Maren Larson
martyj	I am trying to find information concerning Maren (Marie) Larson b.1883in Norway and died in 1962 in Hudson, Union County, South Dakota. I think she was born around Drammen. She came to America around 1900 as her father gave her four or five gold coins when she left Norway so she could return home if things didn't work out in the USA - they were dated 1899. She was an indentured servant for two years (I believe she took care of children). She married Edward Torkelson in 1905 in Hudson, Union County, South Dakota. She had a brother, Lars Larson, born 1888 in Norway, who also came to the USA and lived in the Hudson area. I know she had relation in the Drammen as her daughters visited relatives in that area around 1967. Any help or information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. martyj Martha Johnson
Brining	In the 1900 census there is a Maren Lars. working as a servant http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=arkivverket/ft1900/f00602.wc2&variabel=0&postnr=7489&fulle=true&spraak=n and Lar Larson with his family http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&filnamn=arkivverket/ft1900/f00602&variabel=0&postnr=7394&fulle=true&spraak=n These are good canidates if the birth years are correct and they came from Drammen. Can you get Maren or Lars death certificate to see if their parents are listed. You could also try finding Maren or Lars in the parish records on microfilm at a LDS center. I found Maren Larsen when searching at their website which seems to match the family listed with Lars. (Strotvedt and Ekle are the names of farms they would have been from). http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp Maren Gurine LARSEN Sex: F Event(s): Birth: 30 May 1883 Drammen, Buskerud, Norway Parents: Father: Kristopher STROTVEDT Mother: Anne Oldatter EKLE Like I said good candidates but you need more info to verify it Carla
martyj	Thank you very much. You have been a very big help and I will carry thru with your suggestions. Martha Martha Johnson
martyj	I need a little more help. I don't know what all the titles mean on the 1990 Census. For example: what is YRKE? Martha Johnson Martha Johnson
Brining	Yrke is occupation. Here is a link to an online Norwegian/American dictionary http://home.online.no/~otjoerge/files/word.htm which should help. Carla
martyj	Hi Carla - I'm back with a couple of more questions. 1. Is Andrew the American name for Andreas? 2. I have found, what I think might be, more members of Maren's family. The last person (child) name is Christoffa #7397 on the 1900 Census. Instead of a birth year it has the number 24101899 - what does this mean? Thanking you in advance. martyj Martha Johnson
Brining	Hi Martha Andreas could be Andrew in America. There is no strict rule as to how the names were "Americanized" but Andrew is a reasonable guess. The number is a birthdate. In Norway they list the date as day month year so it is 24 10 1899 or 24th Oct. 1899. Carla
Helen McNamara	This is supposed to go to anyone interested in the LARSEN surname in case the following is a missing relative: Taken from a biography of early prominent people in Humboldt County, California: Abraham Larsen was born in Flekkefjord, Norway on 21 Sept. 1863.At age fourteen he went to sea working on boats that were in the lumber trade. After two years at sea he came to the US (1877?) THe first year he stayed in Cedar Falls, Dunn County, Wisconsin. From there he went to Eau Claire where he followed the lumber trade until 1884 when he moved to Humboldt County and went to Trinidad where he had a boyhood friend from Flekkefjord. He went to work in Peter Hansen's Shingle Mill. From 1884 to 1896 he worked in various shingle mills around Humboldt County. In 1896, he went into partnership with a group and founded The Trinidad Manufacturing Co., which manufactured shingles, stakes and barrel stays. The company was in operation until 1902 when they used up all the timber available to them. He went into the real estate business in Eureka,and was successful and became prominent as a land developer. In 1913 having acquired 878 acres of timber in the hills east of Eureka, he went back into the shingle business by incorporating the Freshwater Manufacturing Co. He also became the incorporator of the Waldner Fruit and Land company which owned four thousand acres of land in the Fort Seward area of Humboldt county which was acceptable for horticulture. Mr. Larsen was secretary of the Waldren Co. In 1906 Abraham Larsen married (for the first time noted0 to Miss Mary Glatt a native of Eureka. She was the daughter of Bartlin Glatt a prominent builder in Eureka and native of Baden, Germany. I hope some Norway researchers can use the Abraham Larsen info.
martyj	Hi Carla, another question. In the place of birth Maren had Skoger, her father had Lier her mother Guldbrandsdallen Sakes Praestegjaelp Krs and a brother had Skroger Jl are these towns in Norway or what? Thanks again for you help. Marty Martha Johnson
Brining	Hi Martha, They are not necessarily towns but the parish (district) where they were born. This site will give you a better explaination http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/na0.html (click on "column headings for 1900") Also look at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/ There are some great articles that should help. If you haven't already found it click on the link below for the digitalarkivet and click on categories and that will get you to the census for 1900 and other years plus a alot more databases to search Carla