Lawrence E IVERSON

Notes:

He may be the Lawrence Iverson who died in Flandreau, Moody County, South Dakota, in October of 1982. That Lawrence was born 4 April 1910.

Notes:

He married his first cousin.

He and Ida and their family were farmers in Greenland Twp, McCook County, South Dakota.

From the Hills Crescent, courtesy of Katherine:

March 21, 1929
Mr. & Mrs. O.N. Iverson and his sister Mrs. Anna Jensen autoed to Montrose last Sunday to visit their brother Iver Iverson and family. In passing the Lakeside Dairy near Sioux Falls the water was nearly two feet deep and reached above the running boards. Flags were placed along the road to show motorists where the road lay and in this way they pulled through without mishap.

In the 1930 census, Iver and his family farmed in Greenland Twp, McCook County, South Dakota. In that census, his household includes Lydell L Lloyd (or, perhaps, Floyd), age 7, “grand son.” Lydell had been born in North Dakota to parents born in South Dakota.

Iver married Ida LARSON. Ida (daughter of Lars H LARSON and Ingeborg Olsdatter THOMPSON) was born in Jan 1882 in South Dakota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She married her first cousin.

She is probably the Ida M. Everson who died in Minnehaha County in South Dakota on 18 April 1953.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1926-MN-013212
• Baptism: 14 May 1845, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

In Jim’s VS, he is Nils Iversen Syndrol, #I54580. Nils is the only child of Iver and Anne that Jim includes in VS.

In the 1865 census, he was Niels Iverson, an unmarried 21 year-old farm worker on the Kvam farm in Vang owned by Lars Wangensteen.

He emigrated from Vang in April of 1866 as Nels Iverson Sönderold.

In the 1870 census, he, as Nels Iverson, erroneously shown as age 22, and his wife were living with her parents in Silver Lake Twp, Worth County, Iowa.

In the 1875 state census, he and his wife and three daughters were living in Martin Twp, Rock County, Minnesota. Not far from them was the farm of his wife’s parents.

In the 1880 census, he was Nels Everson, 35, of Martin Twp. Living with him are his wife Randy, 30, his three daughters Ingeborg, 10, Anna, 7, and Ida, 5, and his young son Ever, 2.

He was a Nels Iverson, a farmer in Martin Twp, Rock County, Minnesota, in the 1900 census. He came to the U.S. in 1866.

In the 1910 census, he was Nels I. Sondrol, still in Martin Twp. Living with him and Rangdi were Rudolph, “Rangdi N.”, Amanda, and Anna along with Anna’s three children.

He is listed in “The Valdris Book”, a history of the Valdris Samband published in 1920 (available on Google Books), as N I Søndrol of Hills, Minnesota. He was still a member of the Samband in 1920 and had been since 1902.

In the 1920 census, he was Nels I. Sondrohl. He and Rangdi, along with their single son Rudolph, were still in Martin Twp.

He died as Nels Iverson.

From the Hills Crescent, courtesy of Katherine:

October 27, 1904
Nels Iverson will hold an auction sale of all his livestock and farm machinery on Friday, November 4th. Mr. Iverson has decided to quit farming and everything will be sold. The property consists of several spans of fine work horses, 25 head of cattle including some fine milch cows, 30 hogs and farm machinery consisting of everything required on a farm. Amos Scott will conduct the sale and W.A. Larson will clerk.

December 16, 1926
Nels Iverson has been confined to his bed since last Monday evening. We all hope for his speedy recovery.

