Ole Estensen Olson

  Research Notes:

1. 1910 US Census - Berg Precinct, McKenzie Co, ND; dwelling and family #28

- Ole age, 41, emigrated 1870; farmer - works on "own accord"
- Helga, age 26 <1884> in Norway, emigrated 1898
- married 1 year <1909>; no children

- listed at the next household is Hanse Wisness (Wisner ?), age 25 born in Norway, emigrated in 1907, as a servant === see below, point 2

2. 1920 US Census, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN

- listed on a separate family (but no family number given) under Alvin E Olson as head of household
- occupation - at home
- Ole and Helga, with daughter Helma, age 15 <1905> born in MN and daughter Ella, age 13 <1907> born in MN BUT: in 1910 US Census, Helga is listed as having no children --- SO, either the daughters are Helga's from a previous relationship OR they have been "adopted" (and considered daughters, not adopted daughters) OR they are Ole's daughters from a previous relationship === answer is: foster daughters/children - see obit

- also listed as son, Sigrud H (?) age 8 <1912> born in ND, but it appears that his last name is Wisner or Wisnes, but it also appears that Wisner/Wisnes is crossed off (only slightly)

- also is listed Helena Hagen, age 78, wd, born in Norway, emigrated in 1898, as mother -- likely mother-in-law (1910 US Census for Berg, ND, has Hillena Hagen, age 69, born in Norway, wd, emigrated in 1898 dwelling and family #30)

3. a. 1930 US Census, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN

- Ole and Helga; occupation - general farm, own
- Sigrud H, son, age 18, <1912>, born in ND, works as a laborer
- also listed is Helena Hagen, mother-in-law, age 89, Wd, born in Norway, emigrated in 1898.

b. 1940 US Census, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co

- Ole as head of household; value of house at $900; age 71 born in Norway, naturalized, education as grade 6; recorded as unable to work the wk of Mar 24 and in 1939; no income
- Helga, age 56 born in Norway, naturalized, education grade 7; recorded as worked in Home; no income 1939

- also listed is Gerald Brown, age 17 born in MN; recorded as a hired-hand; worked 60 hrs wk of Mar 24 as laborer on farm; worked 52 wks in 1939 earning 200

-- Note: previous household (#87) includes Sigrud Wiseness, as son-in-law to head of household


4. Fergus Falls Daily Journal, 19 Aug 1915

- "Mr. [Esten] Olson is 88 years old and goes to visit is son, Ole." He is traveling with Mr Hoff to his (Hoff's) claim in Williams Co, ND.

4. 1933 Plat - Tordenskjold Twp -- same land as father, Esten Narjord

5. MN Death Index [ 21 July 2009 ] Otter Tail Co

- lists Ole E Olson - born 11 April 1869
- lists Helga Olson - one born 29 Nov 1883, but out of state; death 20 Sept 1957

6. Tordenskjold Lutheran Church Cemetery -- May 2008 "Olson family area"

- no tombstone for Ole or Helga

6. a. birth - Norway Parish Registers, Os in Tolga, 1851, page 53

- Name recorded as Ole, father as Inderst (meaning a renter or lodger) Esten Olsen Skinnerhagen



7. Battle Lake Review - obituaries

a). Ole Olson - 1959

- farmed in ND and then to Tordenskjold Twp
- in 1941, Ole and wife, Helga, moved to Battle Lake
- 3 foster children - Sigurd Wisness of Underwood, Mrs George G Nelson (Hilma), Mrs Colmen Slatten (Ella) from Fergus Falls - see point

b.) Helga Olson - 1957

- Ole and Helga homesteaded in McKenzie Co, ND
- in 1918, they sold their farm and moved to Otter Tail Co, Tordenskjold Twp
- farmed until they retired in 1941 and moved to Battle Lake
- died at her home in Battle Lake
- survived by her husband, Ole who is a patient at the Battle Lake Nursing Home, and three foster children (as above)
- travelling from a distance were - Mr and Mrs Alvin Halvorson of Red Wing; Mrs Olga Olson and daughter, Orpha, and Mr and Mrs Orville Olson of Mayville, ND; Mrs Marvel Olson of Hallock (ND?) and Sigrud Wisness of Fargo, ND

