Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Berge 22/4

Notes:

Så til Leine-Øydegarden 56/, hvor hun ble gift med den veikhelsa Nils O Leine Om barna deres se merknad under ham. Nils Leine drev først Berge 22/4, en tid etter at han giftet seg med Marit, men overlot bruket til boren til første mannen hennes , Knut P Berge, som senere flyttet til Nordre Kvam. Broren til Nils, Gullik giftet seg med niesen til Marit og de overtok senere Berge.

Occupation:
sjekk

Marit married Arnfinn Person BERGE in 1772. Arnfinn (son of Per Arnfinnsen BERGE and Marit (Marta) Guttormsdtr STRAND) was born in 1743 in Berge 22/4; died in 1775. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marit married Nils Olsen LEINE on 20 Aug 1776 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway. Nils (son of Ola Nilsson LEINE and Berit Knutsdtr JEVNE) was born in 1747 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway; died in 1818 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Berge 22/4

Notes:

Det var ingen tvil om at hun hadde odelsretten Til Berge, men de kan ikke ha vært nøye med å skrive det ned, for på skiftet etter Gullik den 7.juli 1803 kunne hun ikke vise til noe skjøte eller annet hjemmelsbrev. Marit giftet seg igjen i 1804 med GUDBRAN GUDBRANDSON NØRSVIN (Nordsveen) (1778-1847). Gudbrand ga skjøte til stesønnen Ola den 14.6.1819 for 160 spd. Han forbeholdt seg retten til å drive halve gården så lange Marit levde eller eller til yngste barnet deres (Arnfinn) var 16 år. siden skulle de ha livaure etter en kontrakt som ble satt opp i 1820. Gudbrand og Marit barna: Gullik (1805-) gikk smedlære i Bergen og ble i 1851 gift med Anne Margrete Persdtr Berge. De reise til US i 1852. Gullikk fikk rett før han giftet seg, datteren Randi med Sigrid Olsdtr Berge. Sigrid (1807-1808), Marit (1810-1811) Gudbrand (1812- ) gi 1845 med Anne Knutsdtr fra Prestegården. De dro til USA i 1848, med datteren Dorte (1847- ) Helge (1814- ) Andris (1818-)

Occupation:
oppvokst på Leine 56/

Marit married Gudbrand Gudbrandsen NORDSVEEN in 1804. Gudbrand (son of Gudbrand Olsen NORDSVEEN and Sigrid Helgesdtr REMME) was born in 1778 in Nordsveen 69/; died in 1847. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marit married Gullik Olsen LEINE in 1790. Gullik (son of Ola Nilsson LEINE and Berit Knutsdtr JEVNE) was born in 1761 in Leine 56/1 Sørre; died in 1803. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 13 Feb 1783, Vang i Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway
• Confirmation: 23 Jul 1797, Vang i Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway

Notes:

See attached sources.

Confirmation:
Vang parish, 6th Sunday after Trinity.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Leine-Øydegarde

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Berge 22/4, Vang I Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway
• Occupation: Blacksmith at Berge
• Baptism: 3 Mar 1805, Vang i Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway
• Immigration: 1852
• Occupation: 1852-1857, Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin, USA
• Occupation: 1857-1892, Liberty, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin, USA

Notes:

He studied to be a blacksmith in Bergen. Just before he got married he had a daughter Randi with Sigrid Olsdtr Berg.

He is mentioned in Christopher H. Ellingbøe's Amerika Brev of 1854.

