Selma Halvorsen was born in 1899 in Sargent County, North Dakota. Her parents Ole Halvorsen and Brigit Bjørnsdatter were Norwegian immigrants who arrived in the U.S. by 1883.

Norway at the time used almost an exclusively patronymic naming system. Sometimes farm or village names would be attached to families or individuals, but these could change as people moved away from the places they were named for.

For this reason, this family has no single surname. This account includes the paternal relatives of Selma Halvorsen and avoids detailing all the maternal relatives to limit its scope, but it does include a few more maternal relatives than in other accounts to create a better picture of these ancestors.

This page includes screenshots from FamilySearch, Gule Sider (a Norwegian map application that includes historical farms), and Google Maps.

Origins

Selma’s ancestry traces back to the area around Nes parish, in Buskerud County, Norway, with some later ancestors being in nearby Gol parish just to the north.

Selma Halvorsen

Selma Halvorsen was born in Sargent County, North Dakota on 22 January 1899 and baptized in Milnor on 14 May 1899. Her parents were Ole Halvorsen and Brita Bjørnsdatter. Her family was living in Dunbar at the time and she is recorded in the 1900 and 1910 US censuses there (and in the 1915 North Dakota census). In Milnor on 13 April 1913, she was confirmed in the the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

Selma married Anton Johnson in Wilkin County, Minnesota (just east of North Dakota) in 1919. It’s unclear if that was 12 February or December 2, 1919. The couple moved into Anton’s family home in Milnor and are recorded there in the 1920 census.

Their children were Bernice (1920), Alice (1922), Deloris (1925), and Marlen (1928).

In the 1930, 1940, and 1950 US censuses, they were recorded as living in Willey, North Dakota, in North Dakota.

Sometime later, they moved to Washington state to live closer to their children who had moved there before them.

Selma died 10 October 1975 in King County, Washington.

Ancestors of Ole Halvorsen

Ole Halvorsen was Selma’s father. This account details him and his paternal ancestors, and their wives and children.

Halvor Helgesen Rudseie (Gunbjørndokk) (1756-1831)

The earliest ancestor of Selma Halvorsen on her paternal line that is known for certain is Halvor Helgesen. Halvor was born in June 1756 and baptized 13 June 1756 in Nes parish, Buskerud county, Norway.

Before 1785, he married Kari Amundsdatter. Their children included Helge (1785), Ole (1791), Christian (1794), Kristen and Amund (twin boys, 1797), and Gunhild (1805).

The 1791 baptism record for Halvor’s son Ole lists parents Halvor and Kari Rudseie, a place surname that suggests they were living in Rud. The likely baptism record for Christian in 1794 lists parents Halvor and Kari Braaten, indicating they may have lived in a place with that name (there are several in the area, but perhaps the most likely is a bit north). It’s unclear if they moved or if these are just variant place surnames for the same general area.

By 1801 they were living in the Ruud district of Nes.

Halvor died 9 April 1831 in Gunbjørndokk, less than 5 km north of Rud.

Ole Halvorsen Rudseie (1791-1877)

Ole Halvorsen was born 21 May 1791 and baptized 29 May 1791 in Nes, Buskerud, Norway. The exact location is unclear but the place surname of his parents was “Rudseie” so Rud might very well be his birthplace.

Ole married Torgund Halvorsdatter on 20 June 1821 in Nes parish. His surname is something like Hasternie (likely indicating a farm also known as Hoftorn*). Their recorded ages (22 and 21) are much lower than their baptism records would suggest (30/24), but other details suggest they are the same people.

Their children were Halvor (1824), Kari (1826), Halvor (2) (1828), Jørand (1831), Helge (1833), and Margit (1836).

Ole died 2 June 1877 in Helgebraaten, Gol parish, Buskerud, Norway. FamilySearch indicates that Hælgebråten was in current-day Herad east of the city of Gol.

