Berit Olsdatter

   Another name for Berit was Bereth Olsdatter Elgaaen.¹⁰²⁴⁸

  Research Notes:

Summary: Berit Olsdatter b 1853 was my 1st cousin three times removed. Her mother, Ingri/Ingrid Mikkelsdatter [1827-1894] was a sister to my 2nd great grandfather, Lars Mikkelson [1830-1922]. Lars Mikkelson's daughter was my great grandmother, Berit Sophie Larsdtr Mikkelson [1861-1952], married to Thore Simensen Grue [1853-1932].

In 1876, Berit Olsdatter was married to Jørgen Jakobsen, aka Jørgen Jakobsen Elgaaen [Jørgen was born at sondre Elgaaen]. For awhile they lived at farm Svukuriset on the east side of Femund lake in Røros parish in Sør Trondelag. Elgaaen or Elgå is on the south eastern side of the Femunden Lake and essentially across from the very southern part of the Tufsindalen area of Os-Tolga parish [there are numerous relations that lived in the general Elgaaen area]. Around 1870 Jørgen Jakobsen Elgaaen and Berit Olsdatter took over the farm søndre Svukuriset from Berit's parents who had moved to the farm Sylen.

In 1885 Berit, Jørgen and their son Oliver [Ole Iver] left the Røros area in Norway for North America. Note that some of their Norway records are recorded Røros parish and some in Engerdal or Tolga - this is because of the changes in the parish boundaries in 1880 and later in 1910.

In the US, Jorgen and Berit used the surname Elgaaen - this name is likely based on the area that Jorgen was born and raised on. It appears that after Jorgen and Berit Elgaaen arrived in North America, they went to the area north of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha Co, South Dakota. Jorgen's younger brother [Rasmus, born in 1859] had emigrated to SD in 1882. Both Jorgen Elgaaen and Rasmus Elgaaen and families are recorded in the 1900 US Census; Jorgen in Lyons Twp and Ramsus next door in Svedrup Twp.

Using the indexed land ownership maps for Lyons Twp, Minnehaha Co, SD, it is quite possible that Jorgen Elgaaen had land on the SE¼ of Sec 5 and/or SW¼ of Sec 3, since the quarter have the owner "J Elgaaen and J J Elgaaen" recorded. I have no other collaborating evidence that this was Jorgen Elgaaen's land - he is not recorded on the US BLO-GLO records for transfer of federal lands, so if it is his land, then he likely made a private purchase.

Jorgen and Berit Elgaaen are recorded in the 1911 Canada Census in Alberta at an area east of Forestburg. This census record and subsequent Canada census record that Jorgen, Berit and family emigrated to Canada in 1903. Looking further, I found the family living in the Gwynne Alberta area in the 1906 Census of the Prairie Provinces [Sec 2, Twp 47, Range 23]. The local history book for Forestburg mentions that Jorgen and Berit came to the Crooked Lake area, east of Wetaskiwin around 1904 [see point 4.a]. But the family must not have stayed very long since in June 1906, Jorgen and Beret had applied for a homestead entry in the Pleasington area, east and north of Forestburg [see below the information on the Jorgen's homestead]. But was there a reason for the homestead in the Forestburg? Likely there was no homestead land available in the Wetaskiwin area since that area had mostly been claimed before 1900 or shortly thereafter.

Jorgen and Berit's oldest son was not recorded living them in 1906 Census, west of Wetaskiwin. This is because Oliver [Ole I] Elgaaen was already living in the Pleasington area, east and north of Forestburg. Oliver had taken out an homestead entry at the end of May 1905, and in the 1906 census he is living on his homestead land in the the Pleasington area. [see his page for some addtional information].

