Langaas, John and Hannah (Pederson)

(Adrienne (Peterson) Laurence)

50th Wedding Anniversary John O. Langaas

Hannah Karoline Pederson Langaas September 8, 1944

John 0. Langaas was born 16 Aug 1865 at Singsaas, Norway. His parents were Ole Svendsen (14 Sep 1839 -16 May 1918) and Anna Jonsdtr. (9 Sep 1832 - 12 Nov 1908) Langaas of Singsaas. As far as is known, John had no brothers or sisters. John came from Norway, to the Waterloo Ridge area, with his parents when he was 12.

John Langaas married Hannah Karoline Pederson 8 Sep 1894 at Decorah. Hannah was born 1 Jan 1875 at Trondheim, Norway. She was the daughter of Esten (18 Jun 1844 -10 Oct 1925) and Hansine Marie (10 Jan 1849 - 7 Oct 1945) Pederson also from Trondheim. Esten and Hansine were married 30 Aug 1874. They came to America 10 May 1878 and settled near Decorah in Canoe Twp. Hannah was 4 years old when the family came to America. Other children of Esten and Hansine were: Emma (m. a Budahl), Peter (died at birth), Pauline (m. a Rauk), Julia (M. a Nelson), Inga (m. a Burreson), Peter; Kitty (m. aTillapaugh) and Ingvald.

John and Hannah had 12 children: Alma Oeida (23 Dec 1894 - 24 Mar 1960, m. Amundson), Edgar Henry (13 Dec 1896 - 3 May 1971), Blonda Josephine (2 Sep 1902 - 17 Jul 1968), Lottie Julia (19 Aug 1900 - 23 Jul 1995, m. Peter Peterson), Jone Herman (5 Sep 1902 -17 Jul 1968), Hattie Christine (26 Feb 1905 -19 Jul 1957, m. a Lick), Hartvig Sigurd (20 Mar 1907 - 1 May 1927), Norman Otto (11 Apr 1909 - 12 Aug 1910), Norma Robertine (b. 1 Nov 1911, m. a Cooper), May Viola (8 Apr 1914 - 27 Dec 1977, m. Erickson), Dagmar Elvina (18

Apr 1917-12 Sep 1975, m. a Daniels) and Orin Lester Joy (24 Jan 1920 - 29 Jan 1960). John O. Langaas died 2 Sep 1958; Hannah died 12 Sep 1955.

Langeland, Hans & Barbra (Tysse)

(Jim Skurdaii)

Hans Knutsson Langeland was born Sep 1797 in Samnanger, Norway, near Bergen, the third of nine children of Knut Pedersson and Magdela Monsdtr. Langeland. In 1821 he married Barbra Knutsdtr. Tysse. She was born in 1802 on the Tysse farm in Samnanger, the third of seven children of Knut Hansson and Barbra Nilsdtr. Tysse. Her father, a legendary fiddler, held listeners spellbound with extraordinarily beautiful dance melodies played in a variety of unusual tunings. When asked where the pieces were from, he always replied that he had learned them from nymphs and sirens living under “Burfjellet”, a mountain just south of the farm.

Members of Hans Langeland’s family were at the forefront of the Norwegian emigration to America. His sister, Magdele (Nordvik), and his brother, Mons (Adland), were on board the Aegir in 1837, the first ship to sail from Bergen to America. Together with Ole Rynning, whose book about America helped generate the first outbreak of “America fever", they founded the ill-fated Beaver Creek Colony in northeast Illinois. It was ravaged by an epidemic soon after it was established, but both Magdele and Mons survived. Magdele’s grandson, Victor Lawson, owned the Chicago Daily News and was co-founder of the Associated Press. Hans' youngest brother, Knut Langeland, emigrated in 1843. He wrote a book entitled Nordmaendene i Amerika (1888, 224 p.), was editor of the Skandinaven and perhaps the most prominent person in the field of Norwegian journalism in America in the 19th century. Another of Hans’ brothers, Peder Langeland, immigrated to Winneshiek Co around 1850. During Pastor N.O. Brandt’s first visit to the Big Canoe Lutheran congregation the summer of 1852, services were held at the Peder Langeland home.

When the Aegir sailed for America in 1837, Hans bought the Nordvik farm, holding no. 4, from his brother-in-law, Anders, and sister Magdele, who were in the emigration party. He worked the farm for 18 years, during which time his wife, Barbra, gave birth to 12 children. In 1855 he sold the farm to his second-oldest, Hans Hansson Nordvik (Refer to the article on him), and in 1859 he and Barbra immigrated to Winneshiek Co. together with their two youngest children, Mons and Guro. Barbra died in 1868, and Hans in 1876. They are both buried in Big Canoe Lutheran Church cemetery. Among Mons Langeland’s many descendants are poet Joseph Langland and former county supervisor Walter Langland.

Hans Langeland’s son, Hans Nordvik, and daughters, Barbra, Marta and Oline, also immigrated to America. Barbra left Samnanger around 1845, and she lived for many years in Orleans Twp. near Plymouth Rock. She was first married to Knud Dybevig; later she used the name of her second husband, Pederson. In a letter to sister Magdela in Samnanger dated 1893, she wrote that