Finnestad Ancestry

Here is the 1900 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandson, Peter Travland and wife Hanna (Arno) living in Bee County, Texas.   Also living in the household was Hanna's brother, Henry. Living nearby was Peter's uncle, Peter Travland, (younger brother of Peter's father, Lewis) and his wife Susanna (Iversdatter).    Peter was the third child born to Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland.

Here is the 1900 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's son-in-law, Lewis Joseph (Peterson) Travland.    Lewis had moved to Beeville, Texas from Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois sometime after the death of his wife, Iverdine (Finnestad) in 1879.    In 1880 , Lewis was was still living in Milan township so I am not sure when he moved to Texas as the 1890 US Census was destroyed in a fire. Also living in the household were Lewis' children (from his second marriage to Tilda Peterson), Inga, Martin, Lena, Ida and Ben.

Here is the 1900 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter, Clara (Knutson) Nelson. Clara was living in Chicago with husband Edward and their two daughters, Ragna Leonia, and Esther (or Ester) Bernice Nelson.

Continuing from yesterday's post...... After Andrea's death in 1898, her husband went to live with his brother and sister-in-law in Chicago and their youngest son went to live with his grandparents, Elizabeth and Andrew Knutson in Rochelle, Illinois. Andrea and Lambert's other two children, Lillie and Truman went to live at the home of Benjamin and Helen Govig in Fairfield township, Palo Alto County, Iowa. The 1900 Census indicates Lillie and Truman were Benjamin and Helen's niece and nephew. Because the Knutson family did not move to the United States until 1880, Helen must be the sister of Lambert (Despite the 1880 census listing her name as "Ellen" and a one year age difference) rather than the sister of Andrea. Another future connection to the family: Benjamin had been born in Illinois, living in Alto Township, Lee County, Illinois. I would guess he was probably related to Ida Govig who would eventually marry Andrea's nephew, Orville Olson. As you...

Last week after some digging, I finally discovered who married Andrea Elizabeth Knutson. Considering people generally meet at school, church, work or live in the neighborhood, it wasn't too much of a stretch of the imagination that Andrea would marry someone that also attended the same church. I posted her confirmation record from the Calvary Lutheran church and it seems her future brother-in-law, Lewis T Johnson was on the same page. Also on this same page are the children of Rachel and Lewis Vallem; Peter and Ole. Andrea Elizabeth Knutson married Lambert Johnson, I believe sometime in 1891. They eventually moved to Cylinder, Iowa where her sister Mary Olson and family were living. I have also tracked down three children born to Andrea Elizabeth and Lambert: - Lillie, born January 17, 1892 in Illinois - Truman Levi, born August 30, 1895 in Rochelle, Illinois - Elmer Levi, born August 12, 1898 in Cylinder, Iowa Andrea died August 27, 1898 in Cylinder, Iowa, two weeks ...

With some cemetery documents, I was able to confirm another branch of Ole and Mari's eldest daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Ole Andreas Knutson had a daughter, Mary who married Stephen Olson. In 1900, Mary and husband Stephen lived in Independence township, Palo Alto County, Iowa. Along with her husband, Mary lived with sons Orville, Elmer, Stanley and daughter Marnie. While errors are common in tracing genealogy, they can be frustrating. Eventually you come to accept them along with the roadblocks. The 1900 US Federal Census indicates that Mary had 5 children, of which 4 were living in 1900. However, a later census (which I'll be posting later) indicates Mary had 7 children, all of which were living at the time of the census. So it's difficult to determine which census record is correct.

Elizabeth, Ole and Mari's eldest daughter was listed on the 1900 census with husband Ole Andreas, son Ole Alfred, daughter, Anna (or Annie), daughter Ella (Edith) and a grandson, Elmer, (last name undecipherable). This record was difficult to find because the handwriting was not clear, so I had to individually scan the Flagg township, city of Rochelle census records until I found it. I also have not yet been able to find out which of Elizabeth and Ole's daughters had the child, Elmer. It does state that Elizabeth had 10 children and 5 were living in 1900, so I'm guessing that Elmer's mother had died. I presently have tracked down 7 of Elizabeth and Ole's children, though one I am not 100% positive is their child. The missing 3 others may have been born in Norway and I'm presently reviewing Norwegian records in an attempt to locate them.

  The 1890 US Federal Census was destroyed in a fire, so the location and members of the household are unknown, however, here is the 1900 Census for Rachel Vallem. I had posted this particular census last year, but at that time I did not realize Rachel was Ole Sr's daughter. Rachel was widowed by 1900 and lived with son Ole, daughters, Linnie, Ella, Dena, and son Elmer in Alto Township, Lee County, Illinois. They lived on the same road as Rachel's father and mother Ole Sr and Mari Finnestad, sister's Sarah and Mary, and further down on the same road, brother Ole Finnestad Jr and his family.

According to the 1900 United States Census, Ole Sr's son, Rasmus and family lived in Flagg Township, Ogle County, Illinois. Flagg township is located on the southern border with Lee County. Rasmus and family would have lived just north of his brother Bert to the southwest of Flagg township and father Ole Sr, brother Ole Jr to the southeast of Flagg township.

According to the 1900 United States Census, Ole Sr's son, Bert and family lived in Reynolds Township, Lee County, Illinois. Reynolds township adjoins and is east of Alto township where the Ole Sr and Ole Jr families resided in 1900. You will note the inaccuracies of census records by looking at the lower page, 1st entry on the top, which represents Bert's daughter, Selma Bertha Finnestad, who was born May 3, 1900. The census records list her as "no name" born in May of 1899, with an age of 0/12.

In 1900 the United States census shows Ole Sr and Ole Jr and their families both living in the same township, Alto in Lee County, Illinois. Based upon the census records, I have estimated that Ole Sr, wife Mari, daughters Mary B and Sarah lived approximately 1/2 mile from Olr Jr, wife Caroline, son Oliver, daughters Josephine, Lettie and Alice, while daughters Evelyn and Lillian were listed as boarders with the Offtedal family a few miles south.