Finnestad Ancestry

 Here is the 1940 US Census for Gladys May (Travland) Hunt living with her husband, Eugene Walton Hunt and their sons Larry Wade and Eugene Walton Hunt.   Their entries can be found on lines 1 - 4. The Hunt family was living in Alice City, Jim Wells County, Texas.    The 1940 US Census includes residency information for 1935; Gladys and Eugene were living in Tuleta, Bee County, Texas. Gladys May (Travland) Hunt was the daughter of Stella (Berkeland) and Thomas Tobias Travland, the granddaughter of Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Travland and great granddaughter of Taletta Larsdatter and Peder Pederson Travland.

According to the 1940 US Census, Leonard A Arndt was living at the same facility as he was during the 1930 US Census. Leonard can be found on line #30.   According to an obituary of his uncle, Ole Vallem which appeared in the August 22, 1940 edition of the Harvard Herald Newspaper, Leonard's mother, Linnie (Vallem) Arndt was living in Iowa.    I have not found the 1940 census for his father, Daniel Andrew Arndt though I know he was living in New York City by 1942 according to his WW II draft registration. Leonard was the son of Linnie (Vallem) and David Andrew Arndt, the grandson of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem and great-grandson of Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr..

I had previously posted the 1930 US Census for Alice (Finnestad) Gittleson.   At the time I did not know she had a prior marriage which is why I was unable to locate a 1920 US Census for her.    Here is the 1940 US Census for Alice, living with husband, Selmer Gittleson. The Gittleson's were living in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois.  Their entry can be found on lines 60 - 61.    Selmer was employed as a butcher. Alice Marie (Finnestad) Gittleson was the daughter of Caroline (Quitno) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Jr. and the granddaughter of  Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.

Here is the 1920 US Census for Alice (Finnestad) Reigard living with her husband, Walter Reigard in Genoa, DeKalb county, Illinois. Walter was working as a mechanic at a garage he owned with his brother in law, George Risetter.  Alice was the daughter of Caroline (Quitno) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Jr. and the granddaughter of  Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.

Here is the 1940 US Census for Oliver Finnestad Jr living in Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois. Oliver, located on line 7, was living with the Quitno family, Leonard, wife Dorothy (Bradley) and their children, Charles and James.    Oliver was a hired farm hand for the family. Oliver was the son of Mary (Kurth) and Oliver Finnestad, granddaughter of Caroline (Quitno) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Jr. and the great granddaughter of  Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr. Leonard Quitno was related to Oliver's grandmother, Caroline.    Leonard's family tree separated from Caroline's at her grandparents, Anna (Jorgensdatter) and Samson Jonson who were Leonard's great great grandparents.

Here is the 1940 US census for Elmer James Vallem living in Dement township, Ogle county, Illinois. Elmer, found on line 42, was living as a farm hand for the Oliver Vesta family.   Another family is listed as lodgers, Askeland. Elmer was the son of Rachel (Finnestad) Vallem and Jacob Jacobson (after the death of Rachel's husband, Lewis Vallem) and the grandson of Mari Iversdatter Nordskår and Ole Olson Finnestad.

Here is the 1940 US Census for Lyle Elmer Sanderson, found on lines 55 - 56. Lyle was living in Ward 3 of DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois with his wife, Harriet Ruth (Munch).    Lyle was employed at a piano factory and Harriet was employed as a stenographer for the 'Ag assn seed House' which I would speculate was DeKalb Ag . If you lived in the midwest you might be familiar with their logo, particularly in DeKalb, Illinois and surrounding counties.    You may also have worked for them as a teenager detasseling corn .  Monsanto bought DeKalb Ag in 1998 and sold it to Bayer in 2017.    Lyle was the son of Myrtle (Colby) and Stanley Harland Sanderson, grandson of Martha (Cody) and Seward Oscar Sanderson and the step-grandson of Ellen Marie 'Mary' (Vallem) Sanderson.

Here is a census with two branches of the Finnestad/Vallem tree, Elabata Bertina (Vallem) Olson and Walter Orlando Sanderson.    Both families were living in Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois during the 1940 US census. Ella and family, found on lines 42 - 51 included husband George Olson and their children George Jr, Harold, Vernon, Stanley, Dorothy, Duane, Genevieve and Eugene.    George Sr was employed as a farmer and George Jr, Harold and Duane were farm laborers.   Vernon was a laborer for the 'corn dept' which I wonder whether that was DeKalb Ag Research which was a large employer in the area.    Stanley was employed as a manager of a poultry company and Dorothy was employed as a teacher at a rural school. Walter Orlando Sanderson, found on lines 55 - 64 was living with wife Mildred (Lindass) and their children, Donna, Wilma, Luann, Norma, Walter Jr and Mary Ann.   Also residing with the Sanderson family was a hired h...