MOE, Ole Oleson Christiansmoen 1831-

CHRISTIANSMOEN, MOE, HALVERSON, STENSRUD, BJORAN, MAAFAA, FJELDE, OLESON, GROV, FJELDE, OPPEDAHL

Posted By: Deidre Badker (email)
Date: 2/9/2012 at 12:05:31

Ole Oleson Christiansmoen Moe was born March 10, 1831 at the Piltingsrud farm in Begnadalen, Sor Aurdal, Oppland, Norway to Ole Halverson Stensrud and Gunhild Halsteinsdatter, the fifth of nine children. His siblings were: Maria (born 1819); Halvor (1821 - 1868); Kari (1826 - 1827); Ole (1828 - 1828); Abraham (Abram)(born 1833); Karen (1836 - 1837); Guldbrand (1839 - 1839); Gunnhild (born 1840).

Ole married Guri Olsdatter Bjoran Maafaa (sometimes found as Grov) on February 19, 1859 at Oppland, Norway. The couple had three children: George Oscar Oleson Moe (born June 18, 1958 at Valdres, Oppland, Norway, married Else Marie Fjelde 1892 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa, died April 22, 1897 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa);

Gulbrand (Gilbert) Moe (born November 26, 1861 Valdres, Oppland, Norway, died May 12, 1916 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa); and

Gunhild Olsdatter Moe (1864-1943, see other comment).

The family of five emigrated to rural Dane, Wisconsin in 1865. Ole used the surname Christiansmoen which he later shortened to Moe, but not all his brothers followed (Abram used Oleson, Halvor kept Christiansmoen).

About a year later, in 1866, Ole and family moved west to buy land and settle at Meroa (also known as Rock Creek), Cedar township, Mitchell County, Iowa. They stayed at the home of Thidemand (Docken) Thidemandsen & wife Gunhild, in a very small one room cabin. (This cabin has been restored and can be toured in Meroa by appointment in 2012.) There were few settlers in the Meroa village then, the area just starting to be settled.

Ole and Guri's son, Martin Oleson Moe, was born at this cabin on March 15, 1867 (Martin never married, died March 27, 1930 at Mitchell, Iowa). The four children born in Cedar township were: Olaus George Moe (born January 19, 1870 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa, married Olava Finsand October 1895, died April 20, 1943 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa);

Oline (Lena) Moe (born April 4, 1872, died August 19, 1925 both at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa);

Caroline Karina Moe (born November 13, 1874, died July 20, 1900, both at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa) and Marie (Mary) Moe (born January 19, 1877, married Lars Jorgensen Oppedahl, April 1931, died December 22, 1931 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa.)

Ole bought a farm about a mile east of Meroa, Iowa, alongside what is, in 2012, known as the Rudd Blacktop. The legal description of the land is: Section 6, N1/2 and NW 1/4 of West Cedar Township. They built a stone barn, some simple sheds and a small log cabin.
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Farm ownership history:
1856: U.S. Government to Gaylen Kennedy. 1860:Kennedy to J. H. Brust and Cyrus Foreman. 1861, 1863: Dubuque Co. to Mark Rowe.
1862: Gaylen Kennedys' heirs to Zenette E. Harker.
1866: Zennette E. Harker to Simon and Susan E. Emerson.
1867: Susan E. and Joseph Emerson to Ole Oleson Moe.
1884: Halsten Tollefson and wife to Ole Olson Moe (additional, adjoining land).

When Ole bought the farm in 1867, the price was $360 for 40 plus acres. The farm was later sold to Martin and Gilbert Moe and eventually inherited by Ole's daughter, Mary, who had married Lars J. Oppedahl in 1931. Mary died just a few months later after acquiring the land. Ole and Mary across the road and a bit north of the home place. Ole's daughter Julia, married Martin Field. Lena and Carrie Moe never married. When Lars J. Oppedahl died in 1958, Olvin, Clarence and Edward bought the farm and later sold it to Ole Moe's great-grandson, Marvin Norby.

There is a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Ole O. Moe in the 1911 Mitchell Co. Iowa Atlas, Sec. 3, page 26.

Family found in the 1870, 1880 and 1885 censuses living at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa:
1870: Ole MO 39, Gurie MO 36, Ole MO 11, Gilbert MO 9, Gunilda MO 7, Martha MO 5, Olouse MO 2.

1880: Ole Moe 49, Julia Moe 43, Ole Moe 21, Gilbert Moe 18, Julia Moe 16, Martin Moe 13, Olaus Moe 10, Oline Moe 8, Caroline Moe 5, Maria Moe 3.

1885: Oley O Moe 54, Julia Moe 48, Ole O Moe 25, Gilbert Moe 23, Julia Moe 20, Martin Moe 17, George Moe 15, Lena Moe 12, Carra Moe 10, Mary Moe 8.

Ole Moe died November 30, 1886 at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa although some sources claim November 13th. He was buried at the Rock Creek Lutheran Church Cemetery in Meroa, Iowa.

(Censuses transcribed as found, obvious spelling errors not corrected.)