A Gift of Love

Several years ago I came across this picture in my mother’s old photographs.  I suspected that this austere old couple dressed in their Sunday best was my great-great grandparents: Johannes Torsteinsen and Karen Halvorsdatter from the Aastadeie farm near Moelven in Hedmark.  I asked relatives living in the U.S. if they knew who was in the photo, but no one knew.  I sent the photograph to Hans, a genealogist in Hedmark.  He checked around the community and put the picture in the local newspaper, still no answer.  A year ago, I posted this picture in the NHOH News asking if anyone knew who these people were, no replies.  I was left to just assume that perhaps these were my great-great grandparents since the bottom of the photograph listed that the photographer was from Moelven.

This summer while cleaning out a storage box of my father’s, I came across a painting of an old couple sitting on a park bench. I thought I had seen these people somewhere before, but where?  It didn’t register for a few moments where I’d seen the couple before, because the painting was stored with keepsakes from the other side of my family – my father’s Hallingdal side.  I turned the brittle, cracked painting over to discover the hand written receipt to Gus Johnson, the husband of Eline Johnson (the daughter of Johannes Torsteinsen and Karen Halvorsdatter).  It stated that Mr. Gus Johnson had paid $1.90 and had a balance of $3.  Eline must have loved and missed her parents so much that Gus, her sweet, Swedish husband, as a special gift for Eline, paid to have a replica of the photograph painted by an artist in Superior, Wisconsin.  That painting which was a gift of love to Eline also confirmed my suspicions as to the identity of the couple on the park bench in Moelven.

Photo submitted by Kathy Botten, Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag

Photo submitted by Linda Schwartz, Tronderlag

Back:  Johannes, Sigrid, and Ragnild Bertine
Middle: Tobias Embretson Galten (father), Ragnhild, Mother: Ragnhild Marie Jonsdatter Tofthaug (mother)
Front: Ragnhild Tobine, Freddrikke, and Marit
Two older children, Embret (Andrew) and Juditta had already immigrated to the US

Tobias died in Norway in 1895.  The remainder of the family (except Sigrid) immigrated one after the other, to the US.

Marit Tobiasdatter Steivang, the youngest of the 9 children, is the Grandmother of Dixie Hansen.  In the US Marit changed her name to May Thompson and was married twice - first to Alfred M. (Rasmussen) Hansen and, following his death, to Fred Wick. 
During her lifetime she had all of these names:  Marit (May) Tobiasdatter Steivang Thompson Hansen Wick

Photo submitted by Dixie Hansen - Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag

Photo submitted by Bertine and Karl's Grandaughter, Gay Kearin, Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag

Category 2:  Morph My Family!

Information about Kari: Mrs Kari Sletten was born October 20, 1855 in Gudbrandson, Norway.  She was a mother of six children.  Her husband died while the children were quite young.

Mrs Sletten came to America in 1906 with her 11 year old son Esten and a daughter Ruth, 16 years.  A daughter, Karen, Mrs Ole Jacobson and family had settled in Powers Township two years earlier.  Her son, Christ, was working in the White Earth coals mines.  One son had been killed in an avalanche in Norway and one daughter stayed Norway.  Mrs Sletten wanted to be near her daughter but there was not much land left unclaimed.  She filed on 80 acres in Powers Lake Township, but after proving it up, she sold it to Martin Peterson.  She then filed on 80 acres in what was to become Battle View Township. Esten continued to live with her for a few years.  Later married and moved to Idaho.  Ruth had become Mrs Swen Jordhiem (Walcott, ND).  For most of her life she lived alone on her claim. She enjoyed spinning, knitting and other kinds of hand work and reading.  She walked a great deal or rode with neighbors to church, to visit, or to town to sell her butter and eggs and buy groceries.  She was an active member of the Sons of Norway Lodge. Mrs Sletten could never say enough for her kind friends and neighbors who made it possible for her to stay in her own home so long.  She lived with her son Christ and family for the last few months before she died in 1932.

Photos were submitted by Karen Grimm, a member of Gudbrandsdalslag.

Lois is a member of Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag

Louise (Stein) Erickson is a member of Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag

Photos submitted by Anne Farning, Gudbrandsdalslag

Photos submitted by John Peterson, Gudbrandsdalslag.  

Photos submitted by Shirley Stai Anderson/Keas, Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag

Photos submitted by Glen Brandvold, Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag

Ancestral Photos Submitted by Shirley (Lokstad) Schoenfeld - Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag and Gudbransdalslag

Ancestral Photos Submitted by Gary Romsaas - Gudbrandsdalslag

Ancestral Photos Submitted by Chris Falteisek - Gudbrandsdal and Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lags

Ancestral Photos Submitted by Joy Carol (Waddell) Shong - Nord Hedmark og Hedemarken Lag