Ed's Day Wednesday
Dear FOLKS,
This week I want to share with you the story that Toline told in an interview. Toline Gunnuldsdatter Paulson (1846-1934) was born on the Svenskerud farm, Bø, Telemark, Norway. She was one of Ed's great-grandmothers and a 2x great-grandmother to me. I continue to share with you records, documents and stories told to cousin Ed Ostrom and me by our ancestors.
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| IMAGE: Olaus and Toline Ostrom - date and location unknown. From the collection of Edwin J. Ostrom. |
In the spring of 1934, Toline would sit down with her grand niece, Susie (Paulson) Kolle, and tell her story. Susie Harriet Paulson (1914-1988) was the daughter of Gilbert Christian Paulson and at a young age was interested in family history.
Olena Paulson *
Mrs. Olaus Ommundson Ostrom
Family History **
Interviewed by Susie Paulson in spring of 1933.
FATHER: GUNNUL PAULSON MOTHER: GUNNILD PAULSON
FROM: Kettelsru Johnsdatter from Setendal
died March 30, 1890
PAUL G. PAULSON [Toline's brother]
Father to G. C. Paulson-Born April 14, 1840--Died June 10, 1887
Mrs. O. O. Ostrom, Olena Paulson, was born March 9, 1846 at Lundehora-Lundeprestjel. Their father was Gunnel Paulson of Kettelsru. Mother was Gunhild Johnsdatter of Setendal. Gunhild died March 30, 1890. Lena grew up and was confirmed there. Left at the age of 24 to come to America. Paul (brother) had come earlier to America. Sisters and brothers were Paul, John, Tollef, Halvor, Elsie, Engbor. Left Norway on April 7, 1872. Came to Quebec. They were on the ocean for six weeks. They left on a sail boat from Skeen, Norway. They were with Halvor and Mare Hanta, eight in family. They came to Filmore [sic] County, Minnesota. Stayed there one month and she worked for $1.00 per week. She couldn’t understand English, but worked very hard because she thought she might get to go back to Norway. Paul came from Waseca county to get her. She stayed there for seven years. She worked for $2.00 per week here.
Lena Paulson married Olaus Ommundson Ostrom, September 19, 1873. They lived in Waseca County six or seven years, bought land there, then sold it again and decided to leave there and get a homestead. They left there with six children in a covered wagon. They started out in May and got here in August. They bought one cow on the way for milk. Had two horses when they arrived here, and one sack of flour, and $18.00 in cash. They stayed Fergus Falls for three weeks. Then built a shanty on the ground with no floor, windows or doors. They lived that way until September, then put in a floor.
Olaus Ostrom worked for Schaffer’s stacking grain so as to get money to live. Their children were Ole Anders, Johan Gabrial [sic], Anna Milene, Elsie Gurina, Theodore, Olena (these were born in Waseca County). They had Oscar, Gunhild, Paul Bertil and Carl Johan here in Grant.
John Paulson, born on Dec. 8, 1841-died March 25, 1921. Brother to Paul and Lena.
They lived in one room; this was 8 feet high in front (east) and 4 feet high on back (west) side. They also dug a small cellar and put up a stable for the two horses and the one cow. In the spring they bought one horse and broke up the land. The first year they got 15 acres broke and sowed. They he [sic] sold the horse again. They had 3 acres of wheat for flour and seed. They planted potatoes on the Heald farm place. Ostrom broke up 25 acres Setran’s land also. After a while they built one shanty onto the first one. They now had two windows and two doors. They lived here quite a few years, maybe 10. Then they went to Robert [sic] County, South Dakota and took homestead land there (1 quarter land), Lived there for 7 years. They worked both lands-farms, while they slept outdoors until a shanty could be put up. They paid $2.50 an acre for this 80 acres. They then took down the first shanty in Grant County and hauled it to Roberts County, South Dakota, and put it up there. When they came back after seven years, they bought a one-room house from Troen Vang and later built on to it. They sold the land in Dakota about the time that Carl was married [about 1911]. They then paid up all debts and put $2000 in the bank. They sold potatoes and grain to buy a sewing machine. Before that she always sewed the overalls and underwear and clothing by hand.
In February one year, Olaus Ostrom broke his neck. He was in bed one winter. He was sick for two years and then he went out to cut thistles, out in the pasture, and suffered a stroke. He had the stroke the 20 of July. He then lived two years and died the 17 of July 1924. He was born September 29, 1850 in Sundsogen-MaiRu, Stavenger Ante Norge***. Hans Jebe rented the land. Ostroms moved into town in fall (when he was sick). They bought the house by the livery barn. Lena Ostrom moved back to the farm two days after the funeral. She then lived alone, Jebe renting the land ever since Ostrom got sick.
Lena was 88 years in 1933 which must have been the year I [Susie Paulson] worked there and wrote this down as she remembered it.
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| IMAGE: Toline Paulson Ostrom and grandson Clinton, and dogs, taken about 1931 in Spring Lake Twp, Ward Co., North Dakota. From the collection of Edwin J. Ostrom. |
* Her name is entered as Olena, but it was Toline. She refers to herself as "Lena." We know that Toline spoke Norwegian and it is not known how well she spoke English if at all. Makes us wonder how difficult it was for Suzie to capture Toline's thoughts as the interview progressed.
** Some of this story was told in a previous article, but I wanted to share it here in its entirety.
**In the telling of this interview, the birth place for Olaus is mistakenly given as Stavanger. He actually grew up near Austrheim, Lund, Rogaland, Norway. He may have been born at the mid-wife's residence, but his first home was on Bruk #6 of the Østrem farm. Stavanger is about 64 miles (103 km) north of Lund.
As a reminder, cousin Ed descended through:
* Toline's son, Oscar Ostrom (1884-1973)
* to Oscar's son, Edwin "Tom" Ostrom (1911-2007)
* to Tom's son, Edwin "Ed" Junior Ostrom (1944-2015)
Darlene descends through:
** Toline's daughter, Anna Malene Ostrom (1877-1959)
** to Anna's daughter, Olena Marie Haner (1903-1996)
** to Olena's son, William Richard Johnson (1930-2010)
** to William's daughter, Darlene Marie Johnson (1946- )
Thank you for joining me this week. I hope you enjoyed our story today.
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Please comment regarding this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then use the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Or contact me by email at dsteff4246[at]gmail[dot]com. Thank you.
Copyright (c) 2017, Darlene M. Steffens
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