Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Overoien Farm History

The old picture shows the summer pasture ("Øverøien sæteren") in the Oien Valley ("Øydalen"). The Overoien farm belonged to the parents of Nikoline Jørgine Olsdatter until 1894. This year the farm was sold on a forclosure auction. Nils Mikkelsen Reinfjeld had the highest bid, 2419 kroner and bought the farm from his parents-in-law. He moved to the farm with his family from the Reinfjell farm the next year. Nils Mikkelsen Reinfjeld then sold the Reinfjeld farm in 1897 to Jørgen Herman Ingebrigtsen for 1339 kroner.
Before moving from the Reinfjell farm, nine children were born in the family, and living in Overoien, a 10th child, Josef Andreas, was born in 1896. The children of the family were:
  • Mikal Alfred (1875-1953). He emmigrated to America in 1900
  • Petra Amalie (1877-1946), who married Nils Nilsen Hagfors (1872-1948). Nils left Norway in 1914, and Petra and eight of their children emmigrated later, in 1919.
  • Anna Olea Sofie (1879-1936), who married Nils Øybakken (1870-1954) in Vefsn
  • Maren Dorthea (1882-1962), who married Birger Andreas Tverå in Mosjøen,
  • Nils Normann (Norman Oien) (1884-1934). He emmigrated to America in 1902, and married Emma Dorothea Andersen from another farm in Øya. Emma had left Norway in 1903.
  • Jørgine Kristine (Gina Oien) (1886-1954). She left Norway in 1906.
  • Karoline Johanna (Caroline Oien) (1890-1962). She left Norway in 1911.
  •  Othar Olaus (1890). Carolines twin, died the same year.
  • Lars Mathias Zahl Øien (1893-1972). 
    Lars Øien succeded his father as farmer in Overoien after Nils died in 1922. Lars was married to Ingrid, a daughter of Jørgen Ingebrigtsen, who had bought the Reinfjell farm from Nils in 1897.
  • Josef Andreas (Andrew Oien). He left Norway in 1914. In America he married Ellen Andersen from Øya, a niece of Emma Andersen. 
As a farmer at Overoien farm, Nils Mikkelsen Renfjeld (or "Nils på Øya") contributed to the modernisation of agriculture in Vefsn. Among other things, he started using a reaper during World War I.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Magda Alvilde Nilsdatter Hagfors - birth record



Nina (L) and Magda Hagfors (R), sisters

Magda Alvilde Nilsdatter Hagfors was born on 7 May 1898 to Nils Mikal Nilsen, sawmill worker and fisherman, and Petra Amalie Nilsdatter at Hagfors, Vefsn, Nordland, Norway.  She was bapitized on 19 June 1898.
 
Vefsn Parish Register, births / baptisms 1898


Sunday, October 2, 2011

Fustvatnet in Vefsn

This postcard from the 1920's shows the Fustvatnet. The lake is the largest lake in all of Vefsn, and is situated 10 km to the north from Mosjoen. Many of our ancestors were farmers and cotters around this lake. Some of the farms they lived in are: Forsmo, Aspnes, Haukland, Risnes, Ånes, Åkvik, Brækken (Lille Smedseng) and Store-Smedseng ("Big Smedseng") . They also lived in farms in the hills that surrounds the lake, like Hellefjellet and Reinfjellet.

The Forsmo farm were Mathea and Andreas Forsmo were farmers, is south of the lake. Matheas younger sister, Josefine Dorthea, lived in the Aspnes farm with her husband Edvard. This farm was sold out of the family in the 1970`s, and today this is a camping site. Josefine and Edvard had a son, Noralf ("i Aspneset") who emmigrated to the U.S., and died in Arlington, Snohomish county, Washington.
The sisters grew up in the Brekken ("Brækken") farm,  north-east of the lake. Their parents were Nils and Bina (Jakobine Agersborg) Brekken. Their younger brother, Johan Brekken ("Brækken"), became farmer on Brekken when their paretns retired. His granddaughter, Gunnbjørg, is farmer here today.


Aspnes Camping

Aspnes Camping webpage


Aspnes Camping
Graven/Aspnes family page on facebook:
Aspnes camping on facebook

Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Dolstad Church of Vefsn Parish, where our family worshipped since 1735

Our Forsmo and Hagfors families and many of their ancestors worshipped at the Dolstad Church since its construction in 1735.  It was rebuilt over an existing medieval church, where they had previously worshipped. 


DOLSTAD CHURCH, VEFSN PARISH, MOSJOEN, NORWAY


Wikipedia Norway:
http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolstad_kirke

Norwegian Architectural Study:
http://www.ub.uit.no/baser/arkinord/details.php?image_id=511&sessionid=a33c981d9bf468bf3a65f55801d12ccf

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Tormod Andreasen Forsmo - birth record

Tom Fossmo was born as Tormod Andreasen Forsmo on 30 Jan 1894, at Mosjoen, Vefsn, Nordland, Norway, the son of Andreas Petersen Forsmo and Mathea Pauline Nilsdatter.  He was baptized on April 15, 1894 at Dolstad Church.

Tom and Asger Fossmo, 1915 Iowa Census

Tom Fossmo (Tormod Forsmo) and his brother Asger show up in the 1915 state census for Iowa.  They were working as carpenters and lived in Sioux City, Iowa.