Finnestad Ancestry

Here is the 1920 US Census for Peter Vallem, his 2nd wife, Sarah (Anderson) and their son Orville.  Living next door Peter's younger sister, Linnie (Vallem) Arndt and her husband Andrew and their children Arthur LeRoy and Leonard. The two families were living in Rockford, Winnebago county, Illinois.     Both Peter and his brother-in-law were employed as machinists. Due to the spelling and handwriting for Peter Vallem and Linnie Arndt this census was difficult to track down.    1930 US Census also created a search barrier as Linnie was listed as single and reverted to her maiden name, Vallem. Peter and Linnie were the children of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem and grandchildren of Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.

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.

Here is the 1920 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter Elnid Travland. Elnid was the daughter of Susan (Sikes) and Ole John Travland.   Apparently, after her parents divorced, she went to live at the home of her aunt and uncle, Nowa (probably a misspelling of Noah) and Mana Brown.   Mana must have been Susan's sister. Elnid was the granddaughter of Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland.

Here is the 1920 US Census for Ole and Peter Travland's younger brother living in Bee County, Texas with wife Stella (Berkeland) and their children Ernest, William, Louis and Lillie. Page 2 (below) listed Thomas and Stella's two youngest children, Clarence and Gladys. Thomas and Stella had one other child, Dina Marie Travland that died as an infant in 1911.

Here is the 1920 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandsons, Ole and Peter Travland, living in Bee County, Texas. Peter Travland, wife Hannah and their son Willard had moved into the home of Peter's older brother, Ole along with Ole's son Lawrence.     This census indicates that Ole had divorced his wife, Susan (Sikes). Ole and Peter were the children of Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland

Here is the 1920 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter, Ella (Vallem) Olson. Ella was living with husband George and 5 of their 8 children, George Jr, Harold, Vernon, Stanley and Dorothy in DeKalb County, Illinois.    George owned his home and farmed the land.

Here is the 1920 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Lillie (Johnson) Wright who was living with husband Frank and daughter Evelyn in Fairfield Township, Palo Alto County, Iowa. Frank's brother Raymond was living with with them at the time.

In 1920, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter Ragna (Nelson) was living with husband George and their son George Edward Hausske in Cincinnati, Ohio. The family had moved from Chicago sometime between mid-1917 and 1919.

By 1920, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Orville Olson and family had moved from Iowa to McIntosh, Polk County, Minnesota. The family members at that time included Orville, wife Ida (Govig), son Marvin and daughters Evelyn, Alma, Edith and Olivia. Orville was the son of Mary (Knutson) and Stephen Olson and the grandson of Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson.

In 1920, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Ole Alfred Knutson was still residing at the Watertown State Hospital. (Listed as patient #29). Apparently the census taker either didn't receive accurate information, or the patient didn't know since I note it indicates both Ole's mother and father were born in Illinois. Both parents Elizabeth and Ole Andreas Knutson were born in Norway. I've attempted to locate the 1930 census for Ole but was unable to locate one. The Rock Island county records do indicate he died on January 8, 1934 in East Moline, so he was apparently a patient until he died at the age of 51 - 2 months shy of his 52nd birthday.

In 1920, Ole and Mari's grandchild, Ole Vallem was living in Dement Township, Ogle Illinois with his wife Sophia (Sofie), and their children Rosabell, Gertrude, Violet, Lila, Ole Jr and nephew Perry who was the son of Ole's older brother, Peter Vallem. Ole Vallem was the second eldest son of Rachel and Lewis Vallem.

In 1920, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great-grandson, Stanley Sanderson, wife Myrtle and son Lyle were living in Milan township, DeKalb, Illinois. Stanley was one of Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem's children. There are other Sanderson's on this page and as they lived in the township as other family members, they are probably all related in some way.

The extended branches of the Finnestad family tree really took off as can be seen by the 1920 US census. Ole and Mari Finnestad's daughter, Rachel Vallem had 9 children. Rachel's second eldest daughter, Ellen Marie (Mary) and husband Seward Sanderson had 14 children. In 1930 they were living in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois with their children Elmer, Walter, Anna, Violet, Marion, Charles, Lillian, Gordon and Ellen. Living next door was their son Lawrence, his wife Nora and daughter Dorothy.

In 1920, Ole and Mari's granddaughter, Mary Olson was living with 4 of her children, Marnie, William, Oluf and Bernice. They lived on 8th Street in the city of Rochelle, Flagg Township, Ogle County, Illinois. Just reminder, Mary was the daughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad's eldest daughter, Elizabeth Knutson.

In 1920, Ole and Mari's granddaughter, Evelyn was living as a "helper" in the Havenhill (?) residence at East South Street, in the city of DeKalb, DeKalb township, DeKalb County, Illinois. Evelyn was 22 at the time of the census. It would be two more years before Evelyn married and had a family of her own.

Ole and Mari's grandchild, Oliver Finnestad, wife Mary and their children, Burdette, Kenneth, Harland, Oliver, Verlis and Lois were living in Alto Township, Lee County, Illinois during the 1920 census. It looks like the census taker wrote that they were living on County Road, though I'm guessing it was County Line Road.

In 1920, Bertha Haaland and husband Andreas were living in the city of Rochelle, Flagg township, Ogle County, Illinois. (Bertha was the twin sister of Iverdine, both were daughters of Ole and Mari Finnestad)

In 1920, Ole and Mari's daughter Rachel was living in Dement township, Ogle County, Illinois. Rachel was widowed by that time and was living with her son Elmer and granddaughter Lena Verdell (census record seems to be a misspelling - Berdell), daughter of Peter Vallem.

In 1920, two of Ole and Mari's daughters, Sarah Finnestad and Elizabeth Knutson were living next to each other in Flagg township, Rochelle, Illinois. Elizabeth's daughter, Edith was living with her mother, Elizabeth.

In 1920, Mary (daughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad) Bell was living in Willow Township, Lee County Illinois. She is listed as "servant" residing with James Kennedy. Note the census record lists Mary's maiden name, Finnestad, rather than her married name of Bell.