My AncestryDNA Ethnicity Inheritance Results

My Ancestry DNA results were updated recently. This update included a new interesting feature called Ethnicity Inheritance. This feature "estimates which regions" I inherited from my father and my mother.¹ Initially, the inheritances were labeled Parent 1 and Parent 2. I was able to edit those labels to Maternal and Paternal. In my case, it was pretty easy to see that Parent 2 was my father, Jan Albert Iverson, because the ethnicity regions for Parent 2 only came from Sweden and Norway.

My father's maternal grandparents, Carl Albert Gillberg and Maria Hilda Carlsson were immigrants from Sweden. My father's paternal grandparents, Christopher Iverson and  Anna Christopherson, were children of Norwegian immigrants.

The rest of my ethnicities come from my mother, Maria Elizabeth Webster, who was born in Brazil. From her I inherited ethnicities from Portugal, Sweden & Denmark, England & Northwestern Europe, Indigenous Americas--Mexico, Indigenous Americas--Yucatan Peninsula, Wales, Spain, Senegal, Basque, Northern Africa, and Northern Italy.

My mother's mother, Sarah Vasques Madeira, was born in Brazil and was mostly of Portuguese ancestry. My mother's father, Debs Warren Webster, was also born in Brazil. Debs' father, Frederick Emory Webster, was born in Ohio, USA, and Debs' mother, Esther Matus Villatoro, was born in Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico.

Here is my ethnicity inheritance from both of my parents.

Sadly, both of my parents have passed away. I sure do miss them. My dad never took a DNA test, but my mom did take one before she passed away.

I am the manager of my mom's Ancestry account and have been able to access her DNA ethnicity inheritance results. I have been able to differentiate between Parent 1 and Parent 2 in my mom's results based on the known ethnicities of her father and mother. I will share those results in a future post and compare them with mine.

Have you been able to differentiate between Parent 1 and Parent 2 in your Ancestry DNA ethnicity inheritance results?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana Last

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1 ”Ethnicity Inheritance,” Ancestry Support (https://support.ancestry.com : accessed 13 July 2022).^↩

Thank you Minnesota Historical Society for Ole's Death Certificate

Sometime last year, I went to the Minnesota Historical Society's website and ordered the death certificate for Ole Anthon Christopherson, who was my paternal 2nd great-grandfather. In my Legacy Family Tree I had his cause of death as asthma but I couldn't remember where I got that information (yep, this is an example of why citations are so important 😉).

I did not initially find Ole's death certificate information on the Minnesota Historical Society's website. It turned out that his name was listed as Ole Arthur Christopherson instead of Ole Anthon Christopherson. It's important to use various search strategies when searching for an ancestor. I'm glad to say that I was able to find and order his death certificate.

If you have ancestors from Minnesota, I highly recommend the Minnesota Historical Society's website. It's amazing! They have digital newspapers, maps, and more. I searched for Ole's death certificate in the Minnesota People Records Search link under the Research Tab on the website.

Here's Ole's death certificate.¹

Information gleaned from Ole's death certificate:

Place of Death: Benson, Swift, Minnesota

Full Name: Ole Anthon Christopherson

Sex: Male

Color: White

Marital Status: Married

Date of Birth: April 20, 1837

Age: 77 yrs, 0 mos. 2 ds.

Occupation: Retired Hotel Keeper

Birthplace: Norway

Name of Father: Michal Christian Christopherson

Birthplace of Father: Norway

Maiden Name of Mother: Seryanna Olson

Birthplace of Mother: Norway

Informant Name: Abe Christopherson

Informant Address: Benson Min

Date of Death: 8 pm on May 12, 1914

Cause of Death: Asthma

Duration: 1 yrs. 3 mos. 0 ds.

Place of Burial or Removal: Benson Cemetery

Date of Burial: May 15, 1914

Ole's occupation in his death certificate is consistent with his previously stated occupations in two US federal census records. In the 1900 US census Ole's occupation was listed as a "Boarding H. Keeper" and there was one boarder listed in his household.² In the 1910 US census Ole's occupation was listed as Manager in the Hotel Industry.³ His wife's occupation was listed as a Cook in the Hotel Industry.⁴ There were six boarders listed in their household.⁵

Ole's cause of death was asthma. What was the treatment for asthma in the early 1900s? I have another 2nd great-grandfather, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster, who also suffered from asthma. 

