Gullik Knutsen LIEN

1815 - 1903  (88 years)

• Name	Gullik Knutsen LIEN
  Birth	18 Feb 1815	Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
  	Lien 80/ Septun
  Gender	Male
  Death	1 Apr 1903	Iowa
  Notes	He is I41581 in Jim’s VS. Jim’s notes, for which he attributes Martha Hicks as the source: Gullik Knudsen (Septon) Lien was born in Feb 1815 in Vang, Oppland Co., Valdres region, Norway at the søndre (southern) Septon farm. He has a baptismal record, dated Feb 19 1815 in Vang, Oppland Co., Valdres region, Norway. He served in the military in 1838 in the Norwegian army. Records suggest that he served from Jan. 1, 1838 to Dec. 31, 1842. He immigrated in Jul 1850 to the United States. The month after his wedding, on May 10, 1850, he, his wife, and his in-laws, having traveled to the coast from Vang, Norway, set sail from Bergen, Norway aboard the brig "Ørnen" (Eagle), whose captain was Nicolai Jahn. They landed in New York City on July 15, 1850. Upon arrival to the United States, the family traveled to Iowa where they bought government land in Springfield Township in Winnesheik County, near the site of Springfield Lutheran Church. When they arrived in Iowa, in September 1850, they did not have a chance to plant crops before winter. They built a dugout in a hillside, near a spring, in which to live through the winter. Using his axe, he cleared land for others who had come before, so he could earn a living until he could begin farming in the spring. (Their farm is still operated, by a fifth generation descendant- named Gary Allen Lien, as of 1994.) He died on Apr 12 1903 in Decorah, Iowa. Age at death: 88. He was buried in Winneshiek County, (near Decorah), Iowa in Springfield Township at Springfield Cemetery. He was a member of Springfield Lutheran Church, along with his wife, in Winneshiek County, (near Decorah), Iowa at Springfield Township. (In Norway, prior to 1923, surnames reflected the farm name where a person lived. When a person or family moved to a different farm, they would drop the former farm name and be called by the new farm name.) The name of the Septon farm where he was born changed officially to "Lien" in 1830. Now the farm name is sometimes spelled "Lii," "Lié," or "Lia." (Alternatively, some American records show Gullik's first name spelled "Gullick, and his middle name spelled "Knutson" or "Knudson." However, Norwegian records and his tombstone in Iowa spell his first name "Gullik." Several sources, including a Norwegian military record, his marriage record, and American church records show his middle name as "Knudsen." Jan Edvardsen of Follebu, Norway says that "Knud" is the Norwegian spelling of the name that was used prior to the 1900's, and "Knut" is the more modern spelling. Gullik's family in America knew his birth date as Feb. 18, 1815, and this is the date on his tombstone; however, church records in Vang, Norway indicate that he was born Feb. 14, 1815. The minister, who wrote out his infant baptismal record, first accidentally wrote the date as the 19th (which was the baptism date) but then added a note saying the birth date was the 14th instead. Church records list his marriage date as Apr. 13, 1850; however, a handwritten Norwegian marriage record gives his wedding date as Apr. 14, 1850.) He was engaged on Mar 16 1850 in Vang, Oppland Co., Valdres region, Norway. On that date, the minister of the church was informed of the marriage intentions. He was married to Berit Knudsdatter Østrem (daughter of Knud Eivindsen Remmesbrekken and Kari Kristoffersdatter Heen) on Apr 14 1850 in Vang, Oppland Co., Valdres region, Norway. (They are third cousins.) Berit Knudsdatter Østrem was born in 1826 in Vang, Oppland Co., Valdres region, Norway at the Austreim farm. She has a baptismal record, dated on Nov 10 1826 in Vang, Oppland Co., Valdres region, Norway at Hurum Church. She immigrated in Jul 1850 to the United States. As a newlywed, she sailed from Bergen, Norway with her family and husband aboard the brig "Ørnen" (Eagle). They set sail on May 10, 1850, and landed in New York City on July 15, 1850. She died on Mar 22 1904 in Decorah, Iowa. Age at death: 77. She was buried in Winneshiek County, (near Decorah), Iowa in Springfield Township at Springfield Cemetery. She was a member of Springfield Lutheran Church, along with her husband, in Winneshiek County, (near Decorah), Iowa. (Alternatively, there are records that spell her first name "Beret," and "Berith," her maiden name as "Austreim," show her birth date as Oct. 7, 1826, and wedding date as Apr. 13, 1850. However, American church and family records, including her tombstone, show her name spelled "Berit" and her birth date as Sept. 29, 1826. She and her family spelled the surname "Østrem." The marriage record gives her wedding date as April 14, 1850. Her tombstone mistakenly shows her middle initial as "G" instead of "K." Apparently, the stone is a monument with inscriptions on each side for various family members. Alden Lien says that the stone-cutter (who made inscriptions for all the family members buried there) made a mistake putting a "G" for her middle initial which was the middle initial for all of the other members of the family.) In the 1860 census, he, as Gulic Knutson, and his family lived in Springfield Twp, Winneshiek County, Iowa. In the 1870 census, as Gulik Knudson, 55, he was prosperous farmer in Springfield Twp, Winneshiek County, Iowa. He and Berith have 13 children, all living at home. Connie Ferris’s entry for him on Find A Grave says: Gullik Knudsen was the second of nine children born to Knud Thomasen, from the Torpe farm, and Sigrid Olsdatter, from the Septon farm. Parish records show that Gullik was born on the Septon farm on 14 Feb 1815, which differs from what is on the gravestone. The farm name later changed to Lien which is the name that many of the family adopted in the United States. Gullik married Berit Knudsdatter Østrem, who was also from Vang, 14 Apr 1850 in Vang. Almost immediately they left for America. Berit was pregnant and traveled with her parents and siblings. Their first child was born in Wisconsin shortly after their arrival. Within the year they had arrived in the Decorah area in Winneshiek County. There they established a pretty farm in the valley in Springfield Township (visible in the distance behind the monument in the photo). Gullik and Berit had 14 children, all but the first, born and raised on their farm.
  Person ID	I26373	Don Carlson's Tree
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2023