December 30, 1926
NELS IVERSON CALLED TO HIS MAKER, FRIDAY
Was First Settler in Martin Township; The First Home Was A Sod Cellar: Saw Many Hardships.
The Angel of Death made another visit to our community last week when it took from our midst, one of the earliest settlers in Martin Township, namely, Mr. Nels Iverson, who passed away on Friday afternoon, December 24th, at 2:45, at the advanced age of 81 years, 7 months, 26 days.
Mr. Iverson was born in Vang, Valders, Norway, April 28th 1846.He received common schooling in his native country and reaching manhood came alone to seek his fortune. After living for three years at Decorah, Iowa, he came to Minnesota, and worked for a time on a farm in Freeborn County.
To Mr. Iverson belongs the honor of being the first settler in Martin Township, coming here with his wife whose maiden name was Miss Rangde Olson Ellingboe and to whom he was united in marriage at St. Ansgar, Iowa, on July 16, 1868.
Mrs. Iverson made her home with John and Ole Steen for two weeks while her husband was building their first home in the west, a sod cellar. At the completion of the job the new home was given a real housewarming, as Mrs. Iverson came and moved in, and the same day Goodman Anderson, John Nelson, John Goldberg and Peter Skyberg came and spent the night with them.
This old homestead was filed on by Mr. Iverson on October 14, 1871, and the sod cellar was built in the spring of 1872.
This family was blest with twelve children, five preceding him in death.
The surviving children are Iver, Anna Jensen, Ole N. Mrs. John Larson, Mrs. Peter Severtson, Rudolph, and Mrs. Iver Wangeness, who together with their mother are left to mourn.
The direct cause of Mr. Iverson's death was a paralytic stroke, and old age, suffering his first stroke on December 13th.
Funeral services were held from the home at 1:00 on Tuesday afternoon and at Bethlehem Church at 2:00 O’clock, The Rev. Theo. Rodsater preaching both in the Norwegian and English languages. There was a big attendance of friends from far and near who had come to pay their last respects to one of our earliest settlers.
The Hills Glee club consisting of R. A. Johnson, J. M. Johnson, Andrew Rogness, Olaf Hagen, George Qualley, Arthur Rortvet, and Mrs. Olaf Hagen at the piano sang a beautiful song.
Grandpa Iverson was carried to his last resting place by six grandsons, Kenneth Iverson, Eugene Iverson, Lawrence Iverson, Earnest Iverson, Nels Jensen, and Arthur Anderson.
All the children were present at the funeral and relatives from a distance Mrs. Earls Charles of Omaha.
"Mr. Nels Iverson was an influential, good and kind man, and had held several offices of trust in the community, and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know him."

From "THE HISTORY OF ROCK AND PIPESTONE COUNTIES", by Arthur P. Rose, published 1911, courtesy of Katherine:

NELS IVERSON (1846 - 1926) is one of Rock County's pioneers who suffered in the adverse times of the grasshopper scourge and other dire calamities of the early days, but he never lost hop and today enjoys the reward of persevering toil and has had many seasons of bountiful harvest.

He was born in Vang, Valders, Norway on April 28, 1845. His parents, Iver Olson and Anna (Myre) Sondral, were small farmers in the land of the Norse.

Mr. Iverson was educated in the common schools of his native country and in the first year of his manhood came alone to seek his fortune in the new world. A three years' residence in Decorah, Iowa was broken by an eight months' sojourn in the pineries of Wisconsin. He next came to Minnesota, the scene of his subsequent activities. He worked at farm labor in Freeborn County, was married there, and in 1871 joined the vanguard of Martin Township pioneers. He took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 27, which has been his home from that day to this. Mr. Iverson was a faithful member of the township board for fourteen years and was a director of school district No. 6 for three years. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Mercantile Company of Hills, and in the co-operative creamery at that point. With his family he is a member of the Synod Norwegian Lutheran Church.

At St. Ansgar, Iowa, on July 16, 1868 Nels Iverson was married to Rangde Olson Ellingbo. She was born November 4, 1849, and is the daughter of Ole and Engebor (Anderson) Ellingbo, both deceased. To this union were born twelve children, including two pair of twins, and of the family seven are still living.

The family register gives the following record:
Ingeborg, born May 23, 1869, died July 27, 1909
Anne, born June 26, 1872
Ida M, born December 10, 1874, died August 9, 1899
Iver, born November 19, 1877
Ole, born January 15, 1881
Dora, born October 9, 1882, died Sept. 7, 1896
Bertha, born April 27, 1885
Nels Rudolph and Randi N. (twins) born April 17, 1887 (the last named dying Sept. 15, 1888
Ragndi Nelia and Andrew T. (twins) born July 15, 1889 (the latter of whom died Sept. 7, 1889
Amanda T. born July 8, 1893.

