Gunnuld and Gunnild Have a Family

Ed's Day Wednesday

Dear FOLKS,

Today I want to share with you more about the lives of Gunnuld Paulsen and Gunnild Johnsdatter. We have already spent some time with each of them covering their timelines, details on the sources of records that make up their timeline, and their young lives in Norway. This couple was my late cousin Ed Ostrom's 2x great-grandparents. They are also my 3x great-grandparents. So I get double enjoyment of sharing what I know about them with you.

For a quick summary, I'll mention that Gunnuld Paulsen was born on the family's Kittilsrud farm near Lunde, Telemark Fylke (County), Norway on 02 October 1801. He was the son of Paal Halversen and Else Gunnulvsdatter. Additional information can be read by reviewing earlier articles by clicking here and here.

Gunnild Johnsdatter was born on 29 May 1818 on her family's farm, Sættendal, that is also near the town of Lunde, Telemark Fylke (County), Norway. She was the daughter of Jon Tollevsen and Tolline Halvorsdatter. More information about Gunnild can be found in recent articles here and here.

Let's look at their marriage entry in the church register.

IMAGE: 1839 Marriage Record for Gunnuld Paulsen and
Gunhild Johnsdatter from the Bø Church, Parish
Register #7, 1831-1849, page 267, entry 25. 

SNIPPET: Left Panel of Marriage record #25

SNIPPET: Right Panel of Marriage record #25

-------- Translation of Entry #25 begins --------

[page] 267   [from header]
[year] 1839   [from header]

MARRIED [from header]

No. 25

Marriage date.  26 December [1839 inferred from column heading]

Groom's Name and Status. Bachelor Gunnuld Paulson ??
Bride's name.  Maiden Gunnild Johnsdatter ?? 

Groom's birth place. Residence  Kittilsrud
Bride's birthplace. Sattendal

Their ages.  38  [&]  19

Groom's father's name. Paul Halvorsen

Bride's father's name. Jon Tollevfsen

Bondsmen's names and residence. Gunder Paulsen, Kittilsrud and Halvor Ajer [???]

Dates of banns. 1, 8 and 15 September

Person requesting banns. ditto ["groom" from column top]

If the banns were not declared, state the reason [blank]

Small pox or certificate of vaccination. [???]

If the groom is an official and has a pension of 1/2 salary, what proof has he for giving to widow's fund. [blank]

If any former marriages, why dissolved, and if probate settlement.
[blank]

-------- Translation of Entry #25 ends --------

The newly married couple would settle into their routine. While they would live at few farms they were all local to the town of Lunde. They were finally able to settle at the Traskejær farm. Their family would soon begin to take shape with the following additions to their number.

1. Their first child was Paul Gunnuldsen. He was born 14 April 1840 at home on the Bleka Farm, in Lunde area of Telemark, Norway. Paul would come to America about 1865 and begin right away to use the name, Paul G. Paulson. Paul was confirmed at the local Bø Church on 14 October 1855. In approximately 1866, based on the birth of their first child, Paul married Anne, likely pronounced Anna. An online family tree says that her name was Anne Marie Knutsdatter, but I had yet to find early records about her to verify. Anne was born about 1847, but it is not known where except Norway. It is also not known where or when Paul and Anna married, but likely about 1866. Records begin to be found in 1867 when in the parish book for the Medo Lutheran Church records near Pemberton, Blue Earth County, Minnesota it shows that Halvor Paulson was born to this young couple. It is most likely that they lived in Waseca County, MN with this church being nearby, just a short distance to the county line. Next, we see Paul being a witness to the marriage of his sister Toline to Olaus Ostrom (who was born Ommund Ommundsen). Their marriage occurred in 1873. He and his family are next enumerated in the 1875 Minnesota state census. In this census report their household is in St. Mary Township. Altogether Paul and Anna would have seven children. In the order of their birth were: Halvor Johnsen (b. March 1867), Gilbert Christian (b. February 1869), Charles (b. 1871), Ingeborg Marie (abt. 1873), Elsie (abt. 1878), Carl (1882-1899) and Gunhild Johanna "Hannah" (b. December 1884). At some point, Paul would move his family to Grant County, MN, near Elbow Lake. Paul and Anne would die early, with Paul's death on 10 June 1887, age 47 and Anne on 15 July 1899 at age 57. It is likely that they died at home.

2. The second baby for Gunnuld and Gunnild arrived 08 December 1841, he too was born on the Sættendal farm in the Lunde area. His name at birth was John Gunnuldsen. John was confirmed there at the local church on 12 October 1856. John would marry Anne Mikkelsdsatter (b. 1841) from the local Kjildal farm. John and Anne would have six children. Their names were Gunnuld Johnsen (b. 1866), Gunnild (b. 1868), Aaste Marie (b. 1870), Ingeborg Elise (b. March 1873), Halvor Mikael (b. December 1873), Paul (b.1875). In 1880, John and his entire family would leave Norway for America. They arrived in New York on 3 July 1880, aboard the ship "Donau." There is more to this event but will save that for an upcoming post. Upon his arrival to the U.S., he would begin to use the name, John G. Paulson. All of his family followed suit and used the last name, Paulson. Other known name changes for this family were -- it is known that his son Gunnuld would use the name Gilbert Paulson, his daughter Gunhild became Lena Paulson and son Halvor became Charles Paulson. The family would settle in Greendale Township, Richland County, North Dakota where John would farm. On 06 June 1905, John's wife Anne would die and she was buried and was buried at the Brandvold Church Cemetery in Victor Township, Roberts County, South Dakota, near the town of Rosholt. In 1906, he would leave North Dakota for the Tyner District of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is thought that he followed his daughter Lena and husband August F. Peterson to Canada or possibly vice versa. It is also known that John G.'s nephew, John Gabriel Ostrom would join him there. John G. Paulson was very active in the early settling of the area settling on a land claim there, where his neighbors are August Peterson and John G. Ostrom. John would pass away on 25 March 1921 in Plato, Saskatchewan, Canada with his son Gilbert at his side.

