| The Story Of Helfred Matson & Mary Garson |
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| Mary Garson?s Ancestors On Her Father?s Side Roy Matson?s Perspective on this Family and the Garsjoen Farm In his words, Roy writes, ?If anyone had been a little more inquisitive some years ago about Grandpa Garson?s grandparents, all this would have been brought to light without fuss. Perhaps someone in Norway has been interested enough to answer the simple questions.? This he wrote in a letter to Beatrice and Juneau Johnson prior to their trip to Norway sometime before 1980. He continues, ?Most everyone on a large gaard assumed the name of the place and Garsjoen was at one time large and well known. It bordered on East Toten, a narrow valley about 12-15 miles long separated the Garsjoen bygds, although Toten was far richer.? ?The only road from the northern bygds, Toten, Gudbrandsdal, etc to Oslo lay through this valley and Hurdal. Garsjoen was a well known stopping place in early day, sleeping accommodations could be had, horses were taken care of and exchanged if necessary, it was the kings hwy and so used on occassions. Until about 1900 when the hwy around Mjosa was completed, it served all traffic north-south.? ?Now as to the Garsjoens, spelling changed here when grandpa received his citizenship papers in 1911. His parents were Kristian and Mary. Their surname began as Garsjoen according to Ellen, but when he married Mary he moved to Nordbraaten, a little place, and assumed that name, a common practice. Nothing remains of that place now.? We know that Christian Evensen Nordbraaten (b. 1815) descended from Even Eversen (b. 1788 in Norway) & Anne Svendsdor. Even Eversen & Anne Svendsdor were married in 1812. Even?s parents were Even Olsen Bakke (b.1738 d. 1809) & Kari Nilsdatter Alm (b. 1745 d. 1800). Even Olsen Bakke and Kari wed in 1764, also in Norway. Even Eversen and Anne Svendsdor had ten (10) children, Christian Evensen being one. Christian?s last or more appropriately, farm name, was Garsjoen until he married Maria Nordbraaten in 1844 and about the same time took her farm name. This event could have been the result of a simple move to Nordbraaten, a change in address, or it could mean that Maria?s parents were farm owners and maybe Nordbraaten was their farm. We should not be concerned with the varied spellings of the names Eversen and Evensen, so long as we have the correct ancestor. Christian was a son of a man called either Even or Ever who was born in 1788. Any use of Everson or Evenson is also presumed to be the same as when the suffix is ?sen?. Nils Garson?s parents, Christian Eversen & Anne Maria Nordbraaten, had six children to my knowledge. My father, Roy Matson, and others in the family and in Norway |