Marit Eriksdtr Berg

  Research Notes:

Note: Marit Eriksdatter Berg left Tolgen on 15 Apr 1853. Elias Hansen Narjord left Tolgen in 1854. They were 1st cousin's once removed. Marit's mother was Magnhild Jonsdotter Grue b 1756 and Elias Hansen Narjord's grandmother was Sigrid Jonsdatter Grue b 1763; they were sisters). Both Marit J Grue and Sigrid J Grue were sisters and the daughters of Jon Simensen Grue [1729-1807], my 4th great-grandfather.

I don't have any indication that Marit's son Elias had visited or traveled to the home of Nils and Marit. Nils Olsen Eggen was likely in Mifflin Twp, Iowa Co, Wisconsin [1855 WI State Census]. By at 1857 Nils and family were at Cannon Valley, Leon Twp, Monroe Co, WI [1860 US Census; and son Mikkel's confirmation record in 1857] - see my article under under 'stories', Nils Olsen Eggen family travels

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Note that the article/document, "The Immigrant Wagon" written by Dr Carl Roan. I have noted that this is part of my documents, but likely it is still a paper document and one that I have not scanned. As of 22 August 2023, I am not sure where the paper document is - either one of the genealogy binders or in grandpa Jonas' brown box.

When I was in MN in 2008, I had visited the McLeod Co Historical Society center. They had a fairly extensive library. I had found "The Immigrant Wagon" as part of a revised or updated McLeod County History book - the initial book from 1917 is uploaded on Internet archive, but the updated is not. And as of 22 August 2023, I can't find local of the history book or the name.

I remember that the after 2008 I had reviewed the website for the McLeod Co Historical Society and they were concerned that their updated work had been put on-line and they lost many sales of the book. As of 22 Aug 2023, the website for the McLeod Co Historical Society has changed and I can't even find the book.

noted: 22 Aug 2023

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See my document .... Family travels from Quebec to Minnosota [written in Aug 2023];
my PC .... Grue Family Tree

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1. Source: www.tomren.org; contact Holly Tomren [ from previous website - check for papers ]

- Ole Estensen Kotmo and Marit Eriksdtr Berg were not married (apparently Ole had never married but "fathered several illegitimate children")
- son, Ole Olsen Berg was raised by his mother and "her family at the Berg farm"
- records Marit Eriksdtr Berg married to Nils Olsen Eggen, born 22 Jan 1809

- also gives ancester information for Marit Eriksdtr Berg

source: worldconnect.rootsweb.com ; contact Patrice Galliath - also gives Marit Eriksdtr Berg married to Nils Olsen Eggen

2. source: worldconnect.rootsweb.com under Marit Eriksdtr Berg: contact: Fran Johnson, branchshaker01@yahoo.com (17 May 2004) ; contact: Gale M Roberts, rlor@epix.net (2 April 2005) ; contact: Michael MacCreery, maniacmi@sbcglobal.net (18 July 2005) ; contact: Philip & Debbie Fergerson, debdferg@charter.net (21 Mar 2005) ; contact Cal Owen, CalOwen@mediaone.net (16 June 2002)

- gives Marit Eriksdtr Berg's father as Erik O Bortstuen Berg, born 1751, died 1831 (no further info on ancestors)
- does not give information that Marit Eriksdtr Berg and Ole Estensen Kotmo had a son Ole Olsen Berg ( +++ see notes for Ole Olsen Berg - Digitarkivet - birth - illegitimate)
- all sources give descendant information for Marit Etrksdtr Berg and Nils Olsen Eggen - Ole Nelson (Ole used surname as Nelson) and two of his children, Christian Nelson and Gjertrud Nelson
- Ole Nelson and wife, Helene settled at Bergen Twp, McLeod Co, MN and one source (Gale Roberts) implies that they lived at the homestead from 1866; daughter, Gjertrud is reported as being born at Bergen, McLeod Co, MN in 1874


