Of Trolls and Lemons

Tombstone Tuesday -- Findagrave Memorial for Martin Christopherson

2012-01-16T21:25:00.000-05:00

Findagrave.com is a wonderful site to find graves. If you are lucky, someone has already added your ancestor to the site. If not, you can add the memorial for your ancestor. Findagrave is a site that depends on volunteers to provide information and pictures of gravestones. Check out the memorial I put up yesterday for my great-great grandmother's brother, Martin Christopherson. Click on the link below!

Memorial for Martin Christopherson

Merry Christmas and an Irish Story

2011-12-22T10:31:00.001-05:00

Dear Readers,
I apologize for not posting as much lately. I have been very busy to say the least! However, I am still following my roots and digging into them for others as well. My plan is to begin posting again with the new year. There is still so much to share!

I want to wish every one a very lovely Christmas, Chanukah, or whatever it is you celebrate this time of year! Happy Holidays!

Here is a heartwarming Christmas story I read today that goes back to Ireland in 1911. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/1221/1224309341785.html

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday -- John Kristiansen

2011-10-26T18:46:00.000-04:00

John Kristiansen (1904-1964), born in Baerum, Norway. He was my grandmother's oldest brother.

Tombstone Tuesday -- Christen O. Haug

2011-10-24T22:25:00.001-04:00

Grave of my great-uncle Christen Haug. He was born Kristen Olausen Jordbaerhaugen in Baerum, Norway. He emigrated to North Dakota in 1905. He is buried at the Bethany Cemetery in Divide County, North Dakota (Grenora). Photo by Herb Schwede.

Happy Birthday, Bestefar

2011-10-16T21:46:00.000-04:00

On October 15, 1914, my grandfather, Thorolf Johannes Haugen, was born in Pori, Finland (once called Bjoerneborg, Finland). His parents moved there for three years to work and returned to Norway in 1917.

I was only 12 when my Bestefar died, but I still have fond memories of him. Bestefar was so handsome and kind. I remember Christmas in Norway and how he smiled at me and played "this little piggy" with my fingers as I sat on his lap. We visited him and my grandmother in Norway during the summers, too, and I loved their little house that my grandfather built himself. In fact, my Bestefar was very talented when it came to anything made with his hands. I also remember how my brother and I would explore the backyard and swim in the Lommeli river that flowed behind the house. Bestefar would take us to where we could jump in safely -- it was really cold water, by the way.

I remember when Bestefar visited us where we lived in Spain, both in Bilbao and Almuñecar; he also came to the United States, when we lived in New Jersey, the summer before he died, and we took him to Pennsylvania to Amish country and then Canada, across from the Niagara Falls. I returned to Norway with him that summer and celebrated my 12th birthday there with a marzipan cake.

That summer in Norway was the last time I ever saw him, but I have never forgotten him. He had a quiet, gentle way about him that was special.

Happy Birthday, Bestefar!

Thorolf Johannes Haugen, circa 1932 during his military service. Below, my grandfather with my grandmother circa 1977.
Hugs and kisses, Bestefar. I miss you!

Wordless Wednesday -- Hans Christophersen

2011-09-27T22:04:00.001-04:00

Hans Christophersen was my great-great grandmother's (Jonette Kristoffersdatter) brother. He was one of three siblings who left Norway for Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as their mother, Ellen Hansdatter. He was born 7 June 1856 in Baerum, Norway, and died in SLC, Utah, on the 30th of January 1938. He was a landscaper and member of the Utah legislature. When I first saw this picture, I was astounded at the resemblance to my grandmother and her family. This picture was sent to me by one of his descendants, and I am so grateful!

New Irish Records on Ancestry.com

2011-09-25T20:15:00.000-04:00

I'm not Irish, but my husband is, and my Ancestry.com newsletter had an article (by Juliana Smith) which said the following: "Ancestry.com has posted indexes to Irish Civil Registrations which began in 1864 for births, marriages, and deaths (1845 for non-Catholic marriages). In addition there is an index to births and baptisms that dates back to 1620, extracted from a variety of records.

Three other collections that were also posted caught my eye—Catholic baptisms, marriages, and deaths (the latter being the smallest). Although these collections are works-in-progress that are smaller in size and not all-inclusive, they are significant because some of the records pre-date civil registration. Since Irish emigration peaked during the famine and post-famine years prior to when most civil registration began, these records an important resource for many Irish-Catholic ancestors who left during that period."

Be sure to check it out if you have Irish roots!

2011-09-12T21:49:00.000-04:00

One of several books published by my grandfather, Vincenzo Di Bennardo (later changed to Dibennardo). He was born November 15, 1900 in Palagonia, Sicily. This book, Jole, was published circa 1928. Jole is a woman's name, and as you can see, he enjoyed writing romances.

Italian Database of WWI Fallen Military

2011-08-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I decided to do some online research and see if I could find any information on military personnel who died during WWI. I was particularly interested in WWI because my grandmother's oldest brother died serving his country. The story told was that he drowned in the high seas while attempting to save his friend.

I found a database that included my grandmother's brother. Here is how to use it. Go to http://www.cadutigrandeguerra.it/Default.aspx...

1)

Scroll the site pages until you find the region of interest. In my case, I wanted a list for Sicily.

Once you find the region, look for the province you want. In my case, I wanted Catania or CT.

When I clicked on the Sicily link I liked (the one with CT), it opened up a sub-section with letters. I clicked on "N" since my grand-uncle's last name was Napoli. The page expands again to show me names. At the top one can see Napoli Antonino (surnames usually come first on official documents in Italy). This does not mean there is only one "Napoli" listed; he is the first one listed. Click on "Mostra la Pagina" (show the page) and a JPEG of a digitized document of fallen soldiers will open (see below).

4) Magnified area showing my grand-uncle, Giuseppe Napoli.

The record is translated as follows: Napoli Giuseppe of Pietro (father) -- Gunner (scelto -- chosen, but probably means "special") C.R.E.M. -- stands for Corpi Reali Equipaggi Marrittimi, a special naval corp of officers (mostly lower-ranked officers) -- born the 11th of February, 1897, in Catania, Port Authority of Catania, lost on March 18, 1918, subsequent to sinking of ship.

This was a great find! My next goal is to discover which ship was sunk and how. During WWI ships were sunk by torpedoes or mines. I also wonder if there were any survivors. Since the story is he drowned trying to save someone, I assume there must have been a witness (or more) who survived the ordeal.

My grandmother used to say that her mother, my great-grandmother Ciccia (Francesca), always kept a portrait of her son above a mantle with a lit candle and a vase filled with flowers. How hard it must have been to lose her first child to the Great War.

Wordless Wednesday -- 1855 Marriage Record for Domenico Strano and Rosa Lanza

2011-08-09T20:16:00.000-04:00

My great-great grandfather Domenico Strano (b. ABT 1826 in Piazza, Caltanissetta, Sicily) married Rosa Lanza (b. ABT 1829 in Mineo, Catania, Sicily) on 9 May 1855 in the Church of San Pietro in Mineo, Catania, Sicily. His father was Paolo Strano (deceased) and his mother was Marianna Monaco (b. 1799). Her father was Giuseppe Lanza (b. 1795) and her mother was Emmanuela Gulizia (deceased).

Heritage Food Friday -- Norwegian Sour Cream Waffles

2011-07-22T08:28:00.000-04:00

I would bet more waffles/person are eaten in Norway than any other country. I used to love it when my grandmother served them up plain or with jam, cheese, or sour cream on top!

Ingredients

1 pint rich sour cream
8 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all the ingredients until smooth and let sit for 10 minutes. Bake on a waffle iron until crisp and brown.

This recipe is adapted from Aase Strømstad's Eat the Norway.

Surname Saturday -- Lanza

2011-07-16T07:33:00.000-04:00

I recently learned more about ancestors on my maternal grandfather's line. My grandfather's grandmother (my great-great grandmother) was Rosa Lanza, born in Mineo, Sicily around 1829. Her father was Giuseppe Lanza and her mother was Emmanuela Gulizia. Interestingly, their street address was Cortile Lanza, Mineo. This dead-end street exists today. I can't help but wonder if it was named after my ancestors. Otherwise, I don't know too much about the name, Lanza. According to Cognomix, a Website where one can visualize how dispersed a surname is in Italy, Lanza is found throughout the peninsula. Lanza does seem to be more popular in Sicily, but it is also common in Northern Italy.

The sign to the dead-end street/cortile in Mineo, Sicily, where my great-great grandmother, Rosa Lanza, lived with her parents. The information was obtained from her wedding record.

Locations in Italy with the Lanza name. http://www.cognomix.it/.

Tombstone Tuesday -- Bryn Kirke and Cemetery

2011-07-12T18:21:00.000-04:00

Bryn Kirke in Baerum, Norway. The church was built in 1861.

Wordless Wednesday -- Ludvig Hansen and Nikoline Andersdatter

2011-06-29T18:46:00.000-04:00

Great-great grandparents from Vesten in Oestfold, Norway. Nikoline Andersdatter (1865-1950) and Ludvig Hansen (1858-1929). They were married 3 June 1883 and had eleven children. One of them was my great-grandmother Joergine who married Thomas Alexius Haugen, son of Emil Georg Samuelsen and Hannah Marie Andreasdatter.

Heritage Food Friday

2011-06-24T07:08:00.001-04:00

I have decided to start a new series -- recipes from Norway and Sicily!

Pasta Alla Norma

Maria Callas plays Norma.
Picture from
http://handelmania.libsyn.com/2006/06

I figure I might as well start with something from Catania, the city at the foot of Mt. Etna. Most Sicilian cookbooks in the U.S. tend to focus on Western Sicilian cooking and don't pay too much attention to the East. The truth is that while a lot is the same, there are also differences.

My Aunt Eva in Catania is by far the best cook EVER, and I don't think I could begin to create anything to compare; but when I think of Sicilian cooking, I always think of her. Here's an attempt at Pasta alla Norma, Zia, that could never be yours!

By the way, Pasta alla Norma is named after the Opera "Norma," which was written by Catania's most famous composer, Vincenzo Bellini.

Ingredients
4 - 6 servings

1 box Penne (rigate is preferred); spaghetti is okay, too.
1 can diced tomatoes. You may also take 6-8 medium tomatoes and boil them for about 1 minute. Cool in cold water and peel the skin, then dice.
1 Eggplant
Ricotta Salata
1 Onion
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves Garlic
Basil
Salt and Pepper

Dice the garlic and onion and saute in a thin coat of olive oil at the bottom of the pan. When the onion and garlic attains some color, add the diced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer. The eggplant can be cut in squares (half-inch cubes) or sliced and then fried. Drain the eggplant on absorbent paper. The eggplant should be crispy but not burned. Cook the penne in boiling salted water until al dente -- firm and not overcooked. Drain the pasta and pour half of the sauce over it. Mix. Place the pasta on a plate to serve and add some remaining sauce on top. Arrange the eggplant on top of the sauce and penne. Garnish with a few sprigs of basil. Now -- the most important part -- grate the ricotta salata over the entire creation. Repeat for each serving.

Now, let me be clear that parmesan cheese does not make this Pasta alla Norma, so try to find Ricotta Salata. It has a distinctive flavor on the pasta. Most stores in the U.S. carry the cheese. If not, a Fresh Market or Whole Foods should have it. In Catania, aged ricotta salata is the best and is what my aunt uses, but in the U.S. you will probably have to go with a less aged version.

Serve and enjoy!

Picture from http://www.laterrazzadelprincipe.com/the-food.html

A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter and his Family Tree

2011-06-21T20:23:00.002-04:00

Call me "Potteridiot" because I don't get the recent craze over "Pottermore," a.k.a the latest marketing ploy feeding Pottermania. Wow, I almost created a tongue-twister there. LOL. Nonetheless, Potter-fans are deadly serious right now about following a trail of clues in the hope of uncovering the latest news of "something big" about to happen in the wizarding world. The "trail of clues" was announced a few days ago, and countless people have been literally losing sleep over this. As for me, I've been losing sleep over finding that picture or document of the dead guy I'm currently researching -- I have Geneamania rather than Pottermania.

Potter-fans will not like to hear this, I'm sure, but I really tried to read The Sorcerer's Stone (a.k.a. The Philosopher's Stone), but it lost me somewhere in the middle, magic wands and all. The best I can do is give into the crazy idea that I might find a family tree for Harry Potter. In fact, a few minutes ago, I googled "genealogy" and "Harry Potter" all the while smugly telling myself how ridiculous I am to even consider the existence of such a thing and, lo and behold, there it was... several google links to pages on Harry Potter's genealogy. There is even a tree I can download or visualize on-site, and it has 180 people in it and 31 families. Wow!

So, being that I don't get it, why the sudden interest to blog about Harry Potter, you may ask. Well, I have a best friend. We have been best friends since 1984 when we met our Freshman year in college and were dorm mates. Just like a married couple, a bit of feigned interest into the hobbies of your best friend is required -- just the ones a friend does not "get," of course. After all, she listens to me drone on about dead people she can't possibly care about, and it would only be fair that I listen to her talk about Muggles and Quidditch and so forth. That's what friends do.

We have been through a lot together over the years, and for a time, we even wrote books together. The technique we used was tandem writing. I'd write 25 pages and she'd follow up with 25 more and I'd add to hers until we actually had a pretty good story. We had a lot of fun! But at some point we decided to go our own ways and write our own stories. I wrote a few novels in the genre of contemporary women's fiction, and she wrote fantasy, mainstream Da Vinci Code type of stuff, young adult... you name it. She even took her beloved Harry Potter series and created a wonderful workshop that analyzed J.K. Rowling's writing in order to help any writer improve his/her own work.

Recently, she started selling her workshop in book format and then Pottermania broke loose again -- good timing! She has had thousands of blog hits on her blog site, and she was also asked to post a blog piece regarding "Pottermore" on the International Business Times site -- an online global business newspaper with 5.4 million global users. And guess what... People going on her blog site have been riding their brooms over to my site because I am listed as a blog she follows -- thanks S.P. Sipal! I have had around 400 hits on my blog since yesterday. I have to chuckle, though, when I think that people expecting more Harry Potter end up reading about ancestors and Norwegian and Italian heritage. But perhaps I should post a tree of Harry Potter and that will satisfy them? Maybe they'll get curious about their ancestry, too, and hire me to research their own Muggle family history! Hmmm.

