Lars Mikkelson ³⁹⁴

   Other names for Lars were Lars Mikkelsen and Lars Mikkelson Syl.

  Research Notes:

Summary:

Lars Mikkelson was my 2nd great grandfather. His daughter Beret (1861-1852) married Thore S Grue (1853-1932), my great grandparents.

A number of Family Trees have used "Syl" or "Sylen" or "Sylan" as a type of surname or even as a middle name. It is doubtful that Lars Mikkelson, born 1830, used Syl or Sylen as part of his surname. Following the traditional Norwegian naming patterns, "Syl or Sylen" refers to the farm or cottage where he was born and lived at in his early years. For a few years, Lars was also the tenant at the farm Sylen, taking it over from his parents. His father, Mikkel Nilsen [b 1797] lived at the farm Sylen, most likely some time after the early 1820s. This was farm that Mikkel's wife Ingeborg Larsdatter was born at. It appears that Ingeborg's parents [Lars Mortensen Hulbækdal and Inger/Ingri Olsdatter Dahl] had taken over the farm area form Ingri's aunt, Ingri Nilsdatter. Ingri Nilsdatter and her husband Hans Pedersen who was the first settler that clear the farm Sylen]. See Lars' father's research page for more background and history of the farm Sylen [point 2].

A history of the farm and the farm users/owners is found in the Bygebok for Engerdal, Vol 2, pages 201-209
[link, https://www.nb.no/items/6efd987de2e8384cfc48bf3ea685f911?page=207&searchText=Engerdal]

Also note: many Family Trees [FTs] record the birth of Lars Mikkelson as 1828. BUT this birth year does not correspond to the Norway Parish Register -

notes by Rueben D Grue, 20 Jan 2025

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27 May 2025 ... I upload my photo of Lars and Beret Sophie's tombstone taken on 16 May 2025 and suggested to the 'memorial manager' to add the "inscriptions on the grave marker. I had uploaded my photo of each to ChapGPT for transcription and translation. I saved the translation onto the description section on my photos
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Note: see John Midtdal's book, Tufsingdalen .... page ... 392
Lars Mikkelsen [Sylen] born 20 Jan 1830; parents were Mikkel Nilsen Femundshytten, born 1797 and died 19 Feb 1869, and
Ingeborg Larsdatter Sylen, b 1797, and died 4 Jan 1852

Note: geni.com .... https://www.geni.com/people/Lars-Sylen-Sr/6000000006388252001
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1. a. birth

previous source: www.worldconnect.rootsweb.com; Terrill Hayes and Dale Rosten, May 2005; ... this is no longer available
see, Mikkelson-Hayes, 2020-02-06 Terrill Hayes Ancestry FT; last access, 26 Feb 2024
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/166913791/person/152165425855/facts

- lists place of birth as Sylen, Engerdal, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
- date of birth is given as 20 January 1828, but notes "death certificate" lists 20 Jan 1830 (this corresponds to my "family history records" (**these records also lists place of birth as Osterdalen - therefore, Tolga parish, Hedmark, Norway)


Birth - Conflict 20 Jan 1828 or 20 Jan 1830 [ 18 May 2013 ]

- there is no record of his birth in the Norway Parish Registers for Røros (Ministerialbok or Klokkerbok from 1828 to end of Aug 1833) or Tolga or Rendal for the years 1827-1830
- not indexed on Ancestry or Familysearch
- Ancestry Public Member Trees - there are 16 trees, with 14 recording birth as 20 Jan 1828 in Sylen, Engerdal, Sør Trøndelag [ Engerdal became a separate clerical district in 1911; prior to this the area was a part of Rendal clerical district -- but still no record of birth of Lars in 1828 or 1830 in Rendal ;;;; Hayes FT and John Midtdal in his book also record birth as 28 Jan 1828;
BUT 28 Jan 1828 CANNOT be correct because the birth of sister, Inger, was on 21 June 1827 and so the earliest another child's birth would be more like Mar or Apr of 1828
- 2 family trees record birth as 20 Jan 1830 - this corresponds with family record, with the grave marker inscription at Salem Lutheran Cemetery in Clay Co, MN that says birth as 20 Jan 1 .... and with US Federal Census and MN state census that records ages corresponding to birth in 1830 and the 1900 US Federal records birth as Jan 1830
- since he isn't recorded in the Røros parish register, it is possible he was born someplace other than Røros, but Inger was born Jun 1827 and Ingeborg was in Mar 1834, both in Røros; of note is that I also have not found a birth record in Røros for Nils around 1837, Lars' brother
- Røros parish marriage records for 1854 record Lars' age as 24 ... calculated birth then is 1830
[ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/60606/images/kb20050519010266?pId=10162594 ]



