Grandpa Anders

Grandpa Anders Nielson

I have been wanting to write something about Grandpa Anders Nielson as his story is such an amazing one. I wish I had known him. The only information I have is from Grandma Annette's book which gives a pretty good picture of him and her brother Lester's writings. I will try to piece together a little story about him from those.
He was born among the Vikings of Norway who inhabited the fjords of the country of the Northern Lights. Their rugged character was fashioned by the sternness of their circumstances in life. They left to their discendants a glorious heritage of courage, achievement and of triumph over difficulties. Anders would need all of those to conquer the difficulties that would be his to bear. He was born near Voss, Norway on 29 April 1824 to Nils Olsen and Anna Brynjulvsdtr.Finne.  Nils, his father, was a former soldier in the Norwegian army and died when Anders was very young leaving Anna Finne to care for her large family. He had 4 brothers and 2 sisters: Ole, Bryngjel, Lars, Marta,Ingebjorg and a son whose name is lost. Ole, Bryngjel and Ingebjorg all came to the USA prior to Anders ,the other three stayed in Norway.I have found all of the families of these three siblings in Minnesota and they have many, many descendants. Amazing the advantages we have with the computer and family history sites to peruse.  When Anders was twelve years old, he became an employee of his brother Ole, on a farm near Lardal. Here he worked for several years until he secured a job in a silver mine at Kingsburg. After work, he would study and learn to spell and write. An older man, perhaps an official, took an interest in the boy and offered to tutor him after work hours. Grandma's father told her that he wrote a very good hand. Schooling was very hard to come by in those days, especially with no father in the home. He also was a self taught violinist, following after Ole Baraneman Bull, a world famous violinist who Anders worshipped and was inspired by him to learn to play. It became an important part of his life. Anders and his brothers were all tall, powerful men, known throughout the region for their ability in sports, especially skiing and feats of strength. They called Ole, "Star Viking" or Great Viking!!
In 1850, he married Marta Olsdatter at the church in Vossevangen, Gilderhus, Norway. They lived for a year with her mother~ which must have been difficult even with the kindest of in-laws.In 1852, after hearing of land to be had in the  Lofoten Islands about 700 miles north, he moved his family of three to the Island of Borge, one of the most outlying of the Lofotens where Marta's brother, Botolf Olson Busta, a blacksmith was living. There Anders learned to make boats and boots of which there was a huge demand, and acted as sexton at the Lutheran church. Just a note, he made his own wooden shoe lasts and brought them to America. He taught his son, Nels to make shoes from these lasts.  For a short time, the young family lived with a widow. Then a small house was built on the corner of the Lutheran minister's lot. He was a man of tremendous energy and industry. He made plain furniture. He made a spinning wheel and loom, of which the spinning wheel is known to Grandma's family. (who has it anyway?) Anders, like thousands of others who had come to the Lofotens, would become a sailor. He along with others would brave the strong north winds to go far out in the ocean to fish.  Sometime in the late 1850's, Andrew, wanting to better their lives, threw in his lot with a group of men who had acquired a large boat for cod fishing. There were now four children. For a few years all went extremely well. Then in the early 1860's, perhaps 1863, the men were out and caught in a terrible storm~possibly a maelstrom. Nearly all of the men perished. He suffered the loss of all his fingers and one foot. He was only 42. After many months, with courage unimaginable he took up his life. He returned to his land and animals and relied heavily on his 12 year old son Nels.
In 1853, his two older brothers and sister had immigrated to America. Letters had gone back and forth between these siblings and there young brother in Norway. They knew of his troubles. He asked them if they could send $100.00 to help finance his family's crossing to America~ they heartily agreed. They packed up few belongings~ to include the spinning wheel, loom and a copper tea kettle. That tea kettle filled with marbles sat on a shelf in Grandma Annette's place and was a source of fun for all of us that came to visit. I didn't ever know that it had come across the ocean and was over a hundred years old! (I'm pretty sure this is still in the family, but like the spinning wheel I'm not sure who has it. If you do, I'd like to know :) ) In May 1868, they set sail. Landing in Quebec and eventually made there way to Minnesota. Grandpa Anders and Grandma Marta lived with their son, Nels and his large family until their deaths in 1908 and 1888 respectively. In his last years, he rarely left his room. It must have been a very lonely time for him as an old man. He had lived almost 20 years longer than his sweet companion Marta. I'm sure death came as a sweet reprieve from his cares.