The informant on Ole's death certificate was Abe Christopherson. Ole had a brother named Henning Abraham Christopherson. Apparently Henning went by his middle name as I've seen him listed as Abraham on many records.

A big thank you to the Minnesota Historical Society for Ole's death certificate. The ordering process went well and I received his death certificate without any problems.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana Last

© 2021 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 Minnesota Division of Health, death certificate 14525 (1914), Ole Anthon Christopherson; Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul.^↩
2 1900 U.S. Census, Swift County, Minnesota, population schedule, Benson Village, enumeration district (ED) 270, sheet 8-B, Anthon Christofferson; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : 14 March 2021); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623.^↩
3 1910 U.S. Census, Swift County, Minnesota, population schedule, Benson Ward 2, enumeration district (ED) 157, sheet 11-A, Anton Christopherson; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : 14 March 2021); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624.^↩
4 Ibid.^↩
5 Ibid.^↩

Ole Anthon Christopherson's Land Record Plus a Map of His Property

In a previous post I wondered if I could find land records for my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ole Anthon Christopherson. I think I found a land patent record for him. I did a search in the Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records website and found a land record for Anthon Christopherson in Swift County, Minnesota.¹

Here's a screenshot of the Patent Details.

Information gleaned from this record:

Accession Nr: MN0180__.195

Document Type: State Volume Patent

State: Minnesota

Issue Date: 3/30/1880

Cancelled: No

Names On Document: Christopherson, Anthon

Land Office: Benson

US Reservations: No

Mineral Reservations: No

Authority: May 20, 1862: Homestead Entry

Document Nr: 3766 Original (12 Stat. 392)

Misc. Doc. Nr: 5678

BLM Serial Nr: MN No S/N

Total Acres: 80

Metes/Bounds: No

Land Descriptions:

State: MN

Meridian: 5th PM

Twp - Rng: 121N - 039W

Aliquots: S½SW

Section: 20

County: Swift

It is so great that a map is included with this land patent. Within the large square is a smaller square. That is Section 20. And within Section 20 is a rectangle containing the 80 acres that Ole Anthon Christopherson acquired. The Issue Date was 30 March 1880. This matches known information for Ole and his family. He and his family were enumerated in the 1880 U.S. federal census living in Torning, Swift, Minnesota.² In that census he was listed as Anthon Christopherson and not Ole Christopherson and his occupation was a farmer.

Here's a map of Torning in Swift County, Minnesota. Comparing Ole Anthon's land record map to this one, it seems to match the 1880 census locality for Ole Athon and his family in Torning.

Here's a closeup view of Ole's 80 acres of land that he acquired in Swift County, Minnesota according to this land record. It's the rectangle in the southwest corner of Section 20.

This map shows that Ole Anthon Christopherson's property was at the corner of 10th Ave S (state highway 29) and 40th St SE. 

And here's a zoomed in view of that same intersection in Torning, Minnesota using GoogleMaps. Isn't this so cool!?

More evidence that the Anthon Christopherson who acquired land in this land record is my 2nd great-grandfather, Ole Anthon Christopherson, is that a Michael C. Christopherson and a Peter Christopherson also acquired land in this same area. Ole Anthon's land was in Section 20 and so was Michael's and Peter's land. Anthon's father was named Michael Christian Christopherson and Ole Anthon had a brother named Peter. It is very likely that the family members would have wanted to live close to each other.

Here is Michael C. Christopherson's land in Section 20.

And here is Peter's land in Section 20.

As you can see, Michael and Peter's land were right next to each other. And Ole Anthon's land was in the southwest corner of Section 20.

The way I found out about Michael's and Peter's land was by clicking on the "Related Documents" tab right next to the Patent Image tab. Michael C, Anthon, and Peter are at the top of the list. This list also shows who else owned land in Section 20.

Land records are so amazing and helpful. It's really wonderful that Ole Anthon Christopherson, an immigrant from Norway, was able to acquire land in his new country, the United States of America.

