Family roots in Norway
andersongeorgew	I am trying to trace my father's family roots. I found my grandparents : Alexander and Hilma Andersen, listed in the Passenger Search files of the Ellis Island organization as passengers on the SS Norge arriving in NewYork on May 23,1893. From your Ship Index I found that the SS Norge departed Christania on May 8, 1893 en route to Christiansand and New York. Hoping to find more info in the Digitalarkivet, I paged thru the Emigration Registers for Oslo, Christania, and Christiansand for 1893 withou finding my grandparents listed. At this point, I don't know where to turn. Since my father was born on New Years Eve in 1893, I know that Hilma must have been pregnant when they left Norway. A cousin thought that they lived in Drummond (Drammen??). Any help would be appreciated. Unfortunately, I don't speak or read the language. Geoge Anderson
ninakarls	When I search the Norwegian language edition, I find this: Departure Oslo 1893 April 28: Alexander Andersen - single - Workman - age: 25 - domicile: Drammen, destination: Quebec. On that same ship there were 3 single Swedish girls named Hilma: Hilma Johanson - age: 20 Wermland destiantion: Boston Hilma Gustafson - age: 16 Wermland destination: New York Hilma Nordstrøm - age: 21 Westmanland destination: New York The two youngest were travelling with girl-friends, the older was accompanied by two other family members. Nina
andersongeorgew	nina-Thank you for your reply. From the Ellis Island passenger list Alexander Andersen was 23 years old, and Hilma Andersen was 21 years old and married. Ethnicity for each of them was posted as Norwegian. They disembarked in New York on May 23, 1893. The passenger record did not indicate whether or not Alexander was single or married. I assumed because Alexander and Hilma appeared on the ship's manifest one after the other, that they could be traveling as a couple. George
Borge	Are those ages right according to when they were born? Børge Solem
andersongeorgew	Borge I'm sorry, but I do not when they were born. George
andersongeorgew	Correction on the arrival date for the SS Norge in New York - it was May 22, 1893, not May 23. George
Borge	You should try to find out what year your grandparents were born. When we know what ages they were, it is much easier to determine if we have the right persons, and when dealing whit quite common names it is a must. If you do not have relatives who might know, you could try t apply for their death certificates or naturalization papers. Børge Solem
andersongeorgew	Børge: I'm looking for documentation, but my best estimate now is that Alexander Andersen was born in 1870, and that Hilma Andersen was born as Hilma Olsen (or Olson) in 1872. Hilma may have been born in Sweden. Can I find any record of their marriage, probably late 1892, or early spring 1893? Could they be listed in a census, say 1890? George
andersongeorgew	Børge: I obtained a copy of my father's birth certificate, date of birth December 31, 1893, in which Alexander's age was listed as 23 and Hilma's age was 21. Alexander's last name was listed as Anderson, rather than Andersen, and Hilma's maiden name was given as Olson. So it looks like they were indeed born in 1870 and 1872 respectively. The place of birth for both was Norway, and Alexander's occupation was listed as "machinist". Except for the spelling of their last name, this info is consistent with that that I found in the Ellis Island passenger list for the SS Norge arriving in New York on May 22, 1893. Now where can I look? George
Borge	Unfortunately, the new info did not help me much in seartchig for them in the online sources. Wonder where they are Børge Solem
andersongeorgew	Børge: Thanks for trying. I guess I will have to drop the search, all of the second generation that might have more info have died. George
Brining	I don't think you have hit a dead end, it is just going to take a little (probably alot) more digging. They didn't have the original ship manifest on line at Ellis Island but it probably exists on micro film and if you can view the original record it could tell you where they came from. Also death certificates and naturalization records can give you clues such as parents names. If you have the parents names you could search the 1865 census for them. What state did they live in? Sometimes you can find information at the state or county geneolgy or historical sites. Did they have any brothers or sisters in the states? If they did you might be able to find them on the emigrant lists. It takes a lot of detective work but there is a lot of sites out there to help. Good Luck Carla