Okay, Potter-fans, here is a screenshot of the tree you can look at on this site -- GenoPro. This is just Harry Potter's tree -- knock yourselves out. Other characters from the series have trees, too. Note, I did not find the tree that intuitive to view.

Click on the picture to enlarge it for better viewing...
Obtained from http://familytrees.genopro.com/harry-potter/default.htm

This one's for you S.P. Sipal. You are awesome!

Sunday Biography Series -- Akoline Oleane Jakobsdatter Part V

2011-06-19T22:20:00.001-04:00

I have previously written about my ggg-grandmother Akoline Oleane Jakobsdatter here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Also, if you go to the bottom of this article and click on the label, all the posts will come up at once and you can read them all together.

I thought that I would add an update to Akoline's story. Last summer when I went to Norway, I visited the Methodist Church in Fredrikstad where Akoline/Oleane and her husband Samuel became Methodists. It is also the church where my gg-grandfather Emil Georg Samuelsen Haugen was baptized. When I visited, I met with an historian affiliated to the church, and he showed me not only the original book of records, but also a picture of the minister who would have baptized them all. The book of records also recorded the unfortunate death of my ggg-grandfather Samuel Andreasen. The record said he had died on 3 June, 1875 by drowning at sea. Of course, I have previously posted what actually happened to him, which is a little different. My gg-grandfather had told my father (my father was a boy at the time) that his father, Samuel, had fallen to his death from the ship's mast after going up to make a repair. In fact, at the archives in Norway last summer, I had discovered the record that said exactly this. The accident occurred somewhere on their way to Bristol, England. I'm sure he was buried at sea, which is what the church record means by saying he "drowned." Here is a link to Samuel's story.

Last summer I posted very briefly about what I found in the Methodist Church. Here are some more pictures with further comments.

Fredrikstad Methodist Church. Below is the inside of the church; the historian I met said it had to be redone due to a fire.

The minister who baptized Akoline/Oleane, Samuel, and Emil was Bernt Johannessen. Below are the pictures of all the ministers who have served the Methodist Church in Fredrikstad.

The first part of the baptismal records for my ggg-grandparents Samuel and Akoline/Oleane. Here
my ggg-grandmother is Johansdatter rather than Jakobsdatter (her father, whom I found out was not her biological father, was named Johan Jakob, and she used these names interchangeably for her surname. Also, "Akoline" seems to have appeared from nowhere just about during this time. Her birth and previous records only use the name Oleane. Moreover, she also sometimes used 9 February as her birth date when it was actually 17 February. She seems to know her birth date is 17 February in previous records, yet sometimes she used 9 February later. I believe she had some reasons for doing these things, and that they were not mistakes. Earlier records show she is born in Sweden, but in at least two records later in life she is shown as being from Sarpsborg, Norway, which is actually where she emigrated to from Sweden. These were census records, and she must have given this incorrect information. I think that she wished to forget some of her early past. Both marriage records (she was married twice) and other earlier records show her with her accurate name, birth date, and birth location -- all of which I have verified in the Swedish records.

This records says my ggg-grandfather, Samuel Andreasen died on June 3rd, 1875. Below it says that he drowned at sea.

The book of records from the Methodist church containing the baptismal records for my ggg-grandparents
and of their son, Emil Georg Samuelsen Haugen. It also contained the death record for my gg-grandfather, Samuel Andreasen.

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- December 2, 1915

2011-06-12T23:07:00.001-04:00

Continuation of the translation of my grandfather's diary, which was written at age 15 while he lived in a boarding school in San Gregorio, Catania, Sicily. He was born in Palagonia, Sicily, on November 15, 1900. For previous posts, follow the trail here and keep going back.

Thursday, December 2 (1915)

Here we are in December, the most beautiful month there is, which reminisces over the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The Novena of the Immaculate Conception has already begun -- also a beautiful feast.

Today we went for a walk.

We were led by Don Rasa, our new professor in place of Don Traina. He is a very intelligent young man -- a baby face with a fine and smooth nose, as well as a short person with a happy look about him. In other words, you could mistake him for a boy.

He came out of the parlor and said: Come on, guys; if you want to go far, you will have to pick up your feet and walk ahead of me.

Arriving at the road, we took a few paces and then deviated onto a rocky road that began to roll beneath our feet. We headed to Aci Castello, a village on the shores of the sea where the railway passes and the tram that goes from Catania to Acireale. The village is noted for the castle -- well known in history as impregnable; but now its beauty cannot be seen unless it is from one side of the castle.

www.italiaguides.it
Picture of the castle in beautiful
Aci Castello

For a few minutes, we were allowed to contemplate the sea and breathe in a bit of fresh air. The waves formed into breakers, crashing against the rocks of the shore and producing a delightful roar. In the distance below us, in the middle of the sea, several boats rocked cheerfully.

My classmates and I grabbed some stones and hurled them against a boulder where two letters were cut into it - CG - and I was among the lucky ones to hit the target several times. But the fun was short-lived. We had to return. We were forced to walk in a single line during the crossing of the small town, so we decided to spread out, some of us going one way and others another way.

The return was very cheerful with singing and talking. In Ficarazzi, we saw a turkey with little ones around her. They were the size of chicks, and I was easily deceived into believing this is what they were (he may mean they did not look to him like turkey chicks but more like chickens). But, finally, we arrived at the boarding school -- weary, yet always rejoicing.

Original diary pages below:

Happy Birthday Nonna and Dad

2011-06-11T13:53:00.000-04:00

My nonna, Giuseppa Napoli, born in Catania, Sicily, June 11, 1914; below, Dad, same day of birth, different year

Tombstone Tuesday -- Tanum Kirke and Cemetery

2011-06-07T07:41:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Tanum Kirke in Baerum, Norway. Nearly 1000 years of ancestors were baptized,
confirmed, married, and buried here.

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- November 20-25, 1915

2011-05-22T22:42:00.002-04:00

Vincenzo Dibennardo
1900-1982

Here is the next translated entry from my grandfather's diary, written in Sicily when he was 15 years old. For previous entries click here.

20-21-22 November, 1915

These days it rained continuously with a mighty wind and a bit of cold.

***

25 November, 1915

Today was a day for walking.

My fellow fourth gymnasium schoolmates and I took a stroll. Don Mattias, the school catechist, led the way.

The walk turned out truly splendid. We went to San Francesco di Sales (boarding school) in Catania where we found the director, Don Massimino; the prefect, Don Scelsi; Don Vanoli; and others. The latter person showed us some dormitories occupied by the wounded (WWI); there were those injured in the arm, fingers (unsure if writes "finger"), others in the head, and some with wounded feet. It was a desolation. There was also one man from Genoa with frostbite to the feet who gave a letter to Don Vanoli to mail for him.

Later, we visited the various laboratories, and therefore some, or rather most of us, went with Don Sinatra to the "soid" (unsure of this word), while I, Putrino, and Di Bella remained in the school.

Along with Don Patané, director of the Amico (Friend) (Salesian newspaper), we went to the first floor where there was a pantry with Salesian books. There, my classmates chose some annual issues of the Amico and handed them over to Don Patané to bind them.

When we arrived in his room, we all changed our address, and I had him give me the last issue of the Amico. (Note: In an earlier entry, my grandfather explains he attended San Francesco di Sales before the boarding school in San Gregorio. According to my research, San Francesco di Sales was closed in 1915 because it was used as a hospital for WWI wounded. This may be why he "changes" his address so he can receive the Salesian newspaper.)

When we left him, we walked with another superior near the flower beds, spending another good half hour waiting for Don Mattias; but when we saw that he did not come as promised, we came up with the resolution -- also coerced by the inspector -- to begin a swift walk toward San Gregorio at 5 minutes after 5.

We continued to talk softly while walking. Arriving near Cannalicchio (a district of Catania), with the one called Di Bella who had ten cents, we went to a belsola (a grocery -- unsure) to buy bread, but unfortunately none was to be found. So we continued our journey.

To tell the truth, I turned back a few times to look behind me, feeling a bit scared; but then reassured, I continued on my way. Arriving a little higher, above Cannalicchio, we met a young man who was going to Ficarrazzi -- a small village not too far from San Gregorio. He was heading home after being in Catania to do masonry work, and he now returned to get bread. My mind was filled with scary thoughts, but I did not express my weakness to my friends; my consistent turning around to see behind me was quite useless. The darkness was perfect and one could hardly distinguish one thing even ten meters away. The moon was not in the sky, and the stars were hidden behind the clouds.

The young man started to recount some things while we had our ears open for any sounds, consoling ourselves that our other classmates were probably nearby. But, no, we were deceived, and we could accept this when we entered the dormitory and at first did not see anyone but, going down to the study hall, we found them at their respective places, staring at us with questioning eyes. I have to warn my dear readers that they must forgive even when a learned man makes a mistake because in this world we are all made of flesh and, therefore, easily make mistakes. So, I must tell you that we went to the Director and told him the story; but, as always, he put on a smile and said, "Go on sons, and next time be more careful" which left us confused and heavy-hearted.

So this is how our nice walk turned into our adventure.

Original diary pages:

Stay tuned for the next entry...

Pasquale Ursino's Brother, Giuseppe

2011-05-21T16:14:00.004-04:00

Now that my son is out of school for the summer, I have more time to research my family history! In anticipation of the free time, I ordered 7 new microfilms of Italian records via my local family history library about two weeks ago. Four microfilms arrived Thursday, and this morning I went to see what I could find.

One of my goals was to find the birth record for my great-grandmother, Francesca Scuderi, so I can learn about her parents; but that film had not arrived yet. Out of the 4 that did, one was a microfilm of marriage records from Catania, Sicily, spanning 1888 to 1893. The story told to me was that my great-grandmother married very young -- perhaps as young as sixteen. This would mean she may have married in 1892; however, I did not find a record for her through 1893, and I checked the earlier years, too. It looked like I would have to order marriage records starting in 1894 and that she probably married young but not as young as sixteen. However, I did take the time to see what else I could find in the records. After all, my great-grandfather Pasquale was widowed twice before he lived with my great-grandmother, and one of his marriages could have occurred between 1888 and 1893.

Again, no such luck, but I did find a marriage record for a brother of his I did not know -- Giuseppe Ursino. Finding a great-uncle was quite exciting because it told me a few things. For one, Giuseppe was nine years younger than Pasquale, which means there must be more siblings. It also gives me a later date as a starting point to find out when Pasquale and Giuseppe's parents may have died.

Giuseppe Ursino may have married a cousin since his bride's name is Carmela Ursino. The marriage record shows Giuseppe's father and mother to be Orazio Ursino and Maria Stabile (as expected) and Carmela's father and mother are Giuseppe Ursino and Rosaria D'Arrigo. I will have to dig into the records and see if Orazio had a brother named Giuseppe.

Michele is a brother I have heard may have existed but I have yet to find. Giuseppe Ursino is a new brother I
discovered today. Pasquale Ursino is my great-grandfather on my maternal side from Catania in Sicily.

A rough piecing together of the marriage record I found telling of the marriage between Giuseppe Ursino and Carmela Ursino. The marriage took place 18 June 1892. Click on picture to enlarge.

My Nonna and Her Half-Sister

2011-05-15T09:30:00.001-04:00

Left: Innocenza Napoli (called Zenna), probably born before or around 1900. I was lucky to meet her once in the early 80's but too young to think to ask the right questions. Right: My grandmother, Giuseppa Napoli, or as I called her, Nonna Pina, born June 11, 1914. She was half-sister to Zenna, but as I have explained before, she carried the surname of her mother's legal husband. There was no divorce in those days, so my great-grandparents managed to get the legal husband to claim the children (I believe they paid him). Her father was Pasquale Ursino. Both sisters were born and lived in Catania, Sicily.

Happy Birthday, Bestemor!

2011-05-07T10:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Bestemor! My grandmother, Gyda Kristiansen, circa 1933.

Wordless Wednesday -- Emil Samuelsen Haugen and Family in Finland

2011-05-03T23:32:00.000-04:00

Emil Georg Samuelsen Haugen (1871 - 1954) and Hanna Marie Andreasdatter (1871 - 1943) with children, Elvira Helene Haugen (1901 - 1979) and Hans Ereinius Haugen (1906 - 1993). This picture was taken soon after arriving in Finland in 1914. They stayed there for 3 years before returning to their home country, Norway.

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- November 18 - 20, 1915

2011-05-01T21:47:00.001-04:00

The continuation of my grandfather's diary. He had just turned 15 on November 15, 1915 when he wrote these pages a few days later. He was born in Palagonia, Sicily, and was living in a Salesian boarding school in San Gregorio. His mother had died when he was very young, and it was custom, in such cases, for fathers to send their children to boarding school. To find the trail of previous posts, go to my last post.

Translation below

                                                                                    November 18. Thursday.

Today we headed to Pedara. In Trecastagni, we met with those of Pedara [Salesian school students], and there was a stampede. I was surrounded with old classmates from boarding school and other villagers [he probably means they were from his same town], such as: Nicolino, Salvatore; Calcaterra; Pappalardo; Claudio Condemi; Pastura, Giovanni; Squillace, Gaetano, etc... Later, we walked as far as their boarding school. We visited the Director, Don Massimino Morganti, the Prefect [resident advisor], the Catechist, and other superiors. Afterward, we descended into the courtyard and found that the boarding school teams had been formed once more.

We drank a little wine offered to us by the Prefect and then returned to our boarding school. As always, we arrived in San Gregorio singing.

                                                                                   November 20 [he probably meant to write 19]

This evening, during the blessing, a flower caught fire, and if the Catechist, Don Mattias, was not quick to act, the fire would have spread throughout the altar. I kept my eyes closed to the flames and reopened them in a burst of fright.

                                                                                    November 20. Saturday.

This morning, at a quarter past ten, my father came.

My hometown friend, Brancato, came to ask permission from my professor, who willingly consented. I was really happy, and as I left the school, I ran into him right away, so I hurled myself into his arms with much affection. Afterward, I kissed my sister, and then we walked to the parlor. We sat down on a soft sofa, immediately starting an animated conversation. They brought me a large basket [type used for bread] filled with ten eggs and some biscuits. There were also eight notebooks of twenty cents each.

Our talk lasted a good hour and a half, and when the bell rang, we entered the office of the Director, who cordially received us. Having asked permission, I went to the bedroom, to my place [probably means "bunk" since this is a dormitory with several beds], and I put away my goods before returning to my father. We stayed with the Director for about a quarter of an hour, and then he wanted to accompany us to the parlor.

