Finnestad Ancestry

Here is the baptism record for two of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughters, Ester (Esther?) Eleanor and her sister, Lillian Ruth Sanderson. Ester seems to be a forgotten child of Mary (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, the 11th of their 14 children,  (Though Seward had a total of 15 children, one having been born to his first wife,  Martha Cody) because this is the only document I've come across with Ester's name. Ester was born February 17, 1914 and was baptized at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Lee County, Illinois on November 14, 1915 (listed 4th from the bottom).   She apparently died prior to the 1920 US census , since her name is not listed, nor has she been listed on any other record from the Calvary Lutheran Church. Ester's older brother, Charles LeRoy Sanderson was born May 13, 1913 so Mary (Vallem) Sanderson apparently didn't have any time off from having children.  Her younger sister would have been a couple of months premature ...

The above plot map is a close-up of Ole Sr Finnestad's plot and indicates he is sharing space 71 with Bernie Knutson, on the lower right hand corner. It is my guess that the plot was shared with Bernie Knutson as he may have been related to Ole & Mari's eldest daughter, Elizabeth's husband, Ole Andreas Knutson. Above is an overall map of the plots located at Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. Above is an index card for the individual plots located at Union cemetery, 19 Perry Road, Lee County, Illinois. I received these documents from the previous sexton, Mr. Jordal, who had been retired when I stopped by the cemetery in August 2008. Even though he is no longer the cemetery sexton, he had the documents at his house, which is just beyond the cornfield to the west of the cemetery. Since the only other proof that I had of the Finnestads being buried at Union cemetery was the CD I had obtained through Calvary Lutheran church, I decided to scan a copy o...