c). Sigrud Wisness - 1989 -- obit from Fergus Falls Daily Journal

- born 28 Jan 1911 in McKenzie Co, MN to parents Hans and Ellena (Hagen) Wisness; died 31 Oct 1989
- his wife died in May 1989
- leaves 3 daughters - Arly Becker of Fergus Falls; Verda Van Raley and Marilyn Johnson, both of Petaluma, CA - and Hurbert of Elk River (MN?) and Sydney of Burnsville (MN?)
- does not mention that he had sisters or stepsisters or stepbrothers --- see below


++++

- 1910 US Census for Berg, ND (see above) lists household #29 (next to Ole and Helga Olson) is listed Ellen A (?) Berg, age 31 as a Widow (emigrated in 1898), with a daughter (Petrina ?), a son, Edward, and two other daughters - Hilma Berg, age 6, and Ella Berg, age 4; along with Hanse Wisness, age 25, as a servant;

- the next household is Helena Haugen, age 69, widow, emirgrated in 1898 -- likely Helga's mother

SO, my hunch is that Hanse Wisness married (?) Ellen (Ellena in the obit for Sigrud) and Sigrud was born to this marriage; Ellen died (possibly shortly after Sigrud's birth (or at least before 1918) and Ole and Helga then took in the 3 younger children of Helga's sister, Ellen (Ellena), that is, Hilma and Ella Berg, and Sigrud Wisness -- the obits indicated that the children were not formally adopted and therefore were listed as foster children (but not likely a "formal" foster parent as would be likely today)
- Hilma and Ella's maiden name would be Berg - according to Hilma's obit, her father was John E Berg; their mother died and Hilma and Ellas were "adopted" by Ole E Olson (but the obit says from Elbow Lake - perhaps they had lived in Elbow Lake, Grant Co for abit)


*** [ 10 Oct 2014 ]

see photo - from John Martin, flicker; https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_martin/8514568624/in/set-72157632641800545/

- Ole E Olson farm at Berg ND [ Berg township/precinct in the 1910 US Census ]
- Ole, Helga with horses; 2 girls; 1 boy
- old man sitting - my hunch this is Esten Olson-Narjord ; I have a note from a newspaper, Fergus Falls 19 Aug 1915, re; "...Mr Olson is 88 years old and goes to visit his son, Ole" ; [ PDF - Esten Olsen Narjord obits from John Oberg 9 Nov 1911 ]

8. John Martin photos [ parents Bryce Martin and Ethelyn Olson] ;;; accessed 1 Oct 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_martin/sets/72157632576257433/

- re: Hilma Olson - Mr and Mrs George Nelson
- re; Ella Olson - Mr and Mrs Colman Slaten ¹²⁸⁷

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence - 1910, 15 Apr 1910, Berg, McKenzie Co, North Dakota, United States. ¹²⁸²

2. Residence - 1920, 1 Jan 1920, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁸⁸

3. Residence - 1930, 1 Apr 1930, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁸⁹

4. Land, 1933, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁹⁰

5. Residence - 1935, 1 Apr 1935, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁹¹

6. Residence - 1940, 1 Apr 1940, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁹¹ Enumeration 13 Apr 1940

Ole married Helga Hagen on 26 Feb 1908 in Bowbells, Burke Co, North Dakota, United States ¹²⁸².^,1283 (Helga Hagen was born on 29 Nov 1883 in Norway,¹²⁸³ died on 19 Sep 1957 in Battle Lake, Clitherall Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States ^1283,1292 and was buried on 24 Sep 1957 in Lakewood Cemetery, Clitherall Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, USA ¹²⁸³.)