This post is getting pretty long already and I haven't shared Ole Anthon Christopherson's Patent Image yet, so I'll do that in a future post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2021 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 Bureau of Land Management, “Land Patent Search,” digital images, General Land Office Records (http://glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch : accessed 17 December 2020), Anthon Christopherson, Swift County, Minnesota, Homestead Certificate No. 3766.

2 1880 U.S. census, Swift County, Minnesota, population schedule, Torning, p. 6, dwelling 56, family 56, Anthon Christofferson, image, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB8-R88 : accessed 6 May 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication T9.^↩

Ole Anthon Christopherson's Last Will and Testament

 Yesterday I found the Last Will and Testament of my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ole Anthon Christopherson!¹ He was born in Norway and immigrated to the United States. I am confident this is his Will because it lists known information such as his wife's name, and the names of their children, and the name of his stepson. 

This is quite an exciting find. Ole's Will is dated 22 January 1906. He passed away a number of years later in 1914. This Will contains two pages. I've added a transcription following each page.

Here's the first page of Ole's will.

Transcription of the first page of Ole's will:

Will of Ole A. Christopherson Decedent.

In the name of God, Amen. 

I, Ole A. Christopherson of the Village of Benson

in the County of Swift and State of Minnesota, being of sound mind 

and memory, do make, publish and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament.

           First—I order and direct that my Executor hereinafter named, pay all my just debts and funeral expenses as soon

after my decease as conveniently may be.

           Second—After the payment of such funeral expenses and debts, I give, devise, and bequeath to my beloved

wife, Aslou Christopherson all of the property of which I may

die seized, both real and personal, to be held and owned by her

during her life time and the rents and profits and increase thereof to

be used by her for her support and maintainance, the remaining

interest therein, subject to her life Estate, to go in equal portions to

my children as hereinafter directed and to the son of my said wife.

           Third, I give devise and bequeath unto my beloved children,

Annie Iverson, Serena Iverson, Nels Christopherson, Julia Larson,

Elsie Larson and my step-son Halvor Christopherson, the son of my

said wife, Aslou, all the property both real and personal of which I may

die seized subject however to the life interest of my wife Aslou

as hereinabove directed.

           Fourth, I further order and direct and it is my will, that should I

survive my said wife Aslou, then and in that case, upon my death

all of my property shall go direct to my said children above named,

and to my said step-son Halvor Christopherson, to them share and

share alike.

Here's the second page of Ole's Will.

Transcription of the second page of Ole's Will (it doesn't line up exactly as the original):

Lastly, I make, constitute and appoint Magnus Pederson of Benson, Minnesota

to be Executor of this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former Wills by me made.

                In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the 26^th day of

January in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred

and six (A.D. 1906)

                                                                                 Ole Anthon Christopherson [seal]

                 This Instrument Was, on the day of the date thereof, signed, published and declared by the said Testator Ole

A. Christopherson to be his Last Will and Testament in our presence, who at his

request, have subscribed our names thereto as witnesses, in his presence, and in the presence of each other.

 

C. L. Kane                                            residing at             Benson, Minnesota

P. Christopherson                                 residing at             Benson, Minnesota

 ___________________

                 State of Minnesota              }                                                     IN PROBATE COURT,

                                                               }ss.                                          CERTIFICATE OF PROBATE

                County of Swift                    }

 

In the Matter of the Estate of Ole Anthon Christopherson Decedent.

                 Be It Remembered, That on the day of the date hereof at a Special Term of said Probate Court

pursuant to the notice duly given, the Last Will and Testament of Ole Anthon Christopherson

Decedent, late of said County of Swift bearing date the 26^th day of January

1906, and being the annexed written instrument, was duly proved before the Probate Court in and for the County of

Swift aforesaid; and was duly allowed and admitted to probate by said Court according to law;

as and for the Last Will and Testament of said Ole Anthon Christopherson deceased,

which said Last Will and Testament is recorded and the examination taken thereon filed in this office.

                                In Testimony Whereof, The Judge of the Probate Court of said County has here-

                                                unto set his hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Benson

            in said County, this 22 day of June 1914 

Court Seal                                                                 J. N. Edwards

                                                                                Judge of Probate.

 Recorded this 22^nd day of June 1914

As I mentioned before, I am confident that this Will is the Will of my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ole Anthon Christopherson. The relationships mentioned are correct and so is the locality. 