Occupation:
Blacksmith

Occupation:
Blacksmith

Occupation:
Farmer

Gullik married Anne Margrethe PEDERSDATTER on 17 Jul 1851 in Berge, Vang I Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway. Anne was born about 1801; died on 14 Sep 1854 in Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin. USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Gullik married Sigrid Olsdtr BERGE in UGIFT. Sigrid was born on 12 Jun 1817 in Leite 101/7 Under Berge I Høre; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Maria Eller MARIT. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Han var blandt pionerene fra Vang som dro til USA. The first member of Anne Olsdatter's family to emigrate was an uncle, a halfbrother of Ole Gulliksen called Gulbrand Gulbrandsen. He took passage with his wife Marit and an infant daughter in 1848; the child died during the voyage and was burie d at sea. The Gulbrandsen family bought choice land in the present town of Liberty, but had too little money to establish their farm. So Bulbrand took a job near Port Washington, on Lake Michigan, a short distance north of Milwaukee. He would sav e some money, then return to start his farm. ---- Two brothers of Gulbrand Gulbrandsen, half-uncles to the to Ole Gulliksen's children, arrived in Manitowoc County. All three Gulbrandsens have come from one or another of the cluster of ga'rd that made up Berge i Vang. Gullik came with his wif e in 1850, settling in the village of Two Rivers. He did blacksmithing there until 1857, then movet to a farm. ------- Gulbrand Gulbrandsen,half-uncle ot the Berges, left Port Washington in 1850, to move onto his land near the Gjerpen church. The Gulbrandsens had lost their only child during passage in 1848. Helge, a second son, was born in present Liberty on Janu ary 29, 1852. He would one day call himself "Harry Gilbertsen", but would be a tower of strength to his family. His diary gives us valuable insight to life in the orwegian community.

Occupation:
grb

Gudbrand married Marit KNUTSDTR on 24 Oct 1846. Marit was born on 10 Nov 1824 in Prestegården I Vang 32/1; died on 7 Dec 1896. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In 1852, Helge Gulbrandsen arrived with his nephew August, son of brother Gullik. Helge established a farm in the town of Maplle Grove, marrying Berit Olsdatter Tostensen in 1856. They had been married only two years when the 43-year-old Helge fel l ill with "consumption" and died. Berit, it appers, never remarried. Helge left no children.

Helge married Berit Olsdtr GRIHAMAR in 1856 in USA. Berit (daughter of Ola Torsteinson D.E. GRIHAMAR and Ingeborg Marie Olsdtr EDSVOLD) was born on 10 Oct 1802 in Grihamar 4/; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Berge 22/4

Notes:

Ola og Anne hadde barna: Marit (1821-), Ivar (1824-) til USA i 1849 sammen med broren Gudbrand (1826-), Torstein (1829- ) Anne (1835- ) til USA i 1854 og Berit (1837- ), Gullik (1817-) og Ambjørg (1819-) Våren 1825 var det utpanting hos Ola for gjeld til madam Hansen i Lærdal, med renter og kostnad 302 rd, og høsten 1833 ga han pantebrev til frk Susanne Hansen i Lærdal for gjeld på 279 sps. Dette er forfedrene til Hougen-Berge slekta i USA som Harvey Richard haougen har skrevet to bøker om. Den andre boka er skrevet sammen med Janie Hougen Peak. I den første boka finnes det et bilde av Ola og Anne:

"The majority of Norwegian emigrants left home with adequate funds, enough to enable them to gain to toehold in the new land. Passage alone was expensive, about 35 specie dollars to New York, the equivalent of about three years wages for a hired farm laborer. The persons who are subjects of this study paid for their passage and the trip inland, and bought land soon after arriving in America.Departures continued at several hundred per year after 1836, before jumping to 1600 in 1843. During the depression years of 1849-50 departures leaped to 4,000 a year. Then, during the 1850s, ranged between 1,600 and 6,000, reaching a new high of 8,000 in 1861, before the Civil War imposes a moratorium.

Most of the emigrants came from rural areas, especially the interior valleys. Many welcomed emigration as an alternative to leaving the ge'rd and submitting to urbanization. During the years 1846-1861, two-thirds of all emigrants came from the dis tricts of Valdres, Land, and Gudbrandsdal.

The first member of Anne Olsdatter's family to emigrate was an uncle, a halfbrother of Ole Gulliksen called Gulbrand Gulbrandsen. He took passage with his wife Marit and an infant daughter in 1848; the child died during the voyage and was buried at sea. The Gulbrandesn family bought choice land in the present town of Liberty, but had too little money to establish their farm. So Gulbrand took a job near Port Washington, on Lake Michigan, a short distance north of Milwaukee. He would save some money, then return to start his farm.