Jorgen and Berit continued to farm in the Pleasington area. Berit died in 1914. After this, Jorgen and son Jacob lived together. Jorgen died in 1936.

notes finalized by Rueben D Grue, 22 Jun 2025
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Marriage: 26 Mar 1876 ... Berit Olsdatter from Fedmundshytte; father Ole Eriksen, Sylen
.... Jørgen Jakobsen from Elgåen; father Jakob Jonsen, Elgåen
.... recorded in the Engerdal parish record, Hedmark Co, Norway

1. b. Bygebok for Engerdal, Vol 2 .... pages 20 ... Svukkuriset søndre; bnr 375
- brief mention ... took over Svukkuriset søndre from Berit's parents [Ole Eriksen and Ingri Mikkelsdatter] and then sold their place when they went to Canada [actually to South Dakota first and then to Canada]


2. Norway, Emigration, 1867-1960
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61757/images/61757_b1059902-00279?usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=762681
.. image 280 out of 305 ... no. 379, 380. 381
Jørgen f Elgaaen age 37 Røros .. going to Sioux Falls, SD .... leaving 23 Apr 1885 from Trondheim
wife Beret age 32 .... son Ole Iver, age 4 and 3/4= 9 months [1881] .... but other records record him as, Oliver Elgaaen born 30 May


3. 1900 US Census, Lyons Twp, Minnehaha Co, SD; ED 0257; sheet 5B; dw/fam 81 [line 70]
Jorgen Elgaaen [index Elgazens], born Feb 1848 in Nor, age 52 married 24 yrs emigrate 1885; farmer
wife Beret, b Jun 1853 in Nor, age 46; mother of 4 children, 5 living
son, Ole, b May 1877 in Nor, age 23; em 1895; farmer
dua, Gea, b June 1886, in SD, age 13
son, Jacob, b May 1897 in SD age 3
'boarder' John Jacobson, age 12, b Jun 1887 in SD [Jacobsen patronymic .... same as Jorgen but 25 yr age difference, so ..???
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4120602_00773?treeid=&personid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=AoS117&_phstart=successSource&pId=59885469

3. b.
then Ancestry ... U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 for Lyon Twp, Minnehaha Co, SD
image 13, SW¼ Sec 3 Twp 103 N and Rge 50W of the 5th ... J. Elgaen, 160 acres .. but also SE¼ Sec 5 is "J J Elgaen"... Jorgen Elgaaen is not recorded on the US BLO-GLO records and so if one of these parcels are Jorgen's he would have had to purchased the quarter from someone else


3. c.
Note: according to the FamilySearch FT [id, MW4M-TJX for Jorgen Elgaaen], Jorgen had a brother named Rasmus Elgaaen born 21 Nov 1859; and Rasmus Elgaaen along with a wife and son emigrated in 1882. Rasmus' family is recorded in the 1900 US Census for Svedrup Twp, Minnehaha Co, SD [ED 0267; sheet 1A; dw/fam 3/3]
.... 1903 Plat - image 12, SE¼ofNW¼ and NW¼ofNE¼ of Sec 31, Twp 103N 49 W
... so this is likely why Jorgen and Berit first settled in Minnehaha Co, SD

again, FamilySearch FT ... another brother, Ole Elgaaen b 1862 had died in 1931 at Minnehaha Co, but provides no source or family
and then FamilySearch FT .. a brother, Jacob Knundsen Elgaaen, b 1865 and died in 1940 in Ramsey Co, ND .... BUT I doubt that this is correct - the patronymic is right - if this was a brother then, the patronymic should be Jacobsen/Jakobsen, but that could be a mistake
.... more research would be needed.


4. a. 1906 Canada: Strathcona, sub dis 25, page 15, fam 121, line 15 2nd side sec 2 twp 47 rge 23 4 ... Wetaskiwin
... family is indexed on automated genealogy with surname, ' Elgorme ? Jordan '
Jordan Elgaaen, age 58 b in Nor; emigrated to Canada, 1903; district Wetaskiwin* ; 3 horses, 9 milk cows, 20 cattle, 12 hogs
wife Bret [Beret] age 53 b in Nor
dau Gea, age 18 b in Nor ?
son Jacob, age 6 b in US