Conclusion I have recorded his birth as 20 Jan 1830 on the Legacy database; I have indicated that place of birth as Røros since both his parents were born in Røros and that Mikkel Nilsen was the owner of Sylen in 1838 (Land Tax records)


b. confirmation 1844; Røros Ministerialbok, 1829-1844, page 393, line 14;

- Lars Mikkels Sÿel, age 15 [cal. 1829]; residence, Femundsen; parents - Mikkel Nielsen og Ingborg Larsdatter
- a notation below parents is: .... [Dnu ??] 9 Mar 1833 af [by] Tondseth or Tondsæth or Jondsæth ??? - it appears this is a place, but there are a number of people with differing dates, but the same place ?? or does it mean something else such as the name of a person ???? ---- ++ based on the notation on his sister's, Ingeborg Anna, confirmation in 1849 (last column refering to vaccination), it is likely this refers to the date of vaccination and the person who did the vaccination, ie, the last name being Trondsæth
- pdf of the page in folder

2. 1865 Norway Census: Sylen, Røraas, Sør-Trøndelag

- list Lars, age 37 <1828, if age 37 on 31 Dec 1865 ... 1828 .... born in Røraas, Berit S Mikkelsdtr age 35 <1831> born in Tolgen , Mikkel Larson, Lars Larson, Martin Larsson, Ingeborg Larsdtr, Berit Larsdtr (all children born in Røraas parish) and Mikkel Nilssen (Lars's father - "hans Fader" "Føderaadsmand"), born in Rørass; living at the farm Sylen, Røraas, Sør-Trøndelag
- lists Beret's birthplace as Tolgens Parish;

- School district: Elgaaen og Galaaen; local parish: Røraas
- under remarks (local parish): A part/partion, which pertains Tolgen judicial district [Thinglag], Hedemarkens Amt, Hamar pin. E: [??] Tied in with Tolga parish; [ den deel (del or delen?), som henhører Tolgen Thinglag, Hedemarkens Amt, Hamar Stift. E: Bundet inn sammen med Tolgens prestegjeld ]

Farm: Sylen, # 200
- in the 1838 Land Tax Register, Sylen new løpernr is 200; new matrikel # is 79, old matrikel # is 54
- taxes to Mikkel Nilsen ... [Lars' father
Olaf Rygh Farm Names: #54 in Røros - Korssjoen google translation ???? Located by a lake of the same name in the southernmost part of the parish. It may have got its name from the fact that one end of it shoots out towards both sides [ Ligger ved en Sø af samme Navn sydligst i Præstegjeldet. Den har maaske sit Navn af, at der henimod dens ene Ende skyder ud Viker til begge Sider ].

(Gard #54 - in Tolga, 1801 Census - Halsten Estensen, age 78 and his wife Ingebor Estensdtr, age 76)

- Terrill Hayes data - indicates Lars was born in Syl, Engerdal, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway --- But there was no Engerdal in Sør Trøndelag - prior to 1911, Engerdal belonged to Rendal clerical district; Engerdal is about 125 kms south of Tolga and about 130 from Røros and about 85 kms south of Tufsingdalen, Norway ++ it is unlikely Engerdal is correct, but possible, but only in the sense that the area of Sylen was a part of Enderdal parish after 1911;;;; ; Berit is recorded with her christening as 8 APR 1832 Os, Hedmark, Norway);

3. Source: Bygebok for Os: bygda og folket

- Berit Sofia moved in 1854 to Røros; married Lars Mikkelson Sylen; left for America 1870

************************************************************
- Lars Mikkelson (Syl) and Berit Sophie Mikkelsdatter Midtdal were second cousins (common ancester was Mikkel Larson, born about 1729)

Mikkel Larsen Midtdal [1729-1783] was the father of 6 children:
his 3rd son: Lars Mikkelsen Midtdal [1762-1850], and he a son also named Mikkel Larsen Midtdal, 1793-1877, and it was this Mikkel Larsen who was the father of Berit Sophie Mikkelsdtr Midtdal [1832-1899]
his 4th son: Nils Mikkelsen Midtdal [1765-11841] and his son was Mikkel Nilsen [1797-1869], and this Mikkel Nilsen was the father of Lars Mikkelsen [Sylen], 1830-1922
*************************************************************