Birth:
obit says, incorrectly, 1846

Buried:
may be the same as Synod Cemetery

Nels married Rangdi Olsdatter ELLINGBOE on 16 Jul 1868 in St. Ansgar, Mitchell County, Iowa. Rangdi (daughter of Ole Thronsen TØRSTAD and Ingeborg Andersdatter ELLINGBOE) was born on 25 Sep 1850 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 27 Nov 1929 in Martin Twp, Rock County, Minnesota; was buried on 30 Nov 1929 in Synod Cemetery, Hills, Rock County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• MN Death Cert Checked: Y
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1929-MN-013374
• Baptism: 5 Jan 1851, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Her baptismal sponsors were Endre Anderson, Helge Olsen, Marta Jörgersdatter, Marthe Helgesdatter, all of Ellingboe, and Sigrid Erichsdatter Grov.

In the 1900 census, she had had 12 children, 8 still living.

She died as Rangdi Ellingboe Iverson.

From the Hills Crescent, courtesy of Katherine:

November 7, 1929
All of Grandma Nels Iverson’s children, except Mrs. John Larson of Westport Minnesota, were present last Sunday to help her celebrate her eighty-second birthday. Those present were Mr. & Mrs. Iver Wangsness, Mr. & Mrs Pete Severtson of Sioux Falls, Iver Iverson of Montrose, SD, and Ole N. and Rudolph Iverson of Hills. The visitors brought lunch and it was indeed a happy day for Grandma to have her children and grandchildren with her on this day. We all hope she will live to enjoy many more such joyfull occasion.

November 28, 1929
Two Pioneer Settlers Called by Death – Grandma Nels Iverson died at her home Wednesday morning…Obit. Next week.

December 5, 1929
GRANDMA IVER LAID AT REST NOVEMBER 30: Hills and community are again called upon to mourn the death of a pioneer mother, Mrs. Nels Iverson, who passed away at her home on November 27, 1929, at the age of 81 years and 23 days.
Grandma was born in Vang, Valders, Norway on November 4, 1848, and at the age of eight came to his country.
Mrs. Iverson, whose maiden name was Rangdi Olson-Ellingboe, was united in marriage to Mr. Nels Iverson, at St. Ansgar, Iowa, on July 16, 1868. From this time until 1871 the family lived in Winnesbeik County, Iowa, when her husband made the long journey to Martin township and took up a homestead one mile southeast of Hills in 1871, then returned east and brought his family here the next year - 1872.
Truly, the title "Grandma" belongs rightly to Mrs. Iverson as they were the first family to settle in this vicinity, and were charter members of the former Synod Church in Hills.
Her husband died on Christmas Eve, 1926, and she is survived by the following children - Mrs. Anna Jensen, Hills; Iver, of Montrose, S.D., Ole N., of Hills; Mrs. John Larson, of Westport, Minn; Rudolph, of Hills; Mrs. P. Severtson, and Mrs. Iver Wangsness of Sioux Falls.
All the children were present at the funeral.
Grandma, up until three days before her death, was able to attend to household duties when she was stricken with heart trouble that was the cause of her passing away.
Rev. Theo. Rodsater conducted services in the home at 1:30 pm., on November 30, and at 2:00 pm services were held at Bethlehem Church, when Rev. Rodsater spoke in English and Norwegian.
The Hills Glee club was also present at the Church and rendered two songs appropriate for the occasion.
The remains were carried to their final resting place in Bethlehem Cemetery by six grandsons, namely Nathan, Earnest and Lawrence Iverson of Montrose, S. Dak., Kenneth and Eugene Iverson, and Nels Jensen, of Hills.
Relatives from a distance at the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. John Larson, of Westport, Minn., Mrs. L. H. Larson, of Colton, S. Dak., Mr. and Mrs. Iver Iverson, of Montrose, S. Dak, Mrs. Earl Charles of Omaha.
It is impossible for the younger generation to realize the hardships these pioneers had to endure. The telephone, radio, auto, electric lights and hundreds of other conveniences we enjoy today were then unknown. Much of their trading was done at Sibley, Iowa, and today we think it quite a little journey in a swift moving auto, then to look back at the time when the Iverson’s and other early settlers had to make the journey during the winter months either with horses or ox team to Sibley for the necessities of life.
As we have said before, and in time it will surely come to pass, that monuments will be erected in honor of the early pioneers. This is not much, but it's the only method whereby we can, in a small way, show our respect and esteem to the early settlers who came here and opened the country that we might live in ease and comfort.
Long live the memory of Grandma Iverson