* The book Norske Gaardnavne [Norwegian Farm Names] by Oluf Rygh has the following information about Hoftun farm:

5. Hoftun. Udt. hø`fftúnó (kun én opgav -túnadn). ― [Hoff- tum NRJ. IV 577, 1542]. Houfftun 1578. [Hofftun JN. 351]. Hoff- thun 1593. Hafftonn 1604.1/1. 1617. Hafftoren 1657. Hoffthun St. S. 128. Haftorn 1723 (2 Opsiddere). Samme Navn i Suldal. Skrivemaaden Haftorn beror maaske paa folke- etymologisk Tilknytning til Hagtorn: Wiel f. Ex. skriver Trænavnet “Haftorn”; jfr. dog Hagtor for Hafþórr (Lind, Dopnamn S. 443 ff.) og Bd. VI S. 392. *Hoftúnir, af hof n. “Gudetempel” og tún n. “indhegnet Sted, Gaardsplads: Gaarden har visselig oprindelig hørt til Frøyshovet (se GN. 4). Sml. Sigdal GN. 94. Hoftun og Frøisaaker ligger i Grænden Hera (GN. 1-9, udt. hæ`ra), der ved sit Navn (oldn. herað n. “Herred”) angiver sig som den tidligst bebyggede Del af Distriktet. Jfr. om Heradsbygden under “Gamle Bygdenavne” i Norderhov. Hera er ogsaa Navn paa en Bygd i Lister. [English translation] Same name in Suldal. The writing style Haftorn is perhaps due to folk etymological Connection to hawthorn: Wiel f. Ex. writes Tree Name “Haftorn”; cf. however Hagtor for Hafþórr (Lind, Dopnamn S. 443 ff.) and Bd. VI S. 392. *Hoftúnir, af hof n. “God’s temple” and tún n. “fenced place, farmyard: The farm certainly originally belonged to Frøyshovet ( see GN. 4). Sml. Sigdal GN. 94. Hoftun and Frøisaaker are located in Grænden Hera (GN. 1-9, ext. hæ`ra), which by its name (oldn. herað n. “Herred”) indicates itself as the earliest inhabited part of the district. Cf. about Heradsbygden under “Gamle Bygdenavne” in Norderhov. Here is also the name of a village in Lister.

Halvor Olson Hoftunei (1824-1912)

Halvor Olson was born 11 July 1824 in Hælgebråten. His parents were likely from Hoftun, a farm near current-day Herad, Gol parish, Buskerud county, Norway. Records index the place surname of his parents at birth as Hasterneid and his wife is listed as from Nerdrelieie. Although there are no places that match those names exactly, it seems likely the intended places are Hoftun and Nordreli, farms near Herad.

Halvor’s baptism record mentions 4 witnesses with the place surname Brenno, seen on this map not far from Hoftun and Nørdreli. This area is also where Halvor’s son Ole was born, and is not far from Ole’s wife Birgit and her family. That suggests this general location is correct even if a Hasternie was actually the place and not Hoftun.

Halvor married Margit Halstendatter Nørdrelie on 7 June 1854 in Buskerud. Their son Ole Halvorsen was born just under three months later.

Halvor and Margit’s children included Ole (1854) and Margit (1856). No other children have been found, and it’s possible that Margit died.

A Halvor Olson b. 1824 is recorded in the 1875 census in Gol married to Anne Iversdotter (1827) with a son Iver (1859, possibly born illegitimate) and other children Ole (1866), Halvor (1868), Ragna (1870), and Ole (1872). These children are listed as “deres son/datter” (“their son/daughter”) and there is a single daughter, Brigit Halvorsdatter, listed separately as “daughter of H. Olsen” (1863).

If that’s the same person, that suggests Halvor had an affair with Anne four years before his final child with Margit (or a second undiscovered wife), and then was married to Anne by 1866. It does seem odd that he would have three children (all alive at the same time) named Ole but the census record itself shows he had at least two sons with that name, and counting the ancestor in this tree, probably three.

In 1900, that Halvor Olsen is living in Haugen with his wife Anne Iversdatter and son Ole, age 29 (so the Ole #3 b. 1872 in the 1875 record).

Halvor died 16 March 1912, still in Gol parish. His death record lists his birthplace as Hælgebråten and his residence at his death as Haugen (or something similar)/ Liagardan.

There’s a Haugen closer to Nørdreli, and this is the probable location for his later home (also note the “Liagardsvegen” on the nearby road).

Note there is also a Haugen (Nedre and Ovre Haugen) in Nesbyen municipality just south of Gol municipality. This is probably not the place he lived, but might be connected to his family and is near the location of some of his direct ancestors (who lived in Gunbjørndokk). This area also has a Bråten.