Nearby, there was a priest who played the piano. The Director made us go in and insisted my sister play something. The Director affectionately said goodbye to my father and left us. Then, I hugged my father and my sister and gave them a last farewell as they left. I retired feeling afflicted but without shedding a single tear.

Wordless Wednesday -- a Grand-Uncle, Great-Great Grandmother, and a Great-Uncle

2011-04-27T21:36:00.001-04:00

John Kristiansen (1904-1964), Randi Larsdatter (1836-1921), and Kristen Jonsen (1857-?). Location: Baerum, Norway ca 1920.

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- November 14, 1915

2011-04-18T23:19:00.004-04:00

Continuation of the translation of my grandfather, Vincenzo Dibennardo's diary. He was 15 at the time and attended a Salesian boarding school in San Gregorio, Sicily. Previous posts may be found through the last post, found here.

November 14, 1915

Yesterday, we were walking when on the street I met a woman carrying a parcel to San Gregorio to give to me. I took it and saw it contained dried figs that I began to do away with -- partly in my stomach and partly in that of my schoolmate. Then we sat on boulders at a crossroads and started an animated conversation.

We talked about boarding school, punishments, and teachers.

Later, we continued our stroll, and when we arrived at the road we prayed and then took the road of return.

Having arrived at a three-way crossroads, we stopped because there was a small chapel. It is said that here, below the church, a beautiful image of Saint Lucia is found.

We continued our return trip, and two cars flew by, raising a great dust. Farther up, we saw a beautiful villa, and at first glance -- outside it -- was a beautiful dog made of terracotta with this written on it:

(In Sicilian dialect)

HERE IS A DOG
HE NO LONGER BITES
HE ONLY SURVEYS AND KEEPS VIGIL
AND WARNS HIS MASTER

Tombstone Tuesday -- Database Record of the Burial of Emil Georg Samuelsen Haugen

2011-04-12T07:13:00.001-04:00

In the past, I have blogged about DIS Gravminer. The Norwegian Genealogical Society gives free access to cemetery records in Norway. The database is not complete yet, but one can find a record of many burials already. Here is my great-great grandfather, Emil Georg Samuelsen Haugen, marked with a red star. If one clicks on his name and number, then more information is provided about his burial.

Wordless Wednesday -- Haugen Family

2011-04-06T21:44:00.001-04:00

Great-grandparents Thomas and Joergine and children -- Norvald, Eleonore, and Thorolf (my grandfather on his mother's lap). This picture was taken circa 1917, and I believe it was upon their return to Norway from Finland, where they had been living for three years.

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- November 9 and 11, 1915

2011-04-04T20:08:00.001-04:00

Fourth installment of the translation of my grandfather's diary written in Sicily during the school year of 1915-1916. He was nearly 15 when he wrote these entries. Previous entries found here: one, two, and three.

To the left is a picture of my grandfather when he was somewhere between 18 and 20 years old. He was a "novice" in the Salesian Order of the Priesthood. He never took his final vows. I guess that is obvious, since I exist:).

Translation below

November 9

This morning, Mass was officiated by Don Bartolo -- parish of San Gregorio -- a man about eighty or more. Altar-serving was performed by Riccieri, one of the novices who assisted the old man since he could not climb the steps of the altar by himself.

Mass was without communion because we'd had it earlier, and it lasted about 50 minutes.

November 11, Thursday

Today, we went for a walk.

The sky seemed clear enough, although a wind blew impetuously, raising dust into the air and banging it furiously against our faces. Our hats flew right and left along with our great laughter.

I talked with Putrino, a strong boy of excellent quality, and Torrisi -- also gifted with some virtues of his own. He isn't a bad person, but not that likeable either; in the eyes of society, he manages to fit in, however. He can do a sudden about-face and be generous when it is in his self-interest.

We talked about our families and the great sorrow this war has caused to every single one, as well as other discussions about family. Finally, after three quarters of an hour walking, we came to a fountain where we drank its water.

Then began a great conversation about a famous bandit known by the name of Dionisio. There exists even now a cave where he used to hide to attack the poor travelers heading to Catania or Acireale. He was never caught in the act of his major thefts, and he continued his disgraceful craft.

But then one evening, a poor traveler commended to Our Lady, went through the terrible path. Dionisio assaulted the poor man, who did not have even a penny to give, and the bandit brandished a knife, about to kill him, when as the blade glistened in the pale moonlight there appeared Our Lady of Valverde saying: Dionisio, what are you doing?

This apparition caused him to step back and leave the poor and unfortunate wayfarer in order to return to the cave. The words, "Dionisio, what are you doing?" replayed in his mind.

Little by little, the bandit reviewed his great faults until he gave up his life as a robber. Our Lady appeared to him a second time asking him to build a church, and the next day there was the form of a circle around the location.

A third time, she appeared to give him a rod from which to raise a fountain where water could be drawn. The fountain in front of the cave still exists, and it is where we had stopped to quench our thirst.

Dionisio fulfilled his mission and became a monk who died in God's grace.

We continued our walk for several more kilometers and then headed back to the boarding school.

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- November 5,6, and 7, 1915

2011-03-21T23:40:00.004-04:00

Continuation of the translation of my grandfather's diary written in 1915-1916 at age 14-15. See the previous two Monday posts for previous pages. Location: San Gregorio, Sicily.

Translation below.

                                                                                                                                      November 5

Yesterday evening, around 7, I saw my old advisor, Don Traina, coming from the house. He had left on October 20 to suffer a second visit to the military (recruiters).

But fortunately, he was among the few considered unfit for service and was sent home where he stayed for about a week, and now here he is, ready to resume his duties.

Just last night after dinner, during the short recreation time, I went to him, wanting to kiss his hand, but he shied away. Then, I congratulated him for being rejected (by the military), and I said, “We can stay one more year together.” Having revered him, I then began to walk with the Director.

                                                                                                                                       November 6

Today, two new pupils of the 4th gymnasium -- my class -- arrived; they are brothers.

The larger one -- stout, medium height, black hair, wide forehead, narrow mouth, with a forelock of hair -- was my classmate some time ago in Catania at the boarding school, San Francesco di Sales.

The smaller one -- of the right size, aquiline nose, black hair, closed mouth in the expression of a smile, lively eyes like those of a rooster -- also attends the 4th gymnasium, and today came to school.

I shook their hands and reminded them of all the tests we'd had together at the Hospital.

In the study, their place is in the front pew. Don Ercolini departed from us and will return in a few days.

Today, our new professor, Don Bologna, arrived -- medium height, features a bit rustic, flashing eyes, voice like thunder, calloused hands ...

He was my old advisor in the San Francesco (di Sales) dormitory.

Don Ercolini will now move on to being the professor of the 5th gymnasium.

                                                                                                                                        November 7

The boulders Polyphemus threw at Ulysses

Today, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, we went for a stroll. I enjoyed the walk, and we ended up on a hill opposite Aci Castello. From there, you could see a beautiful view -- the boulders the Cyclops, Polyphemus, threw against Ulysses, which now rises above the sea as peaks. On top of the larger rock there is a house. Later, we returned happily. I joined Messina and Ruggeri, and we began to speak of many things. Ruggeri, with the excuse of needing to take care of his needs (bathroom) remained behind us, and when he caught up to us, his pockets were full of lemons. He offered me a lemon, but I did not accept it, saying it was stolen. Before arriving in San Gregorio, we met a man with a small pig over his shoulders, who every once in a while let us hear his beautiful voice (squealing pig). Our laughter reached up to the stars, but then it all ended, and here I am already, at the table, describing this meeting.

Wordless Wednesday -- Burud Farm in Baerum

2011-03-16T19:45:00.000-04:00

Burud Farm in Baerum, Norway. Several generations of ancestors lived on this farm. My third great-grandparents, Kristoffer Pedersen and Ellen Hansdatter, had several children while living here. Martin, Hans, and Haakine Christopherson eventually emigrated to Salt Lake City. Their sister, Jonette Kristoffersdatter (Norwegian spelling) stayed in Norway, and she was is my great-great grandmother.

Part of Burud Farm is now a lovely golf course.

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- November 2 and 4, 1915

2011-03-13T18:54:00.005-04:00

Continuation from last Monday's "Amanuensis Monday."

Translation below...

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

                                                                                                                   November 2, 1915

Today is the commemoration of the dead. At nine o'clock in the morning we went for a walk.
I had filled my pockets with chestnuts, and when we arrived in the countryside I distributed them to my friends who accepted them.

I will gladly walk with the Director, a good priest who truly cares for us, and from whom I learn so many little facts (and stories) he eagerly recounts to the young novices who are heading for an ecclesiastical career.

                                                                                                                    3 o'clock in the morning

About two and a half hours after midnight, I awoke to the sound of the wind flapping against the windows. Around a quarter after 3, the window before me opened in a furious burst of wind and the cold air entered the dormitory room, and I was forced to hide my head under the covers. Around four o'clock, the wind having calmed down a little, I put socks on my feet, got out of bed to close the window, and then returned to bed to regain the lost sleep during the night.

                                                                                                                   November 4

After lunch, at 3:30, during the Italian class of Don Ercolini, a little incident occurred that made me die from laughter. We had all entered (the classroom), and I being the last one, closed the door behind me. I was about to take my seat when the bench suddenly fell apart with my two classmates -- Valenti, Agostino and Torrisi, Giuseppe, who both fell to the ground. Valenti hit hard against the back part of the bench, while Torrisi hit his head against the foot of the bench behind him.

The laughs were endless, and even Don Ercolini laughed heartily; but then we had to quiet down to begin Italian class.

I was called into the parlor, and a woman I did not recognize gave me a box with three eggs and some biscuits. (This probably was sent to my grandfather from his family.)

Wordless Wednesday -- Løken Farm

2011-03-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

Løken Farm in Baerum, Norway. My great-great-great grandmother, Ellen Hansdatter (1822 - 1899), was born here.

Tombstone Tuesday -- Norwegian WWII Hero

2011-03-07T23:19:00.001-05:00

This past summer I saw this grave in the cemetery of Borgund Stave Church located in Borgund, Lærdal, Norway.
Buried here is Kristian Johansen Kullerud from Royken. He was born the 10th of December in 1909 in Nes, Romerike, and he "fell for Norway" in Borlaug, the 30th of April, 1940. Although I can translate the rest of the
epitaph, I am unsure of the actual meaning. Help, Dad???

Amanuensis Monday -- Nonno Enzo's Diary -- November 1, 1915

2011-03-06T22:22:00.003-05:00

Vincenzo Di Bennardo (1900 - 1982)
during his Salesian boarding school
days as he approached the
priesthood. He was never fully
ordained. Picture taken circa
1918 in Catania, Sicily

I have decided to start translating my grandfather's diary, written during the school year of 1915-1916. I have slowly been transcribing it in Italian into a Word document, and I am about half-way through it. I may as well start translating the diary into English as well. Amanuensis Mondays may help me accomplish the feat.

Some information for background: My grandfather was born 15 November 1900 in Palagonia, Sicily. His mother died when he was a boy, and, as was common at the time, he was sent to a boarding school (called a "college" in his diary). His aunt Filomena was the Mother Superior at the school, so he wasn't completely without family, but it is clear that he missed his father and family dearly. The diary begins November 1st, which would likely have been his first day of school. The boarding school he went to was of the Salesian religious order and was located in San Gregorio, Catania, Sicily.

Note: Some oddities may exist since I am attempting as faithful a translation as possible. This attempt also makes the grammar a bit difficult to apply as correctly as I would like.

See translation below...

1 November 1915

Today is the commemoration of All Saints’ Day.

A High Mass in song in the parish church.

Not too much studying and plenty of lunch.

After lunch, I along with my companions, headed by Don Gardarella, went for a walk along Via San Gregorio-Trecastagni-Via Grande-San Gregorio.

Some of my friends wanted to go Pedara, but the order of the Director was followed precisely by Don Gardarella. When we arrived at Via Grande, it was already 4:30 pm; therefore, it took us two and a half hours, which seems like a lot of time, but then saying we visited two cemeteries in San Gregorio and San Giovanni la Punta, the time it took seems relatively fair.

Messina, my classmate from the fourth gymnasium, a good and pious pearl, and I, with the consent of Don Gardarella, walked away from our companions: I did, so I could visit my old school friend Giuseppe Mirone d’Ignazio, a boy as good as bread, a scholar and a saint for religion. One small defect obscures his gifts: his temper; but calming down as he asks forgiveness from his antagonist ends in playing and chasing each other again.

Messina instead went home to visit his relatives and then returned to me in the house of Mirone, where at his father Mr. Ignazio’s insistence, I was forced to accept a small glass of Vermouth. My friend (Messina) came by after his visit to the cemetery and gave me a handshake while insistently forcing chocolate candies into my pocket.

Giuseppe, knowing that my schoolmates were there, not far from his home, with kind words let my other friends in his home and offered everyone a small glass of Vermouth that my comrades did not refuse.

To me, he spoke of Bronte, where he would go on November 3rd to spend a year with my other old friends, such as Sebastiano Salafia, a one-of-a kind young man and the top student of our school.

His hometown is Sortino -- also the hometown of my stepmother, Vincenzina Tannelli -- a very beautiful town in the shape of a Citadel.

Then he (Giuseppe) took us to visit the cemetery where I admired many chapels, among which the first one was for the Mirone family. So I squeezed his hand affectionately, and together with my companions we returned to San Gregorio. While on the road back, as it became dark, we sang until we arrived back at the college.

At my arrival, there was not-so-great news awaiting me. The doorman, a young man of 18 years of age told me this:

“Di Bennardo, your relatives were here until a few minutes ago, but then not wanting to make the carriage for hire wait any longer, and being that it was becoming dark, they departed, leaving some packages here” – and in so saying, he presented me with wrapped presents that I took to my room. There, I found a bottle of Marsala, sweets, some apples, a basket of chestnuts, and a pair of scissors I had asked them for in a letter.

This news so disturbed me; I would have liked to see my dear family and tell them many things; what fortune could have distanced them from me? But what can be done about it?

I took my bundles and then went to my desk after placing them up high in my room. But I could not study because the distressing news of tonight had produced its effect on me.

Progen -- Month 4, Part 4 (Research Plan-- Italian Great-grandfather)

2011-03-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

I have been posting my research plan for finding the birth date for my Italian great-grandfather, Pasquale Ursino, in a series (it is quite long). To see the previous posts click here, here, and here.

