What happened to Johan Adrian the baby of Adrianna and Hans Hansen??

From Grandma’s book, pg. 27

“There are conflicting stories about the fate of this child (Johan Adrian). It is surrounded with mystery and uncertainty. Lester writes that he died at birth and was buried with his Mother. There is no proof of that. I can recall nothing much said about him by my Mother. She told of his birth but not of his death. I never heard him mentioned by the old two aunts that I knew, Hanna and Sophia. It seems to me that I heard once that he died when he was two but that is all.”

The story continues with possibilities of him being adopted and brought to the U.S. by cousins, but from the Norwegian census, birth, christening and death records it seems that this was not so. Amazing how all the pieces fit together and we know “the rest of the story” with the technology of today and lots of genealogists in Norway who have tediously scanned and translated the documents. Also, from the records in Norway, Adrianna (Johan’s mother) did not die until April so she was ill for a few months after his birth and then passed away. Johan did not pass away until October, at the age of 2.

Now we know the real story.

Note:

This information comes from the Ancestry World Tree Project

  ID: I1663

·  Name: Johan Adrian HANSEN

·  Sex: M

·  Birth: 13 FEB 1860 in Sandora,Balsfjord,Troms,Norway

·  Death: 30 OCT 1862 in Sandora,Balsfjord,Troms,Norway

·  Burial: 3 NOV 1862 Balsfjord,Troms,Norway

·  Note:

REFN: 1663
!His birth is recorded in the Balsfjord Church Birth records on page 135, line 1. Microfilm #127103. He was not christened because his parents were dissenters.(from the state church of Norway) His death is recorded on the same film.

¹

·  Change Date: 11 APR 2004 at 18:24:35

Father: Hans HANSEN b: 2 DEC 1823 in Sand?ira,Troms,Troms?i,Norway
Mother: Adrianna HEMMINGSDATTER b: 6 FEB 1828 in Svartnes,Troms?i,Troms,Norway

Sources:

1. Title: GEDCOM File : Anderson2.ged
   Author: Doug Anderson
   Abbrev: Doug Anderson
   Abbrev: GEDCOM File : Anderson2.ged
   Note:
   5224 66th Ave N
   Brooklyn CEnter, MN 55429
   Date: 11 APR 2004

Famous cousin, Edvard Holm Johannesen 1844-1901

Edvard Holm Johannesen (Grandma Paulina’s 1st cousin)
1844 - 1901
Skipper from Tromsø. The first sailed on Novaya Zemlya, discovered the island of Loneliness Edvard Holm Johannesen was born 16 July 1844 in Balsfjord, and was the son of Captain Johan Adrian Johannessen, and brother of Hans Christian Johannessen. Both brothers sailed on the Kara Sea. In the years 1869-78 resulted in Edward's father's schooner "Nordland". In 1870 he performed the enterprise to omseile Novaya Zemlya for the first time. Nordenskiold refer to this as a shift in norøstfartens history, for he did what nobody thought was possible, and changed people's views on the Kara Sea. In 1873 Edward took large amounts of hooded seals in the Greenland Strait, and in 1876 sent Foyn a vessel of this field. In 1878 he discovered the island of Loneliness, which is located in the West Siberian Sea east of Novaya Zemlya. In 1885, the Johannessen whitefish catch with "Tromsdalstinden" at Novaya Zemlya, but did not catch. The following year he led the hunt "Mother" on white fish catches. In 1887 he led ketches "rival". In 1888 to 1893 led Johannessen cutter "Colibri". In 1895 he brought his brother Soren Johannessen vessel "Anna" and got a full catch of whitefish at Spitsbergen. The two following years he brought the schooner "Willem Barents". In 1898 he was appointed ice pilot for Prince Albert of Monaco. Died on a ride in an open boat from home to Tromsø in the autumn of 1901. Literature: Tromsø area Maritime History, Tromsø Skipper Association Festskrift Tromsø 28.08.1934 (Path Breakers by Carl S. Soth)
 1878: EH Johannessen discovers the island of "Lonely Avenue Hotel."
 1874: Edvard Holm Johannessen fangsttur to Greenland Strait leading to annual hooded catch there.
 1871: Elling Carlsen on "Solid" discovered Willem Barents' wintering base from 1596-97 on Novaya Zemlya.
 1870: EH Johannesen sailed around Novaya Zemlya and discovered the island of loneliness.
 1869: Edvard Holm Johnannessens expedition with "England" through the Kara Sea showed that the region could be ice-free.
Note: this is translated from the original Norwegian so the wording might not be totally correct. ch