In his Will, Ole lists his wife's name as Aslou. My records have her name as Aslaug. Ole listed the following children in his Will: Annie Iverson, Serena Iverson, Nels Christopherson, Julia Larson, Elsie Larson and his step-son Halvor Christopherson. Halvor was the son of his wife, Aslaug. He was born before Aslaug and Ole married. Ole and Aslaug were the parents of seven children. Sadly, two of the children did not survive to adulthood. Annie Iverson was my great-grandmother. She married Christopher Iverson. Annie passed away before her father on 4 June 1913 in Benson, Swift, Minnesota. Her father, Ole, passed away on 12 May 1914 in Benson, Swift, Minnesota and his Will was proved in Probate Court on 22 June 1914.

An interesting item in Ole's Will is that he appointed Magnus Pederson as his Executor. I don't know who Magnus Pederson was. As for the witnesses, I wouldn't be surprised if P. Christopherson was Ole's brother, Peter Christopherson. I don't know who C. Kane was.

Also of interest is the phrase "and being the annexed written instrument" on the second page of the Will. What does that mean exactly? I've heard of adding a codicil to a Will before, but what is an annex? Is it the same thing? If so, is there an earlier version of Ole's will?

I'm so glad I found Ole's Last Will and Testament. In his Will Ole mentioned "real and personal property." That's interesting. I wonder if I can find land records for Ole. And, if there is an earlier version of Ole's Will then searching for that should be added to my research to do list.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana Last

© 2020 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 Swift County, Minnesota, Last Will and Testament, Vol 2. Pages 138-139, Ole A. Christopherson; “Minnesota, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925,” database with images, District and Probate Courts, Swift, Minnesota. Ancestry.com. (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9070/images/004416447_00141 : accessed 15 December 2020); image 141 of 324.^↩

Another Cousin Connection Through Genealogy Blogging

In February 2015 I wrote a blog post titled The Benefits of Genealogy Blogging. In this post I listed several benefits of writing a genealogy blog. One of the benefits is that my genealogy blog acts as cousin bait. Basically, cousin bait means that if a relative of mine searches for one of our common ancestors online, they may find my blog and then contact me.

Over the years of writing this blog, I have had quite a few previously-unknown cousins contact me because of this blog. I actually have used Evernote to help me keep track of these cousin connections and how these cousins found me.

I wrote about one of these cousin connections in January 2015. This was quite an exciting and unexpected cousin connection because this newly-discovered cousin is not a distant cousin, but a very close cousin on my mom's side of the family. If you'd like to read that post, click HERE.

Today, I'm sharing exciting news about another cousin connection. I recently received an email from another previously-unknown cousin. He told me that he stumbled onto my blog and then shared two obituaries for our common ancestor, Ole Anthon Christopherson (my paternal 2nd great-grandfather). Ole was born in Norway in 1837. He immigrated to the United States in 1866.

In these obituaries are details about Ole's life that I didn't know about, including his years sailing the world as a merchant marine. Fascinating! I will be sharing these interesting details about Ole's life in future posts.

Genealogy blogging really is so beneficial in so many ways. I'm glad I began this blog. Thank you to my newly-discovered cousins who've contacted me and shared wonderful information and photos with me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2018 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Family History Blogging Can Help Others Find Their Ancestors

I am so excited to share with you that a previously unknown cousin contacted me recently to tell me some wonderful news.

He left a comment here on my blog. His comment began with this sentence:

"I was so happy to stumble onto your blog, as it has helped me finally crack the mystery of who my three times great grandfather was."

Isn't that awesome!? This previously unknown cousin and I share an ancestor in my Norwegian family line. My cousin's ancestor was one of the brothers of my third great-grandfather, Michael Christian Christopherson. My cousin also said,

"...and thanks to you I now have their parents names as well :) Thanks!"

Wow! You're very welcome cousin!

My cousin went on to say that I was a good DNA match with his grandmother on GEDmatch. Yay!

My new cousin's comments made me feel so good! It really is worth all of the time and effort to write about my ancestors in my blog. Not only is blogging about my ancestors beneficial to me, it's also helpful to others.

Have you had any cousins contact you because you shared your family history in your blog?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2017 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

52 Ancestors: #32 ~ Oscar Iverson

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small.

