Finnestad Ancestry

Mary Olson lived in Fairfield Township, Palo Alto County, Iowa during the 1910 census. Along with husband Stephen, their children were son's Orville, Elmer, Stanley, William, Olaf and daughters Marnie and Bernice. The census indicates Mary had 7 children, all of which were living in 1910. This conflicts with the information provided on the 1900 census. (Mary was the daughter of Elizabeth Knutson, the eldest daughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad)

Above is the baptism record for Ole Alfred Knutson, son of Elizabeth Knutson and Ole Andreas Knutston. He is the grandson of Ole and Mari Finnestad Sr. He was born March 13, 1882 and baptized July 2, 1882 at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Lee County, Illinois.

The earliest known record of the Finnestad family belonging to a church was the Calvary Lutheran Church located at 19 Perry Road (at the corner of County Line Road) in Lee County, Illinois. Above is the baptism record for Bert Otto Knutson, son of Elizabeth Knutson and Ole Andreas Knutston. He is the grandson of Ole and Mari Finnestad Sr. This document records Bert's baptism as January 16, 1881, a couple of months after his November 14, 1880 birth. One of the attendees was Ole Finnestad, brother of Elizabeth. Attendee Serina Olson listed below Ole Finnestad may actually be Ole and Elizabeth's sister. I have been unable to confirm whether Serina took on the name "Finnestad" prior to the 1900 Federal census.