Rangdi’s death certificate shows that she had been in the U.S. for 74 years and had been in Martin Twp for 15 years. The informant for her death certificate was “Dorra Iverson.” Rangdi died of a coronary.

Birth:
Her death certificate gives her birth date as 4 November 1848. This is also the birthdate shown in her entry in the Minnesota Deaths and Burials database on FamilySearch.

Notes:

In the 1880 census, he was a boarder on the Andrew Thompson farm in McCook County, South Dakota. This farm was next to the farm of Ole and Isabelle Thompson, with whom his future wife, Isabelle, then 22, lived.

In the 1900 census, he was called Lewis. He was 44 and he and his wife, Isabell, 43, farmed with their family in Greenland Twp, McCook County, South Dakota. Lewis and Isabell had been married for 19 years and Isabell had had 9 children, all still living.

In the 1910 census, Lars (indexed as Lewis), 55, and Ingeborg, 52, live with their family in Colton, Taopi Twp, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. The couple has been married for 28 years and Ingeborg has had 9 children, all living. Lars is shown as a retired farmer. Living with them are their children, Hanna, 22, Alma, 16, Lloyd, 13, and Lee, 11.

In the 1920 census, Lars, 64, and Ingeborg, 62, live on a farm they own in Colton, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Lars came to the U.S. in 1867 and Ingeborg in 1857. Living with them are their 26 year-old daughter Alma, a school teacher, and their 20 year-old son Lee, no occupation.

In the 1930 census, Lars H., 74, and Isabelle, 72, live on the Ole Reistetter farm in Colton, Taopi Twp, Minnehaha County, South Dakota.

A “Louis” H Larson died in Minnehaha County on 4 Sep 1948.

The following was originally prepared by Katherine and can be found on Find A Grave:

Lewis "Lars" Hanson Larson was born on the Solle farm of the Fremming Estate near the village of Mena in the Eidsvold (Eidsvoll) Parish in Norway. This is about six miles north of Christiana (Oslo), Norway.

At the age of four, Lars went to live with his aunt Martha Marie, a widow, who had a farm in the Hurdale Parish, Norway. At the age of nine, he returned to live with his parents.

He attended school in Norway two days each week for eleven months and that was his formal education but when he reached adulthood he could read and write both in English and Norwegian - self taught with help from his wife. Also, he could handle ordinary math. All this despite long hard hours of work for farmers, in the logging and lumber industry and handling his own farms.

In the spring of 1866, Lars with his parents and family sailed from Norway to America. The family lived until 1869 near Arena (Iowa County), Wisconsin, when they moved to Osseo, WI. Lars worked among farmers in that area and also in logging camps and a porter (saw) mill at Eau Claire, WI.

Lars read about opportunities to obtain free government land in the Dakota Territory, so with a friend, Ova Moe, they left for the west April 31, 1878. They both took up land claims 3-1/4 miles south of the Montrose, SD. They each had a team of horses and covered wagons in which they camped on their journey and while building sod houses on their homesteads. They hunted and trapped fur bearing animals for their pelts to sell and they burned lime in kilns which they hauled to Sioux Falls for cash to buy needed provisions. For their meat needs there were plenty of deer, antelope, ducks and prairie hens to be had, with also fish from the Vermillion river which ran through the Larson claim.

