Finnestad Ancestry

Yesterday I posted the relationships between the Finnestad family and the Travland (Trӕvland) family.   The Travland family website can be found here and the family always be in the right hand margin, listed under "related links". This was a significant event in the lives of both families.

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...

Here is the 1900 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's son-in-law, Lewis Joseph (Peterson) Travland.    Lewis had moved to Beeville, Texas from Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois sometime after the death of his wife, Iverdine (Finnestad) in 1879.    In 1880 , Lewis was was still living in Milan township so I am not sure when he moved to Texas as the 1890 US Census was destroyed in a fire. Also living in the household were Lewis' children (from his second marriage to Tilda Peterson), Inga, Martin, Lena, Ida and Ben.

There was a tie for the 4th born child to Ole and Mari Finnestad; between Iverdine and Bertha, who were twins. Iverdine (or Dana) is buried with her daughter, Ane Maria Travland at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. Iverdine was born December 2, 1850 and died November 3, 1879. Ane Maria was born June 1, 1873 and died August 12, 1873. If you look at Trish Hodgen's website , you can see how much of Iverdine's marker has worn away based upon these photos. I am not sure when Trish took the photo on her web page ; the two photos above were taken June 17, 2010.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo of the Finnestad family from 1870 that was provided by Trish Hodgens. Trish's website documents the Travland family that descended from Iverdine Olson Finnestad's husband, Lewis Travland. The website includes a few photos of Iverdine and Lewis' children, Ole, Peter and Thomas. (Their daughter Anne died 2 months after birth). After Iverdine passed away in 1879, her husband Lewis remarried.

Iverdine (Ole and Mari's daughter) had passed away in 1879, one year before the 1880 Census. Today I found the census record for the family, husband Lewis, their children, Ole, Peter and Thomas Tobias. They lived in Milan township (where I grew up), DeKalb County, Illinois. I am not sure whether the family moved in with Peter's parents after Iverdine died or whether they were living with them prior to her death in 1879.

Sometimes I document information on the family tree spreadsheet and later forget how I came up with it - later I'll stumble upon the document and realize I should post it. A couple of months ago I was able to verify the family branch for Ole and Mari's daughter Iverdine. Iverdine was the twin sister of Bertha that had come to America in 1870 with her sister Rachel. I also had stumbled upon a few family trees on ancestry.com that were posted by members, though they all had indicated Iverdine's last name was "Finn". Close enough to Finnestad. I then did an internet search and was able to find, based upon the family trees that were posted, the marriage date for Iverdine. The state of Illinois has a marriage database that is quite helpful, though it doesn't have every marriage, you occasionally will run across something of value. Because the ancestry.com family tree information provided the name of Iverdine's husband, I was able to verify the date Iv...