Wagner twp. lookup - Norwegian ancestors

STEVENSON, TORKILDSDATTER, OLSEN, GILBERG, TORKILDSON, HOLM, HOLMSEN, HOLMSON, BRATLIEN, BRATLEN, HOLMSDATTER

Posted By: Cathrine Just (email)
Date: 5/6/2004 at 20:33:35

I´m looking for my norwegian ancestors who arrived in Wagner 1869-70, and hope anyone on the list could help me with information about them! They is said to be living on the farm of family Stevenson, and that they moved on and setled in Wergeland,Yellow Medicine County, in Minnesota in 1878.

The people I´m looking for are my grandmothers (mothers mother) grandmother (fathers mother)
Berthe Torkildsdatter (Frujordet) b. 1807 in Fåberg, Oppland in Norway. She was married on the 7th of May 1827 in Fåberg church to Holm Olsen Gilberg b. 16th of May 1805. He died in 1859, and Berthe Torkildsdatter was a widow when she left for Amerika in june 1870. Her son in Amerika was probably paying for her voyage. At the 1870-census of Wagner Township in Clayton County she are probably called Betsy Torkildson age 61 and are living at the Stevenson farm. In the 1880 census of YM Minnesota she is called Betsy Holm. I´ve no information about when she passed away.

Thomas Holmsen (son of Berthe Torkildsdatter and Holm Olsen) b. 10th of August 1840 was the first one that went over to Amerika in april 1869. According to the record his destination was Prairie Chia. It says that some one in Amerika was paying for his voyage. At the 1870-census of Wagner Township in Clayton County he is living on the Stevenson farm and are probably called Tom Holmson age 30. In the list "Norwegians living in Minnesota in 1880" he is called Thomas H. Bratlien (or Bratlen), is unmarried and 40 yrs. old, and lives with his mother an unmarried sister in Wergeland, Yellow Medicine County. In the 1900 census he is a farmer. He is said never to marrie, and died in Desember 1928.

Christine Holmsdatter (daugther of Berthe Torkildsdatter and Holm Olsen) b. 6th of August 1846 and went to Amerika together with her mother in june 1870. Their destination was Pr. Du Chin. Her voyage was paid by someone in Amerika as well. At the 1870-census of Wagner Township in Clayton County he is living on the Stevenson farm and are probably called Christina Stevenson age 23. In the 1880 census of norwegians in Minnesota, she is called Christina Holmson, is unmarrid and 35 yrs. old, and lives in Wergeland, Yellow Medicine County. In the 1900-census her last name seems to be Bratlien (Bratlen) as well, and she is a housekeeper. She never married either, and died in April 1923.

I would very much like to know all about the Stevenson family and if possible what connection they had to my ancestors abowe. Since Thomas voyage from Norway was payed for from Amerika, I imagine that there must have been relatives in the area that helped him over. He was a labourer at the Stevenson farm, so it was not neccesarily family?

I would be very happy for any information! Thanks!

Kindly regards
Cathrine Just,
Oslo, Norway