This is a photo of Oscar Iverson, my paternal great-granduncle and brother of my great-grandfather, Christopher Iverson. I introduced you to Christopher and his brother Edward in previous 52 Ancestors posts.

Oscar was the sixth child born to Iver Iverson and Marit Thorsdatter. In my previous post about Christopher, I mentioned that Oscar became a carpenter like Christopher. Also like Christopher, Oscar was listed as a house carpenter in census records. Both the 1920 and 1930 federal censuses listed Oscar's occupation as a house carpenter. In the 1940 census, Oscar was listed as carpenter in the building construction industry.

Oscar was born on 16 November 1871 in Birch Cooley Township, Olivia, Renville, Minnesota. He was married and divorced twice. He first married Serena Mary Christopherson, daughter of Ole Anthon Christopherson and Aslaug Nilsdatter. Serena was the sister of Anna Christopherson, who was married to Oscar's brother Christopher.

Oscar and Serena were married on 10 October 1894 in Benson, Swift, Minnesota. They were the parents of four children.

1. Pearl Olga Marie Iverson (1897-?)
2. Ernst Oliver Iverson (Abt 1899-1899)
3. Bert Oliver Iverson (1900-1951)
4. Dollie Selma Iverson (1905-1990)

Oscar and Serena divorced sometime before 2 August 1909 because that's the date that Oscar married his second wife, Ella Lind, daughter of Edward Lind and Katharine Kane.

Oscar and Ella were married in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They didn't have any children together. I'm not sure when they divorced. In the 1930 census, Oscar was living alone. Ella was not listed in the household. He was listed as married. Perhaps they were separated at that time. In the 1940 census, Oscar was listed as divorced.

Oscar passed away on 8 December 1858 in Kirkland, King, Washington at 87 years of age. He was buried in Hillgrove Cemetery, which is located in Des Moines, King, Washington.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Sources:

"United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHNM-YFY : accessed 06 Aug 2014), Oscar Iverson, Clark, Lewis, Washington, United States; citing sheet 9B, family 223, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1821933.

"United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XC3K-LQ4 : accessed 06 Aug 2014), Oscar Iverson, Centralia, Lewis, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0019, sheet 6A, family 131, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 2507.

"United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9S9-H7S : accessed 06 Aug 2014), Oscar Ivarson, Ward 12, Centralia, Centralia Election Precinct, Lewis, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 21-20, sheet 4A, family 6, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 4350.

52 Ancestors: #25 ~ Grandpa Arthur as a Child

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small.

Arthur Harry Iverson was my paternal grandfather. He passed away when my dad was only six years old. I've written about him several times here on my blog. In those blog posts, I shared interesting information and photos. I've provided a list of the blog posts I've written about Arthur at the bottom of this post.

So, rather than write a detailed post about him today, I'm going to share a precious photo of him when he was a young boy. He was three years old at the time this photo was taken, which would mean that this picture was taken around 1913.



I love this photo, not only because it shows my grandfather as a child, but also because my great-grandmother, Anna Christopherson, is in this picture. This is one of only two photos in my possession in which my great-grandmother, Anna Christopherson, is pictured.

I'll be sharing what I know about Anna Christopherson in a future post.

What I've written about Grandpa Arthur:

Found Clark Gable’s Mechanic in the 1940 Census!
Tombstone Tuesday–Arthur Harry Iverson
Wedding Wednesday–Arthur Harry Iverson and Ingrid Anna Gillberg
Those Place Thursday - Speaking of Camping….
Workday Wednesday–Arthur's On the Job! ~ Part 1
Workday Wednesday–Arthur's On the Job! ~ Part 2
Workday Wednesday–Arthur's On the Job! ~ Part 3
Happy Grandparents Day!
Grandpa Arthur and His Mandolin

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

52 Ancestors: #8 ~ Anna Christopherson's Unexpected Cause of Death

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small.

On November 2, 2013, I shared my Death Causes Pedigree Chart here on my blog. It shows the causes of death for several of my ancestors. Unfortunately, at the time I shared this chart, I couldn't fill out each ancestor's cause of death. Instead I had to put the word "Unknown" in place of a cause of death for five ancestors on the chart. Since sharing the chart, I've received death certificates for three of these five ancestors.