Here is the fourth and final installment:

Future Research

1. Find Pasquale Ursino’s birth record in the civil records microfilms for Catania, Sicily, Italy.

Now that I have an actual date of birth, I can order six microfilms to find his birth record. I still don’t know the section of Catania he was born in, so I have no choice but to order all six; but I now have a definite year. I will order microfilms containing birth records that include the year 1863: film numbers 1339640, 1339694, 1339767, 1339770, 1339773, 1338981.

a. When I find the birth record for Pasquale Ursino, I will probably learn the age of his parents at his birth, which will help me find their records as well. I would want to find their birth, marriage, and death records.

b. Any new information would be added to the family group record with the appropriate citations included.

2. Find the birth records of Pasquale’s brothers and sisters.

I will search birth records before and after Pasquale’s birth to find any siblings. All information will be added to the family group record with citations.

3. Search for any death records for the siblings and parents.

4. Find the marriage records for Pasquale’s parents.

Finding the oldest sibling for Pasquale will help narrow down the year of marriage for the parents. Marriage records from Catania are available in the LDS Family History Library Catalogue. The appropriate years spanned will be ordered. If I cannot find the marriage record in the years before the birth of the oldest child, I will search later years and nearby towns.

a. All the information will be recorded on the family group record with appropriate citations.

b. The marriage record may include a list of documents submitted to the town hall personnel at the time of the wedding. I will look to see if there are any “Processetti” or “Allegati” available in the Family History Library Catalogue. I will order the microfilm.

c. The “allegati,” or supplemental records, may include handwritten copies from the civil and church records (note: I may be able to search a specific church’s records, too, with this information). The “allegati” records usually have information regarding the births of the bride and groom and their parents, and could also include information about the bride’s grandparents and great-grandparents (paternal line), as well as the marriage banns, and a handwritten copy of the marriage record.

“Allegati” or “supplemental” marriage records are a vital source of information for Italian genealogy research. If one is lucky, they are easy to read! (Note: Besides contending with handwriting issues, any supplemental church records included in the marriage record will be in Latin.)

More Future Plans

I intend to search for the two wives who left Pasquale widowed and any children from each marriage. I also wish to find all the details for the children he had with my great-grandmother, Francesca Scuderi. When I research my grandmother’s siblings, I will also search for the three half-siblings truly fathered by Pietro Napoli. I am particularly interested in my grandmother’s half-brother who died during WWI while trying to save another man’s life.

Wordless Wednesday -- Olav Kristiansen

2011-03-02T06:23:00.000-05:00

Olav Kristiansen from Baerum, Norway, was brother to my grandmother. I love this picture!

Tombstone Tuesday -- Cemetery of Palagonia

2011-03-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

Picture by Kathy Kirkpatrick. The cemetery of Palagonia does not seem to have tombs prior to 1925. My great-grandfather, Carmelo Dibennardo, probably died in 1925. I need to research the history of the cemetery.

Progen -- Month 4, Part 3 (Research Plan-- Italian Great-grandfather)

2011-02-28T18:23:00.000-05:00

This is a continuation of a previous post. I had just described the first step I took in finding the birth date of my great-grandfather, Pasquale Ursino, from Catania, Italy. Below, I start with the second step...

2) Search for Pasquale’s birth date in the military records for Catania.

It is easier to search the military records first rather than the civil birth records. The city of Catania is divided into six sections of the city for civil records for the time period of interest, and I had no idea what area of the city pertained to Pasquale. Furthermore, the cutoff dates for some of the films straddle 1862-1864, which meant I would not only have to order all six sections of the city, I would have to order the films ending or starting in 1863 or 1864. Remember that years are often rounded in records depending on the month of birth and/or death.

a. On the online familysearch.org catalogue site, I searched for Catania, Italy, where Pasquale Ursino was born.

b. I found the film number 1962396 for the military “Liste di Leva” records for 1856-1869.

c. I drove to my local Family History Center and ordered the microfilm. It took about 3 weeks to arrive.

d. I searched the records until I found my great-grandfather.

The military record on microfilm said Pasquale Ursino was born in Catania on 10 April, 1863. His parents were Orazio Ursino and Maria Stabile. The record said his occupation was “ortolano” which refers to his orange groves, but it was later crossed out along with the entire record. There was a note that said he was now “marinaio” and that he was “inserito marittimo al numero 3443.” In other words, his draft placed him in the Navy, and he served as a sailor.

Now I know that at age 20, in 1883, my great-grandfather served his country. He would likely have finished his duty by age 22 and returned to his orange groves. Most military requirements were completed in 1-2 years, depending on the branch of service (the Navy required longer service).

One note about Pasquale’s birth date – Easter Day was on April 5th, 1863. The military record said his birth date was 10 April, 1863. This is not surprising. My grandmother could still be right that he was born on Easter Day because children were often born at home, and the birth dates on birth certificates were usually the dates that the child was declared at the town hall. Many of my relatives have incorrect birth dates on their birth certificates because of this reason.

e. The military record was scanned, and I also took a picture of it with my camera. The pictures often come out better with my camera than the microfilm scanner.

f. On the family group record I wrote:

a. Pasquale Ursino’s birth information.

b. Source information (city, film number, volume, years covered, and page number).

The pictures below show the military record for Pasquale Ursino. The number 3445 tells us there is information in a Navy record book and that his record number is 3445. To date, I do not know how to find this record or where it would be available. The LDS library does not have naval records on microfilm. This may be another item to search for on location in Sicily.

Pasquale Ursino: Parents are Orazio Ursino and Maria Stabile. The birth date is 10 April, 1863. He was born in Catania and works in the orchards (this is crossed out and below it says he is a sailor). On the next page, it says he entered the navy, and it gives the record number to be found in what I presume is a Naval Register.

Ancestor Approved Award Winners

2011-02-24T22:53:00.000-05:00

Thank you Tessa for nominating me for the Ancestor Approved Award. I already had one, but it is nice to be thought of again!

Tessa wrote on her blog: The Ancestor Approved Award was created in March 2010 by Leslie Ann Ballou at Ancestors Lived Here. It has traveled far and wide returning to some bloggers a few times while making its rounds. Leslie Ann asks two things of those who receive it (surprisingly more involved than one might think):

1) List 10 surprising, humbling, or enlightening aspects of your research; and 2) Pass the Award on to 10 other researchers whose family history blogs are "doing their ancestors proud."

Since I have received this award before, I will point you to my previous response.

Also, last time, these were the blogs I nominated:

1) Herstoryan http://herstoryan.blogspot.com/
2) Slekt og Slikt http://lailanc.blogspot.com/
3) A Multitude of Sens http://multitudeofsens.blogspot.com/
4) Nordic Blue http://nordicblue.blogspot.com/
5) Ginisology http://ginisology.blogspot.com/
6) Are You My Cousin? http://areyoumycousin-lisa.blogspot.com/
7) Swedish Thoughts http://swedenroots.blogspot.com/
8) A Tale of Two Ancestors http://ataleoftwoancestors.blogspot.com/
9) Lessons from my Ancestors http://www.lessonsfrommyancestors.com/
10) Kinfolk News http://kinfolknews.blogspot.com/

Here are ten new ones:

1) Claudia's Genealogy Blog http://claudiasgenealogyblog.blogspot.com/
2) Ancestor Hunting http://www.cherylsgenealogy.com/
3) Jirene's Genealogy Treasures http://jirenetreasures.blogspot.com/
4) Growing up in an Italian Family http://nucciasthoughts.blogspot.com/
5) Italy Gen http://www.italygen.info/
6) Random Relatives http://randomrelatives.blogspot.com/
7) Jessica's Genejournal http://jessicagenejournal.blogspot.com/
8) Carrow and Faunt Family Tales http://carrowandfauntfamilytales.blogspot.com/
9) Family Stories http://yourfamilystory-cmpointer.blogspot.com/
10) Itawamba Connections http://itawambaconnections.blogspot.com/

Enjoy, and good job. Oh, and don't forget to post the award picture on your blog!

Wordless Wednesday -- Kristiansen Siblings

2011-02-23T19:06:00.001-05:00

The Kristiansen Siblings somewhere in Baerum, Norway -- Raghnild, Astrid, Gyda (my grandmother), Gunnar, and Oyvind. I am not sure I have the latter two correct as there are other brothers not in the picture (and to me they look alike). Dad -- please comment and let me know.

Tombstone Tuesday -- Pasquale Ursino's Wall

2011-02-22T07:29:00.000-05:00

Until this past summer, no one in my family knew where my great-grandfather, Pasquale Ursino, was buried. My mother found her grandfather when she visited the town hall in Catania, Sicily. The cemetery is like a city, so there would have been no way to walk around and look for it. For background on the grave's history, read here.

My great-grandfather is on the top row, second one from the right.

The epitaph says he is 80 years old and died the 27th of February 1944.
Thanks to Kathy Kirkpatrick, who went to Sicily in November and sent me these photos.

Progen -- Month 4, Part 2 (Research Plan-- Italian Great-grandfather)

2011-02-19T09:09:00.001-05:00

This is a continuation of my first post.

Research Plan (cont.)

Research Process for Finding the Birth Date of Pasquale Ursino

1) Find Pasquale Ursino’s death record.

Normally, I would seek the birth record first if I have an idea of the ancestor’s age. If a census is available, I would search the ancestor there first to get a year of birth and then look for the birth certificate. In Catania, Italy, for this time period, this is not a possible method. Since Pasquale Ursino is male, the best place to search first is the military draft records. Starting with the year 1840, all males had to present themselves for possible military duty at age 20. The records are organized by year of birth. However, I had no idea what year Pasquale may have been born. My grandmother was the youngest child, and he was “old” for being a father. We did know that he died by accident; he was crossing the train tracks, when a stopped train suddenly rolled backward and hit his head. Different family sources had his age as anywhere between 80 and 92 years at death.

There are many records for the city of Catania, Sicily, available through the LDS Family History Library; however, one may have to request certain records in person, on location, or write a letter to the vital records department of the city of interest. This past summer, my mother went to Sicily to visit her siblings, and together they went to the “anagrafa” of Catania. At first, the vital records clerk was unable to find a death record for Pasquale Ursino. During their discussions, the circumstances of Pasquale’s accidental death on the train tracks were discussed, and the clerk suddenly understood the problem. Apparently, Catania has two sets of death records – “natural death” and “death by accident.” When they searched for Pasquale in the accident book, they found him. Pasquale died on 28 February, 1944, at age 80. The father listed was Orazio Ursino and the mother was Maria Stabile. My mother knew that Pasquale’s father was named Orazio so, between this information and the verified accident information, she felt sure this was the right Pasquale – her grandfather. She was also told where he was buried – the Cemetery of Catania, at the “deposito” on B/ 14 camp. 4 -- Fila 10 -- Number 18.

Pasquale Ursino’s epitaph had his age but no birth date. Pasquale’s death in 1944, at the age of 80, put his birth year around 1864. I say “around” because sometimes the ages are rounded up or down depending on the month of birth and death. That said, I believed his month of birth was April because my grandmother said her father was born on Easter Day – hence the name Pasquale (Easter in Italian is Pasqua).

Photos by Kathy Kirkpatrick, who was in Sicily this past fall -- thanks for taking them!

Stay tuned for the next installment!

Progen Study Group -- Month 4, Part 1 (Research Plan -- Italian Great-grandfather)

2011-02-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

We didn't have an assignment in December due to the holidays, so I am jumping straight to month 4 for this blog post. The January assignment was to read Chapter 14 in the Professional Genealogy text book - Problem Analysis and Research Plans by Helen F. M. Leary, CG, CGL, FASG - and then develop our own research plan.

The chapter discusses preliminary and detailed analyses. Preliminary analysis aids a genealogist in deciding whether a job proposal by a potential client is a good fit. Among the list of things to consider is one's level of expertise in the area required to complete the project. On the other hand, the detailed analysis regards the creation of a research plan: what are the goals of the client; what questions need answers; what is known by the client; what records are available etc...

For my research plan assignment, I did a preliminary analysis and detailed plan on my Italian great-grandfather, Pasquale Ursino. My question was: When was my Italian great-grandfather, Pasquale Ursino, born?

This plan was rather long, so this post will be a series.

Research Plan -- Part 1

Background

According to my grandmother, my great-grandmother, Francesca Scuderi of Catania, Sicily, had a difficult childhood with a stepmother who was abusive. At age 15, in order to escape her unhappy home, she married a fisherman named Pietro Napoli. Unfortunately, her husband was also abusive. They had three children together before she “escaped” her unhappy marriage.

Francesca worked as a laundry-woman for Pasquale Ursino. He was affluent for Sicilian society at the time, owning many citrus orchards. One day, my great-grandmother showed up for work with a black eye, which deeply angered him. According to my grandmother, her father, Pasquale, was a true gentleman with a great sense of honor and chivalry. He dashed out of the house to seek out Francesca’s husband, Pietro, and defend her honor. When he spotted Pietro, he grabbed hold of him and dished out a bit of his own medicine, warning Pietro that Francesca better not appear in his home battered ever again. Stay tuned for the next installment and the process for finding Pasquale's birth date.

Pasquale Ursino -- my great-grandfather from Catania, Sicily, Italy

Pasquale Ursino was twice-widowed with children from both marriages. My grandmother said he raised them himself. This is very telling of the kind of man he was because most widowed men of his time would have depended on female relatives or a boarding school (often an orphanage). Francesca, on the other hand, was married but very unhappy. Pasquale and Francesca fell in love with each other but also needed each other. She needed a way out of her marriage with a man’s protection, and he needed help with his children.

Soon after the altercation between Pasquale and Pietro, Francesca left her husband to live with Pasquale. They had four children together, and my grandmother was the youngest. The problem was that Pasquale and Francesca were never able to marry because the Catholic Church did not allow divorce. Pasquale hoped until his dying day that Pietro would die before him so he could make an honest woman of Francesca. It did not happen as he hoped.

Illegitimate children and “living in sin” were no small matter for Sicilian society in those days. In order to protect their children from disdain, Pasquale paid off Francesca’s legal husband, Pietro, so he would declare each child as his own. All four of Pasquale’s children carried the surname of Francesca’s husband – Napoli – on their birth certificates.

My grandmother, being an old-fashioned Sicilian woman, found this history very embarrassing. She carried the true identity of her father with her for years before divulging the truth to her children – my mother included. For this reason, although we know her father’s name and have some information about him, many details are lacking, like date of birth, death, and where he was buried when he died. I believe my grandmother never brought her children to her father’s grave because she would have had to explain why his last name was different from hers. By the time she told her children the truth, his grave was long forgotten. In fact, she may no longer have remembered where to find it.