  
  

  Father	Knut Thomassen TØRPE,   b. 1782, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway d. 1828, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway (Age 46 years)
  Mother	Sigrid Olsdatter LIEN,   b. 1793, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway d. 1876, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway (Age 83 years)
  Marriage	1811
  Family ID	F17181	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Berit Knudsdatter AUSTREIM,   b. 1826, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway d. 22 Mar 1904, Iowa (Age 78 years)
  Marriage	13 Apr 1850	Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
  Children	1. Sarah LIEN,   b. 31 Aug 1850, Jefferson County, Wisconsin d. 30 Jul 1934, Silverton, Marion County, Oregon (Age 83 years)   2. Knut LIEN,   b. 20 Apr 1852, Winneshiek County, Iowa d. 3 Oct 1905, Crookston, Polk County, Minnesota (Age 53 years)   3. Caroline LIEN,   b. Abt 1854, Iowa   4. Mary LIEN,   b. Abt 1855, Iowa   5. Kirsti LIEN,   b. Abt 1856, Iowa   6. Bertha (Betsy) LIEN,   b. 2 Dec 1857, Winneshiek County, Iowa d. 1 Aug 1929, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 71 years)   7. Isabella LIEN,   b. Abt 1859, Iowa   8. Ole LIEN,   b. Abt 1860, Iowa   9. Gertrude LIEN,   b. Abt 1862, Iowa   10. Christopher LIEN,   b. 25 Feb 1864, Winneshiek County, Iowa d. 19 Nov 1942, Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa (Age 78 years)   11. Anne LIEN,   b. Abt 1866, Iowa   12. Guri LIEN,   b. Abt 1868, Iowa   13. Christina LIEN,   b. Abt 1869, Iowa
  Family ID	F18519	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Feb 2019