4. Emigration to US in 1870

- previous source from www.worldconnect.rootsweb.com; Terrill Hayes, but see wife's page for Ancestry FT
20 May 2005 designation as Lansing, IA with immigration as May 1870
- source: 1900 US Census; lists year of emigration as 1870
- source: Emigrants from Trondheim lists Lars Mikkels. family (Lars - age 40; Berith - age 38; Ingeborg - age 15; Mikkel - age 11; Lars - age 9; Berith - age 7; Martin - age 5); date of registration as 08 April 1870; designation as Lansing; BUT lists residence as Tønseth (Tønset parish, Hedmark ) - ages, etc match birth dates

- source: Ancestry: Norway, Emigration Records, 1867-1960 for Lars Mikkelsen
1867-1780 collection ... image 71 [out of 96], starting with line 63 ...
... Hjemstd [hometown] recorded as Tønseth ??? and his name is indexed by Ancestry as Lars Mikkelsen Ørones ???
BUT this is the correct family .... but the hjemstd should be Sylen, Røros parish

[ link, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61757/images/61757_b1059897-00070?usePUB=true&_phsrc=Coj2&_phstart=successSource&pId=726250 ]



Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1922 Lib and Archives Canada, page 4 .... 10 line from top .. 51903

- arrival at Quebec 1 May 1870
- Lars (farmer), Berith (wife), Ingeborg [age 15, and listed as a Spinster ??? - difficult to make out the word, but a number of females on the page are listed as this and towards the bottom of the page the word is more clearly written as Spinster; however, 1 male is also recorded as this ---- 20 Mar 2012 ], Mikkel, Lars, Berith (age recorded as 7 <1862-1863>), Martin
- family #5198; on this column, Lansing is written, but with a "lighter" ink or it was written more softly [ancestry.com copy does not indicate anything written in last column, but if the writing was light/faint, it may not have been picked up on the scan ]
- SS Germany (Ship Master ...Graham); provisions for 1100 Adults, voyage of 32 days; dated 14 April 1870; Liverpool (also some indication that the ship was also going to Londonderry, Ireland); Montreal Ocean Steamship Co

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/passenger-lists/passenger-lists-1865-1922/Pages/image.aspx?Image=e003533025&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fcentral.bac-lac.gc.ca%2f.item%2f%3fid%3de003533025%26op%3dimg%26app%3dpassengerlist&Ecopy=e003533025
-
Note: Lars Jonsen Hulbækdal (took the surname Dahl in US) on same ship with destination as Lansing

5. 1870 US Census: enumerated on 12 Aug 1870 for those living in the household as of 1 June 1870;
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4264824_00313?pId=41962506
Grant Co, MN. Evansville P O, Grant Co, MN, dwelling 58, family 59 [line 25]
-----------------
Ole Gudmundson, age 51 b in Nor Farmer, real estate value 1000, value of personal estate, 659 ?
Ingebor, age 40 b in Nor [note, her father was Lars Mikkelsen, b 1830]
Mina, age 4, b in MN
Louise, age 1, b in MN
then,
Lars Mikkelsen, age 40, b in Nor; farmhand
Sophia, age 38, [all others recorded, born in Norway]
Ingebor, age 16
Mikkel, age 13
Lars, age 11
Berith, age 8
Sophia, age 4 [Sophia Gertrude]
Martin age 6
Nils age 2

---- then 4 days later Lars Mikkelson and family are also recorded at St Olaf Twp, Otter Tail Co

1870 US Census: enumerated on 16 Aug 1870 for those living as if 1 June 1870: Lars Mikkelson and family (including Engeborg) dwelling # 19, family #20 at St Olaf Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN -- note previous household/dwelling was Nels Mikkelson (brother to Lars)
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4264747_00044?pId=41962515
- Lars Mikkelson, age 40; Bertha (?) age 30, and children Ingeborg age 16, Mikkel age 13, Lars age 11, Berith/Berit age 8, Martin age Sophia [Gertrude] age 4, Nils age 2,