My mother had pictures of her grandfather, Pasquale, but he had died before her birth and she was unable to ask him any questions. She did know her grandmother well, but Francesca never spoke of the details of her marital situation. My mother learned the truth many years after her grandmother had died. My mother did learn from my grandmother’s brother, her Uncle Salvatore, that until he went to middle-school, he had always believed his name to be “Salvatore Ursino.” He found out his birth certificate surname was Napoli when, on the first day of 6th grade, the teacher did roll call and called out a name he did not recognize. The teacher told him “Napoli” was his name, and he went home crying, where he was finally told the truth by his parents. My grandmother hated being a Napoli her whole life, but she had no choice but to carry this surname until she died (note: Italian women do not change their names when they marry).

Wordless Wednesday -- a Great-grandmother and a Great-great-grandmother

2011-02-16T19:14:00.002-05:00

Click on the picture to enlarge. Middle row: the second woman from the left is my gg-grandmother, Nikoline Andersdatter (1865-1950), and the third woman from the left is her daughter, my g-grandmother, Joergine Ludvigsdatter (1889 - 1972). I believe this picture was taken in the mid-1920's. One nice thing about the picture is that my g-grandmother is wearing a cross necklace I now own. I was told she wore it daily, and now I know that she had it in the 1920's. I am not sure when exactly, or how, she got the necklace, but I like to think my great-grandfather gave it to her.

Wordless Wednesday -- Great Picture from around 1891

2011-02-09T20:00:00.001-05:00

This is an awesome photo I found among my grand-aunt's photos, which were
given to me. My great-grandfather, Kristian Olausen Jordbaerhaugen, is in the front row, in the middle.
I have no idea who the other men are, nor do I know the occasion. I wish I had seen the picture
while my grand-aunt was still alive so I could have asked her -- oh well.

Nonna and Nonno

2011-02-04T17:24:00.000-05:00

Nonna Pina and Nonno Enzo -- my maternal grandparents.
I believe this picture was taken when they lived in Rome, circa 1960.

Wordless Wednesday -- Ludvig Hansen's House

2011-02-02T07:05:00.000-05:00

This house in Vesten, Østfold, Norway was built by my great-great grandfather
Ludvig Hansen circa 1896.

Norway's 1910 Census

2011-01-31T22:19:00.001-05:00

My father sent me a link to this Aftenposten newspaper article (in Norwegian) regarding the new release of the 1910 census. This was very exciting news to genealogists who had waited 50 years since the last census (1900) was released. The article nicely puts the 1910 census in perspective -- it is the year before Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole and two years before the Titanic sank.

A total of 2.4 million people were registered in the 1910 census. Unlike the 1900 census, when only children under two years were recorded with a date of birth, the date of birth was recorded for the entire population. The details of a household are also very impressive. The Aftenposten article gives an example:

Translation: If you are looking for the name Olaf August Gundersen in contemporary Kristiania, Oslo today, you get to know that he was born 16 August 1890 in East Aker. In 1910, he lived at 32 Industrial Street in Kristiania, studied medicine, and was unmarried. But it does not stop here. The census indicates all people within the same household. Thus, it appears that the medicine student lived with his mother, Augusta Gundersen, born 5 March 1855 in Arendal. His mother was single and listed as a landlord by profession. And as a landlord, it is perhaps not surprising that she had her own maid, Helga Bolette Olsen, born 6 June 1894, from Vanem, Moss. Mother, son, and maid lived on the ground floor of a building with nine apartments on four floors, where there were 41 people residing out of 42 when the census was taken. Rents ranged from 675 to 1000 kroner per year. The caretaker in the porter's lodge did not have to pay rent.

Not bad information from a name in a census!

Some interesting facts about the 1910 census is that not only resident Norwegians were recorded but also Norwegian sailors in Norwegian ports and Norwegian waters. Moreover, returning Norwegian-Americans had to provide additional information, such as the year they moved out and back home, place of residence before they left, and their last job and home in America. This is the first census that provides information on repatriated Norwegian-Americans.

Additional things to keep in mind is that one may not find "Einar Gerhardsen," for example, whose name was in fact "Einar Olsen" in 1910, the son of Gerhard Olsen. Therefore, the family historian must keep the name changes during this period of time in mind when searching for his/her ancestor.

If I understand the article correctly, it also says that seven people in two offices in Stavanger and Voss are responsible for transcribing about 2.6 million records from about 450,000 forms from the census, one for each household, into a searchable computer program. Wow!

The article goes on to remind the impatient genealogist that there is a new waiting period. The 100-year law means another ten years until the next publication of similar material, unless the law changes, of course. One consolation is that several municipalities, primarily the major cities of the country, only have a 60-year release date. Thus, for example, the Oslo census from 1950 recently became available -- the year when the Kon-Tiki movie was premièred, a plane with 28 Israeli refugee children crashed on Hurum, and the Korean War broke out.

I love how the author of the article puts the years in perspective, don't you?

Who Do You Think You Are? -- February 4th, 8/7c

2011-01-30T21:01:00.000-05:00

I am so excited because a new season of Who Do You Think You Are? begins on February 4, 2011 at 8:00 pm EST on NBC. This season, the lucky stars who will learn about their ancestors are Steve Buscemi, Kim Cattrall, Ashley Judd, Tim McGraw, Rosie O'Donnell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lionel Richie, and Vanessa Williams. If you are interested in seeing some clips of the upcoming shows, click here. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday -- Bestemor and Bestefar

2011-01-26T22:21:00.001-05:00

My grandparents circa 1935, camping in Norway

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-01-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Mom.
This photo of my Mom (with me and my brother) was taken circa 1971 in Bilbao, Spain.

Tombstone Tuesday -- Einar (Olausen) Jordbaerhaugen

2010-12-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

Einar Olausen Jordbaerhaugen and wife Karoline Jordbaerhaugen. Einar was one of my
great-grandfather Kristian Olausen Jordbaerhaugen's brothers. He and his wife are buried
at Bryn Kirke Cemetery in Baerum, Norway.

Swedish Records are Free December 28-30

2010-12-21T18:19:00.000-05:00

I just read the newsletter I receive from ArkivDigital, and they are offering three free days to do research in their wonderful database. The site has almost 25 million images of Swedish church records and other materials.

1) If you are not already registered, you need to register at http://www.arkivdigital.net/users/register .

2) Install ADOnLine2 here: http://www.arkivdigital.net/products/adonline/installation . You will not have to pay to get free access; you just won't be able to log back in once the free period is over.

3) Log in with your registration information.

4) Have fun! Swedish records are so easy. The ones I have researched are very organized, and the images are incredibly good! ArkivDigital offers their digital records in color, which I find very helpful.

Tombstone Tuesday -- Borge Church and Cemetery in Østfold

2010-12-20T22:27:00.001-05:00

This beautiful church --Borge Kirke -- in Østfold, Norway, is an important one in my paternal grandfather's ancestral line. The church's Web site says that the location was probably used for pagan Norse whorship in pre-Christian times. The first Christian church built on the site was dedicated to St. Olav. Unfortunately, the original church and several others after were completely burned. The current church was built in the traditional stone style in1861. I was happy to visit this church last summer and look for old graves, but, as expected, my family graves were long-gone. However, I did notice that this church had far more old graves than other churches I had visited.

Vote for your Favorite Blogs by December 20!

2010-12-18T21:26:00.001-05:00

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

I am so happy that Of Trolls and Lemons was nominated for the Family Tree Magazine’s Top 40 Genealogy blogs! You can find it in the “Heritage” category and vote for it and four other blogs (5 blogs for each of the 8 categories). Voting is open until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20. You may vote multiple times. Click here!

THANK YOU to those who nominated my blog. I am honored to be among so many great blogs.

A Sister I Never Knew

2010-12-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

Today is the day my sister, Ingrid Sonia, was born. Sadly, she had Down's and a bad heart, and in those days they didn't have the sophisticated surgeries they do today. The doctors said it was a matter of time before her heart would give out. My mother took her to Sicily, to her family, for a few months. Ingrid died in Catania, Sicily, and is at the Cemetery of Catania.

The Digital Norwegian National Library

2010-11-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

I was really excited to find a great number of Norwegian books digitized and available for free from the National Library in Norway (click here). I tested it out by searching for some bygdeboks I really wanted, and I found several! These books are essential sources of information for Norwegian genealogy research. The ones I found were downloadable as a PDF, too. Some books haven't been digitized yet, but I believe they eventually will be. The site does say that in some cases books may not be available for download outside of Norway due to copyright issues. Check it out!

Don't Forget to Nominate your Favorite Blogs!

2010-11-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

Nominations for your favorite genealogy blogs are due on Tuesday November 30. Don't forget to go here and nominate the blogs you read the most. Family Tree Magazine will announce 40 fantastic genealogy blogs in an article to be published July 2011. (See last year's Family Tree 40 at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/Fab-Forty.) You can also visit this page to learn more.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Seven More Days -- Norway's 1910 Census

2010-11-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

This snapshot was taken with 6 days, 15 hours, 29 minutes, and 45 seconds to go for the release of the 1910 census!

In seven days (December 1), Norway's 1910 census will be available for free here. I am very excited about this because I will have another glimpse into my ancestors' lives. The census will tell you where they lived, all the occupants of the home, occupation, and I believe this census has birth dates rather than a year or age. In earlier censuses, the year of birth is often off a year or two. The 1910 census has one major difference in that it included a special form for returning emigrants which recorded where they had lived and what their occupations had been; however, this data is expected to be incomplete.

Personally, I am excited to have a look at this census because somehow two of my most important ancestral families were not included in the 1900 census. The two farms, By and Jordbaerhaugen, happened to be adjoining and a bit far off in Baerum, so perhaps they were accidentally forgotten.

Happy hunting in the 1910 census!

Wordless Wednesday -- Burudhaug

2010-11-16T22:07:00.000-05:00

Burudhaug Farm (sometimes known as Haugen) in Baerum, Norway. My
great-great grandfather Olaus Kristensen Jordbaerhaugen (1846 - 1915)
grew up on this farm. I believe a descendant of his brother lives
there today.

Progen Study Group -- Month 2

2010-11-15T22:15:00.000-05:00

October was the second month for the ProGen Study Group. You can read about September here.

We continued to read in the Professional Genealogy text book. We were assigned Chapter 2 – Educational Preparation by Claire Mire Bettag, CGRS and Chapter 8 – Alternative Careers by Elizabeth Kelly Kerstens, CGRS.

Chapter 2 was about degree or credit programs in the field of genealogy, such as those offered at BYU. It also discussed the Home Study Course provided by the National Genealogical Society, which is on my list to complete. Numerous conferences and other learning options are also discussed. Chapter 8 discussed alternative careers and opportunities in genealogy other than the usual careers.

The assignment for October was to write an education plan and share it with my group. I listed all my strengths and then delved into my weaknesses. I will share what I perceive to be areas I need to improve:

Self-Identified Weaknesses

• Most of my experience has been online, and I need more familiarity with onsite research – libraries, courthouses etc...

• Have yet to attend a genealogy conference

• I need to study more genealogy journals

• I like to do everything at once rather than patiently complete one thing at a time

• I need to take the time to really organize my research and tasks better

• Participate more in blog carnivals, especially when the topic is educational

• I need to find time to volunteer more

Specific Future Goals

2011 - 2012

• Genealogy Research Associates – online lessons (free)

• BYU online courses (free)

• Study the Daughters of the American Revolution Database (free)

• Read the genealogy educational content on the National Archives Site (free)

• NGS Home Study Course

• Attend an NGS conference

• Create personal family history books

• Learn photo restoration

• Join more genealogical societies like the APG

• Develop a business Web site

2012 - 2013

• Take a trip to Salt Lake City and research at the Family History Library for a week

• Take a trip to Sicily for onsite research

2013 – 2014

• BU Certificate in Genealogical Research

• BCG Certification may be an alternate to the BU certificate program, or I may do both... but not at the same time

During our monthly discussion on November 7, we discussed the chapters we had read for October and shared educational experiences and desires.

Thanks for tuning in...

Tombstone Tuesday -- The Cemetery of Haslum Church in Baerum

2010-11-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

Haslum Church in Baerum, Norway, was built around 1190. Many
of my ancestors were baptized, confirmed, married, and buried here.

Great-Grandfather Kristian Olausen Jordbaerhaugen

2010-10-24T10:01:00.000-04:00

When I was in Norway this past summer, I was able to scan pictures from relatives. Here is a pretty good one of my great-grandfather.

31/Jan/1878 - 11/Feb/1962
Picture taken in Baerum, Norway, probably at his home,
Sletta

Wordless Wednesday -- Anders Pettersen

2010-10-20T22:17:00.001-04:00

My great-great-great grandfather, Anders Pettersen (1823 - 1911), from
Vesten in Oestfold, Norway.

Amanuensis Monday -- 1910 Postcard from Canada

2010-10-11T09:02:00.002-04:00

I don't know if a postcard qualifies for this series, but here goes anyway. I have written before about a great-uncle, Nels Olausen Jordbaerhaugen, who left Norway in 1907 and came through Ellis Island with four friends. They were headed to his brother Kristen in North Dakota. In 1910 he traveled with three of his friends to Saskatchewan, Canada to look for land and did indeed file for a homestead there. In 1910 he sent his sister, Margit, a postcard which was a picture of himself with two of his friends. He wrote the following (and this could probably be translated better):

Dear Sister,

I must congratulate you and Jenny (another sister) for your birthdays on 7-1-1910 (d/m/yr). I think you know these faces. Give my regards to all who know me.
Many regards from Nels Olausen.

Nels is the one in the center

Hit and Miss -- Adventures with Sicilian Records from Palagonia

2010-10-09T23:00:00.001-04:00

The Chiesa Madre of Palagonia, Sicily.
http://www.paesietneioggi.net/INF%20PALAGONIA.htm

I haven't exactly stopped researching the wonderfully easy, mostly online, Norwegian and Swedish family history records, but rather, I decided that it was time to up the ante a bit and delve into Italian records. I am not very good at patience, and this endeavor will require a bit of it. I should preface this post with the fact that I was wrong -- Italian records are not that difficult to study. It just requires patience, especially when you have been spoiled, as I have, by the easy Scandinavian research.

