Lars Thoresen Grue

  Research Notes:

1. a. 1916 Canada Census .. ...

- Lars, Avey, Oliver, age 1
- Emigration given as 1900 for Lars, as 1903 for Avey
- farm
- also listed is Edward Berkholtz, age 20, born in Germany, emigration 1911, Lutheran, farm work

++ note: 1911 Census - Simon, Lars, Oscar are recorded as another family/dwelling from the parents; however, is recorded as a son to head of household, Thore; the location (section etc) is very difficult to read due to poor quality


b. 1921 Census

- indexed on ancestry.com as Sara Brus and Avery Brus

- Lars, age 36 born in USA; immigrated in 1894; naturalized - 1902; works on own account; works on own farm;
- Avey wife, age 31 <1890> born in Sweden, immigrated in 1901, nat
- Oliver, son, age 6 born in AB; Chester, age 5, Amy age 3, Norman age 10/12 - all born in AB


c. 1926 Canada - Prairie Provinces .. Vegreville census district; as of 1 Jun 1926; line 35, dw 82, fam 82
link, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C395-GSG5-1?i=10&cc=3005862

THIS record/image has much Wrong information, many, many errors;

- location is on section 21 (north quarter, NO homestead and I think the house was on the south quarter, Sec 16)
- Lars head, age 38 <1888> BUT born in Norway [NO, he was born in MN]; year of immigration 1906 ??? NO, he came with with parents in 1894; homestead entry was in 1905;
- next is wife, Solvie [familysearch transcription - reasonable given the image ???? NO, actual wife was Avey; age 36 <1890> born in Norway ??? NO, she was born in Sweden; immigration 1905 ??? NO, she came to Canada with her parents, in 1901 [and in 1893 from Sweden to North Dakota ];
- next is son, Sigurd ????? NO, oldest son is Oliver; age 12 <1914> Actual birth is 2 Jan 1915; born in Alta
- next is son, Alvin ????? NO, the next oldest son is Chester; age 10 <1916>
then, ????? no other children listed ???
BUT: Amy, Norman, Velma, and Gladys were all born before Jun 1926 [Isabele born 13 Nov 1926; Wallace in 1933]

NOTE: the enumerator was Earl Leonard Sumis - he also enumerated Jonas Lofgren and that information is correct; on this sheet, dw 83 fam 83, re; John Lofgren family has some wrong/incomplete information - notably emmigration in 1912, but John came in 1909; only one child was recorded and his name is recorded as Jonas; BUT all of John children were born before 1926 - it is possible that Dagny, Erik and Ina were someplace else, but John was born 1912, and the younger children would likely still be at home: Gus b 1914, Hedvig b 1916, Verna b 1918 and Hattie, b 1920

Conclusion: it is likely that Grandpa and Grandma were not at home when the enumerator came and so the information was likely obtained from a neighbour (but not sure who) and that person reported what little information they knew about Grandpa's family.

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1931 Canada Census, Alberta, Vegreville; ED 14 [sub-dis]; Cornhill Municipality 487; page 14; dw/fam 130/132
NE sec 16-49-21-4
Louis T Grue, age 43, b in US; em 1893; na 1898; own home, wood, 8 rooms*, value $1000; general farm, farmer
wife Avey Rangbory, age 41, b in Swe
son Oliver Thorston, age 16, b in AB; father's farm
son Chester Bernhard, age 14
dau Amy Loraine, age 12
son Norman Lars, age 10
dau Velma Josephine, age 8
dau Gladys Avey, age 6
dau Ruby Isabell, age 4

* 3 upstairs, down, bedroom, living, dining, kitchen [7 rooms, what is the 8th?]

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62640/images/1931_225-e011758188?ssrc=&backlabel=Return

.. ....

2. Land from the AB Prov Archives; name as "Lewis T Grue", Acc. 1970.313film 2739file 967217

- homestead entry 14 Sep 1905 - homestead ¼ was NE Sec 16, Twp 49, Range 21, W4th
- but, certificate of Title -- 3 Sept 1914
---- note: on this, there are indications of improvement - as indicated in the Hay Lakes history book - I had written that part of the of the Hay Lakes book, based in the actual homestead records - photocopies that I had obtained from the Provincial Archives C-6426
Item Number:346351

AA. from Ancestry collection:

[image 2001]
b. built house - Apr 1906; have not lived in it
- have resided on NE sec 8, twp 48, range 20 - farming - parents; single
- then some information on NE sec 8, twp 48, range 20; bought in 1902 from HBC, by my father who has a frame house value $2000, frame stable value of $600, framed granary with of $200; flour mill value ??; lived continueously from 1902 to present
19071 acre broke- acres cropped
1908--
1909-1
1910101
1911310
1912816

