Who did Olaus Ommundsen Ostrom (1850-1924) Know in America?

Ed's Day Wednesday

Dear FOLKS,

The topic for today's article comes from a question I recently received from another researcher. The question was "Who did Olaus Omundsen know in America when he left Norway?" This question has crossed my path before and was never answered. Today is a good time to "put a wrap" on this open question.

IMAGE: A 1925 U.S. postage stamp
featuring the ship Viking honoring
the 100th anniversary of Norwegian
immigration. Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

The first "official" attempt to get an answer was in 2013 when an inquiry from yet another researcher who was working on the Omund Larsen (1835-1906) family arrived in my Ancestry.com mailbox. Omund Larsen grew up in the same area as Olaus, in Lund Parish, Rogaland, Norway. He would marry Karen Gurine Andreasdatter (1832-1908) who was the sister of Anne Malene Andreasdatter, mother of Olaus. So the Larsens were Olaus' aunt and uncle. After arrival to America, Omund Larsen would change his name to Omund Nuland and he would settle in Bertha Township, Todd County, Minnesota. The family story is that he thought there were too many Larsens in the area where he settled, so to him changing his name was a good idea. This begs the question, did Olaus come to America to meet his aunt and uncle, the Nulands? That would surely make sense. Well, the Nuland family arrived in America in October 1879, so that places their arrival 8 years after Olaus who arrived in 1871. So bummer, this solution was eliminated.

About the same time as I was working on this, my late cousin Ed Ostrom was working this same question from another avenue. Ed had become acquainted another branch of our extended family, who spelled their name Ostrem (Ostrom with an "E") and they hail from Wisconsin. This family group that came to America was headed by Jonas Michal Tønnesen (1852-1918) and his wife Ane Bertine Jensdatter Mageland (1857-1932). Jonas also grew up on a portion of the Austreim farm called Kadlevoll. It is likely that one of the two, be it Jonas or Ane Bertine were a cousin to Olaus, perhaps both were his cousin from different family branches. Shortly after arriving in America, Jonas first changed his name to Tennison, but eventually settled on the name Ostrem. So we have to ask the question again, did Olaus come to America to meet this family? Records show that Jonas arrived in America ahead of his family in 1888 and then his wife and children followed a few months later. So they too arrived after Olaus did and it appears they settled right away in Vernon County, Wisconsin, missing Olaus who was in Minnesota. So possible solution number two was eliminated.

This question had now lain dormant for quite a while until I received the above-mentioned inquiry this week. The question came from Evelyn Sirevag, a member of the drafting group for ÆTTERMÅL, a booklet published annually by the Lund Historielag. The Lund HistorieLag is a group of people interested in sharing what the "old" has to tell through the stories they find. Each November they publish a new booklet. Evelyn's interest is in the telling of the stories about those who emigrated from the Lund area. This interest came about by learning the stories her and her husband's families had to tell. Evelyn has now branched out to other family stories and, lucky for me, she became interested in Olaus' story. Evelyn and I have been exchanging emails lately and I have appreciated getting acquainted with her. It is fun and enlightening to work with someone who can help with the finer points of the local customs and language from right there in Moi, Norway.

Along with her first question, she also wanted to know about the witness on Olaus' marriage certificate. She had read that the witness' name was Ole A Dickson, maybe Dirkson. Evelyn knew of a man named Didrik Østrem. She had found him in the Lund Historie book (bygdebok or farm book) and on page 614, it tells that Didrik Omundsen who lived at bruk (sub-farm) #3 had four sons that emigrated to America between the years 1861-1869. His sons were Tokel, Didrik, Ole Andreas (born May 9, 1848) and Berent. These were all Olaus' neighbors and relatives (per Evelyn). OLaus had lived at bruk #6. She then asked, "Is Ole A Dickson the same as Ole Andreas Didricksen?"

We both did more searching. I first took a fresh look at the wedding record for our Olaus, issued to "Ole Ammundsen" and Lena G. Paulson. Several months ago I had transcribed that document and I had written the first witness' name as H.A. Dickson. See that article here.

IMAGE: Witness signature portion of
marriage certificate between Ole
Amensen and Lena G
Paulson.

Another viewing of the first witness signature now clearly looks to me as Ole A Diskson, possibly Dickson or Dirkson.

What else could I find out about Ole Andreas? He was born Ole Andreas Didricksen, son of Didrik Omundsen and Berte Torkalsdatter Østrem. As Evelyn has reported, he was born on 09 May 1848. He traveled to America with two others that I can identify as coming from Østrem. On 30 March 1869, Ole Andreas and his brother Berent Didricksen (born 15 Jul 1850) would register in the church book that they were leaving for America. They would join with Tonnes Olsen Østrem who had registered emigrating to America on 05 April 1869.

The three would be included on the passenger list leaving Stavanger for Quebec and arriving there on 3 May 1869 aboard the ship "Heros." They were listed as:

#124 Berent Didricksen Ostrem - age 19
#125 Ole Andreas Didricksen - age 21
#126 Tonnes Olsen Ostrem - age 20

Here is a link to the transcribed passenger list http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_list.asp?jo=845&ps=10865

Evelyn found an Ole Dixon in the 1905 Minnesota State Census living in Danville Townshi, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. I tried to find all of the three in the 1870 US Census, but had no luck there.

I also learned that Ole A. would soon use the name of Ole Andreas Dixon. This is a bit different than what was on the marriage certificate, but very close in spelling and spot on in pronounciation. He would settle in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, next door to Waseca County. Ole would farm near Danville, there in Blue Earth County. He married Randine Knudsen who was born 13 Feb 1851 in Telemark fylke, Norway. Randine was the daughter of Torger/Turje Knudsen and Turi Olsdatter Skolass. The Knudsens arrived in America about 1855.

I also found a few records for his younger brother Berent. Records have him using the name Berent Dickson and he marries Walborg (??) Dickson, she was also born in Norway. They first lived in Medo Township, Blue Earth County, Minnesota and then settled in Wykeham Township, Todd County, Minnesota. Evelyn has found them in this locaton in the 1900 US Census.

I have no idea how Tonnes Olsen Ostrem may have changed his name. So I haven't, so far, had much success searching for him.

It is my current thinking that Olaus came to America looking to meet up with Ole Andreas Didrickson/Dixon. Olaus would ask Ole to be a witness to his wedding and later Olaus would name his first born after his relative/friend. On 10 June 1874 Olaus' first son, Ole Andreas Ostrom was born.

I am thinking that now the question with the long history has finally been answered.

I want to thank Evelyn for participating in today's article. It was fun to have her ask this question that instigated this topic being worked and to have her as a research buddy. Thank you Evelyn.

It was a fun article to prepare and I hope you enjoyed it too. I look forward to next time and hope you are having a good week.

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