It is likely that Ole Gulliksen helped his children financially, for six of the eigth chose emigration. Only Gullik, the eldest son, who inherited the farm and daughter Ambjor, who married a husmann, stayed in Valdres. A brother and two more half-brothers of Ole Gulliksen would also find their way to Manitowoc County.

Occupation:
grb sjekk "Haugen-Berge"

Ola married Anne Ivarsdtr TUNE in 1816. Anne (daughter of Ivar Andrisson TUNE and Ambjørg Olsdtr KVIEN) was born in 1795 in Tune 36/2 Nørre, Nordigarden; died in 1880. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Manitowoc Co., WI. USA

Notes:

Han var først på Skeie fra 1841 til 1846 Also in 1850, their uncle, Iver Gulliksen emigrated with his wife Ambjor Torsdatter and son Gullik. Iver was a full brother to Ole Gulliksen. Exactly where he settled initially is uncertain, but he is known to have located in Manitowoc Count y by 1860. After arriving in America, Iver Gullisen took Berge as a surname.

Da Skeie ble solgt på auksjon på skiftet etter Trond Bøyesen den 7.1.1841, fikk Ivar tilsaget for 600 spd og han fikk skjøte på gården 17.08.1841. han skulle svare livaure til enken etter Trond, Ragnhild Helgesdtr. Og hennes 3 yngste døtre. Livaur en lød på varmt hus og 3 tønner korn. Når alle døtrene var blitt 16 år skulle Ragnhild få 1 tn korn, 2 tn poteter og føding av en ku. Den 3.11.1842 gav Ivar skjøte på gården til sønnen Gullik som da var 10 år gammel. Handelen ble gjort ved vergen til Gullik Ivar T Syndrol. Prisen 10 åringen måtte betale var 300 spd og livauren til Ragnhild pluss livaure til foreldrene sine. Denn e livauren var bl.a.: 2 tn bygg og brukelig 1 mål på Randvølle, Burtigardshaugen med to små åkrer, 2 mål eller 1 mæling slåttland i Hamarsteige, 1 mæling i Helestrøndjordet, 2 stakkstøer i Helestrønd berget og fritt fiske m.v. Denne handel var antakelig gjort i et forsøk på å hindre at Skeie ble tatt fra dem etter odelsloven.

Datteren til Trond, Ambjørg, som var gift med Per Jonsen Egge, reiste odelssøksmål mot Gullik i 1843. Hun møtte med Trond Jonsen Kattevold som verge. Ambjørg mente at livauren til Ivar og kona var uvedkommende, men retten fant å måtte taksere alternativt ved odelstaksten 28.6.1843. Høyeste takst var 610 spd, av det 50 spd for skogen. Sakføreren til Ambjørg mente taksten var alt for høy, ford i Ivar hadde forringet gården ved å kjøre bort mye av avlingen da han skjønte han kom til å bli utsagt. Underretten dømte Gullik til å vike gården innen 8 uker fra 30.2.1844 og han og faren skulle betale 25 spd i saksomkostninger. Dommen ble stadf estet av høyesterett 29.03.1846.

Occupation:
grb

Ivar married Ambjørg Toresdtr DAL in 1831. Ambjørg (daughter of Tor Andrisson NORDLAND and Sigrid Andrisdtr ELLINGBØ) was born in 1793 in Dal 76/ Høre; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Kvam 32/ Nørre