Paulina Hansena Hansen Nelson (Neilson)

Paulina was born in Norway, one of 6 girls and one boy. She lost her mother, Adrianna, when she was 9 years of age and then the younger brother when he was 2. It must have been a difficult time for a child. Her father Hans, remarried a woman named Pernilla, who had 6 children of her own from a previous marriage. Five of these were boys. In Grandma Annette's book she eludes to the difficulties the Hansen girls had with their step brothers. I'm sure it wasn't easy and the youngest two Hansen children were sent to live with Hans' sister to be raised for a time. I have also found that Hans and Pernilla had a daughter together, Adrianna Josephine born in 1862, I find no record of her after that time~I'm guessing that she possibly died as an infant~but only a guess. In 1862, Hans lost his only son and Pernilla lost a son too. In those days, death was a common occurrence.
In July 1864, the Hansen family came to America.They were dissenters from the state church in Norway and most likely were looking for religious freedom and a better life for their large family.  Landing in St. Peter, Minnesota where they stayed for about 4 years. During this time Paulina lived with the Lamoreaux family. She went to school and also helped out with the home. She was very loved by Mrs. Lamoreaux and always spoke of  her fondly. In 1868, the family moved to Lake Elizabeth, Minnesota where Hans would be for the remainder of his life. In 1871, Paulina went with two sisters to work in Minneapolis and St. Paul. They did housework, cooking and waited on tables. In about 1873-74 she went to work in the North Star Woolen Mills until it closed in the latter part of 1875. It was probably providential, as she returned home and met a very good looking blue eyed, dark haired Norwegian man named Nels L Nelson who was full of energy and an extremely hard worker. They married in November of that year. Eventually moving to a large property in Danielson Township in Meeker country, Minnesota. Here Paulina and Nels would raise 9 wonderful children, take care of his two aging parents and create a wonderful life not short on trials or hard work.

In Lester's book he writes this of Paulina, his Mother:
"For many years she had not been in the best of health. She had led a busy, hard working life, had brought up nine children and aided in the upbringing of several other children. She had been faithful to every duty. She was not a demonstrative woman or inclined to outward show of great affection although she loved her family. Throughout her life, she was a very religious woman and daily she read her Norwegian Bible, and this gave her courage and strength to go on with the duties of life. She could write but she was not a fluent or ready writer and he (Lester) never received from her a letter. In 1924 she became seriously ill and thought her mission in life had been ended and longed to "go home", as she expressed it. She had no fear of death but rather a longing that the journey be ended and she freely expressed it."
A great insight into how Paulina was thought of by her son Lester.
Paulina passed away on Mother's Day, May 11th, 1924. How fitting for a woman who had been such a wonderful Mother.

Balsfjord historical link to our Hansen family

I found an interesting article regarding a group of state church dissenters who were living in the Balsfjord at the same time as our Great Grandmother, Paulina Hansena Hansen, and family. According to Grandma Annette’s book and also her brother Lester’s  "Beatta Lovina (grandma Paulina’s aunt, her mother Adrianna's sister) and her husband Elias Anderson traveled in 1862 or 1863 to St. Peter and then moving in 1864 to Lake Lillian, Kandiyohi." I thought it was an interesting coincidence and that maybe they might have been a part of this group led by Rev. Bomstad.  Also, Hans Hansen and family traveled the same route from Bergen to St. Peter and then finally settling in Lake Lillian in 1864. Reading further into Lester’s book I discovered this,
“Henrick J. Bomsta(d) who was married to Lester’s father’s cousin, marched through the Kandiyohi lake territory in its movements to protect the white settlers. Henrick liked the vicinity and later told his father, Reverend J A J Bomsta(d) of St Peter that he thought the northeast shore of Lake Lillian would be ideal for a home. Reverend Bomsta(d) was born in Balsfjord in the vicinity where Lester’s mother and other relatives were born in 1821. He was active in organizing with Rev Lammers the Apostolic Free church. He came to the US in 1862 stopping in St. Peter. In May 1864, impelled by his son’s report he rode to Lake Lillian on horseback…. The vicinity pleased him… where he built the Norwegian Danish Methodist church in which Lester was the first child baptized. In that same summer of 1864, Elias Anderson, husband of Beatta, Lester’s aunt, and friend of Rev Bomsta, moved his family from St. Peter to Lake Lillian.”  So there we have it; there is a connection to this group! I love how our family history coincides with the history of Norway. What a great tool the internet is. I’m sure that Lester would love it!
Also in Lester's book I found this regarding Paulina's father, Hans Hansen and this Apostolic Free church. " Hans Hanson was an adherent of this church group and sometimes acted as a lay preacher." 

