A welcome gift from new found cousins

 Through Ancestry.com's DNA matches I "found" a new third cousin. Her great grandfather, Lauritz (Louis) Gundersen, was the younger brother of my great grandfather, Nils Gundersen. She put me in contact with her grandmother Adeline. I met with Adeline, a sharp and energetic lady well over 90 years old, and much of her family. We talked about our family and their immigration stories. Read about that meeting HERE. When Adeline passed, just one month shy of her 100th birthday, the family invited me to her memorial held at her home. They shared family photos and!!!! I now have a photo of my great great grandparents Gunder Andreas Nilsen and Marthe Marie Halvorsdatter! Marthe Marie died young in childbirth. In the second photo Gunder Andreas is pictured here, I believe, with his daughter Gunda who took over housekeeping duties after her mothers death.

  Thank you my cousins,

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

A peek at great great grandfather Gunder Andreas

A second cousin of mine in Norway recently sent me this photo that he had recently acquired from another cousin in Norway. It features his grandmother, Nilia Gundersen, her husband, children and grandchildren with her father, Gunder Andreas Nilsen Øvald . Gunder Andreas is my great great grandfather, my maternal grandmothers paternal grandfather.

 Looking at the documentation of his life, I believe his life was a difficult one as were many of those living and trying to raise a family in the late 19th century Norway. As the oldest son he inherited the right to farm the family farm Øvald, which at this point was actually the property of the Norwegian church, which was the case with most farms in Southern Norway. A younger brother, without much future in sight, headed off to America, to find his "fortune" there. Gunder Andreas lost two of his children in their childhood, a tragedy that we fortunately seldom encounter now thanks to the advent of childhood immunizations. His wife, Marthe Marie, died from childbirth infection. Three of his children followed their uncle and headed off to America where they soon found mates and new lives as Americans. Another three grandchildren did the same. There are a few other siblings, children and grandchildren that I have not yet been able to account for. My suspicion is that I will one day also find them living American lives. Gunder Andreas had to leave the family farm when the church sold the now lucrative property and Gunder Andreas died a poor man.

It all sounds so sad to me but I hope Gunder Andreas did not feel or view his life in a negative way. He lived long (87 years) and still had much of his family around him. Perhaps, and I do hope, he felt his life to be blessed.

Not the clearest of pictures but a welcome find non-the-less. The white-bearded man in the rear of the cart, surrounded by family is my X2 great grandfather;

my great great grandfather

Gunder Andreas Nilsen Øvald

b. 11 Apr 1843 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

d. 24 Aug 1930 Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

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

A short sad little life - Karl Oskar Gundersen

March 25, 1887 my great great grandmother, Marthe Marie Andersdatter, at the age of 39 gave birth to her tenth and last child. A little boy. She and her husband Gunder Andreas Nilsen named him Karl Oskar. He was baptised at home by the family pastor Holmboe and Karl's older sister Josephine Gunderdatter on March 31. Unusual because generally only a baby who seemed sickly at birth was home baptised and then immediately, the very day of birth. He was presented in the Eidanger church on April 17, 1887. Among his sponsors were his paternal grandfather Nils Jensen Øvald, his paternal uncle Halvor Martin Nilsen and his maternal uncle Nicolai Andersen

source: Digitalarkivet SAKO, Eidanger kirkebøker, G/Ga/L0002:
Parish register (copy) no. 2, 1879-1892, birth & baptisms p. 86 

Quick link: https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/kb20061128070093

Perhaps, and I am just guessing here, he was baptised March 31 to comfort his mother who was ill. Marthe Marie died the next day, April,1, 1887. She died, as many women did in those times, of childbed fever. Her death left little Karl and his siblings, among them my 11 year old great grandfather Nils, motherless. Gunder Andreas never remarried.

source: Digitalarkivet SAKO, Eidanger kirkebøker, G/Ga/L0002:
Parish register (copy) no. 2, 1879-1892, death & burials p. 268

Quick link: https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/kb20061128080125

Unfortunately the same page of the parish record documents not only the death of Marthe Marie but the death of her baby Karl Oskar.  November 5th 1887, the 7 month old little boy died of cholera.

R.I.P.

my second great uncle

Karl Oskar Gundersen

b: 25 Mar 1887 Muhle, Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

d: 05 Nov 1887 Muhle, Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

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

Probate of estate of Gunder Andreas Nilsen - he died a poor man

My great great grandfather Gunder Andreas Nilsen was born on the farm Øvald in Eidanger, Telemark, Norway. The farm had been worked by his family since the 1600's. Øvald, located on a desirable piece of property at the head of the Eidanger Fjord, was owned by the state church and was sold late in the 19th century. Gunder Andreas died at 87 years of  Aareforkalking / Atherosclerosis on the farm Muhle in an old folks home.

Below is the probate of his estate:

from the Digitalarkivet, Telemark fylke, Eidanger, Dodsfallsprotokoll  1893-1933 pg 165

click here to view

His "heirs" were the Eidanger poor-law authorities (welfare agency, poor relief). The deceased had been supported by Eidanger parish for several years. Any little bit he had remaining was owed to the parish.

Gunder died a poor man.

my Great Great Grandfather

Gunder Andreas Nilsen

b: 11 Apr 1843 Øvald, Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

d: 24 Aug 1930 Mulen gamlehjem, Eidanger, Telemark, Norway

To work hard your whole life as a tenant farmer and die with nothing? It makes perfect sense to me why so many of Gunder Andreas' contemporaries and family chose instead to take a chance on "the dream of Amerika".

1865 Norwegian National Census - Øvald, Eidanger, Telemark

This census shows my 3rd great grandparents Nils Jensen and Johanne Olsdatter and their family. They live on Øvald, considered the family farm and occupied by my family since the mid 1600's. Johanne is the seventh generation on the farm. The farm is actually a small part of the Prestegaarden or priests property, owned by the Norwegian State church. Their oldest son, Gunder Nilsen, will inherit the right to farm Øvald. Gunder and Marthe Marie are my 2nd great grandparents. My great grandfather, Nils, will be born in 1875, ten years after this census.

CLICK HERE to view the online census

Nils and Johanne were known for their entertaining/party skills. I do not know if this was a side job to earn some extra money or they just enjoyed having family and friends over.

My 3rd great grandparents:

Nils Jensen 1812-1897

Johanne Elisabeth Olsdatter 1809-1884

(click on documents or pictures 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**