Berit married Jøger Andrisson KVAM in 1821. Jøger (son of Anders SYVERSEN and Marit JØGERSDTR) was born in 1786 in Prestegården I Vang 32/1; died in 1830. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Berit married Kristoffer Torsteinson HAGASTRØND in 1832. Kristoffer (son of Torstein Eirikson Søyne El DALÅKER and Berit Kristoffersdtr BERGE) was born in 1797 in Nordland 57/2 Hagastrønd; died in 1883. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Randi married Peder KNUDSEN on 12 Mar 1873 in Manitowoc Co., WI. USA. Peder (son of Knut LARSEN and Tora Persdtr TØRSTAD) was born on 15 Dec 1845 in Vestre Slidre, Oppland Fylke, Norway; died on 13 Mar 1925 in Chicago, IL., USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Arrieved US in 1850 with his uncle Helge Gudbrandson Berge. Farmed in Liberty WI. Served with Co. C. 34th Wisc Inf. and Co E. 18th Wisc. Inf during Civil War. Moren het Maria eller Marit. Berit Olsdatter and August Gulliksen must have begun their courtship soon after Berit's arrival, for they were married in Gjerpen Church on December 14, 1858. August was the son of Berit's half-uncle Gullik Gulbrandsen Berge, so the couple were co usins or, more accurately, half-cousins.

August Gulliksen acquired land that adjoined the farm of his uncle, Gulbrand Gulbrandsen. The matter of surnames again presents itself. Two of the three brothers who shared the patronymic "Gulbrandsen", Gullik and Helge, adopted the surname "Berge ". But Gulbrand took the patronymic, as his surname. August might have followed his father, taking „Berge", but instead chose "Gulliksen", his own patronymic.

Occupation:
farmer

August married Berit Olsdtr BERGE on 14 Dec 1858 in Gjerpen, WI., USA. Berit (daughter of Ola Gullikson BERGE and Anne Ivarsdtr TUNE) was born on 17 Nov 1837 in Berge 22/4; died on 7 Oct 1920 in Gjerpen, WI., USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Emigration: 1848, USA

Notes:

Hun døde på den strabasiøse reisen til USA og ble gravlagt på sjøen.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Emigration: USA

Family/Spouse: Kari Syversdtr RUDI. Kari (daughter of Syver Larson (Rudi) HOVI and Sebjør Eivindsdatter RUDI) was born on 24 Feb 1850 in Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., WI. USA; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Went by Harry Gilbertson.

Family/Spouse: Caroline EBERSON. Caroline was born on 9 Mar 1854 in Iowa Co. WI. USA; died on 31 May 1937. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Anders married Emma Margrethe GUSTAVESON on 15 Dec 1897. Emma (daughter of Charles GUSTAVESON and Ambjørg Staffansdatter BREKKEN) was born on 18 Jul 1866; died on 26 Feb 1924 in Milwaukee Co., WI., USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Berge 22/

Notes:

Gullik og Ingebjørg hadde også en sønn til som het Ola (1851-1852) I Kattevøl, hos Thomas er det et bilde av ham. Det må være et av de første bildene som ble tatt i Vang.

Occupation:
grb

Family/Spouse: Ingebjørg Olsdtr GRIHAMAR. Ingebjørg (daughter of Ola Torsteinson D.E. GRIHAMAR and Ingeborg Marie Olsdtr EDSVOLD) was born in 1812 in Grihamar 4/; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Veflen 99/1 Høre

Notes:

I en slekts oversikt fra USA, laget i 1961 av Mrs Joh DeBraal, Reunion Secretary, heter det at hun flyttet til Gjøvik, men det er feil.

Ambjørg married Ola Vilhjølmson LUND in 1867. Ola (son of Vilhjølm Olsen TUNE and Anne Olsdtr SYNDROL) was born in 1826 in Lund 38/8; died in 1917. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also in 1852, Anne Olsdatter's sister Marit sailed from Norway with her husband, Ove Zachariasen, and their four children. Ove is said to have been a tailor, but he lived on Berge i Vang, apparently as a hussmann. In America, he took Berge as a su rname, later shortening ti to Berg. Marit und Ove were 32 and 37; their children 12,9,7, and 2.

Marit Olsdatter suffered illnes during passage, becoming quite thin, but the family arrived in Quebec and began the long journey inland. While passing through the Welland Canal, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, the captain allowed the passenger s to disembark for exercise.

