Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Life in general......

Visiting the land of Grandma

Genealogy is not only about sitting in front of the computer or roaming around in libraries.

Last week my wife Inger Lise and I, had a great experience as we got to accompany Lisa and Bob Laclede as they visited the place where Lisa’s grandmother Gjertine Eriksdatter Øksenvåg was born in 1890.

Lisa and Bob had their trip organized by PERFECTLY PLANNED JOURNEYS The owner Lene Heltberg Minyard, is a friend of mine. Lene contacted me and asked if I could look into Lisa’s genealogy as Lisa and Bob planned to visit Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal county. It turned out that Lisa’s grandmother came from the nearby island Averøya, where she, after having lost both her parents by the age of 10, grew up with her grandparents in the little fishing village Øksenvågen. At the age of 19, she emigrated and settled in Minnesota.  In the 1910 census, she is recorded living with the family of her aunt Ellen Gjertina Folland in Kittson, Minnesota.

In addition to visiting the places Lisa’s ancestors lived, we also took a trip on the Atlantic ocean highway as shown in the featured photo.

Lisa and Bob in front of the house in Smedneset, Averøy where Lisa’s grandmother was born.
Kornstad church, where Lisa’s grandmother was baptized.
Bremsnes church where many of Lisa’s ancestors where baptized, married, and buried.

The guided tour ended at the hotel Lisa and Bob stayed at in Kristiansund. I had suggested to Lene to put them up at this hotel as this is right on the spot where Lisa’s  2G Grandfather Erik Edvardsen Øksenvåg lived the last years of his life.

I hope Lisa and Bob had as great a day as Inger Lise and I. We made two great new friends.

10 thoughts on “Visiting the land of Grandma

  • Martin – that is a GREAT article about our visit and tops off an even better day touring with you and Inger Lise. Thanks again for helping make this a trip of a lifetime! Your research taught my wife’s family many facts that they didn’t know about their grandmother and her family.

    Bob

    Reply
  • Dear Martin,

    What a awesome morning as I clicked on your blog and saw our pictures and story. We are still talking about our wonderful trip and the time with you and Inger Lise was the highlight of our time there. I am so happy to have this new information about Grandma, and I am so very grateful to you for your research and for the time you and your wife spent with us. Bob and I are so happy to have met you and it’s wonderful to have you as new friends! Have a great weekend (I wish I was still in Norway).
    Lisa Johnson Laclede

    Reply
  • This is absolutely the best part of my job!!!! Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge about Lisa’s heritage Martin! I just knew you would make this trip very special for her and Bob. I can not even begin to say how happy it makes me to read your blog, and to know that you have all become life long friends.

    Warm regards,
    Lene

    Reply
  • Martin – what a wonderful thing to be able to help create a memorable adventure for this couple. That is a great thing about friendships both old & new is creating memories! Great article, looking forward to the day I can come over & see in person where both my Great Grandmother Marie & Great Grandfather Ben were from.
    Blessings,
    Lynn

    Reply
  • Just found you! Looking forward to learning more about my Norwegian heritage and maybe planning a trip to Norway. Thanks!–Ken Berg (was Eriksen before abandoning patronymics. I think the name came from the Vollanberget farm Gunder was living on.)

    Reply
  • I love reading your blog.
    My Great Grandfather was listed as a fyerboter in the 1875 Census of Fana in Hordaland County. Is it possible to find out what company he worked for. What is a Fyerboter, I was told that it meant Coal Stoker. It appears that he worked on a boat on Fanafjord. But it is family tradition that he was working on a boat that came to America, got off the boat and did not return for the trip home.
    His name is Iver Larsen son of Lars Iversen and Malene Andreasdatter. He was born in Fana in 1854 and appeared on the 1865 census age 12 and the 1875 as 21. I also know that Malene and Iver sold their farm in 1876 and moved into Bergen and she dies at the same address in 1889. Lars died in 1868 in Fana.
    Thank you for the informative articles. I need to learn how to use land records, so I can get more info on the purchase of the farm in 1844 by Lars and the selling of the farm in 1876. They also may have owned their Apartment in Bergen. Iver came to America in 1879.

    Reply
  • Martin, I’ve been missing your blog & am wondering if there’s been an interruption of some sort. The last posting I received was May 2019. Thank you, Kate

    Reply
    • Hello Kate.

      I have posted since May and you are on my mailing list. Have you checked your spam folder in your email reader? Admittingly I have not posted much the last months as I have had to focus my attention away from genealogy (I have been answering questions I receive through emails though). As things are now getting quieter I intend to get into my regular blogging modus again. Martin

      Reply

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