| Progress Report: 25 February 2002 |
| 25 February 2002 Ragnild Juulsdatter: I have the response from Hamar Norway Statsarkivet re: Ragnhild Juulsdatter birth. They confirm that the church record of Northern Aurdal parish has a Ragnhild born 18 December 1811, baptized 26 December 1811 - parents Juel Knudsen Baasum and Sigri Thoresdtr. Thus, Ragnhild Juelsdatter. We know that our Ragnhild was born in Aurdal and on this farm, Baasum (or Bossum) and that she moved to Toten. The next step was to verify her moves. Having her birth date fairly well verified, a search on Digitalarkivet on line for Migrations from Valdres and Aurdal, gives us the following: ....Ragnild and her older sister, Sebbjør, leave the parish and the farm for Toten. She is 17 years old (nearly 18); her sister is 19. Other information I have from on line researchers says that their father, Juel, sold the Bassum farm in 1826, having shared ownership with his mother for twenty-five years. This might explain the exodus of the oldest boy, Knud, age 20, also in 1826, the year of sale. There was no longer an opportunity for him to get the farm. One more child, Agata, leaves in 1830. She heads for Vestre Toten. Ole Hansen in America: This is the man who becomes Ragnild’s husband. While reviewing my father’s research materials I came across an interesting partial letter that suggests that Ragnild died first in Norway and then Ole came to America on the suggestion of one of his sons who was already in America. The question is who was the son, and where did they live? Where did Ole come to? Here is the full text of this undated, unsigned sheet of paper in the hopes that someone can respond to the clues. It follows: “Ole Hanson Bjokebakken came a few years later then my parents. don’t know just when about 9. or 10, years later. His wife had passed away and dad sent him a ticket to come to Minnesota. Granpa made a trip to Strum, Wis. when I was quite small. but I don’t remember how long he stayed. Granma’s name was Ragnild. She was from Valdres, I never heard her Parents name. Granpa was over 90 years when he died. Ole Evenrude came here in the Fall of 1925..supposed to be a granson of Karine and Ole Jacksen Nochberrsing a cousin of Johan and Ole Olsen. I don’t know if this will help you get more information in Norway.” This letter is written by someone in his or her later years. For now, I assume it was sent to Roy Matson, my father. Therefore it must have been sent sometime before July 1979. This letter also further confirms that Ragnild came from Valdres to Toten. But where did Ole come to? Ole Hansen & Ragnhild Juulsdatter are in Norway during the 1865 census, on Bjerkebakken. I have two boys of Ole Hansen & Raghild Juulsdatter: Johan Olsen (b. 20 Nov 1849) and Ole Olsen (b. estimated 1852). There could be more, but if not, then one of these is the father of the person who wrote this letter, son of Ole and Raghild. An interesting note: Ole is a twin of Johanne. Would they maybe have come to America together? Does that help identification. Since mother and father, Ole and Raghild, did not come to America with children, then the earliest each of the two boys might have arrived would be 1867 for Johan, 1870 for Ole, the son. And then if Ole arrived 10 years later....that makes his arrival no earlier than 1877. He would then be no younger than about 66 on arrival in America. Remember, he lived to be more than 90 and no doubt saw the turn of the century! If Ole Hansen did come to America, then that explains how the picture of an older Ole got to Strum. Fred Matson |