Finnestad Ancestry

Here is a photo* of Mary (Knutson) Olson, the granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad. This photo was taken sometime in 1938, I assume at her home in Rochelle, Illinois.   *Photo provided by Beverly Skog, great great granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Here is a photo* of Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter and two of their great grandchildren. From left to right:  Elmer A Olson, Mary (Knutson) Olson and William Roosevelt Olson Elmer was the second child and William Roosevelt the sixth child born to Mary (Knutson) and Stephen Olson. Mary was the daughter of Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson. This photo was taken in the fall of 1933 at the wedding of Elmer and Mary Ann Connors. *Photo provided by Beverly Skog, great great granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Here is a copy of the marriage certificate* for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Maine Elizabeth Olson.   Maine married Clarence Ray Cannon in Rockford, Illinois on June 28, 1927. *Provided by Beverly Skog, great great granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Here is the birth certificate* for Maine Elizabeth Olson, the great granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.    Maine was born January 19, 1899 in Rochelle, Illinois. This birth certificate was obtained in July 1960 and contains more historical information than is usually found on a regular birth certificate.    This document lists not only Maine's marriage but also employment information.   Maine was a substitute teacher in Glencoe, Illinois for about 10 years.  Maine was the daughter of Mary (Knutson) and Stephen Olson and the granddaughter of Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson. *Provided by Beverly Skog, great great granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Oliver Kurth Finnestad was buried at the Trinity Memory Gardens Cemetery in Hillcrest, Ogle County, Illinois. Oliver was born August 26, 1916 and died January 12, 1995.     Oliver was the 4th child born to Mary (Kurth) and Oliver Finnestad.   He is the grandson of Caroline (Quitno) and Ole Finnestad Jr.

Here is a photo* of Mary (Knutson) Olson, (the granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad) along with her family in 1908. Back row, left to right:  Orville Ilin, Stanley August and Elmer A Front row, left to right:  Maine Elizabeth, husband Stephen Olson, Mary Elizabeth and William Roosevelt On Mary's lap:  Olaf A This photo would have been taken in Cylinder, Iowa as the family had moved from Rochelle, Illinois to Cylinder prior to 1901. Mary Elizabeth (Knutson) Olson was the daughter of Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson. *Photo provided by Beverly Skog, great great granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Last month I posted an obituary for Mary Olson, the granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad. The photo with the obituary wasn't very clear but thanks to Mary's granddaughter, Beverly, I have a slightly clearer photo from the obituary. It looks like Mary is holding a cake. Here is a 2nd obituary that Beverly also provided. This 2nd obituary was the only one of the two that mentioned a sibling (Edith) which may indicate that her younger sister, Anna (Knutson) Larson had passed away sometime between 1930 and 1943. Mary was buried at the Lawnridge cemetery in Rochelle; her marker can be viewed here .

Here is a copy of the marriage certificate for the second marriage of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Orville Ilin Olson.   Orville and Margaret (Carlson) married on June 21, 1949 in Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington. Orville was the son of Mary (Knutson) and Stephen Olson and the grandson of Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson. The marriage certificate indicates Orville was divorced, however, his first wife, Ida (Govig) had died February 7, 1923 in McIntosh, Polk County, Minnesota.   Neither the 1930 US Census or his World War II draft registration indicated he had remarried and I haven't stumbled upon any other information that would indicate Orville had remarried between 1923 and 1949.

When Bert and Rasmus Finnestad, the sons of Ole and Mari Finnestad completed the process of naturalization , the local paper, the Sycamore True Republican noted the event in their October 24, 1888 edition. My great great grandfather Ole Finnestad (Jr) had completed the process February 25, 1884 so he may have been mentioned a few years earlier.

I had previously posted a document for Ole and Mari Finnestad's daughter, Elizabeth who had traveled with her husband, Ole Andreas Knutson.    I just located page 2, which indicates their entry back into the United States occurred in June, 1909. The document doesn't contain  much additional information, though it is interesting to note that Ole had $600 with him and it states he had been in the United States since 1881, but I've seen various documents that have indicated 1879 , 1880 or 1881 which makes it difficult to pinpoint when they actually moved from Norway to the United States.