The Sioux Indians often wandered about in the area. Lars and Ova had to keep a close lookout for their livestock which the Indians would sometimes take to replace their vanished buffalo herds. Ova Moe became tired of farm life and sold his 160 acre claim to Lars. Later Lars bought the claim of his brother-in-law Andrew Thompson, acquired the 160 acres of his wife's claim and bought more land until he owned in all about 1000 acres of the Vermillion river valley and adjoining hills.

During the years 1879 and 1880 grasshoppers destroyed most of the crops the settlers had planted. The winter of 1880-1881 was very severe and with their meager fuel supplies exhausted the settlers burned the ties and telegraph poles off the railroad tracks then being laid.

On March 29, 1881, Lars married Ingeborg Thompson at Yankton, the capitol of the Dakota Territory. The trip from Montrose to Yankton a distance of ninety-five miles, was made by horse drawn wagon and the couple was accompanied by the brides brother Andrew Thompson. From this union came the following children: Ida (Iverson), Agnes (Robert Hein), Laura (Oscar Severson), Hanna (Frank Sherlock), Maggie (Sig Walker), Henry Oden, Alma (Oscar Thue), Lloyd Albert, Lee Guy.

Lars's health began to fail about 1904 and the doctors could not diagnose his ailment, so in September 1909 the couple and younger children moved to Colton, SD. Lars seemed to overcome his ailment and finally died when he was almost 93 years old. Lars was survived at his death by 40 grandchildren, 64 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. 
 

Lars married Ingeborg Olsdatter THOMPSON on 29 Mar 1881 in Yankton, Dakota Territory. Ingeborg (daughter of Ole Thronsen TØRSTAD and Ingeborg Andersdatter ELLINGBOE) was born on 16 Jun 1857 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 1 Jun 1936 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota; was buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Colton, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 27 Sep 1857, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
• Confirmation: 3 Nov 1872, Worth County, Iowa

Notes:

Called Isabell Thompson in the 1870 census. Called Belle Thompson, age 17, in the 1875 Minnesota state census when the family lived in Martin Twp, Rock County. Called Isabell Larson in the 1900 census. Called Ingeborg Larson in the 1910 and 1920 censuses. Called Isabelle Larson in the 1930 census.

In the 1880 census, she is living with her parents in McCook County, South Dakota, next to, probably contiguously with, the Andrew Thompson family. One of the boarders on Andrew’s farm is Lewis Larson, 25, her future husband.

Shown in the 1910 census as having had 9 children, all 9 still living.

Katherine has this life story of Ingeborg (originally posted by Shirl2sg):

Ingeborg (Isabelle) Thomson was born in Vang in Valders, Norway July 18, 1857. Her parents were Ole Thurston Trondsen and Ingeborg Anders daughter.  Her parents are interred in cemetery of the Silver Lake Lutheran church about 4 miles east of Emmons, Minnesota. Ingeborg was about one year old when her parents migrated to America and she was with them on their westward trek across Wisconsin to Calmer, Iowa. The family lived there during the Civil War and she told her children about the Union soldiers passing through on their way south.

When Ingeborg was about twelve (1869) the family moved to Worth County, Iowa, and she later recalled fishing in nearby lakes (Silver Lake being one) and playing with the Winnebago Indian children, that tribe being nearby. When she was about seventeen the family moved on to Rock County, Minnesota, where she found work with the family of a lumber man named Roderick and with them she later moved to the new town of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where work had begun on a railroad to link that town with the east. She was governess to the Roderick children.

At the age of twenty-three Ingeborg took up a claim next to one of her brothers, Andrew, about two miles southeast of the present village of Montrose, South Dakota. This place was about one and one-half miles north of the claim of her future husband. Ingeborg, having had schooling in America, did much in helping Lars with his education. Besides mothering nine children she spent long hard hours at keeping house, gardening, raising chickens and at times even helping with the farm work by mowing or driving the horses pulling the reaper.

Despite low prices on farm produce, grasshoppers and sometimes serious droughts, the couple prospered. Their principal source of income was from sale of livestock. By leasing grazing land on the nearby hills they would run up to 150 cattle and they also raised sheep, and hogs.