One of these ancestors with an "Unknown" on the chart was my paternal great-grandmother, Anna Christopherson. Here is a photo of Anna.

I ordered and received her death certificate not too long ago. I'm going to share Anna's death certificate with you today. But, before I do that, let me tell you a little bit about her. She was one of the children born to Ole Anthon Christopherson and Aslaug Nilsdatter. Ole's name may sound familiar to my regular readers. I recently shared a blog post about him in which I wondered if he was a Sea Captain in Norway.

The photo of Anna (above) was found in one of my Grandma Ingrid Gillberg's Books of Remembrance. It's a group picture with lots of other people in it.

Anna was born on 10 October 1875 in Swift county in Minnesota. She married my paternal great-grandfather, Christopher Iverson, sometime before 1892. They were the parents of seven children.

Christopher and Anna's Children -

1. Christian Julius Iverson (1892-1948)
2. Hannah Mabel Iverson (1894-1994)
3. Lillian Emelia Iverson (1898-?)
4. Lawrence Nicholas Iverson (1900-1964)
5. Susan Wilma Iverson (1902-1963)
6. Arthur Harry Iverson (1910-1942) [my grandfather]
7. Adellard Wallace Iverson (1913-1988)

As you can see from this list of children, the seventh child was born the same year that Anna passed away. In fact, Anna passed away when Adellard was only eleven days old. Before I received Anna's death certificate, I wondered if she had passed away due to complications of childbirth. I was surprised at Anna's actual cause of death. It wasn't what I was expecting.

So, just what did cause Anna's death? Here is her death certificate.



The stated cause of Anna's death was an "Embolus of heart." The duration was "quick." And the contributory (secondary) cause was "*eperal state." So, she died due to a blood clot in her heart. I can't make out the first word for the contributory cause. Here's a close-up view of the contributory cause. If you have any ideas about what that first word is, I'd sure love to hear them.



Anna passed away on 4 June 1913 in Torning, Swift, Minnesota. She was only 37 years old. How devastating Anna's death must have been for my great-grandfather, Christopher, and their children. Their two oldest children were adults at the time of Anna's death. But the five youngest children were about 15 years old on down. And the youngest child was not even two weeks old yet. My own grandfather, Arthur Harry Iverson, who was the second youngest child in the family, had just turned three years old when his mother, Anna, passed away.

Christopher must have had to be so strong to carry on after Anna's death. He somehow had to work for a living and still care for his children. Perhaps the two oldest children helped as much as they could. The oldest daughter, Hannah, was already married and had her first child one month after her mother's death.

As far as I know, Anna's husband, Christopher, never remarried. He passed away in 1925, twelve years after Anna's death.

UPDATE: Thanks to Judy G. Russell, author of The Legal Genealogist blog, the mystery of Anna's contributory cause of death has been solved. According to Judy, the word I was having a difficult time deciphering is "puerperal." The Merriam-Webster online dictionary has the following definition for puerperal.

: of, relating to, or occurring during childbirth or the period immediately following¹

It looks like Anna's death was due to complications of childbirth after all. Thank you Judy for solving this mystery for me.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 "Puerperal." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. .^↩

Ole Anthon Christopherson's Birth Record

Yesterday, I shared a blog post in which I wondered whether or not my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ole Anthon Christopherson, was a Sea Captain in Norway. The reason I wondered this is because the words (Sea Captain) are written next to Ole's name on two separate family group sheets that were given to me. If you'd like to read that blog post, click HERE.

I belong to two Norwegian Genealogy groups on Facebook. Today, I decided to share yesterday's blog post, along with a request for ideas about how I could find out if Ole was a Sea Captain, in these Facebook groups. Very quickly, people started to help me. It was wonderful! And one very kind person actually found Ole's birth record on the National Archives of Norway website! This wonderful person also found Ole's confirmation record and his parents' marriage record! I'll share those in future posts.

Today I'd like to share Ole's birth record. If you'd like to see his birth record on the National Archives of Norway website, click HERE. His record is number 65 on the left side of the page.

Here's Ole's birth record.¹ I highlighted the birth date, Ole's name, and his parents' names.



I'm so grateful to have this birth record! And I'm so thankful for the kindness of the person on the Norwegian Genealogy group who found it for me.