3. US Census

a. 1855 WI State: Mifflin Twp, Iowa Co, Wisconsin [ male, head of household only recorded ]

- records Nels-Nils Olson, 4 males, 1 female, but only 2 foreign born
[ Nils or Nels, Marit, Elias, Mikkel, Knut -- daughter Berit is married and at Wingville (Grant Co), but can't find Ole Johson record;
Ole ??? ]
- see page 6 of Carl Roan's manuscript
- In the spring of 1856, Ole and Beret Johnson, and Beret's brother Ole, left Wingville for MacLeod Co, MN [top, page 12]

link, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6W99-7XL?i=16&cc=1443825


4. a. 1860 US Census, Leon, Monroe Co, WI image 6, dw 527, fam 512 (familysearch)
link, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSC-96X8?i=5&cc=1473181

- Nelson Olson, age 50 and Mary Olson, age 60, both born in Norway; also listed is Carnah Olson, age 20, as a farm labor; ??? age of Nelson and Mary put birthdates about 1810 and 1800, and so, fit; however can't conclude this is the same - - - - Monroe Co is about half-way between Grant Co and Dunn Co, WI AND is north of Iowa County; Barron County borders just to the east of Menomonie, Dunn C; Menomonie is about 180 kms to the north of Leon, Monroe Co and about 300 kms north of Mifflton (Mifflton is about 150 kms south of Leon, Monroe Co

b. 1875 MN States, Bergen McLeod Co; see source citation

- Nils Eggen and Marit are recorded in the household of Ole Nelson, son, and Helen; Ole's children's surnames as 'Olson'
- name is recorded as Nils Olson, age 65, and Marit Olson, age 75, both born in Norway

c. 1870 US Census - can't find them recorded at Bergen [ reviewed census sheets, 29 Jan 2018 ]
OR in Leon Twp, Monroe Co, WI - reviewed 29 Jan 2018


4. d. source: 1880 US Census for Bergen, McLeod Co, MN

- Ole Johnson and Beret household, records Niels Olson, age 70 (as father-in-law to head of household) and Mariet Olson, age 80 (mother-in-law) to Ole Johnson (born abt 1825; head of household) and wife Bertha Johnson, age 47 (born about 1832) ; NOTE: sources from #2 and #1 gives daughter name as Berit (not Bertha). Therefore, it is assumed this Niels Olson and Mariet are Nels Olsen Eggen and Marit Ericksdtr Berg; place of death is assumed


5. Birth -- Digitalarkivet -- Døypte i Tolga prestegjeld 1786-1814 (Marie Tollan transcription)

- Marit Erichsdtr
- father - Erich Olsen; mother - Magnille Jonsdtr; residence of parents - Berrig
- witnesses - Agnis Jonsdtr (Berrig), Ingri Olsdtr (Tufsingdal), Sigri Erichsdtr (Moseng), Ole Jacobsen (Breen), Ole Bentsen (Tufsingdal), Erich Estensen (Moseng)


6. Death, 1883; handwritten note scribbled at McLeod Co Historical Society library in 17 May 2008 by myself; from an index of Bergen Twp death records index.

- my notes gives name as Mariret [?] O Eggen, died 28 Jun 1883, age <1799>; of old age ???


7. General google search [ last access: 19 Sep 2020 ] ???? - not clear if this is accurate - 16 Aug 2023

Marit Ericksdatter Berg; http://www.stonehouse.ca ; from here do a name search: - Berit N Eggen; basic data for Ole Nelsen family; not clear of family relationships;
note: many photos etc; one example on the 'gallery' page 2, there is a photo of the Provost Cemetery and link to Frieda Margaret Tiffin b 1867 in ON and 1st married in 1912 in Provost, AB to Charles Francis Harford; she died 1982; daugther