Lars’s health began to fail about 1904 and the doctors could not diagnose his ailment so, in September, 1909, the couple and younger children moved to Colton a village about twenty-one miles east of Montrose. Lars seemed to overcome his ailment and finally died when he was almost ninety-three years old. He was proceeded in death by Ingeborg by about twelve years. She was then seventy-nine.

Ingeborg was about 5 ft 8-1/2 in tall and was always slim. She had reddish brown hair and blue eyes. Cause of death - cancer of digestive organs. She was always quiet, tolerant and mild mannered to all except in rare occasions in defense of her children, all of whom were born at home without aid of a medical doctor and only a midwife to attend. While Lars was given to outburst of sometimes violent temper, she always remained calm and although she permitted him, as head of the family, to think that his was the final say in family and business matters, there was no doubt that her subtle influence was ever present. She doctored and nursed her children to healthy adulthood and still found time to spend many days and nights watching over and nursing ailing neighbors. Both Lars and Ingeborg were of the Lutheran faith and with the nearest church of that denomination about eight miles distant, the father often held Christian services at home while they lived on the farm. All the children were baptized and confirmed as Lutherans.

Katherine has this obit for Ingeborg (originally posted by Shirl2sg):

Obituary 1936 LAST RITES HELD FOR PIONEER COLTON WOMAN Colton, S.D. June 6 Funeral services were held at the First Lutheran Church here for Mrs. L. H. Larson who died after a long illness. Mrs. Larson was born in 1857 at Vang, Valders, Norway. She came to the United States with her parents in 1858. They settled in Worth County, Iowa, and later moved to the vicinity of Hills, Minn. She came to South Dakota in 1877 and was married to L. H. Larson the same year. They homesteaded three miles south of Montrose and lived there until 1909 when they moved to Colton, where they have lived since that time. She is survived by her husband, nine children, Mrs. Iver Iverson and Mrs. Oscar Severson of Montrose, Mrs. Robert Heihn, Mrs. Frank Sherlock and Mrs. Oscar Thue all of Stanton, N.D.; Mrs. S. M. Walker of near Colton, Henry of Forestburg, Lloyd of Brookings and Lee of Fort Worth, Texas. She is also survived by 43 grandchildren.

Birth:
Tvedt farm

Confirmation:
First Lutheran in Northwood, confirmed as Ingeborg Olsdatter Ellingbö

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 16 Feb 1806, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Jim points out that Iver’s name at confirmation is shown as Iver Olsen Lajorde. His father’s name is shown only as Ole, with no patronymic.

In the 1865 Norwegian census, he was Ivar Olsen, a husmann med jord on Braakenhus nordre. The three children living with him and Anne were Marit, 14, Anne, 13, and Ingri, 7.

Birth:
Can’t confirm that birthdate in the church book. Even Jim, in his VS, cites Katherine’s Howard/Messing Family Tree.

Baptism:
Jim, in his VS, cites the source for this date as the Vang Kirkebok, Ministerialbok No. 2.

Iver married Anne Tronsdatter MYHRE on 24 Nov 1840 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Anne (daughter of Thron Madson MYHRE and Marit Olsdatter BAKKE) was born on 9 May 1812 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 21 Aug 1898 in Rock County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

An Ancestry source gives her birth and death dates as 9 May 1812 and 21 Aug 1898.

From the Hills Crescent, courtesy of Katherine:

May 14, 1896
A pleasant party was given last Saturday at the residence of Hans Haraldson in honor of Mrs. Sundroll, mother of Nels Iverson and Mrs. H Haraldson. Mrs. Sundroll, although 85 years of age is hale and hearty, and her friends hope to greet her on many more occasions like this one of Saturday night. The guests presented her with a handsome rocking chair.

Birth:
Jim cites the church book.

Died:
Jim cites personal correspondence with Dan Iverson.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: Abt 1806, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
• Baptism: 28 Sep 1806, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Vang C, p. 331.

Jim calls this person Ole Trondsen Ellingbøe, I5827, in his Ellingboe tree.

Jim calls this person Ola Trondsen Tørstad (Bunde) (Ellingbøe), I1856, in his VS.