Ole Halvorsen (1854-1924)

Ole Halvorsen was born on 4 September 1854 and baptized 1 October 1854 in Gol, Buskerud, Norway. He was born on Hælgebråten farm, which was in or near current-day Herad, just east of the center of Gol.

His parents were likely Halvor Olson Hoftunei and Margit Halstendatter Nerdrelie. Note that a different Ole Halvorsen was born in Gol parish in November 1854 but his parents (Halvor Olsen Skaret and Marta Birgitte Larsdatter Bergerei) are from villages further away, so less likely to be correct.

On 15 January 1880, Ole married Brigit Bjørnsdatter (born in Bråten) in Gol. Their first son Oliver (possibly Olof at birth) was born in June 1881.

About 1883, the family emigrated from Norway to the United States, passing through New York along the way. They settled initially in McLeod, Ransom County, North Dakota.

Their children born in America were Mary (1885), Emil (1888, born in Milnor, Sargent County, North Dakota), Carl (1892), Tilda (aka Nellie, 1894), Helmer (1896, born in Dunbar, Sargent County), and Selma (1899, baptized in Milnor).

From this, we know that Ole and his family moved to Sargent County from McCleod between 1885 and 1888. It’s possible they had one house somewhere between Dunbar and Milnor rather than moving the short distance. Ole and his family are shown living in Dunbar in the 1910 and 1920 censuses.

Ole died in 1924 and was buried in Dunbar Cemetery.

Ancestors of Brigit Bjørnsdatter

Brigit Bjørnsdatter was the mother of Selma Halvorsen. This account details her paternal ancestors and their wives and children.

Ola Nilsson Skreddar (c. 1680-c. 1734)

The first known paternal ancestor of Brigit Bjørnsdatter is mentioned in Boka om Gol, Vol. VI Gards-og-ættesoge Golreppen, p. 448, by Terje Østro (available at the Seattle Public Library).

Ola Nillson Skreddar was born about 1680 in Kvigne, Lærdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. His father might have been Nils Anfinnsen.

Sogn og Fjordane is a county on the west coast of Norway, north of the city of Bergen. Lærdal is a parish in the east of Sogn og Fjordane, bordering Buskerud County.

Kvigne’s location in Lærdal is unclear, but it might be the place on the Erdaselvi River (now known as Kvignadal) 6-7 km upland from the Lærdalsfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord.

As a young man, Ola Nilsson made his way to Nes parish. About 1700 he married Sigri, daughter of Ola Amundson Toen and Brynhild Nubsdatter of Rime in Flå parish (about 50 km south of Gol, and 175 km from Kvigne).

Ola and Sigri are first recorded together in Toen in Nes parish, east of Nesbyen.

North and South Toen

They also apparently lived at places named Høgvin, Bråten, Skaga, and Bindarplassen, all of which are recorded in baptism records for their children (the current places are unknown).

Their children were Brynhild (1701-1702), Nils (1703-1703), Nils (1705), Tore (1706), Brynhild (1707), Ingebjørg (1710-1711), Ingebjørg (1712), Knut (1714), and Lars (1729).

Neither Ola nor his wife Sigri are recorded after 1729. Ola died sometime before 1738, and Sigri died about 1734.

Knut Olsen (1714-1771)

Knut Olsen was born about 1714 in Skreddargarden on the western side of Gol.

On 17 July 1751, he married Sigri Guttormsdatter from Langenberg (also known as Berget), about 12 km to the east.

Knut died in 1771 in Frøysak.

Guttorm Knutsen (1751-1827)

Guttorm Knutsen was born in 1751 and baptized 13 April 1751 in Nes, Buskerud, Norway (actually in what would later be Gol parish but was then Nes i Hallingdal). His father’s place name was Frøsager but his parents might have lived in Berget.

He married Kari Syversdatter Nøreimshagen before 1779. Their children were Knud (1779), Syver (1781), Barbra (1785), Anfin (1787), Ole (1789), Siri (1792), Hans (1794), and Ingebor (1797).

Records in 1797 and 1801 have the family in Frøsager (Frøysak).

Guttorm died 15 February 1827 in Frøsager.