8. Ole Nelson's (Nels Eggen and Marit's son) obit 3 Dec 1914, says that he arrived in the US in 1853 and for 2-3 yrs lived in the vicinity of Coon Prairie, WI; so he may have gone there for some work (or this location is noted because his parents had come to MN for this general area [ but this is south of Cannon Valley - see below ]


9. One reference is "Cannon Family Cemetery" on Sec 35 of Leon, Monroe

LOCATION: SE corner of NE1/4 of SE1/4 of section 35 township of Leon (Cannon Valley) GPS N43° 48.997' W90° 48.674'

This was a cemetery that, according to local folklore, existed in Cannon Valley but present day residents were unable to pinpoint the location. .... 3 burials, but dates are not certain, one is Belinda Cannon, either born or died 1861 Monroe County Local History Museum and Research Room
link, http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/monroe/cemeteries/Cannon-cem.txt
- there is a Norwegian Lutheran Church on Sec 33

AND then, with google maps, junction of County Hwy X and Hwy 27, along a creek that is a tributary of Little LaCrosse River; this area is less than 5 kms to the south of the current town/village of Leon, WI (and about 45 kms or 25-30 miles across country from La Crosse. This area and County Hwy X follows a very small creek and as you go south, there is a bit higher ground.

I have only found one plat of Leon Twp (Monroe Co, WI), published in 1877; link, https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4123m.la001433/
There doesn't seem to be other sources; The book, History of Monroe County .... (available on archive.org doesn't give a lot, but does mention a couple of churches, page 579 and starting with page 521 a brief outline of the history of Leon Twp, but nothing much on Cannon Valley.

There is also an article on Leon Twp from the same book, but maybe an updated version ???, but likely someone from the website had written an article "Settlement of Leon Township" using the above book as a source [source is, "Genealogy Trails" with the website/page updated 2018]
Link, http://genealogytrails.com/wis/monroe/earlysettle2.html
- an interesting statement, "In 1858 the Milwaukee & La Crosse railroad was built through, going within less than a mile of the village, which was now a hummer, contractors and railroad men for a time making it their headquarters", but this would be more applicable to Ole Iver Berg's travels.


10. Unpublished manuscript, "Ole-Iver Berg and Johanne Berg, Pioneers: An Account of Covered Wagon Days"
[filed under folder, Ole Iver Berg

in the Appendix (page 37), Erling Grevstad notes that Ole Iver Berg didn't understand why his uncle Nils Eggen would have settled in Cannon Valley, "...the land was poorly suited for farming; the hilly terran and shallow, stoney soil...."


11. Coon Prairie Lutheran Church Records, Westby, Wisconsin [ this is in Vernon Co, and abt 30 kms south of Leon and abt 10 kms south of the home in Cannon Valley]
https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/imageviewer/collections/60722/images/41742_314960-00012?pId=151155918
- image 43 Mikkel Eggen - son of Nils Olsen Eggen and Marit Erksdt; confirmation, 1857



12 Ancestry Family Tree: Durene FT [ jldurene]; last access, 16 Aug 2023
[search: Ole Nelson, b 1834 Norway, lived in Mcleod Co, MN]
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/104921903/person/210107854238/facts ; Bergen Lutheran established, 1860

- records only 3 children; Martin b 1869, Annie b 1882 and Nora b 1889; BUT does not record more information on them
- links the the US, Evangelical Lutheran in America Church Records, Lester Prairie, Bethel [Bergen] Lutheran Church, deaths/furnerals: image 444
Ole Nelson died 26 Nov 1914

image 1: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/60722/images/41742_314181-00000?pId=4655379 ^912,913,914

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Emigration - 1853, 1 Apr 1853, Tolga, Hedmark, Norway. ⁹¹⁵ Leaving Tolga parish for North America

Travels from Sweden: Nils Olsen Eggen and Marit Eriksdatter Berg: 30 Jan 2018, Wisconsin, United States

The following is a summary of the travels of Nils Olsen Eggen family when they left their home in Tolga parish in Norway and immigrated to the United States. Most of the information is from The Immigrant Wagon written by Carl Roan, 1932; (starting on page 4)


1. In April or May of 1853, they left Christiania (Olso) on board the ship William Tell. The actual ship was likely the 'Wilhelm Tell' that left Christiania on 2 May 1853 and arrived at Quebec, Canada on 21 Jun 1853 (the ship's Captain was A.A. Bull, but I have not found a passenger list).

