Hans Gjerdrum - Louise H. Gjerdrum - Bjerke
Started by KristenHicks · 2014-01-17
KristenHicks · 2014-01-17#1
Hello!! I am so incredibly excited! After years of hitting a wall, I finally have been able to locate my Grandmother's passage to America!!
She came via the Stavangerfjord, arriving at Port of New York (PoNY) on 15 July 1919. I knew our family name of Gjerdrum, however she was listed with the last name of Bjerke.
It appears that my Great-Grandmother Louise H (for Hans' daughter) Gjerdrum came to the US, via the Oscar II, 31 May 1910, approximately 2 months after giving birth to my Grandmother, "Else Bjerke". Louise's last name was misspelled on the manifest, as "GjerdruN". From assumption, it would seem that my Grandmother was left in Norway, under the care of her Grandfather (Louise's Dad) Hans, residing at Kløften Street. This information I have acquired through the original manifests from the ships.
9 years later, Louise then returned to Norway, as a US Citizen, married to a gentleman by the name of Theodor Wunch, (whose family was from Lanesboro, MN), bringing my Grandma back to America, moving her to Chicago to be exact, in 1919.
Upon Louise's original voyage to the US in 1910, she was going to be staying with "Uncle Martin Gjerdrum" (Hans' brother), of Lanesboro, Minnesota. Residing in the same town was the Wunsch family, and the rest seems to be history. The only passage I have found for Martin, (originally from Norway as well), was aboard the Stavangerfjord, arriving PoNY 7 Oct 1919, when he was already in possession of a US Passport.
I would like to know more about Hans Gjerdrum, as I believe he would be my Great-Great Grandfather, as well as the Bjerke family, making them the other side of my Great-Great's, via my Grandmother.
I have answered lifelong family questions FINALLY, but have replaced them, with dozens more. If anyone has any relevant information, that may assist me on this journey, please feel free to contact me! Here, I have e-mail, facebook, whatever you have, I would love to know about my lineage, a bit further back. Thank you so very much, in advance!
~Kristen Hicks