The family history library in Utah has a substantial amount of Italian records. Unfortunately for me, the two Sicilian towns I am interested in, Palagonia and Mineo, go from the early 1800s to about 1861. It sure would have been nice if they had them up to the early 1900s. But, nonetheless, I have been lucky to find quite a bit of information already. Lucky because my mother remembered a few details her father had told her and found the first important record for me while she visited the family history library in Utah (yes, I was jealous). She found the marriage record for my great-great grandparents, Vincenzo di Bennardo (born ABT 1816) and Maria Blandini (born in 1835). They were married 3 February 1855. My mother had a hard time reading the record, but I ordered the microfilm and have made out quite a bit, also thanks to the "allegati." Italian marriage records will have these additional documentations added, which will give you also the names of other ancestors. In this case, thanks to the church documentation, which was in latin, I was able to figure out that my ggg-grandmother was Giovanna Tinnirello (Joanna in latin) and could corroborate this with the poor handwriting on the actual marriage record stating the groom's parents' names. My ggg-grandfather was (fu) Carmelo di Bennardo -- "fu" means he was dead. Giovanna instead is 68 years old, if I read it right, meaning she was born around 1787. The bride, or my gg-grandmother Maria Blandini, is twenty when she marries, and her father is Vincenzo Blandini and mother Colomba Gulizia. They seem to be about the same age, probably born circa 1813. Vincenzo di Bennardo may have had a state position as his profession is stated as "civile." However, I believe he probably had orchards as well.

Armed with this information, I figured that if my gg-grandparents were married in 1855, then they probably had children soon after. The records go out to 1861. I realized it was possible that my great-grandfather may be somewhere on the "birth records" microfilm reel. My grandfather used to say his father was an older man when he became a father, and my grandfather was born in 1900. Sure enough, I looked, and there was my great-grandfather born 8 May 1856 -- Carmelo di Bennardo. I also found a sister named Anna and another sister Giovanna. They were all baptized in the "Chiesa Madre" of Palagonia. The sister named Giovanna was interesting because in a letter my great-grandfather wrote my grandfather in 1914, he mentions my grandfather's "aunt Giovanna."

I am pretty positive that I have found the right people based on my mother's recollections and several items of circumstantial evidence, but it is true that I do still have to make a definite connection between my grandfather and the great-grandfather I think I have found. Unfortunately, my grandfather's records start in 1900 with his birth, and he also has two marriages that would give me information. So, this is my next quest -- finding my grandfather's records on location in Sicily! I also need to trace his mother's line. And, of course, there is also my grandmother's line. All in good time... and with patience!

Oh, one mistake or "miss." I ordered military records thinking that the year to look for my other great-grandfather from Catania would be the year when he would have presented his information for the "draft." Instead, the military records, or Liste di Leva, go by year of birth. So I had to re-order by birth date this time and not draft age. I know... I should have read the fine print. But I'll never make that mistake again!

Treasure Chest Thursday -- GG-Grandfather's Cane

2010-09-30T07:50:00.000-04:00

When I was in Norway this summer, I met with several relatives, and many had pictures or objects that had belonged to our ancestors. Here is my gg-grandfather Emil Samuelsen Haugen's cane. This treasure isn't mine, but I took a few nice pictures of it.

The Basics of Italian Genealogy Research

2010-09-21T23:29:00.000-04:00

The LDS familysearch Web site is an essential "add" to the genealogist's "favorites" list of links. Here, I want to highlight one very nice feature, which is the "online classes" available for viewing from the comfort of your computer.

Below is a link to a nice video that teaches about Italian records research. It is very informative and easy to follow -- you will learn about records that are available for order from the family history library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and how to search for your ancestors. Several topics are discussed in detail, including Italian birth, marriage, and death records, as well as military records. To view the video go to:

https://fch.ldschurch.org/WWSupport/Courses/FHLExport/Italian_Research_LX/Player.html

Tombstone Tuesday -- Giuseppa Napoli

2010-09-21T06:51:00.001-04:00

My grandmother, Giuseppa Napoli, born in Catania, Sicily. Her father
was Pasquale Ursino and her mother was Francesca Scuderi. She
liked to be called Pina and hated Giuseppa.

Hellebæk Sawmill in Kongsberg, Norway

2010-09-18T23:06:00.001-04:00

Click on picture for better viewing.

I received an email from a relative I met in Norway this past summer. Enclosed was this picture he had dug up with a friend who has access to old pictures of Kongsberg, Norway. It is a bit hard to see unless the photo is enlarged, but on the left is a sawmill where my great-great grandfather, Emil Georg Samuelsen Haugen, worked. The house he shared with my gg-grandmother, Hanna Marie Andreasdatter, is behind it (not visible). There is another sawmill that is close-up, on the right. Both sawmills are on the other side of river Lågen. The one on the right (closer sawmill) is Kongsberg Dampsag, and on the left is Hellebæk, where Emil worked.

The picture is from the early twenties, and one can see the Kjerrat, a bridge where the timber was transported from the river into the sawmill. There is also a narrow road going north, behind the Sawmill. As I indicated earlier, the house of Emil and Hanna was on the right side of that road, and therefore hidden behind the sawmill building.

Thank you, Odd, for sharing!

Wordless Wednesday -- Giuseppa Napoli and Sister

2010-09-15T22:21:00.001-04:00

My grandmother, Giuseppa Napoli (1914 - 1998) and her sister
Angelina. My grandmother is the younger of the two.
She was born in Catania, Sicily.

Tombstone Tuesday

2010-09-13T18:29:00.000-04:00

My son plants flowers at my grandparents' grave in Baerum, Norway (Bryn Church)
Gyda Kristiansen 1913 -2002
Thorolf Haugen 1914 - 1981

Progen Study Group -- Month 1

2010-09-12T21:25:00.004-04:00

Today, I met with 11 other professional and aspiring professional genealogists in my Progen course. This class is 18 months long with about 6-10 hours of homework a month and one online meeting a month. To learn more about the program, you can check out the site: http://progenstudy.org/. The great thing about the course is that it's free, with the exception of the text book (see picture) and a $30 fee for access to the Progen database, which holds messages, files, assignments, and the chat room.

The book we are studying and discussing is Professional Genealogy: a Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills. The chapters we read for this month were:

•Chapter 1 – Defining Professionalism by Donn Devine, J.D., CG, CGI
•Chapter 5 – Ethical Standards by Neil D. Thompson, LL.B., Ph.D., CG, FASG

We also had two assignments to complete, which will undergo peer review. In other words, I have to review the assignments of the others, and they review mine. This month I have to write a mission statement and a genealogy resume. I have completed these assignments, although they aren't due until the end of the month. I found writing both of these very useful for defining my focus area and experience, and I can see more clearly what I need to work on, too.

I will continue to post on this course monthly. Thanks for tuning in!

Genealogy Goals for the Fall

2010-09-08T20:17:00.001-04:00

Tina Lyons (her blog) posted her genealogy goals for the fall. Good idea, Tina. Here are mine:

1) Scan, scan, scan. I still have so much to scan.
2) Organize, organize, organize.
3) Work on my Italian line. I have ordered a bunch of microfilms from the Family History Library, which should arrive any day now.
4) Order more Italian records when I am finished with this batch.
5) Write/order documents from Italian municipal buildings in Catania, Palagonia, and Mineo.
6) Continue sourcing my Norwegian line.
7) Develop another genealogy Web site I have had in mind.
8) Work hard on my 18 month Progen (Professional Genealogy) course. I am so excited about this course!
9) Try and make it to a genealogy conference or expo of some kind. I think there is one in Atlanta soon.
10) If I find the money, take a trip to the Salt Lake City Family History Library (this is not likely to happen, but I can dream:).
11) Work on my Norwegian family history book.
12) Continue to pursue descendants of common ancestors/relatives and share information and pictures.
13) Convert tapes of my Italian grandmother telling stories (from the 70s and early 80s) to CD, and see if a major noise reduction is achievable.
14) Finish transcribing my Italian grandfather's diary (written in 1915 when he was 15 years old) into computer text, and also translate it into English (this may take a while).
15) Update my files with the information I learned during my trip to Norway this summer.
16) Develop my genealogy library, and read more books.
17) Oh, there is more to do, but I will stop here.

What is your list?

Tombstone Tuesday -- Vincenzo Dibennardo (Di Bennardo)

2010-09-06T21:40:00.001-04:00

My uncle in Sicily sent me a picture of my grandfather's grave. It is a little
cut off, but the grave is very high up on the wall (as I recall), and one has to climb
a ladder to see it. His grave is in the cemetery of Catania, Sicily. He was born
in Palagonia, a town in the province of Catania, and died in the city of Catania.
Here's to you, Nonno!

Norway, Days 13, 14, and 15

2010-09-02T20:52:00.002-04:00

On Day 13, we set out on a two-day non-genealogical tour. However, for all I know my ancestors visited or lived in the areas we were to visit. My father really wanted me to see Western Norway, which has some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world. All my life I have visited the Oslo area and not ventured far from there, so this was going to be a real treat. So, early that morning, we headed to Luster on the Sognefjord, where we had reserved a cabin. HINT: cabins are the economical way to see Norway. They are located in campgrounds, but can be very nice with all the amenities included.

One of many pretty views on the way to Borgund Stave Church

Borgund Stave Church

On the way, we stopped to see the Borgund Stave Church located in Borgund, Lærdal, Norway. It is one of only 28 stave churches remaining today and one of the best preserved. A stave church is a medieval wooden church; these churches were Catholic before Lutheranism came to Norway. All of the surviving stave churches are in Norway, with the exception of one in Sweden and one Norwegian stave that was relocated in 1842 to the outskirts of Krummhübel, Germany, now Karpacz in the Krkonoše mountains of Poland (Wikipedia).

After a lovely drive, through some of the prettiest country I have ever seen, we arrived in Luster. The cabin we rented was right on the fjord, which was one giant mirror to the surrounding mountain landscape. The weather was perfect -- not too cold or hot -- and the sun shone through the occasional cloud. I went down by the water where there was a bench, and I thought this would be the perfect place to learn to meditate or find peace in your life.

Views from our cabin in Luster

One very nice surprise was the Dale stone church that was built in Gothic style in the year 1250. It was open to the public during evening hours, and what a treat. It was absolutely gorgeous, and, recently, wall drawings dating back to before the Reformation were found during renovation. Some may even go back to the 12th century.

Dale Church in Luster

Artwork dating to before the Reformation

The altar in Dale Church

In the high country, on the way to Geiranger. Notice the
glacier in the background.

After a nice night in Luster, we started the 3 hour drive to Geiranger, Norway. The route would take us through the beautiful Jotunheimen mountain region. Luckily, the weather was great, which allowed for spectacular views of the Norwegian fjord country. We also drove down the Boeverdal and pass just below Galdhoepiggen, the tallest mountain in Norway. And when we arrived at the overlook that showed us the beauty of Geiranger below, it was like being in a fairytale because it was almost too beautiful to be real. In fact, it is so exceptionally beautiful that it is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Geirangerfjord is located in the southwestern part of the county of Møre og Romsdal, north in Fjord Norway, approximately 100 kilometres from the town of Ålesund.

My Dad poses with Geiranger below him

After taking several pictures from above Geirangerfjord, we drove down through the town and looked for the campground where we had rented a cabin. The cabin had two bedrooms, a living area, a kitchenette, and a lovely view of the fjord. We could sit on the porch and watch the boats and ships go by. Later, we went to town and walked around. It was really cute and filled with tourists, especially since there was a cruise ship parked on the water in front of the town. After shopping for some dinner, we headed back to the cabin to cook it. The plan was to rent a boat after dinner, but, unfortunately, the sun gave in to rain clouds, and by the time it passed, it was too late. But my son and I went and played ping pong for a while before observing a beautiful sunset and turning in for the night.

Sunset view from our Cabin... circa 11:00 pm

The cabin...

The next day, we had to say goodbye to Geiranger and take the route toward Oslo and our return to the United States. Again, the scenery was lovely -- waterfalls, rivers, lakes, mountains. I was particularly enthralled by the glacier blue color of the rivers. The water everywhere looked like a child had picked out a turquoise crayon out of the box and colored it into the landscape, which had somehow magically turned into reality.

The blue color of the water looked like it came from a crayon box

From the moment we arrived in Norway, striking scenery played before our eyes. But I have to say, the two days I spent in Western Norway, taking in the aqua-blue color of the fjords and rivers, rocky cliffs with spouting waterfalls, and the dark green vegetation surrounding primary-colored houses dotting the landscape were simply stunning. And when you have a family history belonging here, it is even more special.

Thanks for taking the journey with me through my blog! Unfortunately, I could not post all my adventures in Norway, but I plan to sprinkle my blog every so often with a lovely picture from this trip -- perhaps Treasure Chest Thursday would work. This trip was truly a treasure to me.

Norway, Days 11 and 12

2010-08-31T22:23:00.001-04:00

On Day 11 in Norway, we took a tour of different farms in the area of Baerum, Norway, where ancestors had lived. Some of the farms I visited were Bryn, Løken, Grorud, Skollerud, Burud, Bye, and Jordbaerhaugen. Bryn, Burud, Løken, Skollerud, and Jordbaerhaugen are mostly important to my Christopherson (Kristoffersen) line I often blog about. This line goes back from my grandmother's father. Grorud and Bye are farms in the line of my grandmother's mother. There were other farms I was not able to visit because of lack of time or the logistics of getting there, such as Burudhaugen and Stokker, but I received pictures of them from relatives.

Løken Farm today. My ggg-grandmother, Ellen Hansen Christopherson
was born and raised here.

Bryn Farm. My ggggggg-grandfather (yes, 7 greats) moved from Stokker Farm
to Bryn Farm. Four generations later, the line moved to Burud Farm.

Houses on Burud Farm (above and below). Three generations lived on Burud.

Part of Burud today is a golf course.

Jordbaerhaugen Farm where my gg-grandparents, Jonette Kristoffersdatter and
Olaus Kristensen, lived.

Bye Farm. Several generations on my grandmother's mother's line lived here.

In the afternoon, my grandmother's oldest brother's daughter (aka, her niece) came to visit us with some pictures. There is an interesting story about my grandmother's oldest brother, John. When he was born, my g-grandparent's were living in Midtskogen where my g-grandfather worked, tending to the telegraph lines. But this place was far from civilization, so to speak, and my g-grandparents left their son with his aunt and uncle. When they left Midtskogen and went to get their son, he didn't want to leave the people he now considered his parents. I was told that my g-grandmother would say "never give away your children, even for a little while." She obviously had regrets. However, John was often visiting his biological parents and all his siblings.