The researcher finneylinda on Ancestry calls him Ole Thompson Ellingbo.

Listed right before Ole Evensen (#3683) in the Vang churchbook birth records.

On 6 Jan 1838 Ole Tronson Torstad, 32, married Ingebor Andersdatter Ellingboe, 23, in Vang. His father was Tron Olssen Torstad and her father was Anders E. Ellingboe.

He is called Ole Thronsen Torstad in the birth records of all of his children except Ingeborg. For her he is called Ole Thronsen Tvedt. He is called Ole Thronsen Torstad in his family’s emigration record.

The Vang church book shows that Ole, 53, and Ingeborg, 45, emigrated from Vang with their children in March of 1858. The children leaving with them are: Marith, 18, Sigrid, 16, Anders, 11, Randi, 8, Endre, 4, and Ingeborg, 3/4. (Sigrid must have changed her mind or else the scribe got confused. Sigrid did not emigrate. Nor did Marith.)

In his letter to Norway in 1866 (see Jim Ellingboe’s site), Ole offered to pay for Helge Olsson’s (#6218) passage to America by guaranteeing any loan that Helge had to secure. Helge never emigrated. In the letter, Ole Thronsen signed his name Ole Throndsen Ellingböe.

In the 1870 census, he, as Ole Thompson, and his family are farming in Silver Lake Twp, Worth County, Iowa. Ole’s real estate is worth $1500 and his personal property $860. The family consists of, Ole, 68, Isabel Thompson, 57, Andrew Thompson, 22, Rachel Iverson, 19, Nels Iverson, 22, Henry Thompson, 16, Isabel Thompson, 13, and Nels Anderson, 9. Everyone had been born in Norway.

Ole’s agricultural holdings are recorded in the 1870 census’s “non-population” schedule. He owns a total of 115 acres, 30 of which are “improved.” The cash value of his farm is $1500 and, for its implements, $200. He has four horses, 2 “milch” cows, 1 other cattle, 9 sheep, and two swine, the total value of which is $550. For the year ending June 1, 1870, he produced 259 bushels of spring wheat, 100 bushels of Indian corn, 80 bushels of oats, 35 lbs. of wool, 50 bushels of Irish potatoes, 100 lbs. of butter, 30 tons of hay, and 8 gallons of molasses. The value of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter was $40 and the total estimated value of all farm production was $480. This value was neither particularly high nor particularly low when compared to other farms on the same page of the Silver Lake Twp census schedule.

Katherine locates Ole and Ingebor Thompson in Rock County in the 1875 Minnesota state census. The family lives in Martin Twp, not far from the farm of Nels and Randa Iverson. Ole, 73, and Ingebor, 64, are living with Henry Thompson, 21, Viljir, a 19 year-old female, and Belle Thompson, 17.

In the 1880 census, Ole, 87, and Isabelle, 67, are living in McCook County, South Dakota, with their daughter Isabelle, 22, and next to or with their son Andrew and his family.

In the 1885 Minnesota state census, he is probably the 84 year-old Ole Thompson living with or next door to H O Thompson in Nunda Twp, Freeborn County.

The following was originally prepared by Katherine and can be found at Find A Grave:

Ole Thurston Trondsen & his wife Engeborg Andersdatter both lived at Vang in Valdres, Norway. He worked as a farm hand and at the carpenter trade in this area.

In the month of June 1858, Ole and his family sailed from Christiana (Oslo) to America. The children who made the trip were Anders (Andrew), Henry, Rachael and Engeborg. A daughter Mary remained in Norway. Their sail ship furnished its passengers only with water and no fires for cooking were permitted, so all food had to be cooked or prepared before boarding and was eaten cold. When they arrived at Milwaukee, WI, via Quebec, the St Lawrence river and the Great Lakes, their food and money was all gone and the parents had to work at anything and for what they could get to sustain the family. The entire family walked by stages to Calmer, Iowa, working for food as they journeyed.