Marit was entranced by the balmy weather and pleasant sceneryu and wandered aside, misunderstanding when the captain called „All Aboard". Suddenly realizing that she was in danger of being left behind, she rushed back to the boat, but slipped an d fell into the water as it pulled away. Unnoriced and unable to cath hold of an overhanging branch. Clinging to the branch, she called for help and was rescued. While in the water her wedding ring slipped from her emaciated finger and was neve r recoverd. She lamented the loss, but was thankful to escape with her life.

Marit married Ove Zachariason BERGE on 18 Apr 1844 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway. Ove (son of Sakaris Øysteinson ØDEGÅRD and Ingeleiv Bøyesdtr WANGENSTEEN) was born on 5 Sep 1816 in Ødegård 22/1 Vs; died on 21 Nov 1886 in Valdres, WI. USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Han dro sammen med flere søsken til "Valdres" i Wisconsin. Iver and Gulbrand probably described their many trials in letters home, but 18year-old Ole Olsen was undaunted, following them to America the very next hear, 1850. Ole bought land that adjoined Gulbrand's, making it possible for them to live toget her on Gulbrand's famrstead.

Family/Spouse: Berit Andersdatter VEFLEN. Berit (daughter of Andris Knutson VEFLEN and Marit Torsteinsdtr RØYNE) was born in 1831 in Veflen 98/2, Nørre, Høre; died in Valdres, WI. USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ivar dro til "Valdres" i Wisconsin sammen med fem av søsknene sine Ole Gulliksen's sons. Iver Olsen and Gulbrand Olsen were 25 and 22 in the summer 1849. They freighted their baggage by horscart over mountainous terrain from Valdres to a fjord on the western coast, then traveled by boat to Bergen. There, they boa rdet the ship Concordia with 102 other passengers, and were under sail seven weeks and four days before arriving in New York harbour.

While lying at anchor in New York, apparentliy waiting out quarantine, many passengers were stricken with cholera. Iver and Gulbrand somehow escaped the illness. Many years later, Gulbrand Olsen wrote of tending the sick and going ashore with buri al details to dispose of the dead. "The weather was warm and they had to be buried as soon as possible", he recalled. "Sometimes we buried them at niegt. America did not seem like such a glorius land to us theen." After "three mor weeks of hardshi ps" he and Iver arrived in Milwaukee.

The brothers took the surname "Berge" in America. They first went to Port Washington. porbably because half-uncle Gulbrand Gulbrandsen had located there. They took timber-cutting jobs, but their employer overcharged them for room and board. Dissat isfied, they moved to a logging camp where wages were satisfactory, room and board includet. But the new job turned out to be another brush with disaster, for the damp was soon ravaged by cholera. Again the brothers were spared.

They now went to Manitowoc, perhaps on their uncle's advice. There they joined Norwegians who were taking land in the countryside west of the town. Gulbrand bought eighty acres of densely woodet land in the present town of Liberty.

Many years later, Gulbrand recalled that he had borrowed money to pay for passage and buy his land. He worked diligently to pay off his creditos, managing to do so in only a year. He probably earnet the money by selling timber to local sawmills . It became a rule in his personal code of conduct to avoid debt.

Ivar married Sigrid Eriksdatter ROBØLE in 1856. Sigrid (daughter of Erik Engebretsen ROBØLE and Seborg Engebretsdtr RISTE) was born in 1831 in Robøle 2/2 Vs; died in 1916 in Valdres, WI. USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Arrived US 1850 with uncle Ivar Gullikson Berge. The three Berge brothers were well established by 1856; the time had come for marriage. Ole Olsen Berge, 24, was first, marrying Berit Andersdatter Veblen on January 31, 1856 and moving onto his own farm. Then, in May, Iver Olsen Berge married Sig ri Eriksdatter Roblyey, 24, Now Gulbrand began "thinking of doing likewise". Putting action to the thought, he became angaged to Marit Olsdattter Marken, 20, who lived with her parents on a farm about one mile south of Gulbrand's. The couple too k their vorws January 31, 1857 in nearby Valders Church, Rev. Jacob A. Ottesen officiating.

