|
a.
|
Note: N4515 ENTRY #76: OLE HALGRIMSEN, born 19 March / baptized 01 April 1832;witnesses were Ingeborg, Ole, Barbro & Ole Vold, Ole Wiig (Vik):
Buskerud county, Nes, Parish register (official) nr. 8 (1824-1834),Birth and baptism records 1832, page 418-419.
http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=3053&idx_id=3053&uid=ny&idx_side=-215
http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20060130010417.jpg
1880 Federal Census: Digitalarkivet: Norwegians living in Iowaaccording to 1880 census. Ole H. m 49; Brenile 43, Anna O., 18,Halgrim, 16, Albert 14, Truls, 12, Gunnill 10, Malina 8, Severt 6,Carl 4. 486 Brookfield Township, Worth County, Iowa
Immigration and Naturalization: Minnesota Naturalization Index:Location: Nicolet Reel 1, Code 2, Volume C Page 270 :Vold, O.H.
OLE 'S STORY
The Story of Ole Halgrimsen Vold, His Ancestors and His Descendants,as told by Laura Vold to Cynthia Vold Forde
Ole Halgrimsen was born to Halgrim Sigurdsen (Syver) Wold and AnneOlsdtr. Sefre/Sevre/Savre on the Vold Gaard, Fl?, Buskerud County,Hallingdal Norway on March 19, 1832. His baptism was April 1, 1832 atthe old Stave Church in Flø which was directly across the road fromthe Vold Gaard. He was confirmed in the Lutheran church in 1847.
In 1983, Laura Vold wrote a letter to Cynthia Vold Forde:
" I read this at a Vold reunion we had in 1938. (Long time ago.)"
"In the year of 1820, Halgrim Vold and Anna Savre established theirhome in Fl?, Hallingdal, Norway. Here on the Vold Gaard they livedwith their family of five children, Ragnild, Severt, Margit, Ole, andTruls. When the children grew to be young men and women, theycontracted the epidemic of 'United States Fever.'
Margit, who was married to Jon Hellerud, Truls and Severt were thefirst to leave the family circle. In 1852, they made preparation forthe long tedious journey of several weeks on the ocean before reachingthe shores of a strange land, Quebec, Canada, then to Rock Prairie,Wisconsin and on to Rice County, Minnesota where the youngergenerations now live. Ragnild and Ole were the only two at home inNorway. Ragnild Halgrimsdtr. remained in Norway and very little isknown of her family.
In 1861, Ole Halgrimsen Vold and his bride of one year contracted the"America Fever," and sold the Vold Gaard (farm) and with a group ofothers left for America out of Drammen, Norway. They set sail on theship Flora on May 3, 1861 to become pioneers in a new land. Theylanded in Quebec, Canada, later coming to Rice Co, Minnesota wherethey lived for eleven years. Ole Halgrimsen Vold and his wife,Brynhild Engebretsdtr., and the children born in Rice County, decidedto take advantage of farmland becoming available in Iowa. They movedby covered wagon to Iowa, while others in the family remained in RiceCounty."
According to an article dated July 29, 1943, the Vold family came toWorth County in the year 1872. They located in Brookfield Townshipseven miles West of Kensett, Iowa. Quoting the Northwood Anchorarticle, " Ole H. Vold went by the name of Ole Halgrimsen for thefirst few years, according to a Norwegian custom, but soon changed hisname to Ole H. Vold. All the brothers have "O" as their middleinitial. Halgrim who was eight years old at the time, recalls the tripfrom their farm home in Rice County, Minnesota, made with peril in acovered wagon, with livestock driven along behind the wagon. Theycame through Owatonna and Albert Lea, and near the latter city theyhad considerable difficulty in getting the cattle across the ShellRock River which they had to ford. They spent the first night in Iowaat the Silver Lake Church and they went on to Brookfield Township. "
They purchased a hundred and twenty acre farm for $780.00 - no smallsum of money in those days. Ole H. Vold lived on the same place untilhe passed away in September of 1904. Carl Vold and family lived therein half of the house until he moved to Northwood. Brynhild Vold andher oldest daughter lived in the East half of the house until Brynhildpassed away in 1912. The farm was later owned by Halgrim O. Vold whobought it in 1892 from his father. Halgrim then owned the farm until1917 when he moved into Northwood.
