0111HelfredMatsonMaryGarsonStory

The Story Of
Helfred Matson & Mary Garson

We have no more information about Syver’s siblings, neither in Norway nor America.

Hellene Olsdtr.’s Siblings: Hellene had at least nine siblings: Marthe (b. 21 Jan 1833);
Johanne (b. 4 March 1836); Karine (b. 11 August 1839); Julianne (b. 12 November
1842); Julianne (b. 31 March 1848); Johan (b. 20 November 1849); Ole & Johanne, twins
(b. 1852); and Kari (b. 19 September 1856). .

Marie (Marthe) (b. 1833) likely, but not for certain, did not come to America. We have a
picture of this eldest of Ole Hansen & Ragnhild Juulsdatter’s children, in her middle to
later years. The picture was processed In Gjövik, Norway, I believe.

Johanne (b. 1836) died before or about 1853.

Karine (b. 1839) Olsdtr Sagestadstuen married Ole Jacob Pedersen Nøklebergsengen.
We have a picture of Karine and husband Ole and their oldest son, Helfred Olsen. My
father’s notes on this picture, and more original notes on the back, state that Karine and
her husband are also the parents of Ole Evenrude, the Ole Evenrude of boat motor fame!
Some family has to claim this man as theirs, why not us?

Julianne (b. 1842) died at child birth. This explains another girl being named Julianne in
1948.

Julianne (b. 1848) we know nothing of at this time except that she appears to have been
named after her sister who died at childbirth. The five or more year gap between the birth
of the first Julianne in November 1842 and the second Julianne in March 1848, may
suggest that the mother, Ragnhild Juulsdatter, suffered considerably with the first birth.

Johan (b. 1849), married Lene Andersdtr Kvigstad and came to America and Dalton,
Minnesota, Ottertail County, with three sons and two daughters, on June 8, 1883. They
moved to Alberta, Canada in October 1904. He died of cancer, on his farm, about 1926.
Informatioin suggests that he was over 80 years old, so his death date may be incorrect.
They had nine children and in 1972 three were still living, all in Canada. Anna Aker who
corresponded with my father, Roy H. Matson, is one of those children. She was 81 years
old in 1972 and is perhaps no longer alive. Family history related letters between her and
my father, Roy Matson, are found in the appendix.

Johanne (b. 1852) and her husband, who is unknown, had at least one child and her name
was Valborg. We have a picture of Valborg in about 1908. It says on the back that
Johanne is the twin sister of Ole (b. 1852). Valborg is the oldest daughter of Johanne. The
picture further confirms that there were only two boys in this Ole Hansen family, Ole and
Johan. On the back we read, “Ole Vadrness (sp?) was my father’s only brother”.
Vadrness or Vardness or such is assumed to be a farm name, perhaps in Norway.

Ole (b. 1852) we know only by information about his twin, Johanne.