Finnestad Ancestry

On January 3, 1917, the Oliver Finnestad family had to flee their home due to a fire that destroyed the house they were renting, as reported by The Ashton Gazette on the front page of their January 4, 1917 edition. Oliver Finnestad was the son of of Caroline (Jonsdatter Quitno) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Jr. and the granddaughter of  Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.    Oliver's wife, Mary (Kurth) and her parents, Amelia (Witzel) and Christian Kurth were also at the home at the time of the fire. Of the 9 children born to Mary and Oliver Finnestad, only 4 had been born by this time, Burdette, Kenneth, Harland and Oliver Jr who had escaped the fire.

Here is the death certificate for Mary (Kurth) Finnestad. Mary was the daughter of Amelia (Witzel) and Christian Kurth.    She married Oliver Finnestad, the son of Caroline Marine (Jonsdatter Quitno) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Jr. and the granddaughter of  Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.

Here is a copy of the marriage certificate* of my great grandparents Oliver Finnestad and Mary Kurth. They were married December 18, 1911 in Lee County, Illinois. *Document provided by Joan Bays, the great great granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad

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.

Here is a photo of the gravesite for Kenneth's father and mother, Oliver and Mary Finnestad, my great grandparents, located at Woodlawn Cemetery in Creston, Illinois. Here is a photo of the grave marker of my grandparents, Kenneth and Lillian Finnestad, which is also located at Woodlawn Cemetery in Creston, Illinois.