Finnestad Ancestry

In 2011 I had posted information regarding a lawsuit filed following the death of Martha Iversdatter Nordskar* Peterson, the sister of Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) Finnestad.    I later posted the location of the property subject of the lawsuit. You can find a copy of the lawsuit and other documents filed as the lawsuit proceeded through the court system by clicking on this link . *There are several different variations on the name:   Nordskar, Nord-Skaar, Nordskår.  Occasionally I've seen the "nord" dropped altogether, such as this lawsuit.

The 1855 Census provided residence information for Ole Olson Søndenå and Mari Iversdatter Nordskår living at Skåreflådå on the Nordskår farm outside the village of Fister in the municipality of Hjelmeland, county of Rogaland, Norway. Hjelmeland municipality Entering the village of Fister Nordskår road signs   Nordskår Farm Fister and surrounding area Nordskår Farm   Nordskår and Skåreflådå According to the local archives,  Ole Olson and family moved a few times between 1844 and the 1850's.  "They were living at Skåråflådå in 1844, in 1846 we find them at Helgøy, in 1848 they are back in Skåråflådå, in 1850 they live at Bratt-Hetland, and after that they are back in Skåråflådå again. It was quite common for “husmenn” to move a lot, as some of them had quite hard living conditions."

Here is the 1855 Norway Census for Ole Olson, before they moved to the Finnestad farm in 1863. Living at Skaareflaaden on the Nord-Skaar farm in Fister, Number 22 on the right side lists Ole Olson Søndenå at line 6, followed by wife Mari Iversdatter and daughters Elizabeth, Sarah, Iverdine, Bertha and Rachel. The last line (#13) isn't legible but looks like Magda Iversdatter (birth/farm name illegible).   This might be her aunt; sister to Mari's father, Iver Reierson. 

I originally posted information regarding a lawsuit filed following the death of Martha Iversdatter Nordskar Peterson's death.   The lawsuit was filed by her older sister, Mari Iversdatter Nordskar Finnestad, wife of Ole Olson Finnestad Sr. I thought I had posted information showing the location of the property in question at the time of Martha's death. Here is a current map of the location. Peterson Farm, Malta, Illinois Here is the 1892 Plat map for Malta township, Malta, DeKalb county, Illinois that shows the Peterson farm on the lower portion of the map. 1892 Malta township Plat map The property was sold to pay off the mortgage.    The proceeds were dispersed between the surviving family members as Peter and Martha did not have children.    The farm was sold to Michael and James Lynch.    By 1905, the Malta township Plat map showed the Lynch Brothers as owners of the property.   The upper portion of the Pe...

I was reviewing the 1871 passenger list of the Nordens Dronning which Rakkel (Rachel) and Iverdine (Dina) Olsdatter Finnestad had traveled from Norway to America and found another family connection. Listed below Rakkel Olson Finnestad is Marthe Iversdatter Nordskaar.    Marthe (Martha) had not been married at the time she sailed to America.    The farm where she had lived in Norway. Nordskaar, was used as a last name.    Martha was the younger sister of Mari Iversdatter Finnestad and sister-in-law of Ole Olson Finnestad Sr. Martha passed away November 20, 1899.  Services were held at the First Lutheran Church in Lee County, Illinois.   Having left no heirs, a lawsuit was filed to distribute the proceeds left from her estate.

Here is a photo taken last month of the marker for my great great great grandparents, Mari and Ole Finnestad, their daughter, Sarah and their granddaughter, Josephine.   Josephine was the daughter of Caroline (Quitno) and Ole Finnestad Jr. The recap posted last year of the burials of their children can be found here .     As I posted yesterday , Mari's year of birth was 1923, not 1924. Here is a photo of the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.    The marker above is located in the second row up from the left side of the Union Cemetery arch.

About a year ago I had posted a photo of the headstone for Susanna Travland and the monument for her father-in-law, Peder Peterson Travland.    I wasn't aware at the time how close I was to determining the multiple ties of the Travland family to the Finnestad family. I recently located a lawsuit filed by my great great great grandmother, Mary (Iversdatter Skaar) Finnestad against her brother, Rasmus Skaar.  From the Sycamore True Republican, November 7, 1900 edition. From the Sycamore True Republican February 6, 1901 edition. From the Sycamore True Republican April 17, 1901 edition. After obtaining a copy of the lawsuit, I learned that Martha G Peterson, had passed away November 20, 1899 and left 50 acres southwest of Malta, Illinois.    Due to this lawsuit I learned that Martha was Mary Finnestad's sister.    Another sister mentioned in the lawsuit was Susanna...

Ole and Mari Finnestad, along with their daughter Sarah and granddaughter Josephine are buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. I had posted photos after the granite marker had been put in place last year, so here are photos in the summer, without snow. I still have no idea whether the plot had a previous marker; if it did, I do not know what became of it. Sarah was the second child born to Ole and Mari Finnestad. She never married or had children, so that branch of the Finnestad family tree ends with her. Josephine was Ole Jr and Caroline Finnestad's daughter. Ole was born February 14, 1814 and died November 22, 1906. Mari was born July 12, 1824 and died November 1, 1905. Sarah was born July 5, 1846 and died August 21, 1923. Josephine was born February 13, 1886 and died December 6, 1902. Here is the archway to the cemetery with an arrow pointing out the location of the granite marker for Ole Finnestad, wife Mari, their daughter Sarah and granddaughter Jose...

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...