1930 US Census - Perry Orlando Vallem

In 1930, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Perry Orlando Vallem was living in Milwaukee and employed as a salesman.   

Perry and wife Ivy (Whiffin) were living at the home of his in-laws, Harry and Maria Whiffin as well as Ivy's brother and sister-in-law, George and Marian.

Perry was the son of Lena (Travland) and Peter Vallem and the grandson of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

1920 US Cenus - Lucille Vallem

By the time of the 1920 US Census, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Lucille Vallem had left Alto township in Lee County for Rochelle, Illinois and was employed as a live-in maid for the Kuelgen family.

Lucille was the daughter of Lena (Travland) and Peter Vallem, the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

LuAnn (Sanderson) Baker - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great great granddaughter, LuAnn (Sanderson) Baker.

LuAnn was the 5th (of 11) child born to Mildred (Lindaas) and Walter O Sanderson.  She was the granddaughter of Mary (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson.    LuAnn was also the great granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Gordon Sanderson - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Gordon Sanderson.

Gordon was the 13th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 14th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Gordon's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

I believe the marriage date is in error as the Winnebago county clerk's office has listed the marriage year of 1940.  They also have listed Gordon as being 24 and Genevieve as 19 at the time of their marriage, though Gordon would have actually been 23 and Genevieve would have been 18 by September of 1940.

Ester Eleanor and Lillian Ruth Sanderson - baptism

Here is the baptism record for two of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughters, Ester (Esther?) Eleanor and her sister, Lillian Ruth Sanderson.

Ester seems to be a forgotten child of Mary (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, the 11th of their 14 children,  (Though Seward had a total of 15 children, one having been born to his first wife,  Martha Cody) because this is the only document I've come across with Ester's name.

Ester was born February 17, 1914 and was baptized at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Lee County, Illinois on November 14, 1915 (listed 4th from the bottom).   She apparently died prior to the 1920 US census, since her name is not listed, nor has she been listed on any other record from the Calvary Lutheran Church.

Ester's older brother, Charles LeRoy Sanderson was born May 13, 1913 so Mary (Vallem) Sanderson apparently didn't have any time off from having children.  Her younger sister would have been a couple of months premature considering Lillian Ruth Sanderson was born September 17, 1914.

Lillian was baptized a few months before Ester on August 22, 1915, (last line) leading me to believe Ester may have had illnesses as an infant.    If I come across any documents that clarify Ester's birth, I'll post a correction.

Ester and Lillian's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Marion Vallem (Sanderson) Mark - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Marion Vallem (Sanderson) Mark.

Marion was the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem. 

Marion was the 8th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 10th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Anna Isabelle (Sanderson) Ferrias - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Anna Isabelle (Sanderson) Ferrias.

Anna was the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.  

Anna was the 8th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 9th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Stanley Harland Sanderson - burial

Yesterday I posted the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's step-great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson.

Here is a photo of Stanley and wife Myrtle's grave marker which is located at Rose Hill cemetery in Shabbona, Illinois.

Stanley was born September 23, 1892 in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois and died April 18, 1971 in DeKalb, Illinois.

Myrtle Edna (Colby) Sanderson was born September 9 1893 and died January 18, 1979.

Stanley and Myrtle were married September 25, 1913 in Kane County, Illinois.

Stanley Harland Sanderson - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's step-great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson.  Stanley was born to Martha (Cody) and Seward Sanderson.  

Stanley's step-mother was Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem following the death of Seward's first wife, Martha (Cody).   His step-grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

1930 US Census - Violet (Sanderson) McCabe

Here is the 1930 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Violet (Sanderson) McCabe.

Violet was living with husband James and their son James Jr in DeKalb, Illinois.

Violet was the daughter of Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson and the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

1930 US Census - Walter Sanderson

Here is the 1930 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Walter Sanderson.

 By 1930, Walter had moved away from his parent's home in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois and was living with his wife Mildred (Lindaas) and their two daughters, Donna and Wilma in South Grove township in DeKalb County, Illinois.    The Sanderson family also had a hired hand, Clayton Verdeaux living at their home.

Walter was the son of Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson and the grandson of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Walter and Mildred's first two children, Walter Orlando and Mildred Jean both passed away prior to the 1930 census.   Walter was born in 1925 and died the same year.  He was buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.   Mildred was born in 1926 and died the same year.

