Finnestad Ancestry

Ole Finnestad, son of Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr. was employed as a farmer according to the 1900 , 1910 and 1920 US Census records.     Ole most likely worked for his father-in-law, Jon (Sampson) Quitno who had owned farm property in Section 2 of Alto township , Lee county, Illinois where the Finnestad family lived.  In 1900 Ole ran for elected office as constable and tax collector for the township.   I first came across Ole mentioned as having been a tax collector in the book, 'The Sage of Sinnissippi' by Kinnie A Ostewig, published in 1907.    Ole Finnestad and the list of tax collectors from 1860 - 1908 are listed on page 309 and 310. Page 4 of the April 4, 1900 edition of the Dixon Evening Telegraph published the results of the 1900 township elections. Ole received 121 votes and Mortie Smith received 82 votes for tax collector.   For the position of constable, Ole received 16 votes and apparently no opponent.   The low number of votes for c

Just over 10 years ago I posted the death certificate of Lillian Thompson who had died as a result of a plane crash.   At the time, I was unable to track down a newspaper article with the details of the crash.    I recently obtained front page articles. During my search for the newspaper articles, I had been told another passenger, Lillian's fiancé (name unknown) was also in the plane and had died as a result.   The news reports confirm there were only two people on the plane, the pilot and Lillian.    Lillian was the daughter of Dena (Vallem) and Axel Thompson, the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem and great granddaughter of Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.   

Here is a photo of Lillian Jordal and Kenneth Finnestad taken in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.   I am not sure of the date of the photo but I believe it to be sometime in the 1930's. Kenneth was the second son of Oliver and Mary Finnestad, the grandson of Caroline (Jonsdatter Quitno) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Jr. and the granddaughter of  Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.   

Mary (Finnestad) Bell was placed in the International Order of Odd Fellows cemetery in Marysville, Washington at the time of her death in 1937.     The Marysville Cemetery is no longer part of the Order.  Following instructions of her brother, Rasmus, her body was disinterred in 1945 and placed at the Evergreen Cemetery in Everett, Washington next to her brother following his death. Mary was daughter of Mari (Iversdatter Nord-Skaar) and Ole (Olson) Finnestad Sr.