Gulbrand married Marit Olsdatter MARKEN in 1856. Marit (daughter of Ole Anderssen MARKEN and Jørand Olsdatter LIEN) was born on 24 Dec 1835; died in Valdres, WI. USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

I Hougen-Berge historien fra USA står det om denne legenden: "A legend concerning Anne Olsdatter's lineage has been perpetuated in America by the far-flungMyhre-Berge clan. When the "black death" struck one Norwegian village during the winter of 1349 50, it is said to have left only one survivor, a tiny gir l too young to know her name. Her rescuers called her "Lina", meaning "alone". Many who use the name „Berge" believe that they are descendants of that little girl.

The estate called Berge i Vang dates to the late Middle Ages. *It remaindet undividet until 1627, but by mid-nineteenth century it had been carved into several ga'rd. Anne Olsdatter's father, Ole Gulliksen, was a bonde who owned a division of Berg e called Nordigarden, located in the northwestern part oøf the community of Vang; Nearby loomed the imposing silhouette of Frindane Mountain. Ole Gulliksen's home was at the edge of a beautiful lake called Vangsmjosa, an ancient church standing ne rby."

Dette har selvsagt ingenting med virkeligheten å gjøre, men den er interessant fordi det kan ha noe med gårdene langs Helin å gjøre, og kan være med på å bekrefte sagnet om gårdsdriften der. ----------

Anne Iversdatter must have been deeply affected when her 19-yaer-old namesake informed her that she planned to leave Berge i Vang for America. She presented Anne Olsdatter with a large chest, which had probably been a gift from her own mother man y heras before. Inscribed in rosemaling on its front panels was her name, the farm name, and a date, partially illegible: „Anne Iversdatter Thune, Anno 18-3". The rosemaling had probably been done by Anne Olsdatter's grandmother.

In the spring of 1854, Anne Olsdatter packed her precious chest and other baggage. Emigrants had to carry their own bedding, cooking and eating utensils, and a three-month supply of food. So Anne would have packed nonperishables such as dried por k and mutton, salted meat and herring, dreid peas, grain, potatoes, and flatbread (unleavened and rolled flat.)

Anne Olsdatter probably sailed from Christiania, which was becoming the port most frequently used by emigrants from eastern Norway. And it is likely that she traveled with an emigrant group from Valdres. In any event, family members probably accom panied her to the port for a sad farewell. Her younger sister Berit would follow her to America three years later, but Anne would never again set eyes on her parents, her brother Gullik, or her sister Ambjor.

Anne Olsdatter and her companions entered North America through Quebec. That port had become attractive to shippers because they could profitably haul Canadian lumber to England on the return crossing. Moreover, Canadian regulations governing pass enger movement were less restrictive. To the emigrant's benefit, the price of passage to Quebec was less expensive than to New York, about twelve or fifteen specie dollars.

Typically, emigrants occupied a large common room between decks, with bunks accomodating up to five persons. arranged in rows on port and starboard sides. Anne Olsdatter probably shared a bunk with other adult women. And she would have carried bla nkets and perhaps a sheepskin cover to make sleeping on the straw tick as comfortable as possible. She would have kept her chest with her between decks, living from it and using it as furniture. Indeed, a chest could become a useful table for foo d preparation and eating, serving as a chair at other times. The actual cooking, however, had to be done topside, on the main deck.

Many are the horror stories of the Atlantic passage, but the journey often includet pleasant times. Skippers, for the most part, did their best to encourage cleanliness and healthful habits, such as exercise above decks. If the passengers were luc ky, there would be a physician among them; if not, the skipper would act in that capacity. On holidays, passengers would sometimes don their national costumes (Valdres had distinctive attire.) And if the seas were reasonably calm, out would com e the fiddles and dancing would begin on the main deck.

From Quebec, the immigrants traveled by steamboat and other craft on aroute leading up the St. Lawrence river, across Lake Ontario, through the Welland Canal to Lake Erie, then north through Lake Huron to lake Michigan. The newcomers now ha d to be alert for sharp operators whose business it was to separate them from their money. One such incident occurred in 1853, when a jovial Norwegian, pretending to be Manitowoc pastor Jacob Ottesen, joined a group of immigrants on a canal boat . He conducted religious services and led them in prayer before bilking them out of their money and disappearing.