2. Quebec and into the US. The Immigrant Wagon records they docked at Montreal but no dated is noted. They then took a boat to Niagara Falls and travelled on 'horse-drawn vehicles' [wagon] over an old stage route to Buffalo. They may have had to travel through locks and canals in order to bypass the Lachine rapids at Montreal, and then through the Beauharnois canal. Travelling further inland on the St Lawrence, they likely went through the locks at Cornwell (canal completed by 1843) and then south through three smaller canals (Gallops, Rapide Plat, and Farron's Point) that were completed by 1847. From there, another small canal at Iroquois, Ontario. From here to Lake Ontario was fairly open, as the St Lawrence widen. At Lake Ontario, the Nils Eggen family would have travelled to the mouth of the Niagara River in the current vicinity of Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. It is not clear why they traveled down the Niagara River rather than going a bit further on Lake Ontario to the beginning of the Welland Canal at St Catherines, ON. The second Welland Canal was completed by 1845 and of course this by-passed Niagara Falls. Whatever the rease, they went by boat down the Niagara River and would have stopped before the Niagara Falls. From here, they then traveled by road to Buffalo.

3. At Buffalo, they again took a boat on Lake Erie, stopping for a short wile at Cleveland and Toledo. The Immigrant Wagon says that after Toledo their "... next port of entry was Milwaukee ... The Eggen family de-barked at Racine ... and the boat continued on to Chicago..." Following this account, they must have stayed on Lake Erie and went through the Detroit River (passing Detroit and Windsor, ON) onto Lake Huron. Then onto Makinaw, likely through the Soo Locks (completed by 1855) and into Lake Michigian, with the first major stop at Milwaukee. Nils Eggen family continued on to Racine where they started the trip west on land.

The Immigrant Wagon account does not give a lot detail what the family did after reaching Toledo. It may be possible that they traveled overland from Toledo to Chicago and then a boat to Milwaukee.

4. Racine, Wisconsin and the journey west. By early June, 1853 they had purchased a pair of oxen and an old wagon. They traveled by road close to the Root River for a short distance. The going was tough with deep ruts, underbrush, and swampy land. In some places, there were corduroy sections, but in other places logs had to be laid down. The family passed through Honey Creek, WI [about 50 kms west] and then to Indian Ford and further west to then Brooklyn WI [about 100 kms further west from Honey Creek). They traveled by Moscow, WI [another 50 kms west] and after traveling four months (since leaving Tolga) they arrived at Mifflin [another 40 + kms west] on 4 July 1853. It should be noted that they traveled almost straight west and had covered close to 200 kms (about 125 miles) in roughly a month. Although, likely could have taken a train from Milwaukee to La Crosse, Wisconsin (alongside the Mississippi River), Carl Martin Roan says that they decided to save their money and "walk".

The family made a decision to stop at Mifflin (The Immigrant Wagon, p 6). Apparently there were some mines near Mifflin and the boys were able to obtain work. Son Ole was age 19 by this time; Elias was 16 (Mikkel and Knut were younger and so probably worked at home). A shelter and later a cabin was built; they also had bought a cow. Then in early autumn of 1853, Beret met Ole Johnsen (Roen/Roan) from Wingville, WI, about 20-25 kms north-west of Mifflin. Beret married Ole Johnsen in the spring of 1854 and moved to Wingville.