* .. about 8 kms east of Wetaskwin and north on Rge Rd 233 for abt 4-5 kms and then east - but Rge Rd ends after abt 2 kms ..., so
a more direct .. highway 13 east of Wetaskiwin and so you descend into the valley at Gwynne, turn to the left of north on
Rge Rd 231A and follow this on the western side of Coal Lake but initially known as Crooked Lake - continue north after a marker
'Pipestone Creek Conservation Lands' for about 800 meters.. google maps satellite notes an acerage/house on the right [to the east]
along the lake shore. 100-200 meters further north is what appears to be a 'section or quarter line' and around this point is Sec 2
.. the 1906 Census doesn't indicate the quarter .... Sec 2 was homesteaded by Mathias and Anthony Revior, Frank Lambert and Alfred Lainchbury. ... so it is likely that Jorgen and Berit were either working for one of these, or leased/rented a quarter from one of them or it is possible that Jorgen and Beret purchased one of the quarters.

https://automatedgenealogy.com/census06/ViewFrame06.jsp?id=19485 .... 1906 Census.

** Wetaskiwin local history book, Pioneer Pathways: Rural Wetaskiwin, Vol 1 and Vol 2, published by Westaskiwin Circle 8
Historial Society, 1981. .... is not on-line through the U of C or any other place [searched 4 Jan 2025]
[is available, Camrose Library] ... the above land location is not noted on the Gwynne local history book for the Crooked Lake
School district - it seems that the boundary is on the east side of Crooked/Coal Lake]

b. 1911 Canada Census:
Alberta, Strathcona, sub-dis 14, page 5; dw/fam 58 [line 9] ... SW 16 twp 43, range 14, W4th

Jorgen Elgaaen b Feb 1848, age 63 in Nor; emigrated to Canada, 1903; farmer
wife Bereth, b Jun 1853 in Nor, age 57,
dau Gea, b May 1886?.. in US, age 25
son Jacob, b May 1896 in US, age 13
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8947/images/e078_e001932589?usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=4523257

c. 1916 Canada:
Jorgen, age 68 b in Nor; widow
son Jacob, age 20 b in US
dau, Gea, age 30 b in US; m. Joseph Moller, age 26 b in US
granddaughter, Julia Moller, age 8 b in AB
grandson, Norman Ivan Ray, age 2 months, b in AB
also: Bernt Thompson, labor age 21 b in Nor [abt 1895]; em 1914
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DCX7-D4J?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AKM5Y-C5V&action=view&cc=1529118


d. 1921 Canada; Alberta, Victoria district, sub -dist 6;
page 19. sec 16, Twp 43, Range 14; dw/fam 200/205; line 42
Joseph A Moller, age 31 b [1890] in US; own house, stone/frame, 5 rooms
wife Gea, age 35 b in US
dau Julia, age 13 b in AB
son Norman, age 5 b in AB
dau Lenora, age 2 b in AB
https://www.ancestry.ca/imageviewer/collections/8991/images/1921_011-E002865643?usePUB=true&_phsrc=YRs57&_phstart=successSource&pId=6686879

then page 20; sec 15 Twp 43, Rge 14; dw/fam 215/220; line 45 [indexed on Ancestry, "Ellgson, James' ??? ]
Jorgen Elgaaen, age 73 b in Nor, widow; own house, stone frame, 2 rooms ... retired
son Jacob, age 24 b in US, single ... own farm

then page 21; sec 4, Twp 43, Rge 14; dw/fam 217/223; line 11 ... indexed on Ancestry as "Ellgasen, Oliver E
Oliver Elgaaen, age 44 b in Nor; own house, stone/frame, 8 rooms ... own farm
wife Belle, age 40 b in US
dau Arlne A [Orine], age 9 b in Canada??
son Raymond E, age 7 b in Canada??
also, a laborer, Phillip Patterson, age 22 b in Canada


d. 1926 Canada sec 15 Twp 43, Rge 14 .... Camrose District; sub-dis 45, Municipality of Sterling, page 7 ; image 875 of 1068
Jacob Elgaaen, single, age 30 b in the US
father Jorgen, widow, age 78 b in Norwau
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C395-GSXH-5?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQPJX-C5D1&action=view&cc=3005862