Syver Guttormsen (b. 1781)

Syver Guttormsen was born in 1781 and baptized 9 November 1781 in Nes parish, Buskerud county, Norway.

In 1801, he was living with his parents and siblings in Frøsager.

On 1 May 1808, he married Birgitte Anfinsdatter in Gol (then part of Nes parish). Their children were Guttorm (1809), Anfind (1811), Kari (1815), Kari (1819), Arne (1821), Gundvord (1824), and Bjørn (1829). Some of those records have his place surname as “Sen og Bir” and Birgitte’s as “Golbergplads.”

Baptism places for their children suggest Syver and Birgitte lived in Frøsageneie (probably aka Frøsager, Frøysak), Gol, Nes in 1809 and Johannesdal, Gol, Nes in 1829. Two 1829 records for Bjørn’s baptism have Birgitte’s place surname as “Tralsarkeie” or something similar, but no similar farm name has been found.

Syver and Birgitte’s burial records have not been found, nor have any records after 1829.

Bjørn Syversen Guttormsen (1829-1914)

Bjørn Syversen was born 5 December 1829 and baptized 10 Jan 1830 in Johannesdal, Nes, Buskerud, Norway.

Bjørn was the illegitimate father of Brigit Bjørnsdatter, who was born in 1856 in Bråten to Mari Christensdatter Bergesei.

Bjørn married Bergit Sevasdatter Anfindmoin on 16 May 1866 in Gol parish. Her place surname (found on the marriage record) is approximate, and no similar place has been found, but Bergit’s baptism record indicates she was born in Ål parish, west of Gol. How she came to be in Gol is unclear. There is a family of a Sevat Olsen who appears in 1865, 1875, and 1891 census records in Ål, but the daughter Brigit who is listed in 1865 is only 16 (and would have been 26 or 27 if born in 1838). It’s possible there is a transcription error or later records misstated her year of birth (perhaps to obscure her young age at marriage), but without more information it’s hard to know if this is her family.

The children of Bjørn and Bergit included Bergit (1867), Sÿver (1868), Anfin (1872), and Anne (1876).

Bjørn died 26 April 1914 in Johannesdalen, having lived on that farm his entire life.

Brigit Bjørnsdatter (1856-1925)

Ole Halvorsen’s wife (and Selma’s mother) Brigit Bjørnsdatter was born 10 February 1856 in Bråten, a farm in Gol parish, Buskerud County, Norway.

There were many farms named Bråten (also spelled Braaten) but one possibility is that it was a location close to her eventual husband in current-day Herad.

Her parents were Bjørn Syversen Johannesdalen and Mari Christensdatter Bergesei, who never married (her baptism record indicates she was illegitimate). From their place surnames, Bjørn lived in Johannesdalen and her mother lived in Berg (or a similarly named place).

Here is one potential Berg, also near a Bråten. As such this Bråten might be a better choice for Brita’s birthplace.

One possible birthplace of Brigit is now used for apartments (though still rural in character).

On 15 January 1880, Brigit married Ole Halvorsen (born in Hælgebråten) in Gol. Their first son Oliver (possibly Olof at birth) was born in June 1881.

Emigration from Norway to the United States

About 1883, the family emigrated from Norway to the United States, passing through New York along the way. They settled initially in Kindred, Cass County, North Dakota and by 1885 lived in McLeod, Ransom County, North Dakota.

Their children born in America were Mary (1885), Emil (1888, born in Milnor, Sargent County, North Dakota), Carl (1892), Tilda (aka Nellie, 1894), Helmer (1896, born in Dunbar, Sargent County), and Selma (1899, baptized in Milnor).

From this, we know that Birgit and her family moved to Sargent County from McCleod between 1885 and 1888 (her obituary has 1888 as the year). It’s possible they had one house somewhere between Dunbar and Milnor rather than moving the short distance. The family is shown living in Dunbar in the 1910 and 1920 censuses.

Birgit’s husband Ole died in 1924. Birgit died 31 December 1925 and was buried in Dunbar Cemetery with Ole.

Ancestors of Mari Christensdatter

Selma Halvorsen’s maternal grandmother was Mari Christendatter. Mari was the mother of 7 children via three different fathers, and she and her children all immigrated to the United States where many of her descendants live today. This account details her paternal ancestors and their wives and children.