This record proves that Ole was born in Tromso, Norway. And this record also gives me his correct birth date. I incorrectly had his birth month as April in my genealogy database. He was actually born in May. His correct birthday is May 21, 1837.

I'm very grateful that I posted my question in the two Norwegian Genealogy groups on Facebook. I'm also very grateful for the kindness of those who helped me today. The genealogy community really is so kind and helpful!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 "Tromsø 1829-1837." Tromsø 1829-1837. National Archives of Norway, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.Kildeinformasjon: Troms fylke, Tromsø, Ministerialbok nr. 8 (1829-1837), Fødte og døpte 1837, side 520-521. No. 65.^↩

52 Ancestors: #7 ~ Was my 2nd Great-Grandfather a Norwegian Sea Captain?

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small.

Was my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ole Anthon Christopherson, really a sea captain? The reason I'm even asking this is because of something I saw written at the top of two separate family group sheets. The family group sheets were among family history items sent to me by my cousin's wife. These items were found in my Aunt Joan's house. My Aunt Joan passed away in 1993.

Here's a cropped portion of one of those family group sheets.



See the words (Sea Captain) written next to Ole's name? I don't know who wrote that. I wish I did. I wish I could ask them why they thought Ole was a Sea Captain.

Ole was the second of seven children born to Michael Christian Christopherson and Serianna Olsdatter. He was born on April 20 or 21 in 1837 in Tromsø, Troms, Norway. I have April 21 as Ole's birthdate in my genealogy database. Apparently, I need to do some research to find out Ole's exact date of birth.

According to the 1900 U.S. federal census,¹ Ole immigrated to the United States in 1870. His parents and siblings also emigrated from Norway to the United States.

Ole, who also went by his middle name Anthon, is listed in the 1875 state census in Benton, Swift County, Minnesota² along with his wife Aslaug and stepson Halvar. This shows that he indeed came to America before 1875.



Ole married Aslaug Nielson Aamodt. I have Aslaug's name as Auslag Nilsdatter in my genealogy database. I'm not sure which surname is correct. She was the daughter of Nils Tollefson and Anne Jonsdatter. Aslaug also went by the name of Esther.

Ole and Aslaug were the parents of seven children. Aslaug had a child named Halvar from a previous marriage. According to the 1900 U.S. federal census, Aslaug was the mother of eight children, six of whom were living at the time the census was taken.

Ole and Aslaug's children:

1. Halvar Thomas Christopherson (1868-Abt. 1841) [Ole's stepson. Halvar took his stepfather's surname]
2. Anna Christopherson (1875-1913) [my great-grandmother]
3. Christopher Christopherson (1875-1877)
4. Serena May Christopherson (1878-1949)
5. Nels Anthon Michael Christopherson (1879-1955)
6. Julia Christine Christopherson (1882-?)
7. Elsie Elizabeth Christopherson (1888-?
8. Child Christopherson (?-Bef. 1900)

In the 1880 U.S. federal census,³ Ole's occupation was listed as a farmer. And in the 1900 U.S. federal census, Ole's occupation was listed as a boarding house keeper.

So, when was he a Sea Captain? Or was he a Sea Captain? If he was, perhaps it was while he lived in Norway. He was around 33 years old when he immigrated to the United States. And as far as I know, he was unmarried while he lived in Norway.

According to the biography called "A Smile of Approval" written about Ole's sister Anne, the Christopherson family lived in Kristiansund, Norway for about 17 years. Kristiandsund is along the western coast of Norway. When Ole was 20 years old, the family moved to Drammen, Norway, which is not too far from Oslo. That would have been around 1857. And not too long after the family moved to Drammen, they moved to a farm in Lier, which borders Drammen.

I found this interesting picture on the Wikipedia website. It shows Kristiandsund during the early 1840s. Just look at all of the ships!

Kristiansund, Norway in the early 1840s
Wikipedia - No Copyright

I found the photograph below on the Wikimedia Commons website. It was taken in 2008 and shows the city of Kristiansund in the background and Fugløya Island in the center.

Fugløya Island and parts of Kristiansund
Wikimedia Commons - Harald Oppedal, Photographer

Here's another photograph of Kristiandsund. I found this on the Encyclopaedia Britannica website. ⁴

Kristiansund, Photograph, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online, accessed February 18, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/147920/Kristiansund-Nor
Photographer - Eaglestein

Isn't Kristiansund a beautiful place?

