July 5th 1904 Louis and Carrie were married

My great grandfather's youngest brother, Lauritz Severin Gundersen, was born in Eidanger, Telemark, Norway in 1882. In 1901 he emigrated to the United States. July 5th 1904 he married another Norwegian immigrant, Karen Oline Erlingsdatter. Lauritz and Karen Oline, their names now Americanized to Louis and Carrie Gunderson, ultimately ended up in Chicago where two of his older sisters had immigrated and settled in earlier years. Here they raised their family of 9. A 10th child had died in infantcy. 

In this photo they are celebrating their 50th wedding anniverary.

Remembered by their children and grandchildren as kind, hard working and loving people;

my Great Granduncle
Lauritz Severin Gundersen

"Louis Gunderson"
b. 27 Jan 1882 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway
d. 19 Nov 1970 Elmwood Park, Cook, Illinois, USA

&
my Great Grandaunt
Karen Oline Erlingsen

"Carrie Gunderson"
b. 18 May 1881 Tingvoll, More og Romsdal, Norway
d. 14 Sep 1962 Chicago, Cook, Illinois USA

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

The search for Uncle Lauritz ends - Louis Gunderson

Last November I blogged about my great great uncle Lauritz Severin Gundersen.
In 1900 he was counted in the Norwegian national census living on the family farm Øvald in Eidanger, Telemark, Norway. The farm that the family had worked since the mid 1600's. He was living with my grandmother Dagmar, my great grandparents Nils Gundersen and Gunhild Olsdatter and my great great grandfather Gunder Andreas Nilson. He dissappeared from Norway and the family farm. Where was he I wondered?  I found him later living in the Chicago area, his name "Americanized" to Louis Gunderson, married and with a slew of children. Chicago! the same area in which I now and have for the last 64 years lived. He must have some descendants in the area. "Where are you my cousins?" I had asked.

Wow. Louis came to this country 115 years ago and this past week I finally had the opportunity to meet those cousins for the first time. A third cousin who had contacted me some months ago arranged for me to meet the matriarch of the family, Louis' youngest daughter Adeline.
Adeline is 93 years old and has a great memory. She kindly allowed me to take her picture to post on this blog.

Adeline, I and additional family members chatted in her home for some time. I told her what I knew of the history of Louis' family and their farm Øvald in Norway. How my grandmother Dagmar, her first cousin, had left Norway with my grandfather, to also settle in Chicago. Showing her copies of the documentation I had collected about Lauritz, we marveled at the long and difficult journey he undertook as a young man to find a better life in the United States. I met with her hoping to get additional documentation about my ancestry. She gave me something better. I got to know a bit about the man Louis Gunderson.

My Great Grand Uncle

Lauritz Severin Gundersen 

known as Louis Gunderson in Chicago.

b. 27 Jan 1882 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

d. Nov 1970 Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA 

Adeline described him as "good looking even with his big ears". He was a thin quiet fellow who never really talked much about life in Norway but in his later years did take a trip back to the village of his birth to visit family. He was a devoted husband for 58 years and a kind and loving father of 10 children and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Three of those children sadly he would see die too young. He never put much stock in religion but was an upright honest man you could count on. He was a strong and skilled carpenter who with his son in law built the home that his daughter Adeline still lives in today. His grandson remembers him fondly up on the roof swinging his hammer well into his 70's. A good man.

So I truly did find Lauritz and along the way found some really good people I am pleased and proud to say are my cousins.

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

The "Shot in the Dark" lands a hit! - Louis Gunderson

Last November I first posted about my great X2 uncle Lauritz Severin Gundersen. A younger brother of my great grandfather Nils, I found him in the 1900 Norwegian National census but then he seemed to disappear. I discovered through my research he had emigrated to the U.S. and "Americanized" his name. Surprisingly, after some years in North Dakota he landed back in Chicago. I was pretty tight with my grandmother and she never mentioned she had an uncle living in the same city as we did! I think perhaps she didn't know. Louis Gunderson and his wife Carrie had a good sized family and I felt there was a good chance some of his descendants may still remain in the Chicago area. I posted this "shot in the dark".