Ola Pedersen Slette (c. 1652-May 1732)

The first ancestor of Mari Christensdatter who is clearly recorded is Ola Pedersen. Ola was born in Slette, Sigdal, Buskerud about 1652. Sources are scant but his parents might have been Peder Olsen (c. 1625) and Marte Slette.

He married after 1681 Gunbjørg Olsdatter (b. c. 1640), widow of Gunbjørn Torgersen Bjertnes (c. 1632-1681), who had with her earlier marriage the children Tosten, Olle, Ragni, Elli, Kari, and Aslaug. He moved to Bjertnes and took that as his family name.

Ola and Gunbjørg’s children were Marthe and Helge. Gunbjørg died in 1688 and listed Ola (as Olle) and all of these children (except Elli) as her heirs.

Ola married a second time Mari Eilivsdatter (b. c. 1665-1670) and their children were Guul (c. 1690), Peder (1692), Anders (c. 1708), Gunbiar (Gunbjørg), Siri, and Gunnild.

His wife Mari (and he as her husband) inherited property from Mari’s father Ellef (who lived in Runn) when he died in 1697.

Ola died in 1732 with Mari and all of his children except Gunnild (who might have been not of age (i.e. not quite 21) listed as heirs. Mari while still alive in 1740 listed all of her children with Ola as heirs. At age 70-75 or so, she likely died soon thereafter.

Anders Olson Bjertnes (c. 1708-1757)

Anders is first recorded in a marriage to Turi Steinarsdatter Nore in 1734 or 1735 in “Xhered” – that seems to be an abbreviation for Krødsherad, then part of Sigdal parish. The current location seems to be east of Eggedal.

He is listed on a 1740 probate record for Bjertnes (a farm in Krødsherad) as the son of Ola Pedersen and Mari Ellefsdatter.

Other trees, with unclear sources, identify those parents as Ola Pedersen Slette (1652-1732, son of Peder Olsen Slette b. 1825) and Mari Eilivsdatter Runn (c. 1675-c. 1740, daughter of Ellev Biørnssøn Runn (Hole) (1628–1697) and Gonnor Knudsdatter (1633–1697)).

His birth date is unclear, but from his age at death might have been about 1708.

Ancestry.com has 11 July 1735 as his exact marriage date, but it’s not clear where it gets the date from. Their only child found so far is Steener (1741) but they likely had more children.

Anders died 30 May 1757 in Aalien, about 8 km away from Bjertnes.

Steener Andersen Bjertnes (1741-1818)

Steener Andersen was born in Bjertnes, Krødsherad, Buskerud, Norway on 5 February 1741. He married Kirsti Guttormsdatter on 23 August 1778 in Krødsherad.

Kirsti was born in Nybråten, in Nes parish to the north. Her parents were Guttorm Olsen (1724–1800) and Mari Christensdatter, born in Garnaas (1728–1808). Despite being married closer to where Steener was from, they seem to have settled closer to her family.

Their children included Andres (1782), Guttorm (1786), Christen (1791), and Mari (1795).

Steener, Kirsti, and their two younger children Christen and Mari are listed in the 1801 census in Eidal farm (west of Nesbyen) in Nes parish. (This is not the Eidal near Eggedal.)

His wife Kirsti died 11 November 1817 in Eidal, and Steener died there six months later on 20 May 1818.

Christen Stenersen (b. 1791)

Christen Stenersen was born and baptized 26 December 1791 in Nes parish.

In 1801 he was recorded living with his parents in Eidal, west of Nesbyen.

On 9 March 1816, he married Kari Tostensdatter in Gol, Nes parish. His place surname at the time was Langeslet (a farm about 2 km from Eidal).

Kari Tostensdatter was from Megaarden (aka Medgarden). It was at various times in Ål or Hemesdal parishes northwest of Nes and Gol, about 40 km from the city of Gol.

Christen and Kari’s children were Kirsti (1817), Kari (1820), Kari (1822), Birgit (1825), Stener (1828), Thosten (1831), Mari (1833), and Ingeborg (1837).

Kari died 4 January 1866 while living on Tvete (Tveite) farm in Ål, Buskerud. Christen’s death record has not been found. Christen’s daughter Mari is the first ancestor in this family–mother of Birgit Bjørnsen, and grandmother of Selma Halvorsen–to emigrate to America.