3. The third child was Else Gunnuldsatter and she too was born on the Svenskerud farm in the Lunde area on 25 November 1843. She was confirmed on 17 October 1858. There is likely much more to discover about Else as an adult, for now, we learned that she married Thor Aslaksen (born 23 November 1828). Thor was from the Kaasene farm in the Tørdal parish, a part of the Drangedal district, Telemark Fylke (County), Norway. Drangedal and Lunde are neighboring districts. This provided the opportunity for Else and Thor to meet. Research on Else is on-going.

4. Gunnuld and Gunnild's fourth child, also a girl, was named Toline Gunnuldsdatter. Like her sister, Toline was born on the Svenskerud farm in Lunde on 13 March 1846. I have written about Toline a number of times. You can review some of the articles written about her by clicking here, here, and here. In summary, Toline was confirmed on 3 November 1861 in the Lunde church. She then came to America, leaving Skien, Norway aboard the ship "Rjukan" on 11 April 1872. The ship arrived in Quebec, Canada on 23 May of that same year and Toline made her way to Waseca County, Minnesota where she was met by her brother John. Toline then changed her maiden name to Toline G. Paulson to be in line with her brother's name change.  On 19 September 1873, Toline married Olaus Ommundsen Ostrom, another immigrant from Norway. Olaus was born on 30 September 1850 in Rogaland, Norway on the Austreim farm near Moi. Toline and Olaus would have ten children (Ole Andreas (1874-1894), John Gabriel (1875-1954), Anna Malene (1877-1959), Elsie Gurine (1879-1969), Theodore (1880-1861), Oline (1882-1962), Oscar (1884-1973), Gunnild Pauline (1886-1911), Paul Bertil (1888-1962) and Carl Johan (1890-1977). The first three were born in Waseca County, baby four was born on the trail between Waseca and Grant counties in Minnesota as the family traveled to their new homestead there and the last six were born in Grant County near Elbow Lake. For a while the family also maintained a homestead in Lien Township, Roberts County, South Dakota, but that they didn't keep for long. On 17 July 1924, Olaus would die while at their home in the town of Elbow Lake from a stroke. They had moved into town, renting out their lands while he was sick. Toline would return to their farmhouse following his death until she too passed away on 26 Jun 1934. They are buried next to each other at the Ness Cemetery in Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Toline was my 2x great-grandmother and my cousin Ed Ostrom's great-grandmother. I am connected to Toline by her daughter Anna Malene Ostrom Haner and Ed is connected by her son Oscar Ostrom. I have underlined Anna and Oscar earlier in this summary.

5. The next baby, another girl, was named Ingeborg Gunnuldsdatter. She was born in the Traskejær farm in the Bø parish. Ingeborg was born on 28 April 1850. Unfortunately, no other records are found for Ingeborg. It is thought she died between 1850 and 1857.

6. Baby number 7, a boy, was born on 17 February 1852 on the family's Traskejær farm. He was named Halvor Gunnuldsen. He is included in his parents and siblings when enumerated in the 1865 Norway Census. He then married Mari Evinsdatter from the nearby Piperud farm. No other information has been found for Halvor. Research continues.

7. This baby, one of a pair of twin boys was born on 19 June 1854 on the family's Traskejær farm. His name was also Halvor Gunnuldsen. It is confusing to me why there would be two children with the same name, alive at the same time. It is the usual custom to use the same name for a second (or more time) when one child dies. There is a death record for a Halvor Gunnuldsen dated 03 July 1856 that clearly states the boy was two years old. It is possible that the church record was wrong, but I haven't been able to prove that. So for now, I'll stick to what the records tell me, but the research continues.

8. The second, of twin boys, was born and died on 19 June 1854. Tollef Gunnuldsen was his name. It was unfortunate that he didn't survive birth.

9. The ninth and last of Gunnuld's and Gunnild's children was a baby girl named Ingeborg Gunnuldsdatter. She too was born on the family's Traskejær farm on 24 April 1857. She is shown in the 1865 Norway census with her parent and siblings. At age 13 she completes confirmation and the ceremony was held on 2 October 1870. So far, no other records have been found for Ingeborg, but research continues.

It was fun to share with you what I have found of the family that Gunnuld and Gunnild had. I hope, over time, to find more records on their children. Preparing for today's article did help me with some unknown questions. That is a good thing. Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you are having a good week. I look forward to seeing you next time.

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