All six of the sons have spent most of their lives in Worth County.They purchased farms and some later took other occupations. The threeolder ones were born in Minnesota and the others in BrookfieldTownship, Worth County, Iowa. At the time of the Northwood Anchorarticle, July 29, 1943, the six living brothers ages totaled 436years. Two sisters, Gunhild (Mrs.Peter Hansen) died in 1920 in RosseauCounty, Minnesota, and Mrs. Malla (Maline) L.O. Brunsvold died nearKensett in 1935. The other sister, Anna, never married, but worked asa stenographer for Whitcomb and Sons.
When Carl Vold moved his family into Northwood, Halgrim and his familylived on the Vold farm until 1925 when they moved into Kensett. Theirdaughter Laura sent a photo enclosed in a letter to Cynthia Vold Fordein 1984, "Enclosed is a picture of the house. Look if you areinterested when you go by - or- better yet - stop at my house andwe'll go up to see it. It sits back amongst the trees. "
****
Cynthia Vold Forde,1999: "It took a long time for me to remember tosearch for that house. We did make that trip to Northwood, Iowa inJuly of 1999 and stayed with Ann and Dale Johnsen in their delightfulrefurbished log home which was built in the mid- nineteenth century bythe Sydney Swensrud family. It was there, enjoying the livinghistory, I remembered Laura Vold's letter to me in 1984 inviting me tovisit the Ole H. Vold family home. I became immersed with NorthwoodHistorical Society entries and photos to see where the house wassituated.
I found the house, but it was a disappointment to me that I could notcall Laura Vold in Kensett, Iowa to see the house with her. Followingmy move to Texas, seminary studies, and subsuquent ministry, I wasnot able to make the trip back to Iowa until 1989 after Laura hadpassed away. But I did discover that the house indeed remains - andhidden inside the house is a treasure. It is the original log housethat Brynhild and Ole built for their family. I dreamed of the time Icould purchase this home and strip all of the siding and sheet rockthat covers the finely built log home to preserve a page in historyfor my own Texas-born grandchildren who think lefse is a tortilla withbutter and sugar.
My thoughts returned to Sunday dinners at Laura Vold's house where shelived with her mother, Barbo, and father, Halgrim O. Vold. Laura enjoyed talking to me about the family. She filled my young mind with wonderful stories of my great grandparents. For she had a zest fortelling stories: especially the story of an incredible trip fraughtwith hardship crossing an ocean that separated families forever from abeloved country and family. She knew I was more than ready for theroast beef and mashed potatoes to be eaten so she could explain thestory of the tiny trunk in the living room.
It was a very small trunk carved from a tree," she would say, "Can you guess what they carried in such a tiny trunk?" Of course, I knew the answer, I had heard the story countless times. But, no matter,for it seemed to please her if someone present would be baffled by thesmallness of the trunk, wondering how it could be used on an oceantrip for any purpose. She would smile, open the trunk once again andsay, "The little trunk was the vessel for the butter on the ocean voyage." The trunk would be opened and we would peer inside and marvel that, indeed, butter could be kept in the trunk of a tree.
Laura's love of family did not end with the trunk. When Laura's parents passed away, Laura kept all of their belongings and the itemsthey left behind were sources for more stories. She had a lot of stories because Laura did not throw one item away. Her parents bedroom was just as they left it, the bides turned down, drawers were partially opened to reveal flannel pajamas prepared for bedtime. The dressers were topped with lace doilies, combs, brushes and mirrors. The porcelain chamber pots were dust free under the old iron beds.
When I returned to Northwood as an adult, I enjoyed Laura's Norwegian breakfasts of Frut-sup, home-made bread, and variety meats served on adrop-leaf table in the kitchen that belonged to my great grandparents.After Laura died, I asked my Kensett, Iowa brother-in-law who purchased the table. Much to my surprise, it was my dear, childhood friend Ann Sandberg Johnsen of Northwood. I asked Ann if the table might be for sale. Ann graciously gave me grandmother's black walnut table. The hand-hewn table sits in my bedroom in Texas - a warm reminder of Laura Vold.
Another favorite memory was looking at the large oil portraits of Ole H. Vold and his wife, Brynhild, Laura's grandparents, and my greatgrandparents. The man and the woman in the paintings seemed from another time and place, as indeed they were. Their eyes seemed to follow me as I descended the staircase to the main floor.
Steeped in Norwegian history and culture in Iowa, I knew I must visit Norway. The first trip aunt Fran went with me; she loved it, too. It was rather amazing to visit the family farms and let my imagination wander to the time they lived on the farms. I could not resist having my photo taken standing in the pulpit of the church in Flå where theywere married the year before they emigrated wondering what they would think about a great grand-daughter who became a Lutheran pastor. Pioneers are we all.
|