Lillian Rachel Sanderson - burial

Here is a photo of the grave marker of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Lillian Rachel Sanderson.

Lillian was born September 12, 1906 and died July 26, 1912.  She is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.

Lillian was the 8th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 9th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Lillian's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Anna May Sanderson - burial

Here is a photo of the grave marker of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Anna May Sanderson.

Anna was born July 21, 1900 and died February 24, 1902.  She is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.

Anna was the 4th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 5th  child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Anna's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Anna's older brother preceded her in death, which I posted yesterday.

Leonard August Sanderson - burial

Here is a photo of the grave marker of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Leonard August Sanderson.

Leonard was born August 4, 1895 and died February 3, 1896.   He is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.

Leonard was the first child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the second child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Leonard's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Stanley Harland Sanderson - WW II draft registration

Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson was around to register for two wars.  Here is his WW II draft registration.

By 1942, Stanley had moved from Shabbona to Malta, Illinois.

Stanley Harland Sanderson - WW I draft registration

Here is the World War I draft registration for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson.

Stanley was the first child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson.   His grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Stanley was living in Shabbona, Illinois and employed as a farmer when he completed his draft registration on June 5, 1917.

Sanderson family history

Here is partial biography relating to the Sanderson family, mentioned in my last post.  Unfortunately, I do not have the pages that preceded this one.

Seward Sanderson, who married Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter, Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem, the daughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem is shown in the upper left photo as a child.  Seward is sitting in a chair, located at the bottom right of the photo.

Also from yesterday's post, Charles Sanderson, the grandfather of Mildred (Sanderson) Finnestad is depicted in the same photo, upper left hand corner.

Mildred (Sanderson) and Ingmond Finnestad - burial

 Another Finnestad family that attended Calvary Lutheran Church in Lee County was Mildred (Sanderson) and Ingmond Finnestad decades after my great great great grandparents, Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Because of the same last name, there was an assumption we were related, but knowing how Norwegian family names come into play, I could easily dispel those rumors, though I found out several months ago that there is a marriage connection - through Mildred's grandparents.  Mildred was the third child born to Mable Eunice (Sanderson) and Charles M Knutson*.  Mable was the daughter of Caroline (Berg) and Charles Oliver Sanderson.  Charles Oliver Sanderson was the fifth child born to Anna (Maland) and Sondre Helyesen Sanderson.

Seward O Sanderson was the 10th child of Anna (Maland) and Sondre Helyesen Sanderson.  Seward O Sanderson was married to Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem, who was the daughter of Rachel (Finnestad) who was married to Lewis Vallem.   Rachel was the daughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Mildred (Knutson) Finnestad's paternal grandfather, Charles Oliver Sanderson was the older brother of Seward O Sanderson who married the granddaughter (Ellen Marie Vallem) of Ole and Mari Finnestad. Basically, Midred's great uncle Seward married into the Finnestad line.   I wonder whether Mildred knew of the Finnestad family connection when she married Ingmond Finnestad.

Anyway.......below is a photo of Mildred (Knutson) and Ingmond Finnestad's grave marker at the Union Cemetery next to Calvary Lutheran Church in Lee County, Illinois.



















I have not researched Ingmond's ancestors, but they must have lived near the Finnestad farm in Stavanger that Ole and Mari lived in the 1870's and 1880's.

*No direct relation that I have found to Ole and Mari Finnestad's eldest daughter, Elizabeth who was married to Ole Andreas Knutson.   Upon further research I could possibly find some relation between Ole Andreas Knutson and the Charles Knutson family.

Lena Verdelle (Vallem) Dover - burial

Here is the grave marker for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Lena Verdelle (Vallem) Dover.  

The marker indicates "Doner" but according to Winnebago County, Illinois marriage records, Lena's husband was Francis William Dover.    I haven't found additional records to verify which spelling is correct.

Lena was born July 30, 1907 in Lee County, Illinois and died January 3, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona.  She is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.

Lena was the daughter of Lena Josephine (Travland) and Peter Vallem, the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Sarah (Anderson) Vallem - burial

Here is the grave marker for Sarah (Anderson) Vallem, the second wife of Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandson, Peter Vallem.

Sarah married Peter Vallem on February 27, 1913, two years after the death of Peter's first wife, Lena Josephine (Travland).

Sarah was born August 23, 1884 and died July 16, 1934; she is buried at Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.

(Peter Vallem was the son of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.)