- personal correspondence - Spring 1977 audiotape from Martin Mikkelson, grandson of Lars Mikkelson: Martin states that a sister of Lars, Ingebaar was in America and served as a army nurse during the Civil War and was stationed at St Louis; her son "landed" up in North Dakota in the military [Lar's sister was Ingeborg Anna Mikkelson
- source: Nordmenn in USA in 1860, Digitalarkivet ***No listing for Ingeborg in 1860 US Census in MN, Iowa, or Missouri; *** listing for Ole Goodmanson, age, 40 in Military Twp, Winnishiek Co, IA; and Ole Goodmanson, age 38 in Wilmington Twp, Houston Co, MN
- previous source: www.worldconnect.rootsweb.com- Terrill Hayes;
indicates as of August 16, 1870 Lars Syl Mikkelson and family was living in St Olaf Twp, Otter Tail Co and listed after his brother, Nils Mikkelson (my scan of the 1870 for Tordenskjold Twp listed Nils Mikkelson, age 33 <1833> and the next household (but very faint and very difficult to make out on genealogy.com, Feb/06) as Lars Mikkelson, Bertha (?) age 30, and children Ingeborg, Mikkel, Lars, Nils, Martin, Gertrude, Beret
- "family history records" indicate living in the Stalker Lake, MN area in 1870 [ northern part of St Olaf Twp would be south of Stalker Lake ] and then to Lake Park, Clay Co, MN on May 1, 1871


6. Source: Elgon Memories: A History of Eglon Twp, Clay Co, MN, (1967)

- indicates Lars Mikkelson family emigrated in 1869, first settling in Iowa and then to Eglon Twp, Clay Co, MN in 1871; homesteaded on Sec 22
- Lars L and Martin L took over the farm when their father died
- Ludvig [son of Martin L Mikkelson] became the next (and present) owner of the farm - the Wm Brown farm of sec 23 was added

7. Source: A Journey Back to Hawley: A history of the early years of Hawley, MN (1972)

- came to America in May 1870 by way of Quebec, Canada and Lansing, Iowa; they stayed in Otter Tail Co (MN) over the winter
- on 1 May 1871, came to the homestead on sec 22, Eglon Twp, Clay Co, MN
- Lars S died in January 1922, at his home in Eglon Twp.

*** re, point 6 and 7. I have a photocopy of a page from my mom, Mary Grue's 3-ring binder [see Lars Mikkelson folder on myPC]. I have summarized some of my mom's notes:

From, Lars Mikkelson, b 1830, bio sketch by Mary Grue, mid 1980s

My mother, Mary Grue, wrote a brief bio Sketch with the following notes:
- Lars Mikkelson family emigrated in 1870; they traveled on a small sailboat that took 4 weeks; landed at Quebec City
- traveled to Otter Tail Co, MN [likely at his brother Nils homestead in Tordenskjold Twp] and in the spring of 1871, Lars had purchased a team of oxen and a way and continued to Lake Park MN [note that it is most likely they went directly to his homestead in Elgon Twp, Clay Co, around 15 kms south west of the town of Lake Park]
- Lars built a log house that in the 1970-1980s was still in use, although it was remodeled [when I was in MN in 2008, the house was still in use]
- Lars had built a large barn in 1902 - see a photo of the barn in Nels Grue's booklet, 1978; it now has been torn down.

notes by Rueben D Grue, 28 Nov 2024

point 6-7. b. History of Norman and Clay Co MN [access through Internet Archive] ... note that the article is titled: Martin L Mikkelson


8. 1880 US Census: Eglon Twp, Clay Co, MN; lists Louise, Nekoline, Josephine, and Matilda birthplace as MN

9. 1900 US Census: Eglon Twp, Clay Co, MN; indicates Lars is a widow; emgrated 1870; children as Lars, Sophia, Martin, Matilda, Nekolne, Josephine, and Louisa (born July 1870); also living in same household is daughter, Emma Kildal (born May 1854) and her children (Jacob Kildal - born Jan 1886; Nettie - born May 1889; Hans - born Oct 1894; Ingerann [sp?] - born April 1897)

10. 1910 and 1920 US Census - Lars Syl Mikkelson living with his son, Martin L Mikkelson, Eglon, Twp, Clay Co, MN; 1920 US Census indicates naturalization in 1876

11. MN State Census

- 1875 - not indexed on ancestry and not found on scan of Clay Co [Elgon Twp is not on ancestry pages --- 20 May 2013
- 1885 - Lars, Beret Sophie, Lars L, Martin, Sophia, Nels, Louisa, Matilda (page 13 & 14, ancestry.com)
1885 MN State [https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4613185:1058]
Lars Mikkelson, age 55 b in Nor
Beret Sophia, age 53,
Lars, age 25
Martin, age 20/21 [hard to read]
Sophia, age 18
Nils, age 17
Louisa, age 14
Matilda, age 9
- 1895 (1 May 1895 - notes a resident of this state for 25 yrs [1870] and this enumeration district 24 yrs [1871] --- thus homestead as of 1871; Lars, Beret, Lars L, Martin, Sophia, Matilda
- 1905 , (1 June 1905) - notes resident of this state for 35 yrs, 1 mo <May 1870> and this enumeration district for 34 yrs [June 1871] -- Lars, age 75 [widow], Lars L age 45, Martin age 41, Sophia age 38


