Tombstone Tuesday -- Findagrave Memorial for Martin Christopherson

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

Wordless Wednesday -- Hans Christophersen

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!

Tombstone Tuesday -- Tanum Kirke and Cemetery



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



Wordless Wednesday -- Burud Farm in Baerum

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.

Wordless Wednesday -- Løken Farm

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

Wordless Wednesday -- Burudhaug

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.

Tombstone Tuesday

My father recently visited the grave of his gg-grandmother (my ggg-grandmother) Ellen (Hansen) Christophersen (1822 -1899) in Salt Lake City, Utah

Wordless Wednesday -- Ellen Hansen (Christophersen)

This picture is one of my latest prizes!  My parents recently went to Salt Lake City and met descendants of my ggg-grandmother Ellen Hansdatter (Christophersen) born in Baerum, Norway 27 August, 1822 and deceased in Salt Lake City, Utah, 24 March, 1899.  Her son Martin Christophersen became a Mormon and an important figure in the church.  She followed in his footsteps and moved to Utah, along with another son and a daughter.  Her other daughter, my gg-grandmother Jonette, stayed in Norway and remained Lutheran -- as did her descendants.  I only discovered this Mormon branch and my ggg-grandmother's grave in Salt Lake City last summer (2009).  It has been an exciting journey, and now I have her picture!!!

Tombstone Tuesday --Christophersens in Salt Lake City Cemetery

My parents recently went to Salt Lake City to see the graves of my ggg-grandmother, her two sons, her daughter, and their families.  While there, they also visited descendants and learned a great deal about the family history as it pertained to this branch.  It was an awesome experience, and I wish I could have gone there as well.  They also visited the famous family history library and said it was fantastic!

This area of the Salt Lake City Cemetery has my great-great-great grandmother's (Ellen Christophersen) grave and that of her son, Martin Christophersen. 

Obituary Hunt

Since most of my ancestors are in Norway and Italy, I haven't really played around with searching obituaries.  I have one ggg-grandmother and her two sons who became members of the LDS church and emigrated from Norway to Utah, whereas her daughter, my gg-grandmother, remained Lutheran and stayed in Norway.  It has been really interesting to study my Utah branch, and I have learned a lot about my gg-uncle Martin Christophersen, who was quite prominent in the LDS church and in Salt Lake City.  But I have not found much information about my ggg-grandmother Ellen Hansdatter (buried in Salt Lake City under the name Ellen Christophersen) other than a cemetery and burial record. 

The other day I was reading one of my favorite blogs, http://herstoryan.blogspot.com/, and a post about finding an exciting obituary, and I immediately thought about my ggg-grandmother Ellen who died in 1899.  This is a few years before there are available death records in Utah, so finding an obituary was my only real hope for learning more information.  So I thought, "What the heck," and I googled the search term "Utah Newspaper Archives" and found the site http://digitalnewspapers.org/.  I then browsed by county, Salt Lake City, and put in the keyword name Ellen Christophersen.  The obituary literally took me a minute to find.

Unfortunately, the obituary doesn't say how she died, but it is still a very exciting find!  Once I had my first hit, I figured I should try to find the obituaries for Martin and Hans Christophersen.  In a matter of minutes I found one for Martin and a funeral announcement for Hans (not shown).  The obituary for Martin has a lot of interesting information, so read on...

Stay tuned for more finds.

Tombstone Tuesday

Martin Kristoffersen (1850-1927), born in Burud farm, Lommedalen, Vestre Baerum, Akershus, Norway; died in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.  He was my great-great grandmother's brother who sailed for America on the Nevada from Liverpool to New York in 1871.  My great-great grandmother stayed in Norway.  Back of the headstone is shown below.