▼

LAURITZ SEVERIN GUNDERSEN - A shot in the dark

I had a hit! I recently was contacted by a woman who is the great grandaughter of Louis. She informed me that her grandmother, the youngest daughter of Louis, is still living in the Chicago area.
I would love to get together with this gal and share photos and family history. Here's the rub.

I am a total stranger! To her anyway. A stranger who is obsessed with family trivia (as all we family historians are). She is a "newbie" to genealogy using up her first free 2 weeks of Ancestry.com. I fear I may have already bombarded her too much in my excitement. So for now I hold my breath and hope she did not view me as a crazy relative who, as my husband says, "is looking for money or a kidney"! Then again she may get the family history bug too. And when she does she'll know where to find me.

1910 US Census Chicago, Illinois - Lauritz Severin Gundersen - Louis Gunderson

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

Lauritz Severin Gundersen 1882-1970

1910 US Census for Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Lauritz Severin Gundersen

Lauritz Severin Gundersen was the brother of my great grandfather Nils Gundersen. I found him in the Norwegian National Census of 1900. He was living on the family farm Øvald, unmarried, with his father, sister and his brother Nils (my great grandfather) and Nils wife and 2 daughters, one of whom was my infant grandmother. In the Norwegian 1910 census the family farm had been sold, the family scattered. But, where was Lauritz? After a futile search of the Norwegian records it occurred to me....America!

Here I found him, in Chicago.

*US Federal Census - Chicago Ward 27, Cook, Illinois; 

Roll:T624_269; Page 7B; Enumeration District 1173; microfilm 1374282*

* Lauritz Gundersen head of household - He still uses his Norwegian form of name but will later be known as Louis and Gundersen will become Gunderson.

*He has married, Karin and now has 3 small children; George, Alice and Lucile

*He immigrated in 1900 (about the time the family farm was sold), further research shows it to be 1901.

*He lived in Minnesota initially as his son George was born there but has been in Chicago for 3 years

*He owns his own home at 3645 N. Richmond St, mortgaged but whose isn't?

*He is a carpenter in the building industry, working steadily

*He speaks English and can read and write

*He has started the paperwork to become an American citizen

In those 10 years he had found a wife, a family, a home, an occupation...and on his way to becoming an American.

*click on document to enlarge for easier viewing*

1900 Norwegian National Census - Øvald Family 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**

Lauritz Severin Gundersen - Louis Gunderson

When my grandma Dagmar came to Chicago in 1924 she followed her husband, my grandfather Paul. Paul chose Chicago as he had an aunt here who had immigrated many years before. The young couple lived in a small apartment in the basement of her home. Through my genealogy work I have found that Dagmar also had family in Chicago that had come before her. I do not know if she was even aware of that. Neither she or my mother ever mentioned having family in Chicago. Dagmar had an uncle Lauritz who settled in Chicago and raised a family there. It is quite likely that there are Gundersen cousins within a few miles of me today. Where are you my cousins?

Lauritz Severin Gundersen was born the 22 January 1882 in Muhle, Eidanger, Telemark, Norway. He was the younger brother of my great grandfather Nils and the uncle of my grandmother Dagmar. In the Norwegian census of 1900 he is living unmarried on the family farm Øvald in Eidanger along with his father, Gunder Andreas Nilsen, his sister Gunda Marie, his brother Nils, Nils' wife Gunhild Marie, and Nils' two daughters, Gudrun and Dagmar (my grandmother). The family farm, which was owned by the church but worked by our family since the mid 1600's had been sold. Nov of 1901 Lauritz emigrated to Chicago. There he met another Norwegian immigrant named Karin Olive Erlingsen. They married in 1902 and had the children  George, Alice Marie, Lucile, Louise, Mildred, Earl, Sylvia, Ralph, Adeline and Caroline. In America the couple was known as Louis and Carrie Gunderson.

Here he is with his wife on his 50th wedding anniversary.

Would Louis be your ancestor? We are cousins. Contact me if you would like to share information, photos or memories.

Just a shot in the dark - Ranae