7 head of cattle and 3 hourse in 1910
- house 16 by 18 Frame value $400; frame stable 14 by 14 value $75; frame granary 8 by 16 value $50;
well 8 feet, value $25; 1 abt 3/4 miles of 2 wire fence, value $175
dated at Edmonton, 14 sep 1912
AND Land Agent at Edmonton, "I recommend the foregoing application for patent, beliving that the homestead requirements
of 'Dominion Lands Act' have, in this case been complied with. Dated at Edmonton, May 30 1914

In support of Lars - Lewis- application by Carl A Anderson, N half Sec 9, Twp 48 and Tony O Broen, SW Sec 24, Twp 48

And a Letter of Patent, dated 27 Aug 1914 [2003]

NOTE: from the FamilySearch FT [id K85S-BPW] a note: "Lars married Avey Skaret in 1913 and they filed for a homestead in Hay Lakes." - this is likely written by Barb Grahn (Grue). BUT as I have indicated above, Lars [Lewis] had made entry of the homestead in 1905, applied for patent in 1912 - both before marriage.


BUT Lars also had the SE¼ of Sec 21 - the north quarter was initially a CPR quarter

According to Hay Lakes history book, p 400 - Lars homesteaded had the NE¼ of Sec 16 and this would have been across the road from Grandpa Jonas [the 80 acres purchased with Pete Hanson]
- mom (Mary Grue) always called this "Hudson Bay vika"
- the homestead house was likely located on the northeast portion of the NE¼ of Sec 16

the north quarter - Section 21 was a CPR quarter - NOTE: Sec 21 was a CPR section and so all land would have to have been purchased from the CPR
Glenbow museum CPR archives only records the NE¼ of Sec 21 jointly purchased by:
Anton Sware [Anton Svare] and Jonas Pearson [Jonas A Persson] on 3 Feb 1911
- page 400 and page 455 and 467 - Jonas Pearson purchased the E half of the NE¼ of Sec 21
- Anton Sware had purchased the W half of the NE¼ and maybe also the NW¼ of Sec 21 - the CPR archives record
that 3 acres of this was purchased and paid $20 on 24 Mar 1910 by trustrees of St Joseph congregation, Camrose
NOTE: there appears to be an error on page 400 on the Hay Lakes history book - it records the location of St Josephs on the north west part of the NE¼ of Sec 21. BUT looking at the satellite view on Google maps, it appears that the location of the church and Cemetery is actually on the far north east corner of NW¼ of Sec 21. This location fits with the CPR purchase. On page 467 [Anton Sware] simply says that "along the edge of of his land near the quarter line of Section 21" - but doesn't note if it is the NE or NW quarter line. Again using google maps it seems that the distance between the church and Range Road 213 is about 900 meters - the quarter line should be more like 850 meters [Range Road 213 is the range road that Lars Grue farm


AB Homestead index also has
Lewis T Grue: Sec 11, Twp 50, Range21,4th [likely NE ¼] Acc. 1974.048GL-1348NE [not online]
- this is between Oliver Lake and Larry Lake - a bit north; and a couple of kms east of the "Ministic Lake Game Bird Sanctuary"
- grandpa may have made an application but likely not pursued



??? Post 1930 ?? AB Homestead - see below, re 12 Jul 2022

GRUE, LarsSec 30, Twp 81, Range 8,W6thAcc. 1989.435LD-4052NW¼?? [not online]

- this area would about 53 kms north west of Spirit River. I have taken a close up snip the area and also a long view [saved in Lars' folder]
[1] Hwy 49 west out of town for about 25 kms [road curves north and then west again] until junction of Hwy 725
[2] turn north on Hwy 725 for about 25 kms; then a junction with Hwy 681 [at the corner is "Fourth Creek Community Hall" and a ball diamond
[3] turn left on Hwy 681, going west for about 1.5 - 2 kms [should be around range road 85, road junction about 1 km west of Hwy 681 going north and south;
and it looks like there is a small amount of farm buildings abt 1 km north on this road] - should be farm acres or grass/hay land; the next road is going south, range road 90]
[4] - less than a km north [map simply says "Saddle Hills Country"
- this is also about 120+ kms north of Valhalla.
[ a google search - notes a bible camp on Lake Saskatoon, but the google map doesn't show a lake - note is from "South Peace Regional Archives" and a photo of a group of girls around 1940]

note: on the AB Homestead Index - the same Sec, etc for Wallace Harland Grue, film LD-4052 - NE and NW
Acc Ref 1989.435