According to the book Tromsø City History (Norwegian: Tromsø by Histori) written by Nils Andreas Ytreberg (1896–1987) (published in Norwegian), during the mid-19th century, Balsfjord became the religious home of a group of "mindekirken" or "freechurch dissenters" who split from the state church parish in Tromsø. The mindekirken movement in the Troms region was led by the seminary student, Johannes Andreas Johannessen Bomstad (born at Balsfjord on 23 August 1821), who split from the state church at the age of 28, under the leadership of the first Norwegian mindekirken movement leader, Rev. Lammers from Oslo. In 1856, Bomstad and his original followers established their own church which they called the "Free Apostolic Christian Church" in Balsfjord.
"Rev. Bomstad" and his followers were said to have struggled and protested against the Tromsø state church minister and the Troms Bishop's religious rulings, eventually leading to a riot in the town of Tromsø, when state-church members yelled at Bomstad and his fellow dissenters to "go back to Kautokeino (A small village in the most northern districts of Norway)". In 1862, Bomstad led a group of "mindekirken colonists" to America, traveling first to Bergen, where they sailed in mid-May 1862 aboard the Sleipner, arriving at the inland port of Chicago, Illinois on 2 August 1862. Their voyage was also noteworthy as the first transatlantic voyage sailing directly from Europe to the port of Chicago (other previous transoceanic ships disembarked first at Quebec, Canada.) After arriving in Chicago, the mindekirken colonists traveled overland to the area of St. Peter, Minnesota, where they remained during the "Dakota War of 1862".
Rev. Bomstad left St. Peter traveling by mule to Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, where near the east bank of a lake (previously called "Lake Lillian"), he became the founding father of Lake Lillian, Minnesota in May 1864 (one hour ahead of the town's next settler, Mr. O.E. Hart, previously of New York). After staking his original claim, a month later on 3 June 1864, Rev. Bomstad led the rest of the colonists from St. Peter to their new settlement at Lake Lillian, where they built dugout shelters to live in that first year (on the site later occupied by the First M.E. Methodist Church of Lake Lillian.) A few months later he and his family finished building and moved into their log cabin home.

Grandpa Nels

“Grandpa” Nels or Neils Nelson was born on March 12, 1851 in the beautiful parish of Bergenstift, Norway. His father, Anders came from a long line of”tall, powerful men, known throughout the region for their ability in sports, especially skiing and feats of strength.” After living his first year at the home of Anders mother, Anna Finne, and now wanting to make their own way with a growing family, one year old Nels moved to north to the Island of Borge in the Lofoten Islands. I have included this website regarding the Lofoten Islands~ what an incredibly beautiful location.

http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Where-to-go/North/Lofoten/Key-Facts/

He was most likely taught the fine rudiments of life in the fishing village. Like his father Anders, he was a man and boy of tremendous energy and industry. He was seasoned in the fine art of boat building, fishing, furniture crafting and home building. Whether he went to a formal school or was taught at home by Martha, he could read and write Norse fluently and was an excellent at math. He grew up with music in the home, as Anders was an incredibly gifted violin player who was in demand at parties and gatherings throughout the island. Their home must have been a haven for fun and lively conversation with his uncle Botolv, the blacksmith at Borge and his family and countless friends. Life in the Lofotens could not have been easy but I can imagine that they made the best of the situation; these were hardy Norse!

Nels was also taught by his father to make fishing boots bringing his own wooden lasts (shoe forms) to America where our Grandma Etta would see him working on his own shoes through the years. Just another one of his countless skills and talents.