Mari Christensdatter (1833-1914)

Mari was born in Gol, Buskerud, Norway in 1833, with baptism records showing her born on 3 March and baptized on 28 April. Her father’s place surname at the time was Bergseie, indicating the family lived in a place named Berg, Berget, or something similar.

In 1856, Mari had a daughter Brigit (Selma’s mother) out of wedlock with the father being Bjørn Syversen (whose life is detailed earlier). Brigit was born in Bråten.

On 3 December 1859, Mari had a second illegitimate child Tosten (son of Tollef Tollefsen, from Golberg).

On 26 May 1869, Mari gave birth to twin daughters Anne and Kari. They were also illegitimate at birth. However, on 8 April 1870, Mari married their father Torgrim Torgrimsen Kolstad (1846–1924).

They had a son Kristen born in January 1872, who died shortly after birth.

In the 1875 census, Mari, her husband Torgrim, and the children Tosten, Anne, Kari, and Guro (aka Gertrude, b. 1873) were living in Bråten, Gol. (Brigit was 18 and had starting working as a live-in maid in Hastorn [likely the same as Hoftun], Gol not far away.)

Mari and Torgrim had one more son, Christian, born either 1877 or 1879 (based on later records; his baptism record hasn’t been found).

Mari, Torgrim, and their children emigrated from Norway to the United States about 1885, following Mari’s daughter Brigit who had emigrated in 1883, and her son Tosten (who arrived by 1884).

The 1900 US Census record for Mari and Torgrim has not been found. Mari’s three younger daughters that she emigrated with are all listed with their husbands, having been married by that time (Gertrude was in Minnesota, but Anne and Kari were in Richland County, North Dakota). Mari and Torgrim are found in the 1910 census living in West End, Richland County, North Dakota with their unmarried son Christian.

Mari died 5 August 1914 in Richland County, North Dakota. Her death was registered at the Highland Lutheran Church, an ELCA church in Sargent County.

Maternal-only line

Mari Christensdatter was maternal grandmother to Selma Halvorsen. As such, her maternal ancestry represents Selma’s maternal-only line.

Her mother was Kari Tostensdatter, the wife of Christen Stenersen (described in his entry, but also here). These are her maternal ancestors.

Margit Olbjørnsdatter Dokk (1715-1807)

Margit was born in Ål parish, Buskerud, Norway, in about 1715 based on her reported age at death (92 in 1807). She was the daughter of Olbjørn Knutson Medgard Dokk and Ambjørg Olsdtr. Dokk (about which nothing else is known).

She married Embrikk Olson Ellingsgaard before 1840, and had at least one daughter, Sissel (c. 1740). The family later moved to Lien, also in Aal.

Margit died in Lien on 4 June 1807 and was buried on June 28th.

(Some info from http://www.aal-bygdebok.no/003004-.htm.)

Sissel Embriksdatter Ellingsgard (c. 1740-1824)

Sissel (aka Sidsel) was born about 1740, the daughter of Embrik Olson Lien Ellingsgard (1699-1773) and Margit Olbjørnsdatter Dokk (1716–1808). From her reported age at death (87 in 1824), she might have been born in 1737.

On 1 June 1762, she married Ola Rasmussen Barskrind (1741-1827) in Aal, Buskerud, Norway. He was the son of Rasmus Olason Sore Barskrind (1710–1749) and Guri Knutsdatter Helling (1711–1776).

Their children included Birgith (1767), Margith (1772), and Embrek (aka Engebret or Ingebret, 1777).

In 1801, Sissel and Ola were living in Barskrind with their daughter Ingebret and two young women who were not their daughters: Bergit Jørgensdatter (1779) and Margit Syversdtr (1784). Possibly these young women were relatives or live-in maids.

Bergit Olsdatter Barskrind (1767-1837)

Birgith Olsdatter was born 27 September 1767 in Aal, Buskerud, Norway. Her parents were Ola Rasmussen Barskrind Kyrkjedeld (1741–1827) and Sissel Embriksdatter Ellingsgard (1740–1824)

In 1789, she married Tosten Aslesen (b. 1758) in Aal. He was born at Medgaarden to Asle Knudssen Medgaarden (b. 1720) and Kari Torstensdatter Sando (1736-1785).