e. 1931 Canada Camrose district, sub - district 47, Municipality of Sterling, page 9, dw/fam 78/78 [line 40]
Jacob Elgaaen, age 35 b in US; farm...
father Jorgen, widoe, age 83 b in Nor
also: Minnie [Helmina] Peterson, domestic, single, age 36 b in Norway, em 1922
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHJ-GQ53-RQ8N?view=index&cc=5000196&lang=en&groupId=

https://www.ancestry.ca/imageviewer/collections/62640/images/1931_217-e011749796?usePUB=true&_phsrc=YRs153



5. Alberta Homestead .... reel 2738, file 953128 ... image 105 ... SW¼ Sec 16, Twp 43, Range 14, W4th
image 106 - Sworn Statement .... Jorgen
- entry 21 Jun 1906 ... house March 1907 ... resident since 1 Dec 1906
- with wife and 3 children
- dated 30 Jun 1909
- by Jun 1909, Jorgen and Berit had cleared 103 acres and had 83 acres in crop... also 50 cattle and 5 horses
- house 24x24 lumber [576 sq ft] value of $800; grainery 16x4, value of $50; barn value of $200; well, $20; wire fencing, $100
- support statements from John Christiansen and John Fossen
- patent issued 22 Nov 1909
https://www.ancestry.ca/search/collections/60865/records/20045?tid=&pid=&queryId=19e80e06-4846-48f4-85c4-3d6fd3f2cb67&_phsrc=HSa248&_phstart=successSource


6. Yesterday and Years Ago: a history of Forestburg and district page 463, image 475

Jorgen Elgaaen, submission by Julia Lymburner [Julia was a daughter of Gea, and Gea was the daughter of Jorgen and Berit]
.. b in Norway and with wife and son Oliver went to Baltic, SD in 1885, then in 1903 to Crooked Lake, AB and then 1906 to Forestburg to their homestead
.. children attended Huser school
... and so on ... some basics on Gea, Jacob and Oliver - spouces and children names,


Forestburg history book, "Yesterday and Years Ago" .... page 223 image 235 .... formed 1910, church built 1915
with cemetery, page 227 image 239 ... established 14 Sep 1907 on NW sec 22, twp 42 rge 14
.. Jorgen Elgaaen .. involved in the establishment of both church and cemetery
... above book also mentions that around 1904, they came to the Crooked Lake area .... east of Wetaskiwin - Gwynne area [actually 1903] ... and then to Forestburg in 1906 ..... I don't know why the went to the Crooked Lake area
not indexed in the Gwynne history book or the Bittern Lake history book

https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/archive/Yesterday-and-Years-Ago---a-history-of-Forestburg-and-district-2R3BF1F31ZF8I.html


Pleasington Lutheran Cemetery ... see findagrave - photos of a couple of plaques


Thompson FT on Ancestry; [Steven Mass] ; access 4 Jul 2025
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/195310340/person/362581800666/facts
- link to Jorgen
.. includes a link to obit in Edmonton Journal, 1936 ¹⁰²⁴⁸

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Emigration, 1885, 23 Apr 1885, Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. ¹⁰²⁴⁹ Jørgen J Elgaaen, age 37, wife Beret age 32 and son Ole Iver [age 4 yrs 9 mos - 1881 ???] leaving Trondheim for North America, with designation as Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Berit married Jorgen Elgaaen, son of Jacob Jonsen Elgaaen and Gjertrud Olsdatter, on 26 Mar 1876 in Drevsjø, Engerdal, Hedmark Co, Norway.¹⁰²⁴² (Jorgen Elgaaen was born on 16 Feb 1848 in Røros, Sør Trondelag, Norway,¹⁰²⁵⁰ died on 11 Nov 1936 in Killiam, Alberta, Canada ¹⁰²⁵¹ and was buried in Pleasington Cemetery, Forestburg, Alberta, Canada.)