Finnestad Ancestry

Here are a couple of photos* of Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter, Frances (Finnestad) Svetica. These photos were taken August 19, 1973, and what looks like in the background, a church, I believe, in DeKalb, Illinois. (Though it looks familiar, I can't recall which one). Frances was the youngest daughter of Caroline (Quitno) and Ole (Jr) Finnestad. Frances and Peter did not have any children, so Frances' branch ends with her. Frances and Peter were my great great aunt and uncle, though I never met them and did not know of their existence until I began this project. * Photos provided by Ole and Mari Finnestad's great great granddaughter, Jill (McKay) Clinton.

Here is a photo of 3 generations of Lillian Finnestad's line of the family tree. (From left to right) Sitting on the table: Deborah Dearth as a toddler Sitting: Lillian's daughter, Wanda (Risetter) Dearth, and the Finnestad sisters Frances Svetica, Lillian Risetter Standing: Wanda's husband Leo Dearth and Frances' husband, Peter Svetika I do not know Deborah's year of birth but if she was born in 1947, I would approximate that is when this photo was taken. *Photo provided by Roxanne (Dearth) Hamilton

I have not had any updates lately so thought I would start a new decade by catching up to the 1920's. In 1920, Ole Finnestad, wife Caroline and daughter Frances had moved one township south of Alto and had moved to Willow Township, Lee County, Illinois. They moved in with daughter Lettie, son-in-law Christopher Risetter and their two children, Hamilton and Verdell. Living next door was Ole and Caroline's daughter, Lillian, husband George Risetter and their daughter Betty Lou.

The above photo was taken of the confirmation class of 1913 at Calvary Lutheran Church on Perry Road, Lee County, Illinois. Lillian Finnestad is seated in the bottom row, far right. She was confirmed October 19, 1913. In attendance were her parents, Ole and Caroline Finnestad. Lillian was 14 at the time of her confirmation. She is the granddaughter of Ole Sr and Mari Finnestad. The photo below was taken of the confirmation class of 1914 at Calvary Lutheran Church on Perry Road, Lee County, Illinois. Frances Finnestad is seated in the bottom row, 2nd from the right. She was confirmed November 8, 1914. In attendance were her parents, Ole and Caroline Finnestad. Frances was 14 at the time of her confirmation. She is the granddaughter of Ole Sr and Mari Finnestad.