Karen Maria Olsdatter

December 29. 1828 my great great grandmother Karen Maria Olsdatter was born. She was the firstborn  daughter of Ole Olsen and his wife Anne Olsdatter, born almost exactly 9 months after their marriage. She was born on the farm Hage in the Stiklestad parish of Verdal, Nord Trøndelag, Norway. I have no photos of her nor have I heard any family stories or memories of her. I know only what I have found in records. That she was born, baptized, innoculated against smallpox, confirmed, married, the mother of three, died, and was buried. I can only hope that she was wanted and loved by her parents and husband, happy in her home, had one or two good loyal friends, and was a good loving mother to her children who in turn loved her and mourned deeply her death. I would never know her and she would never know me, yet who she was, Karen Maria, and how she lived her life became a small part of  who I would be, generations later.

Happy Birthday Great Great Grandma 

Karen Maria Olsdatter Stuskin

b: 29 Dec 1828 Haga, Verdal, Nord Trøndelag, Norway

d: 18 May 1896 Stuskin, Verdal, Nord Trøndelag, Norway

Karen Maria Olsdatter→Anders Sevaldsen→Paul Sevald→Grace Sevald→Me

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

Christmas Traditions in Norway

From the Blog "Snow in Tromso" click below to enjoy 

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Christmas Traditions in Norway

God Jul, Merry Christmas!

 to all my Norwegian American Cousins

December 7 1941 - Pearl Harbor Day

75 years ago today the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the US entered World War II. Quite a few young men in our family, the sons of immigrants, found themselves called to defend our country. I believe that for my immigrant family the bombing of Pearl Harbor may have been the truly defining moment. We were now above all and forever after, Americans.Very few veterans of that war are still with us. The WWII veterans of our family are also all gone.  In their honor tell their story to your children and grandchildren today.

Here is the story of my favorite uncle, my mother's brother Arnold Calvin Sevald. 

My Norwegian grandfather Paul Sevald stepped off the boat unto Ellis Island August 1, 1923. August 16, 1923, he filed his intent to become a United States citizen. When his son was born two years later he named him after the current president, the 30th, Calvin Coolidge. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec 7 1941, Arnold immediately joined the Navy. A parent had to sign for him. Knowing his father would not and his mother's English was poor he tricked her into signing. He had just turned 16 in September of that same year. He served as a sonar detector on the U.S.S. Tinsman. Most importantly to me.........he came home.

my maternal uncle

Arnold Calvin Sevald

b: 18 Sep 1925 Chicago, Illinois USA

d: 26 Nov 1983 Dallas, Texas, USA

 

Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said, 

This is my own, my native land!  - Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832

Karl Magnus Sevald

January 20 1896 this cute little boy was born in Bergen Norway. Karl Magnus Sevald was the second child of Anders Sevaldsen and Anne Marie Halvorsdatter Høyset and the younger brother of my maternal grandfather Paul.

my Great Uncle

Karl Magnus Sevald

b: 20 Jan 1896 Bergen, Hordaland, Norway

d: 11 Feb 1968 Skien, Telemark, Norway