At Calmer, Ole found steady work and here they remained until in 1869, when the family moved by oxcart to Worth County Iowa, near the Minnesota line and northwest of the present village of Northwood, Iowa. Ole took up a claim on government land. It is near that farm that the Silver Lake Lutheran Church is located and the family were probably charter members of the original church.

The children in the family decided that they needed a more Americanized name so they called themselves "Thompson" from their fathers "Trondsen", while Ole took the name Ellingboe from the estate in Norway from which he came. This was often done by Norwegian immigrants on the premises that it helped identify them with others from the same area and also added some importance to the bearer of the name.

About 1874, the family moved on to Rock County (Hills), Minnesota, in the southwestern part of the state. Here Ole bought a farm and remained until his death. Henry Thompson remained in Iowa where he became a prosperous farmer with lands and elegant farm home near Northwood, Iowa.

Ole was over six feet tall and a large boned powerful man. He had curly dark brown hair and blue eyes. He was an easy going, pleasant and always helpful individual. 

Birth:
The (very incorrect) date on his gravestone is 16 Aug 1799. Jim has him born on Bunde 97/1, Høre parish.

Died:
Find A Grave has his death location as Hills, Rock County, Minnesota

Buried:
as Ole T. Ellingboe

Ole married Ingeborg Andersdatter ELLINGBOE on 6 Jan 1838 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Ingeborg (daughter of Andris Eivinsson ELLINGBØ and Dordi Endresdatter HOLIEN) was born on 24 Apr 1814 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 17 Mar 1905 in Hills, Rock County, Minnesota; was buried on 21 Mar 1905 in Silver Lake Lutheran Church Cemetery, Silver Lake Twp, Worth County, Iowa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 1 May 1814, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
• Confirmation: 10 Aug 1828, Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

There are many erroneous statements of her birthdate. One source says 11 Sep 1812, her obit said that she was born April 24, 1812, and her gravestone says April 22, 1813.

In the 1885 Minnesota state census, she is probably the 74 year-old Isabell Thompson living with her husband Ole with or next door to H O Thompson in Nunda Twp, Freeborn County.

According to the 1900 census she had had 9 children, 6 still living. In that census, she was an 86 year-old widow living with her son Henry and his family in Nunda Twp, Freeborn County, Minnesota.

Worth County is the Iowa county adjacent to Minnesota’s Freeborn County.

From the Hills Crescent, courtesy of Katherine:

March 23, 1905
Mrs. Ingeborg Thompson, mother of Mrs. Nels Iverson, died at the home of her daughter, southeast of town, Thursday, March 17, 1905, of old age. Mrs. Thompson was born in Norway April 24th, 1812 and was therefore nearly 93 years of age. She was not well known here outside the circle of her immediate relatives, having come here from Albert Lea only about two years ago. Mr. & Mrs. Iverson left Lester Saturday morning with the remains for Albert Lea where interment will take place. **(buried Silver Lake Lutheran Cemetery, Worth Co., IA)

The following was originally prepared by Katherine and can be found at Find A Grave:

Engeborg was the youngest of eleven children. She was a strong willed person and probably instigated the family migration to America. She was a tall thin woman with auburn or reddish hair and blue eyes. Lee G. Larson (Lewis Larson's son) remembers that when she was over 90 years old, she smoked a pipe and wore a white cap. Lewis Larson (son-in-law) once commented that Engeborg was quite forceful and sometimes petulant in manner.

Rachel Thompson married Nels Iverson and after Ole's death, Engeborg lived with the Iversons near Hills, Minnesota, until her death. Engeborg and Andrew Thompson went to South Dakota, where they both took up claims near the village of Montrose. Here Engeborg married Lewis "Lars" Hanson Larson; and Andrew, after losing his wife and two young daughters (interred at Montrose cemetery) moved to Spokane, Washington, remarried and raised a new family.

Birth:
Jim has her born at Ellingbø 33/1 Nigarden. The incorrect cemetery record says her birthdate was 22 April 1813.

Died:
per Katherine

Buried:
burial record says death date was May 17th; “buried with Thompson”

Notes:

Married:
as Ole Throndsen Tørstad and Ingeborg Andrisdatter Ellingbøe.