Their children were Kari (1790), Sidsil (1793), Guri (1796), Asle (1798), Birgit (1802), and Ole (1805).

In the census of 1801, all of them but the younger children born later were living at Medgaarden, along with Tosten’s brother Ole.

Birgit died 12 March 1837 in Medgaarden (her age listed as 70, though she was not quite 70). Her husband Tosten died 26 October 1841 in Medgaarden (his age listed as 86, though he was actually 4 days past his 83rd birthday).

Kari Tostensdatter Medgarden (c. 1790-1866)

As described in the account of Mari Christendatter’s paternal relatives, Kari Tostensdatter was from Megaarden (aka Medgarden). Megaarden was at various times part of Ål or Hemesdal parishes northwest of Nes and Gol, about 40 km from the city of Gol.

On 9 March 1816, Kari married Christen Stenersen (b. 1791) in Gol, Nes parish. His place surname at the time was Langeslet (a farm about 2 km from Eidal, west of Nesbyen).

Christen and Kari’s children were Kirsti (1817), Kari (1820), Kari (1822), Birgit (1825), Stener (1828), Thosten (1831), Mari (1833), and Ingeborg (1837).

Kari died 4 January 1866 while living on Tvete (Tveite or Tveito) farm in Ål, Buskerud. Christen’s death record has not been found. Christen’s daughter Mari is the first ancestor in this family–mother of Birgit Bjørnsen, and grandmother of Selma Halvorsen–to emigrate to America.

(Note: the source for Medgarden linked above indicates that Kari married a different man (Ole Nilsson) and had no children. If true, a different Kari would have married Christen Stenersen. The marriage record seems to have her place surname at marriage as “Hertsgaard” but no such farm seems to be recorded. Note that the use of “Kari” for her second/third daughter could indicate her mother was also named “Kari” as the tradition was to name the first daughter after the husband’s mother and the second after the wife’s mother. Note however that her next daughter was named “Bergit” which matches the woman here, and the might have named her second daughter after herself, which was also common. The Medgarden source could be in error on this point, but it’s a caveat for this whole line.)

Descent

Mari Christensdtr

paternal ancestors Mari’s maternal ancestors

Ola Pedersen Slette (1652-1732) Margit Olbjørnsdtr Dokk (1715-1807)

m. Mari Ellefsdtr (1670-1740) m. Embrik Olsen (1699-1773)

| |

Anders Olsen Bjertnes (1708-1757) Sissel Embriksdtr (1740-1824)

m. Turi Steinarsdtr Nore (1708-1780) m. Ola Rasmussen (1741-1827)

| |

Steener Andersen (1741-1818) Bergit Olsdtr Barskrind (1767-1837)

m. Kirsti Guttormsdtr (1753-1817) m. Tosten Aslesen (1758-1841)

| |

| Kari Tostensdtr (1790-1866)

|—————————————–> m. Christen Stenersen (b. 1791)

|

Brigit Bjørnsdatter paternal ancestors |

Ola Nilsson Skreddar (1680-1738) |

m. Sigrid Olsdtr (1680-1734) |

| |

Knut Olsen (1714-1771) |————|

m. Sigrid Guttormsdtr (1731-1787) |

| | Ole Halvorsen paternal ancestors

Guttorm Knutsen (1751-1827) | Halvor Helgesen (1756-1831)

m. Kari Syversdtr (1756-1835) | m. Kari Amunsdtr (b. 1764)

| | |

Syver Guttormsen (b. 1781) | Ole Halvorsen (1791-1877)

m. Birgit Anfinsdtr (b. 1780) | m. Torgund Halvorsdtr (1797-1844)

| | |

Bjørn Syversen (1829-1914) | Halvor Olsen (1824-1912)

+ Mari Christensdtr (1833-1914) <—-| m. Margit Halstensdtr (b. 1831)

| |

| Ole Halvorsen (1854-1924)

|——————————————-> m. Brigit Bjørnsdatter (1856-1925)

|

Selma Halvorsen (1899-1975)

m. Anton Johnson (1898-1991)

|———————————————————————-|

4 children

Many later descendants (Johnson family)