I find it fascinating to think that my 2nd great-grandfather may have been a Sea Captain in Norway. I wonder if there are any records available that would help me to find out if Ole really was a Sea Captain or not. If you have any ideas, please let me know in the comments below. Thank you!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 Year: 1900; Census Place: Benson, Swift, Minnesota; Roll: 793; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0270; FHL microfilm: 1240793. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.^↩
2 Year: 1875; Census Place: Benson, Swift, Minnesota; Roll: V290_100; Page 23; Line 38. Ancestry.com. Minnesota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.^↩
3 Year: 1880; Census Place: Torning, Swift, Minnesota; Roll: 635; Family History Film: 1254635; Page: 241B; Enumeration District: 029; Image: 0489. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.^↩
4 Kristiansund, Photograph, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online, accessed February 18, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/147920/Kristiansund-Nor^↩

Marit's Death Certificate

In early November, I shared my Death Causes Pedigree Chart on my blog. There were quite a few "Unknowns" on that chart. Since publishing that blog post, I ordered three death certificates from the Minnesota Historical Society. They have a Death Certificates Index online. It was so easy to search for my ancestors and order their death certificates.

Two of the death certificates I ordered have helped me replace the "Unknowns" with a cause of death in my pedigree chart.

The death certificate I'm sharing today doesn't replace an "Unknown" on my Death Causes Pedigree Chart because this ancestor is a generation back from what is shown on the pedigree chart.

This death certificate is quite unusual. At least, to me. I don't recall ever seeing one like it before. Thankfully, the Minnesota Historical Society included an Example of a Non-Pre-Printed Card (1905-1907). It explains the information contained in the death certificate.

This death certificate is for my 2nd great-grandmother, Marit (Thorsdatter) Iverson. She was married to my 2nd great-grandfather, Iver Iverson. I wrote a blog post about Iver. He served in the U.S. Civil War. Here's a link to that blog post if you'd like to read it ~ Military Monday ~ Iver Iverson – A U.S. Civil War Soldier from Norway.

Thanks to the Example of a Non-Pre-Printed Card (1905-1907) below, I was able to decipher Marit's death certificate.

Information gleaned from Marit's Death Certificate:

• Name – Marit Iverson (she went by Mary in America)
• Date of Death – October 8, 1905
• Place of Death – Chippewa Falls, Pope, Minnesota
• Cause of Death – Asthma
• Sex – Female
• Race – White
• Marital Status – Widow
• Father's Name – Thor Rye
• Mother's Name – Marit Rye
• Age at Death – 70
• Place of Birth – Norway
• Father's Place of Birth – Norway
• Mother's Place of Birth – Norway

Marit's cause of death was asthma. I didn't know she had asthma. I am quite intrigued by this finding. Why? Because I also suffer from asthma. I had it as a child, but seemed to grow out of it. Then sometime in my early 40s, it returned. I use asthma meds to keep it under control.

Is asthma an inherited disease? According to WebMD, it is. I found an article about the risk factors for Asthma in the Asthma Health Center on WebMD . Regarding Family History and Asthma, the following was stated,

"Blame Mom or Dad or both for your asthma. Your inherited genetic makeup predisposes you to having asthma. In fact, it's thought that three-fifths of all asthma cases are hereditary. According to a CDC report, if a person has a parent with asthma, he or she is three to six times more likely to develop asthma than someone who does not have a parent with asthma."

Marit is an ancestor on my paternal side. On my maternal side, I have found another ancestor who suffered from asthma. My maternal 2nd great-grandfather, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster was discharged from service in the U.S. Civil War due to "asthma of long standing."

Another interesting fact in Marit's death certificate is that Rye was listed as the surname of Marit's parents. Her father's surname was actually Toreson according to my records. The name of "Rye" is actually the name of the farm in Norway that the family came from. I also don't understand why Marit's mother was listed as Marit. My records indicate her mother's name was Rangdi Nilsdatter. Perhaps someone made a mistake on the certificate.

It's amazing how much information I was able to glean from what appeared to be a rather sparse death certificate for Marit.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last