Nils Eggen (Olsen) was likely enumerated in the 1855 WI State Census for Mifflin Twp, Iowa Co, Wisconsin. The 1855 census only recorded the male head of household, where Nels or Nils Olson is recorded with 4 males, 1 female - this likely means Nils, Marit, Elias, Mikkel, Knut. Beret was married by the time of the enumeration, but Ole Johnson nor Ole Nelson do not seem to be recorded in Mifflin or in Wingville.

In the spring of 1856, Ole and Beret Johnson, and Beret's brother Ole, left Wingville for McLeod Co, MN, where they both decided to settle.

5. Menonmie WI. In the spring of 1856 Nils, Marit and Knut moved to Menomonie, in Dunn County. Son Mikkel decided to return to Norway. Ole Johnsen and Beret Eggen moved to MN, along with son Ole. Son Elias Nelson had travelled with Ole Johnson in the summer of 1855 to look for places in MN to settle and he likely stayed at McLeod Co while Ole Johnson returned to WI for Beret.

The Immigrant Wagon does not make any further reference to Nils Eggen and Marit Berg.

6. Cannon Valley, Leon Twp Monroe Co, WI. The 1860 US federal Census records Nelson Olson, age 50 and Mary Olson, age 60, both born in Norway. The ages for both would fit for the birth years of Nels Olsen Eggen and Marit. Also recorded is Carnah Olson, age 20, as a farm labor. Leon Twp, Monroe County is about 180 kms south of Menonmie. This census record does not prove that Nils Eggen and Marit were living here but another source support this location.

Erling Grevstad noted in 1975 in the Appendix (page 35) to an unpublished manuscript, "Ole-Iver Berg and Johanne Berg, Pioneers...", that when the Ole Berg family reached La Crosse, WI in the summer of 1861, they then traveled about 25 miles [40 kms] across country to the home of Nils Eggen (an uncle of Ole Berg) in "...Cannon Valley in Monroe County in the August heat." Ole Iver Berg's first child, Mathilde, was born on 28 Oct in 1862 in Monroe Co. The Ole Iver Berg family stayed with Nils Eggen and Marit until the spring of 1864, when Ole Iver Berg moved to Fillmore Co in Minnesota.

In Nils and Marit Eggen's son (Ole Nelson) obituary it is recorded that Ole had come to the US with his parents and had lived for 2 or 3 years in the vicinity of Coon Prairie in Wisconsin before coming to Minnesota (McLeod County),. Currently there is no place name of Coon Prairie but there is still a church with that name at Westby, WI, and this would be a bit south of what would appear to the southern end of "Cannon Valley".

7. Bergen Twp, McLeod Co, Minnesota. By 1875, Nels Eggen and Marit are living with their son, Ole Nelson and his family. In 1880, Nels Eggen and Marit are living with their daughter Beret and son in law, Ole Johnson.

I have not found Nels Eggen and Marit in the 1870 US Census with either son Ole or daughter Beret. Son Knut and Elias both died around 1864; their other son, Mikkel had returned to Norway in 1856.

I also have not found a death record for either Nels Eggen or Marit, although I believe she died in 1883 based on an her record in a death index for for Bergen Twp, McLeod Co.


Written by Rueben D Grue, 30 Jan 2018; revised 22 Aug 2023. Copywrite 2018. All rights Reserved

Marit had a relationship with Ole Estensen Kotmo, son of Esten Olsen Kotmo and Petronille Olsdtr Hagen, in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway.⁹⁰⁷ (Ole Estensen Kotmo was born in 1783 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ⁹¹⁶, baptized on 20 Apr 1783 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ⁹¹⁶ and died about 1870 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ⁹¹⁷.)

Marit next married Nils Olsen Eggen on 24 May 1830 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway.⁹⁰⁸ (Nils Olsen Eggen was born on 22 Jan 1809 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ⁹¹⁸ and died between 1880 and 1883 in Bergen Twp, Mcleod Co, Minnesota, United States.)