and Tor) in America in 1894 after their fathers death in 1892.
Borge	Hei Nina That was quick, where did you get all that info? Børge Solem
Kara Ishii	Mr. Solem, As I had left the same query in one other place, Nina was already looking up the information for me (I just now received both her e-mail to me and her posting in response to you at the same time). Sorry about that! Thank you both for all your help. I greatly appreciate it! Sincerely, Kara Ishii Kara D. (Kosmatka) Ishii
ninakarls	Hi! It's all in the book you recommended, I found it on the shelf in my local library! Nina
Kara Ishii	Nina, Can you please tell me the title, publisher, year published, volume, number, and page numbers on which you found the information, so I can cite the source? Thank you! Kara Kara D. (Kosmatka) Ishii