Census Sunday - Norwegian National Census of 1900 - Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

each Sunday I explore a census record and list the genealogical clues it contains (or doesn't)

Norwegian National Census of 1900
Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

This is the first census in which my grandmother Dagmar Gundersen is noted.

    

*Eidanger , a small farming community has 3872 registered inhabitants

*The extended family resides on the farm Øvald.

*Gunder Nilsen, born in Eidanger in 1842, is Nils' father and Dagmar's grandfather. His occupation is shipbuilder and carpenter. His father's first name - Nils
*Gunder is a widower (e) and I will have to find additional documentation to tell me the name of his wife and discover if she is the mother of all of the children listed.

*Gunda Marie Gundersdatter was born in Eidanger in 1877,  is Gunders unmarried (ug) daughter and runs the household meaning his wife is likely deceased.

*Lauritz Severin Gundersen, born in Eidanger in 1882 is Gunder's unmarried (ug) son. He is a sailor.

*Nils Gundersen, born in Eidanger in 1875, is Gunders married (g) son. He is also a sailor.

*Gunhild Marie Olsdatter, born in Eidanger in 1875, is Nils' wife. Her father's first name is Ole.

*Gudrun Marie Nilsdatter, born in Porsgrund December 19, 1898, unmarried (ug) is Nils and Gunhild's daughter and Dagmar's sister

*Dagmar Nilsdatter (my grandmother) is just an infant in this census, born June 10, 1900 in Eidanger

*She lives with her extended family in a farm community. Patronymics are still used. She is noted as Dagmar Nilsdatter while later her parents and all their children will adopt Nils' patronymic Gundersen as their surname. 

*The family has been in this location for some time. Three generations are all born in Eidanger with the exception of Gudrun who was born in a very close neighboring town

*they do not own the farm on which they live but are crofters on a small section.

**click on document to enlarge for easier viewing**

Rick Steves' European Christmas - Norway

Merry Christmas!

"For unto us is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Merry Christmas - Ranae

Norwegian National Census of 1900 - Fredrikshald, Østfold, Norway

This Sunday I explore a census record and list the genealogical clues it contains (or doesn't)

Norwegian National Census of 1900
Fredrikshald, Østfold, Norway

This census was not easy to find. This is my grandfather Paul with his first two siblings and his parents. It was not easy to find because his parents were missionaries and traveled all about Norway until the family finally settled in Skien, Telemark, Norway.

Paul Sevald in 1900       

From this census I learned or can now verify

* In 1900 the family lived at 799a13 Ouskleven Street in Fredrikshald, Norway and the longest they could have lived there is 3 years assuming they moved there immediately after the birth of their third child Karen Sally

* The birth year of each family member and Paul is the oldest of 3

* Anders is a missionary for the Seventh Day Adventist Church, a movement begun in America but now spreading throughout Scandinavia

* Each child was born in a different town which means they traveled for the church frequently and Anders was most likely converted before he met Anne Marie since she was born on the opposite side of Norway from his birth

*I now know in which fylke Anders and Anne Marie were born and can begin the search for their parents and family. Unfortunately the next earlier national census in Norway was in 1865 and Anne Marie was born in 1871. Anders however will likely be found in the 1865 census.

*Anders and Anne Marie are married (g=gift), likely in 1893

*They are not well off financially as they share living quarters with another family (who appear also to be SDA) and it is no more than an annex to a farmhouse

*They are more modern city folk as all carry the same surname (the children are not carrying the patronymic Anderson or Andersdatter). Sevald may be the name of Anders father or it could even have been his grandfather. We therefore also don't have a clue as to Anne Marie's birth family except they are most likely found in Solum

*Sevald, the surname Paul carried in America was shortened from Sevaldsen.

-Ranae

Norwegian Christmas decorations to hang on your tree

Happy Birthday Gunhild Marie Olsdatter!

My great grandmother Gunhild Marie Olsdatter was born 14 December 1875 on the farm Røra in Eidanger, Telemark, Norway.   She was baptised at the Eidanger Kirke into the Norwegian State Church (Lutheran) on 02 January 1876.  Her sponsors were Christiane Andersdatter, Kirsten Marie Olsdatter, Anders Eriksen, Martin Olsen and Hans Olsen. She was the legitimate daughter of worker Ole Helleksen and Hanna Matea Gunuldsdatter. She was not home baptised.