In 1863, Anders suffered a terrible fishing accident on the sea. He and his group were caught in a terrific maelstrom storm where barely surviving lost all of his fingers and one foot to frostbite. Nels was 12 years old at the time and now was put into the position of being more or less responsible for providing for the family. He was a full sailor, having worked on the high seas from his early age, when at 17 the family immigrated to America.  I wish I knew more about what he did during this time to support the family; he must have done an incredible job to have put them in a financial position to immigrate. Just a precursor of the hard working ethic that would pay off great dividends in America.

In 1868, the family settled in the St. Peter, Minnesota area where his Uncle Ole Norman had settled in the 50’s. Eventually moving to a farm in Lake Elizabeth, Minnesota which is a short distance from the farm in Danielson.  He married beautiful, sweet Paulina Hansen in September of 1876.  Shortly thereafter, they moved to a 160 acre farm in Danielson Township where they raised 9 children and took care of his aging parents.He had dark black hair and blue eyes but not too tall at 5'8". Not typical of the Norse in his family who were all tall and powerful. He did inherit their great strength and his six sons were all tall men. Lester being the shortest at 5'11". I guess the height must have skipped a generation!

His farm was a hive of industry. According to his obituary in Litchfield, he was a “public spirited citizen and took an active interest in church, school and political affairs. Serving as postmaster of the Dickson post office, member of the school board and (Danielson) township supervisor.” He was a religious man, having been the last surviving charter member of the Lake Elizabeth Methodist church. In his 60’s he built with his own hands a new home in Litchfield for his loving wife, Paulina. I’m sure he took great care in creating this final home for them. His pictures show his loving, fun nature. I have so many questions I would like to ask him; about his life in Norway, how he handled all the ups and downs of his life, his sail across the sea to America and life as a pioneer. He was considered quite a wealthy man in his day, time and place and taught our Grandma to face challenges and trials with courage and fortitude. It’s the Norse way. We all come from a long line of morally, physically and emotionally strong Norse and one of the greatest of these would be our Great~Grandpa Nels. We can learn a lot from these great ancestors of ours and really, we each have a little bit of Nels in our genes. What a great man and someone we can be proud to be related to.

Oh, one more thing...

...my Dad is an amazing man. He is the most computer savvy 82 year old I know. He has taken Grandma's treasured scrapbook and with the help of his able bodied assistant, my sister Becky, they have copiously copied and scanned it into an incredible TFF file. These are huge files but worth all the blood, sweat and tears that went into this project :-) It really is a dream and VERY amazing! The pictures and Grandma's writings are clear and very readable. I have been sitting here in a very distant, nomad land enraptured. Mom and Dad would love to send you a DVD copy if you would like one. But you will need to call them and they will send out~ or even better, stop by and see them~ they love visitors!

It's a powerpoint!

Last November, the hubby and I went to Minnesota for Thanksgiving. We decided to spend a couple of days in Litchfield and surrounding areas. I made a little Powerpoint of some of our excursions and thought someone out there in the void might be a little bit interested in seeing some of the sights. Just a precursor, this is not a professional PP. This is just me putting pictures and words in a fairly simple format. So, if you are interested in seeing Litchfield, family gravestones, homes along the streets where Grandma and Grandpa Nels,Paulina and Dora and family lived, the farmland where Grandma Annette grew up and lots of other little treasured spots, please just email me~ I'd love to send! And thanks so much for all the positive comments that I have rec'd about this little blog. As Grandma would say, "Oh pshaw!"
bc2.harris@gmail.com

Family headstone in the Litchfield cemetery

Happy Summer!

Grandma Annette

Our Grandma, Annette Nelson Peeples lived an incredible life. She wrote a book about this life and also kept a very telling scrapbook, complete with hilarious and insightful commentaries. I wanted a place to put all of this information that has been gathered, scanned and now shared. I know that each of her grandchildren have stories to share and favorite memories of Grandma. I would like to encourage you to include a story to this blog if you would care to so these memories will be shared and kept for all to remember. She now has many great grandchildren who I'm sure would love to read these memories and get to know Grandma as we did. I will be adding pictures, the scrapbook, family history pages, etc.  Please use the email bc2.harris@gmail.com if you have a tale to tell or a pic you would like me to add. It's going to be a fun journey!
Welcome to Grandma's site~wouldn't she be amazed!