Spectacular Northern Lights over Norway

  

   Beautiful, isn't it?

Great Great Grandfather - Ole Helleksen

I have had my family tree on Ancestry.com for more than 10 years. Long before everyone and his brother, lured by the shakey leaf commercials, jumped on the genealogy bandwagon. In a lot of ways..great! Today when I mention my hobby is family history I seldom (or less often anyway), get those strange whaaaaaaaat? looks. Ancestry does give access to lots and lots of records plus I have made some great family connections. I am a little peeved though by the marketing techniques that have so many hopping on to Ancestry for just the free initial two weeks and making a tree by glomming (is that a word even?) on to just about every similiar and not so similar name they see. They build an unsubstantiated, bogus tree and leave. The abandoned tree lasts forever online misguiding the next newbie. Ancestry is not the only game out there anymore. A second cousin who lives in Norway has his tree on My Heritage. I gave it a look and I think when my Ancestry subscription is up I will take a break from there and try out My Heritage. There seems to be a heavy European involvement. I began a free tree and immediately scored! A photo of my great great grandfather Ole Helleksen 1842-1904, Faded and grainy for sure but a fun find none the less.

My great great Grandfather

Ole Helleksen

b. 12 Feb 1842 Indlæggen, Bø, Telemark, Norway

d. 21 Oct 1904 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

Today is Flag Day

Proud of my Scandinavian Heritage and immigrant ancestors but even more.....

Immigrants still come by the millions and for good reason.

We are surely not perfect but we are still the greatest country in the world.

Fly our flag with pride today!  and everyday!

HAPPY FLAG DAY

Happy Birthday Grandma!

My grandmother Dagmar is the one who started me on my family history journey. When I visited her in Norway she would show me pictures of family members and tell me their stories. I don't think she ever realized that to me her story would be the most interesting of all. She was born on this day in 1900 and died in 1991. What she saw and the changes that took place in that century! Coming from a small farming community, born on the same farm her family had occupied since the mid 1600's, she was born into changing times. Willingly she left it all, for a different life, hopefully a better life, in America. She WAS the story of the American immigrant.

Eidanger, Telemark, Norway - the parish birth and baptismal record of my grandmother
Dagmar Gundersen Sevald  10 June 1900 - 12 June 1991

*click on document to enlarge for easier reading*

#26 born June 10, 1900 and baptized in the Norwegian Lutheran Church on July 15, 1900, Dagmar is the legitimate daughter of Nils Gundersen and his wife Gunhild Marie Olsen, both born in 1875 and residing on the farm Øvald. Her sponsors or godparents are Josephine Olsen Porsgrund, Gunda Gundersen Øvald, Peder Hansen Porsgrund and Jens Gundersen Øvald.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Census Sunday - 1910 Norwegian National Census - Verdal, Nord Trøndelag

1910 - my grandfather Paul is working as farm labor on the farm Stubskind Østre in Værdalen, Nord Trøndelag, Norway. Why did grandpa Paul emigrate to America? One of the factors involved in his decision to leave Norway becomes evident here, in this census.

*click to enlarge for easier viewing* 

Paul's paternal uncle Ole is the owner and head of the farm. Uncle Ole lives with his wife Oline Halvorsdatter, his sons Sevald, Harald and Olav and his daughters Margit and Gudlaug. The older sons Sevald and Harald are 16 and 17 ( same age as my grandfather Paul) and are also listed as farm workers.

Here's the rub. 

Paul is listed only by his first and middle name, NOT Sevaldsen. Paul's father Anders,  as the oldest son, by Norwegian custom should have inherited this farm after the death of his father, Sevald Andersen, who died in 1900. Anders denied his heritage to become a missionary for the Seventh Day Adventists. See the "fl" after the place of Paul's birth? That symbolizes him as a lodger who is related to the owner of the farm. A lodger. The farm went to Ander's younger brother Ole. Ole's son Sevald will in turn inherit the farm after him.  Paul, due to the choices of his zealot father, will get nothing.