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 July 2022Alberta Provincial Archives, Edmonton, re, Wallace Harland Grue [ see his file]
NW¼ Sec 30 Twp 81, Range 8, W of the 6th

- there is only one mention of grandpa Lars - this is a page where Wallace signs giving the Dept of Lands and Forests permission to communicate with Lars Grue, Hay Lakes, in case of the death of the Leseasee

- this notation is 22 Dec 1953, but DOES NOT prove grandpa Lars was in the exaction location - in fact, the homestead record file doesn't prove that Wallace was at this homestead since this could all have been done by paper


3. from mom's book, I've a Story to Tell, page 182

- Mark was born 11 Sept 1944; while she was in the hospital, Lars and Avey had gone to Whitecourt to pick berries (lingen?). Lars had his first stroke - it was "a hard one" - took a long time to get his speech back, but he still walked with limp.
- also see Hay Lakes history book, p 427 - left him in poor health the rest of his life; a new house south of the homestead house after Norman came back from the war

4. Clips from the Camrose Canadian

24 Mar 1953, page 7, East Hay Lakes
Mr Lars Grue is a patient in St Mary's hospital in Camrose

Edmonton Journal issue 13 Nov 1943, page 18 [newspapers.com] [accessed 25 Nov 2020 - downloaded by some else Family Tree on Ancestry - saved under Lars and Avey Grue folder

- this the first that I have heard of this
"Lars T Grue Auction" for 19 Nov 1943 [advertisement]
- the timing is curious - Norman had taken over the farm in the fall of 1945 and so this was 2 years earlier
Grandpa was 56 years old at this time and it was about a year earlier than his first stroke. Perhaps he wasn't feeling great and they knew they couldn't keep up with the work - Dad had his own place, and Chester ???
- I assume that some things did sell, but I don't know if everything was
- Grandpa must have kept the land and maybe rented the land for a couple of years or the Dad and Chester and others seeded and did the harvest???


Edmonton Journal, 28 Mar 1945, page 13; re: Theodore Grue, 25th wedding anniversary
... attending - Mrs. T S Grue of Armena ...... Nels Grue of Armena, Miss Louise Grue, and
Mr and Mrs Lars Grue were soloists ....


5. Death - AB Provincial Archives

GRUE LARS T date of death 3 4 58 (record idenity number): 002-302 at Camrose

??? note: the death index says he died 4 Mar 1958; obituary, tombstone, and Hay Lakes history book says he died on 5 Mar 1958


6. A note from: From Oscar Grue's manuscript, Life Story and Pioneer Life ... [page 11/page 7 of PDF - in Oscar's folder]

In 1908 organized a band with Uncle (Cornelius Grue) as Leader .... the band members ... Lars Grue, T Trombone ...

7. See my 'photo document', "Sultjelma Hockey .... ", completed 1 Oct 2022 [currently in my z-folder, 16 Oct 2022] ^18,19,20,21

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Birth / Baptism, 1887, Grant Co, Minnesota, United States. ²² Birth, 2 Aug 1887; Baptism, 11 Sep 1887. Parents, Thore S og Beret S Grue. Witnesses, Johan og Henrika (spelling ?) Knundsen, Emile Tostensen, Ingeborg Anna Bowman [?]

2. Land - 1905: NE Sec 16, Twp 49, Range 21, W 4th, 1905, Hay Lakes, Alberta, Canada. ²³

3. Residence - 1916, 1916, Strathcona District, Alberta, Canada. ²⁴

4. Residence - 1921, 1921, Strathcona District, Alberta, Canada. ²⁵ Farm, rural Hay Lakes, Alberta. Sec 21, Twp 49, Range 21, W4. Head of household, Lars Grue age 36 born in USA, emigrated 1894, natuarlized, 1902; Avey, wife age 31 born in Sweden, emigrated in 1901, naturalized; children, Oliver age 6, Chester age 5, Velma age 3, Norman age 10 months. All children born in Alberta.

Lars married Avey Rangborg Skaret, daughter of Ole Olsen Skaret and Kristina Eriksson, on 2 Jul 1913 in Scandia Lutheran Church, Armena, Alberta, Canada.⁹ (Avey Rangborg Skaret was born on 13 Sep 1890 in Los, Gävleborg Co, Sweden ^26,27, baptized on 5 Oct 1890 in Los, Gävleborg Co, Sweden,²⁸ died on 6 Mar 1960 in Camrose, Alberta, Canada ^15,29 and was buried on 10 Mar 1960 in St. Joesph's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Hay Lakes, Alberta, Canada ^30,31.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Marriage.

2. Marriage, 2 Jul 1913, Scandia Lutheran Church, Armena, Alberta, Canada.