12. source: John Midtdal at www.geni.com; also Dale Rosten database [ 15 Aug 2010 ]
https://www.geni.com/people/Lars-Sylen-Sr/6000000006388252001 [23 Feb 2024; note: John Midtdal no longer is a manager]

- notes Ole Mikkelson, son of Lars and Berit Sophia, born 20 June 1868 (this would be the same as Nels Larson Mikkelson - twin?) BUT not source information provided

HOWEVER: Digitalarkivet - no listing for Ole in births or baptisms (Klokkerbok) or deaths or burials in the Ministerialbok (Klokkebok doesn't have deaths)

NOTE: there are some photos of the Lars Mikkelson family members - looks like individuals were cropped from a family photo --- likely taken in the 1870's [ 15 May 2013 - see my folder for the file picture; John Midtdal's notation indicates photo taken about 1888 ]


11. Source: 1899 Platt, Elgon Twp, Clay Co, MN
https://www.hcscconline.org/uploads/1/1/4/2/114274013/1899-eglon.pdf [this platt only lists landowners .. no churches etce

- 1899 - Section 22 - SE of the NW quarter
- S half of the NE quarter
- NE of the SE quarter
- Section 23 - NW of the SW quarter
- Section 15 - SE of the SE quarter
- Section 29 - SE of the NW quarter

- Bureau of Land Management, Homestead Entry, Land Patent granted 15 Aug 1884
160 Acres, 5th M, Twp 139 N-044 W, Sec 22, S half of NE quarter, SE quarter of NW quarter, and NE quarter of SE quarter

1909: Section 22
https://geo.lib.umn.edu/plat_books/clay1909/reference/map01499.jpg [this Plat notes churches etc] ^{160,692,1600,1601,1602,1603}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence - 1865, Jan 1866, Røraas, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. Farm: Sylen (#200)

2. Leaving - 1870, 31 Mar 1870, Røros, Sør Trondelag, Norway. ¹⁶⁰⁴ Leaving Røros parish for America

3. Emigration - 1870, 8 Apr 1870, Trondhiem, Norway to Quebec, Quebec, Canada. ^1605,1606 Added: 5 Nov 2024. Norway, Emigration Records, 1867-1960 on Ancestry.
1867-1870 ... image 71 of 96 images ... lines 63-69.... designation recorded: Lansing, IA
https://www.ancestry.ca/search/collections/61757/records/726270?tid=&pid=&queryid=3e976e39-348a-49d8-a839-ac5ecd7d3545&_phsrc=HSa120&_phstart=successSource

4. Emigration - 1870: Arrival at Quebec, 1 May 1870, Quebec, Quebec, Canada. ¹⁶⁰⁷

5. Residence - 1870, 12 Aug 1870, Evansville, Grant Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶⁰⁸

6. Residence - 1870, 15 Aug 1870, St Olaf Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶⁰⁹

7. Residence - 1880, 1 Jun 1880, Eglon Twp, Clay Co, Minnesota, United States. ⁶⁴⁹

8. Land - 1884: Land Patent, 15 Aug 1884, Elgon Twp, Clay County, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶¹⁰

9. Residence - 1885, 1 May 1885, Elgon Twp, Clay County, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶¹¹

10. Residence - 1895, 1 Jun 1895, Elgon Twp, Clay County, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶¹²

11. Residence - 1905, 1 Jun 1905, Elgon Twp, Clay County, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶¹³

12. Residence - 1900, 1 Jun 1900, Eglon Twp, Clay Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶¹⁴

13. Residence - 1910, 15 Apr 1910, Eglon Twp, Clay Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹⁶¹⁵

14. Residence - 1920, 1 Jan 1920, Eglon Twp, Clay Co, Minnesota, United States. ⁶⁹⁴

Lars married Beret Sofie Mikkelsdtr Midtdal, daughter of Mikkel Larsen Midtdal and Berit Semundstr Bakken, on 12 Mar 1854 in Røros, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.¹⁵⁷⁸ (Beret Sofie Mikkelsdtr Midtdal was born on 14 Feb 1832 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ¹⁵⁷⁹, baptized on 28 Apr 1832 in Os, Tolga, Hedmark, Norway,¹⁵⁷⁹ died on 18 Sep 1899 in Eglon Twp, Clay Co, Minnesota, United States and was buried on 22 Sep 1899 in Solem Lutheran Church Cemetery, Elgon Twp, Clay Co, Minnesota, USA ^1580,1581.)