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The Johnson connection

A decade ago I posted a 1900 US census record for the widower, Lambert Johnson following the death of his wife, Andrea Elizabeth Knutson.      Andrea 'Lizzie' had passed away two years prior to the census; her husband had moved in with his older brother Jacob.    At the time I was not aware that Jacob Johnson was the father of Rachel (Finnestad) Vallem's youngest child, Elmer James Vallem.

I also posted the census records to confirm where Andrea and Lambert's children went to live following the death of their mother.   I did not know at the time that two of the children, Lillian and Truman were living with their aunt, Ellen* Josephine (Johnson) Govig and uncle Benjamin Govig.    Ellen was Lambert's older sister.    Their brother, Jacob, father of Elmer James Vallem was the oldest of the Johnson siblings.

Andrea 'Lizzie' Elizabeth (Knutson) Johnson was the daughter of Elizabeth (Finnestad) Knutson and Ole Andreas (Andrew) Knutson and the granddaughter of Mari Iversdatter Nordskår and Ole Olson Finnestad. 

Elmer James Vallem was the son of Rachel (Olsdatter Finnestad) and Jacob T Johnson and grandson of Mari Iversdatter Nordskår and Ole Olson Finnestad.    

In summary, widower Rachel Vallem had a child with the brother, Jacob Johnson of her sister Elizabeth Knutson's son-in-law, Lambert Johnson.

It seems obvious today but at the time the familial connections were not as clear, particularly as the family today knew so little about Jacob Johnson and nothing about his family.   Until now.

*The census listed her name incorrectly as 'Helen'.   I have not seen any documentation that she ever went by the name Helen.

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