Kildeinformasjon: Telemark fylke, Eidanger, Klokkerbok nr. 1 (1863-1878), Fødte og døpte 1876, side 86. 
DIGITALARKIVET OF NORWAY - GUNHILD MARIE'S BIRTH RECORD

Happy Birthday great-grandma Gunhild! - Ranae

**clicking on photos and documents will enlarge them for easier viewing**

1930 US Census Chicago, Illinois - The Sevald Family

This Sunday I explore a census record and list the genealogical clues it contains (or doesn't)

1930 US Federal Census
Chicago, Cook, Illinois

This is the first American census that my grandparents Paul and Dagmar are in



noted from this census:

*This appears to be the first time they have dropped the "sen" from Sevaldsen and have shortened their name to Sevald. Later in September of 1930 Paul will become naturalized and make the name change official.
*Address is 1807 N. California Ave. which at this time is a mostly a Scandinavian immigrant neighborhood. They rent one apartment of this two flat building for $50 a month. The owner of the building occupies the other unit. This was no more than a 3 bedroom apartment and they have 4 roomers with them, a married couple and two single gentlemen.
*They own a radio, important enough to be a question on census records?
*Paul was 26, Dagmar 21 when they married
*Paul is said to be a "mechanic" at a "printing press". In actuality he was a machinest. He was still at work even though the country is one year into the Great Depression. It states Dagmar is at home which was common, almost universal, for married women at that time. She had worked earlier as domestic help for a rich Danish gold-coast family.
*Dagmar is still an alien but Paul although not quite a citizen does have his first papers or intent to naturalize. It is noted they arrived in 1923. (Dagmar actually immigrated a year later in 1924)
*They have had two children. My uncle Arnold (1925) and my mother Grace (1927).





1807 N. California still stands (2015) just two houses from the elevated tracks. My mother remembered riding the train on Sunday afternoons "for fun". They would go to the end of the line and back again numerous times, each time hollering and waving to their parents as they passed them sitting on the back porch visiting with friends. I am then guessing that they occupied the second floor apartment.

(clicking on photographs or documents will enlarge them for easier viewing)

Facebook for Genealogy

For the longest time you couldn't even speak to me about Facebook without getting a furious lecture or at the very least a sour look on the face from me. I could care less what you had for breakfast, where you are this very instant, who you are voting for, or even less see picture #48 that you took of yourself. Puhleese. I have know friendships ruined and otherwise normal? people wasting hours exercising nothing but their index finger flicking from friend? to friend? Okay, who has 576 friends anyway?

I WAS WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!  


Oh, I know that silly stuff still goes on but I have found Facebook invaluable in my Norwegian genealogy searches. There are many genealogy groups out there. Technical, organizational, how-to groups and groups specific to the country you are researching. The members are from all over, including the country you are searching in. Have you ever tried to "Google Translate" a Norwegian parish, birth, death or marriage record? Sometimes the results are hilarious but often I was better off just using my own "genealogical Norwegian" skills to figure out what it says. There are some wonderful people out there who are proficient at reading old Norwegian/Danish or the faint, sloppy, misspelled, tiny handwriting of an overworked 18th century priest. I have "liked" many groups and become a part of them but I actually have very few "friends" and I use a high privacy setting. I feel it avoids those who want to share their selfies or pictures of their dog dressed for Halloween without hurting their feelings. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. Don't forget to look for other genealogical gem pages. Ancestral towns may have their own facebook page. Sons of Norway pages. Genealogical Society pages. Surname pages. Use your imagination and just start searching.

Katharine R. Willson, a genealogist, has a free pdf of 5,500+ links to Facebook Genealogy groups
SOCIAL MEDIA GENEALOGY   Thank you Katharine!

Word of advice. Keep your requests or questions brief. Do as much of the initial footwork as you can and provide a clear jpg or link to your item in question. Don't expect someone to do genealogical work for you. These groups are mainly people helping people. Be kind. Kind to those who help you, and kind to "newbies" whose questions may be simplistic, or "silly". We were all there once and don't want to discourage anyone from the enjoyable and satisfying hobby of family history. You never know but one day that "newbie" may "find" your elusive great great grandma Solveig.


Happy hunting!
Ranae