The altar in Tanum Church (built circa 1200).

Day 12 was a Sunday, and we thought we would take advantage of the church services, so we could see the inside of our ancestral churches and also to participate in a Lutheran service. First we went over to Tanum church in Baerum, which was built around 1200. The inside was beautiful, and I took several pictures. We found out that the old baptismal font had to be removed because it needed repair. It was in the back room of the church, and I was able to see it. It is about 300 years old and was used for many of my ancestors and even my brother. Afterward, we drove over to Haslum Church, also a very nice church, and we stayed for their service. There were two baptisms on this day, which was very nice to see. I could well imagine a baptism during older times. After the service, we walked around the cemetery. The grounds are so lovely and peaceful.

The baptismal font in Haslum Church (built
about 800 years ago).

For lunch, we went over to another cousin's home -- my father's cousin to be exact. Several other relatives joined us, and we ate a lovely typical Scandinavian display of cold foods. Later, when we had coffee, my father's cousin gave me a very thoughtful and wonderful gift. She had been given a silver necklace with a cross pendant after my great-grandmother's death. and she decided to pass it on to me. Wow. I was rather emotional at the unexpected gift. I have been wearing it quite often, and I was told it was something my g-grandmother Jørgine liked to wear often. It was probably a gift from my g-grandfather Thomas. Anyway, we had a wonderful time, and after all that food, we went to our next stop for dinner at the house of some old Italian-Norwegian friends. Of course, they made a wonderful pizza I was barely able to eat because I was so full from my previous event.

Haslum Church

This marked the last day in Baerum. The next day, we were to take a trip to Western Norway. So stay tuned for those pictures and stories coming up soon!

Norway, Day 10

2010-08-22T23:08:00.001-04:00

Painting by Christian Krohg at the Maritime museum in

Oslo. Krohg liked to paint marine scenes in action.

Here, we see a seaman handling heavy sails high up

in the rig. My ggg-grandfather Samuel Andreassen

was probably doing exactly this when he fell to his

death on the 3rd of June, 1875.

On Day 10 in Norway, the plan was to visit the Statsarkivene in Oslo (same building as the National Archives) because I really wanted to find my ggg-grandfather's sailor record. This is the same ggg-grandfather who emigrated to Norway from Sweden in 1869. He had already been a sailor since 1859 in Sweden. My gg-grandfather Emil had told my father, who had been working on a school book report on Norway's maritime history, that he had lost his father Samuel when he was only 4 years old (in 1875). He explained to my father how his father had climbed the mast of his ship and fallen to his death, and that this had happened off the coast of South America.

On one of my earlier posts from Norway, I told you about my visit to the Methodist church, in Fredrikstad, where I met with an historian who showed me the church's death records (most online records are from the Lutheran church and a few dissenter congregations). For the first time I saw that my ggg-grandfather Samuel Andreasen had died on the 3rd of June, 1875, by "drowning at sea." I thought perhaps this meant he was buried at sea. I was hoping a visit to the Statsarkivene would give me more detail. Unfortunately, seaman and military records are not available online, and you have to go in person, or try requesting the information by mail or email.

The "Sjøfartshovedrulle" is the most valuable record to look for, as the personal history and career of the sailors were recorded on this register. You will find the name, residence, date of birth (and death), date of sailors patent issue, and the dates of advancement in rank. The records will also tell you what ship your ancestor was on, his destinations etc... For good information on the seaman registers, click here.

Microfilm readers at the Statsarkivene in Oslo

Well, all this is good and great, right? Here is where I will actually make a complaint -- my first for the whole trip in Norway. Although Norway is phenomenal for having a wonderful online archive site with FREE records of all kinds, and I could go on and on lauding them for being a genealogist's dream come true in practically all things genealogy -- records and bygdeboks and so on... I was quite disappointed with the service at the Statsarkivene. Who would have guessed! The people I happened to encounter on this particular day did not seem to know what they had on hand, whether I asked about the seaman records or soldier records (I also wanted to find the soldier record for a gggg-grandfather from Halden, Norway). I was even told I could find my records online (completely untrue) and given the hint I should go home. Like I said, this may have just been my bad luck on this particular day, and on another day I would have found some better help. Nonetheless, I was not taking no for an answer, and with my father's help I explained that the records existed on their site and that they were not available online. Luckily, I was also meeting a blogging friend -- Laila. She was the president of the Oslo area genealogy society for several years (find her blog here), and we had planned to meet in person. I went into the reading area, and she was there with Liv, who also worked for DIS-Norge (genealogy society). After greeting Laila and Liv in the reading room, Laila came out and basically told the front-desk person what records they have available regarding seamen. I was able to get a print-out of their microfilm catalogue for seaman records, and then we went to the room with the microfilms, found what I needed, and set up the first reel on the reader. What a relief! I have to say that by now I wasn't feeling too hopeful of finding anything. Somehow I'd lost my faith in what I was searching for, but I was so wrong.

His name was spelled in Swedish -- Samuel Andreasson. Unfortunately,
the micorfilm printer was not available, and I had to take a picture of the
screen with my camera.

After about an hour and thirty minutes, or so, of reading through the records, I saw his beautiful name: Samuel Andreasson. It was written with the Swedish spelling, and I wondered if he signed the register himself. It did seem to me that the names on the register did not always match the handwriting of the other entries or that of all the individual names. It also seemed odd that a Norwegian official would have written his name with the Swedish spelling "Andreasson" rather than "Andreasen."

The list of ships sailed are on the left (and the year). The center colums tell

us where the ship left from and where it was headed. The last ship listed is

Frithjoff, which was headed to Bristol, England. Next to the destination is the

death date of 3 June 1875 and the explanation that he had died at sea after a

fall from the top.

I literally could have screamed, I was so excited. I ran to get Laila in the reading room because I needed another pair of eyes to tell me I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. Laila came back with me, and we both looked at Samuel's records. He had signed up in December of 1869, the same month he married Oleane Jakobsdatter, and there was a list of ships and tours he had been on with destinations such as England, Holland, and France -- among others. And then there was the last ship where he had served: the Fristhjoff (not sure about the spelling). Next to the ship's name came the information I had been looking for: 3 June 1875, dead at sea after a fall from the top (literal translation). He had most definitely died after climbing the mast, probably to fix a sail. The only thing that my gg-grandfather did not tell correctly was the location of the ship. Samuel had not died off the coast of South America but off the coast of England, as the ship had been headed to Bristol, England.

Laila, me, and Liv at the Statsarkivene in Oslo

What a relief! I felt so happy and so sad at the same time. I felt that I had brought Samuel back to life. Here were the voyages he had made toward the end of his life. These were voyages he took, leaving his wife and small son back at home, and on one voyage he never returned to them. How sad. And to think that only two years ago I didn't even know his name. His descendants had forgotten him and his life's story, but he had come back and he was there on the microfilm screen telling me what had happened to him. He mattered on this day to me, his descendant, and he was not forgotten. So, here I tell you that Samuel Andreasen, husband to Oleane Jakobsdatter and father to Emil Georg Samuelsen, was born in Sweden to a soldier and his wife. I have seen the cottage in Sweden where he was born in 1841. I have followed his path of emigration to Norway from Sweden. I have seen the Methodist church where he was baptized as a convert and where he had his son baptized. I found his voyages on the seas as a sailor and learned of his unfortunate accident and early death. This ancestor's life truly went full circle for me this summer.

Later that day, my uncle invited us to sail on his sailboat. Strange, but this seemed rather fitting on this day. So my son, me, and my father set out to meet my uncle and his significant other at their boat. It was a surprisingly gorgeous evening after a bit of rain in the afternoon. The water was beautiful; the view was extraordinary. What a wonderful way to spend the evening. We found a spot to anchor for a while and have some coffee and dessert. On this evening, being out at sea was in my blood. My ancestors had taken to the seas and at least one had died there... who knows how many there are I will never know about, because I'm guessing some of those pesky Vikings who traveled the world were related to me.

My son and uncle's dog sailing. Scenes on the fjord below.

Thanks for tuning in. My last few days in Norway will be posted in the next couple of days.

Norway, Day 9

2010-08-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

From the moment I learned that "Haugen" was a surname derived from a specific location, I have wanted to find it. But "Haugen" means "the hill," and plenty of people lived on one because Norway is a land of hills. Of course, I didn't understand at the time how to go about finding records and doing genealogical research. Once I started on the journey, though, it became one of my dearest goals. And find it I did, with some help from others, too.

The first hint of a location came from my great-grandfather's baptismal record. It said his parents were living in Moum Farm, Borge Parish, Østfold, and beneath the farm name was another in parentheses -- Haugen. A hill in Moum Farm it was then! From census records I also knew that it was Moum Søndre or South Moum. That narrowed it down pretty well. But, of course, I wanted to know exactly where Haugen was. Through an historian in the area (see his web site here), I learned about property records on the Digital Arkivet site and, voila, the property record for Haugen in Moum Søndre was found. It clearly showed that my ggg-grandfather Andreas Andersen was the first Haugen, obtaining property rights in 1867. His daughter, Hanna Marie Andreasdatter married my gg-grandfather, Emil Georg Samuelsen, and the record shows they also purchased a lease of land at Haugen to build another house. It seems like several siblings of Hanna's also lived at Haugen and carried the Haugen surname.

The property record for Haugen in Moum Farm, Borge Parish, Østfold

But is finding this record good enough for me when I am in Norway and can see Haugen with my own eyes? Of course not! But how to find it...

Lucky for me, my father's cousin contacted someone who had actually grown up in Haugen. Before my arrival in Norway, he showed her the way to the ruins of Haugen. Today, there is a company on the Glomma River there, and the vegetation has taken over the area where the Haugen houses once stood. The man she met said the houses were destroyed in the 1960s. He remembered a place that was very beautiful with a good view of the river and fruit trees he used to climb as a boy.

So, on the morning of my 9th day in Norway, we set out to see Haugen with my father's two cousins, the daughters of one of his cousins, my mother, and my son. My father was feeling better, so he also came along. We followed my father's cousin to the site, which was somewhat industrial looking with the company's handiwork all over the area. After our cousin received permission from the office, we headed to a wooded area nearby. To my left, there were piles of dirt obstructing the view of the river. To my right was a mass of wooded vegetation. But there was a path that we could follow into the brush. Together we climbed over thick plant and tree debris and roots. We finally arrived at an area where there were bricks strewn all over the ground. A look around brought us to an old water well, which was a sure sign there had once been homes there. Another sure sign of a past residence was the presence of fruit trees. We found apple and cherry trees mixed in the wooded vegetation. There were also berry bushes. It was sad that the past of Haugen was so buried away from what must once have been a very pretty place, but I was very excited to be there, at the birthplace of my name. I kept one of the small green apples from a tree as a souvenir.

The view from Haugen today

Haugen descendants searching for their past

A water well

Bricks on the ground

Apples from the Haugen apple tree

After visiting Haugen, we drove over to Vesten, a little community on the Glomma River that once was very important to the timber industry. My ggg-grandparents, Anders Pettersen and Anne Kristine Simensdatter, raised their family there, and their daughter, Nicoline Andersdatter (my gg-grandmother) was their first child born there. Nicoline married my gg-grandfather Ludvig Hansen, who had arrived from Rolvsøy to work the timber. He also seems to have been a seaman for a period of time. They had a large brood of Ludvigsen children, and one of them was my g-grandmother, Jørgine Amalie Ludvigsdatter, who married Thomas Alexius Haugen, son to Emil and Hanna Haugen -- both of whom I mentioned earlier with regard to Haugen.

The house in Vesten built by my gg-grandfather, Ludvig Hansen
circa 1896

My g-grandmother Jørgine wrote a beautiful poem about her childhood, and in it she tells how she lived with her grandparents and loved to watch her grandfather build boats. She also liked to go down to the river and watch the men work the timber. Eventually, her family was growing too big, and her father went up the hill to build his own house. I am happy to say, I was able to see this house, which only recently left the family. The house has to have been built in the 1890s. Of course, I was also curious to see if down the hill I could find the house where my g-grandmother's grandparents lived. The historian who lives in Vesten that I mentioned before had pointed out the house he thought may have belonged to the grandparents. When I saw it, I was pretty excited because it was in fact old enough to be the likely house. Below the home was another building that could easily have been a workshop. Beside the building was enough room to work on a boat. I could picture g-grandmother Jørgine watching her grandfather shape wood for a sailing vessel, or a rowboat perhaps. Overall, this was a very exciting visit.

Probably the house of my ggg-grandparents, Anders Pettersen and
Anne Kristine Simensdatter

The workshop and possible boat building area beside it

In Vesten, the river was once filled with timber logs

After visiting Vesten, we had lunch and said goodbye to one of my father's cousins. With his other cousin and her husband, we headed out to see Fredriksten in Halden. This Norwegian fortress was constructed in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 (see Wikipedia). The fortress was named after King Fredrik III of Denmark and Norway, and the town of Halden was also originally named after him, having been known as Fredrikshald between 1665 and 1928 (Wikipedia).

A view of Fredriksten in Halden

I was very interested in finding the old monument commemorating the death of Charles XII. According to Wikipedia, in the fall of 1718, Charles attacked Norway, intending to first capture Halden to be able to sustain a siege of Akershus. The Swedish trenches had almost reached the main fortification walls when a bullet struck and killed Charles XII while he inspected the work. The death of the king ended the war. The memorial is located in the park where the Swedish king fell, just in front of the fortress. I really wanted to see this monument because I had an old picture from the late 1920s where my grandmother and her two sisters are standing in front of this monument. But when I saw the monument, it looked nothing like the one in my grandmother's picture. As it turns out, the monument had been changed 7 times, and it had also been moved as the historians changed their minds about where the king exactly died. The monument that is there today has been there since 1938. The picture of the monument in the late 1920s in some ways looks more interesting to me.

The Charles XII monument today (since 1938)

The monument of Charles XII in the late 1920s

On our way back "home" from Fredriksten, we stopped in Drøbak, a very pretty town on the water. An important event in Drøbak's history is the World War II sinking of the German cruiser Blücher. The ship was transporting German soldiers and bureaucrats for the planned occupation of Oslo, but the sinking by the Oscarsborg fortress delayed this, and thus allowed for the evacuation of the Norwegian Royal Family, parliament, and cabinet, and for the nation's gold reserves to be denied the occupiers (Wikipedia). We visited the memorial, which is the ship's anchor, and also walked around the town. One other interesting place was Santa's post office filled with letters from around the world.

