1900 Norwegian National Census - Ole Helleksen Family

Norwegian National Census 1900
Eidanger, Telemark, Norway
the farm Røra

Ole and Hanna are my second great grandparents. Ole was born in Bø and all of the rest of the family were born right here in Eidanger where we now find them in 1900. Son Gotfred is married to Kirstine and they have two children of their own. Their daughter Gunhild Marie (my great grandmother) is already married and also living in Eidanger on a different farm. She is on the farm Øvald with her husband Nils Gundersen (my great grandfather) and her first two children, one of whom is my grandmother Dagmar.

Oles occupation is listed as "Arbeider-isarbeide". Google translate was no help so I turned to a Facebook Norwegian group for help. A very kind lady, Mette Fausko, submitted this explanation...

"Before electric refrigerators and freezers became common, the Norwegian winter cold ice production 

was a flourishing business. Ice was of course particularly sought after in warmer countries, 

and large blocks of ice were transported by ship from Norway to even as far as including Spain. 

In 1898, Norway was the world's largest exporters of ice. Here's what a Ice works did."

Ole and his son Gotfred were ice cutters!

our Great Great Grandparents

Ole Helleksen

b. 12 February 1842 Bø, Telemark, Norway

d. 21 October 1904 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

Hanna Matea Gunuldsdatter

b. 22 August 1848 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

d. 3 November 1902 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

Death of Ole Helleksen

Ole Helleksen was born in Bø, Telemark Norway on the farm Indlæggen, the son of Hellek Olsen 1817-1898 and Helga Hansdatter 1809-1847. He was my great great grandfather. 

This is the parish record of deaths and burials in Eidanger, Telemark, Norway where Ole and his wife Hanna Matea Gunuldsdatter 1848-1902 lived and raised their family. Farm worker and widower Ole died 21 October 1904 on the farm Røra and was buried 30 October 1904. He died of cancer at 62 years of age.

SAKO, Eidanger kirkebøker, F/Fa/L0013: Parish register (official) no. 13, 1900-1913, p. 196

Quick link: https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/kb20051004050972

my great great grandfather

Ole Helleksen

b: 12 February 1842 Indlæggen, Bø, Telemark, Norway

d: 21 October 1904 Røra, Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

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

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