Drøbak Harbor

The famous anchor representing the sinking of the German cruiser
Blücher during WWII

Letters on the wall of Santa's post office

I have been behind on my postings regarding my trip because I have since returned home and things have been a bit hectic. Thank you all for your patience as I continue to post the last few wonderful days I spent in this wonderful country of Norway. Every day I carry its beauty in my heart.

Sweden on Day 8

2010-08-14T18:27:00.002-04:00

On Day 8, we set out for Sweden to trace the path of my ggg-grandparents on my paternal grandfather's line. My ggg-grandmother, Oleane Jakobsdatter (sometimes known as Akoline), emigrated from Sweden to Norway with her mother in 1863. For more on Oleane, click here (it is a 4-part biography series). My ggg-grandfather, Samuel Andreasen, emigrated to Norway in 1869. My last posting tells a little bit about him and his death at sea in 1875.

Thanks to a genealogist friend in Sweden, Yvonne Henricksen of the blog Swedish Thoughts, I was put in contact with an historian in the area of Sweden where these ancestors were from. Margareta Aleviken would help me find some of the farms related to my ancestors and perhaps a cottage, if it still existed. We made an appointment to meet at 11:00 AM in the parking lot of the church in Grebbestad, Sweden. My father still was not feeling up to a drive, especially to Sweden, which rendered the day a little disappointing; but I was still very excited to set off that morning with my mother, son, and father's friend. When we hit the border of Sweden, leaving Norway behind, I felt so happy to have made the journey in Oleane and Samuel's footsteps. Many things crossed my mind as I watched the sometimes hilly terrain become steep or filled by a lake. After two hours driving, I realized that in the 1860s it could not have been an easy task to emigrate to Norway without a car. Did they walk the entire treacherous way? Did they take a boat? I know money must have been an issue, so I am guessing a great deal of walking occurred for many leaving this part of Sweden for better opportunities in the Fredrikstad area of Norway.

We arrived at the Grebbestad Church, which was open, and took a look inside. I knew this was not the church that had baptized my ggg-grandparents, but it was still interesting to see. I also met the relative I had mentioned on my post about Kongsberg. My ggg-grandmother Oleane is his g-grandmother. He came with his wife and their dog and were very excited to share in my journey into our Swedish past. It wasn't too long before Margareta showed up with her sister-in-law; her name was also Margareta. After greetings and introductions, we followed our family history tour-guides to the first site, and what a treat this was!

The cottage where my ggg-grandfather Samuel Andreasson was
born in 1841

My gggg-grandfather Andreas Pettersson was a soldier for the Royal Swedish Army. In Sweden, the military was a lifelong career, and each soldier required a unique name. In return for service, a soldier was given a croft that included a cottage and some land, and the soldier carried the name of the croft as his surname. My gggg-grandfather's soldier name was Andreas Rörberg. All his children also carried the Rörberg surname while he served. My ggg-grandfather, therefore, was Samuel Andreasson Rörberg at his birth in 1841. And the cottage of his birth still existed in Rörvik! This was so exciting to find out from the two Margareta angels of genealogy. After my gggg-grandfather retired from the military in 1860 after 31 years of service, he lost the Rörberg name, and a new soldier moved into the croft cottage assuming the name. Margareta had found the descendants of the new Rörberg soldier who moved there, and the family still had pictures of the old cottage from the 1860s or 1870s! And when Margareta brought me to see it, I could see it was the same cottage, except it was now painted white and there were new windows. Margareta told me that the new owners had decided to soon paint it red once again.

Westra Ertseröd, my ggg-grandfather's last residence before
emigrating to Norway

Margareta planned for us to follow a logical course of farms in the order of appearance on the map we would follow. The next stop was Westra Ertseröd, which is where my ggg-grandfather Samuel emigrated from to go to Norway in 1869. I had also recently found out, thanks to Yvonne Henricksen, that his widowed mother had also emigrated from there to Norway a year later. The structures on the land were surely not the same, but the farm was all I really wanted to see. From there we saw Nästegård, which was the birthplace of Samuel's father, Andreas Pettersson, and then we moved on to Vyk. Vyk Farm is where my ggg-grandmother Oleane's mother, Helena Magnusdotter, was born in 1819. This ended up being an interesting site even without a cottage. We found stones on the ground that were likely a foundation of the cottage, and it was located near the horse "garden." In fact, at Helena's birth, the home is called "the garden." After spending a good deal of time exploring the area, we moved on to Hala where Helena lived as a young girl. There was a structure that looked very old, but the owner came out and told us it was not as old as it looked. All in all, it was nice to see the location of my gggg-grandmother's childhood home.

I point to the spot where the cottage and birthplace of my
ggg-grandmother, Oleane Jakobsdotter, once stood

The next stop was Rungstung Farm, and more specifically Hällevadet, where Oleane was born in 1850. As you may have read on a previous biography post on Oleane, the circumstances of her birth were a bit mysterious. The baptismal record says that her mother, Helena, was engaged to Johan Jakob Ruth (a soldier; Ruth was his soldier name) but that Oleane was fathered by another man. Helena and Johan did have two other biological children together before Oleane. Margareta had looked into some more Swedish records, and she was able to clear up the mystery a little. She said that Helena and Johan had declared their intention to marry three times in church, as was the custom of the day, but they had never completed the final act of marriage. She explained to me, though, that three declarations in the eyes of many was nearly the same as being married. However, Johan Jakob Ruth is shown to have gone off to war around 1848 or 1849. The record does not say what war, but I believe it was the First Schleswig War. The First Schleswig War or Three Years' War was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany regarding control of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The war, which lasted from 1848–1851, also involved troops from Prussia and Sweden. The time period fits perfectly. So my guess is that while Johan was away, Helena had an affair with Oleane's biological father, and Johan Jakob Ruth came home to a surprise addition to the family. It seems, though, that he accepted Oleane. They lived together for a few years, and Oleane used his name as her father for the rest of her life. Of course, she may not have known the circumastances of her own birth. But eventually Johan and Helena did leave each other and Johan married another woman. When he left the military, another soldier took over the croft and cottage and was named Ruth. This man's grandson still lived on the same plot of land and was able to tell the historian exactly where the cottage once was; it was great to see it, even if there was nothing to see!

As for my ggg-grandmother, Oleane, once Johan and Helena separated, she moved to Håkebytorp while her mother seems to have wandered between places, such as the church's priest quarters and a farm called Lycke. She is also listed on the "vagrant" pages, perhaps because she was not settled in any particular place. Then, in 1863, she and her thirteen year old daughter, Oleane, left Sweden for Norway. I should add that before leaving Sweden myself, we saw Håkebytorp -- Oleane's last residence in Sweden.

The church where my ggg-grandparents, Oleane and Samuel,
were baptized. Samuel was also confirmed here.

Once we said a million "thank yous" and a final goodbye to the fabulous historians who helped us trace my Swedish roots, we set off for the Tanum Church in Tanumshede to see where my ggg-grandparents had been baptized and then headed for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Bronze age rock carvings. The carvings were left there 3000 years ago, and I couldn't help wonder if one of my ancestors from the area was responsible. We hiked a bit in the hills and found the ancient burial mounds, too. What a sight! When we had had enough, we returned to the car and drove back toward Norway. On the way, we stopped in Strömstad, a lovely town on the sea, and likely the place my ggg-grandfather Samuel Andreasson signed up to become a seaman in 1859. Strangely, when we crossed the border from Sweden to Norway, an hour later, I felt that "I'm back home" feeling. I guess my roots in Sweden are still too new to me and not quite as strong as my Norwegian roots; Norway is, after all, a place I have known my whole life and where the greater part of my ancestral tree branches are from. But I am very proud to also be Swedish!

A small section of the amazing bronze-age Tanumshede rock carvings

Beautiful Strömstad by the sea...

Norway, Days 6 and 7

2010-08-09T01:10:00.001-04:00

On Day 6, we started our excursions outside of the Oslo area. We were to stay with a high school friend of my father's, and it ended up being really nice. They don't live too far from the Fredrikstad area, so it was logical to move from my uncle's house for a few days. But first, we went to Kongsberg, in the county of Buskerud, to visit some relatives there and follow the trail of my gg-grandfather, Emil Georg Samuelsen Haugen. This means I am following the family history line on my paternal grandfather's side.

The altar and organ in the famous Kongsberg church

A typical street in Kongsberg

Kongsberg was founded in 1624, after silver was discovered in the hills. The Danish-Norwegian king recruited German miners to the mines. Silver is no longer mined there, and it has become a high-tech center of Norway. The town has some quaint-looking streets and a baroque-style Lutheran church that is very much worth a visit. It was truly impressive. Someone was playing the rare and beautiful organ when we arrived, which lent the place even more atmosphere. The church was built with a hierchiacal system: the king had his own box, the silver mine nobility and administrators had their boxes, and the miners sat upstairs on hard, wooden benches. Keep in mind that they had worked hard all week and now had to sit through a three hour sermon. If someone fell asleep, an usher with a long stick would reach into the pews and poke him.

The main reason to visit Kongsberg, though, was to see my grandfather's cousin and her daughter's family. We were welcomed to the daughter's home, and I also found there another relation I had met over the internet. His great-grandmother is my ggg-grandmother, and we have shared a lot of information with each other. My grandfather's cousin, unfortunately, could not be there, but her daughter left a note and gift for me. The gift was my gg-grandfather Emil's songbook and a notebook he had written his thoughts on regarding Bible study. It was so wonderful to see his beautiful handwriting. I don't believe he was overly educated, yet his penmanship was perfect. I commented on his writing, and I was told a story about his father, Samuel -- he couldn't afford the appropriate writing materials and learned to write in the dirt and saw dust with a stick. Amazing! After this, we were led inside to see my ggg-grandfather Samuel's sea chest. Again, this would be the father of the man I just described who had beautiful penmanship. My ggg-grandfather had gone out to sea, in 1875, when my gg-grandfather was a young boy, and had an accident that killed him. His sea chest returned to his wife and my gg-grandfather, who was 4 at the time.

The chest was absolutely gorgeous! It was made of solid wood and painted green. On the inside of the lid were the union flags of Sweden and Norway, since the two countries were a union at the time. My ggg-grandfather's name is inscribed and the date of 1861. What can I say? It was so beautiful to see I was nearly speechless. The only thing wrong with it was that it wasn't mine (ha ha). But I am very glad that it is kept in the family and taken care of.

My ggg-grandfather Samuel Andreasen's sea chest. He was born in 1841 and died at sea in 1875. Below, you can see the flags of the Swedish and Norwegian union and my ggg-grandfather's name and the year, 1861.

My gg-grandparents' grave in Kongsberg

We were also taken to the cemetery to see the graves of my gg-grandfather Emil and gg-grandmother Hanna. It was so nice to see it still exists, although the cemetery is quite old and a lot of tech companies have been built around it. We took a few pictures of the headstone before heading to the location of their house. Apparently, when my gg-grandfather died (he died after his wife), the landowner destroyed the home and sawmill that was there. However, nothing else was built in its place, so I could still find bits of concrete on the ground. It was a nice location, not far from the river. My father, who was lucky to know Emil (g-grandfather to him) until he was about 16 years old, remembered the place very well.

After some coffee and sweets with my Kongsberg relatives, we said good-bye and headed out to Ås, where my father's friend lives and the place we were sleeping at for the next few nights. On the way, we stopped by Åsgårdstrand, which is where Norway's most famous painter, Edvard Munch, lived during the summers and painted some of his most famous work. The town was very picturesque and lovely. Unfortunately, the painter's house was not open for tourists on that day, but I saw it once in 1988. One cute feature of the town was the mailboxes with his works painted on them.

Edvard Munch's summer cottage. Below, some typical scenes in Åsgårdstrand.

Old town Fredrikstad -- 5 stars!!

On Day 7, my father woke up not feeling very well, so I set out with my son and father's friend to meet my father's cousins and my uncle in the old town of Fredrikstad. The old fortified town is really lovely, and I have a gggg-grandfather who served there. My grandfather served there as well during the early 1930s. Fredrikstad may be Europe's best preserved fortified town, and it is in Østfold County and was founded in 1567 by King Frederik II. The city lies on the banks of the river Glomma. Fredrikstad once had a large sawmill industry and was important for timber export and shipbuilding. Most of my ancestors from this area worked in these fields.

After visiting the old town, we headed for the first Methodist church built in Fredrikstad circa 1868. I was meeting an historian there, who very kindly offered to show me the church and some records. I have blogged before about finding dissenters among my ancestors -- people who left the Lutheran church. In this case, my ggg-grandparents, Oleane Jakobsdatter and Samuel Andreasen, both joined the Methodist church in February of 1871 and baptized my gg-grandfather, Emil, there in September of 1871. This event was one of my early family history brick walls I managed to break down.

This is just part of my ggg-grandfather's death record.
It says he drowned at sea.

The church had been renovated on the inside, but it was still the same church on the outside. Inside, there was a wall of pictures of all the pastors since the beginning -- one of them being the one who baptized Oleane, Samuel, and their son Emil into the church. I was also finally able to see the death record for my ggg-grandfather Samuel, since most Methodist records are not available online. The story from my gg-grandfather was that his father had fallen off the ship's mast after climbing it to fix the sails and was killed instantly. The Methodist record said he had died on June 3rd, 1875 by drowning at sea. I believe this probably indicated he was buried at sea, but it could be that my gg-grandfather's story was incorrect. I hoped I could find his seaman record at the archives in Oslo in a few days. I will let you know what I found when I post for that day!

After the nice visit at the Methodist church, we were invited back to my father's cousin's house where she served us her "ancestry soup." It was a beef stew -- a traditional Norwegian dish -- and it was really delicious. Her brother had brought a lot of old pictures of ancestors and some items to see. He showed me my gg-grandfather's walking stick, which had a silver plated engraving of his name on it. There were also two old Bible-study books that had belonged to my gg-grandfather, and he kindly gave those to me! As for all the old pictures, they were scanned. They are a true treasure as they include pictures of ggg-grandparents for me. One of my favorite goals in my family history research is to find pictures of the people I study. So this was all very special to me.

My gg-grandfather's walking cane!

Finally, we said goodbye and planned our next venture for two days from then. My father's friend then took us to see the Hvaler islands before heading back to his home and some much-needed rest.

Stay tuned for Day 8 and 9!