According to an oral tradition, Anne Olsdatter's passage lasted thirteen weeks. Such an extendet time would have been unlikely in 1854, for ship-owners had rigged larger and faster vessels to accommodate indreased emigrant traffic; thirteen week s would have almost doubled the average time. But if that time included her journey inland, thirteen weeks could be accurate. In any case, she arrived in Manitowoc July 6, 1854.

The Manitowoc County Norwegians

When the first settlers arrived in present Manitowoc County during the mid-1830s, the gently rolling hills supported rich stands of pine and mixed hardwood. Great pine forests grew along the Manitowoc River, which twists and turns its way acros s the northern half of the county, entering Lake Michigan at the site of present Mantitowoc. (Both city and county were named for the river, which translated from the Chippewa language means „habitation of the good spirits.") Winding westward fro m the river mouth across woodet hilltops was the old Winebago Road, a trail trodden by countless gernerations of native Americans in pursuit of primitive commerce and the present route of U.S. Highway 151.

A series of Indian treaties had cleared the way for settlement of the region some fifteen years before the first Norwegians arrived. But Indians still wandered into the county from the Menominee, Stockbridge, and Oneidda reservations north and we st of Green Bay. Some returned on a redular basis to ancient burial grounds. Bands of roving Chippewa also appeared from time to time.

The Indian visitors camped along the rivers and streams, causing no harm, simply hunting and fishing, or gathering berries and wild rice. But the settlers had little understanding of their culture, so their presence was a source of concern. Eve n the proximity of the reservations signalled alarm or panic when rumors of Indian unrest circulated.

Boosted by the demand for lumber, logging and lumber milling quickly became the leading industries, remaining so until after 1865. By the mid-1850s, however, most of the virgin timber had disappeared. In any case, the lumbermen helped prepare th e way for farming. Farmers and speculators lost no time gobling up the best land, which sold at the U.S. Land Office for only $ 1.25 per acre.

The soil of Manitowoc County was prepared for agriculture by glaciation, a process that repeated itself six times in more than a million years. The glacier movements „pulverized" the surface rock into soil. Pulverized soil is richer than soil crea ted by weathering because it retains more of its valuable minerals and salts. The surface rock of the Manitowoc region was lemestone, which produced soil of incomparable fertility. Moreover, the area was favored by a 35-inch annual rainfall an d a 140-day growing season.

Norwegian settlers began to appear in the county during the late 1840s. A census taken in 1846 listed only one name of Scandanavian origin, possibly Norwegian. Another census, taken in 1847, as Wisconsin Territory prepared for statehood, liste d a dozen Scandanavian names, at least three of whom were Norwegian immigrants. Then the number climbed with the 1850 census reflecting some 270 Norwegian residents. And this was only the beginning.

By 1850, the pattern of Norwegian settlement in the county had taken shape and the Norwegian origins of the newcomers were already established. The large majority settled in the countryside, but some made their homes in the city of Manitowoc. Th e pattern of rural settlement follwed the Manitowoc River from Branch, in the town of Manitowoc Rapids, to Clarks Mills in present Cato, spreading south and west into present Liberty, Eaton and Rockland. The majority of settlers came from the Vald res „upper valley" communities of Vang, Ostre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, and Nord-Aurdal. Others hailed from the southern coast, especially Gjerpen and Bamble.

There were settlers of other nationalities too. Norwegian newcomers might well find themselves with neighbors of German origin, for they were most numerous among the foreign-born. But the neighbors might be Bohemian; or perhaps their speech was in toned by English, Scottish, or Irish accents.

To fulfill their spiritual needs, the Norwegians organized a Lutheran congregation. The Rev. Mr. H.A. Stub, of the Norwegian settlement at Muskego, south of Milwaukee, dame to Manitowoc to help. By the early 1850s, three churches were in use: on e was located in the city of Manitowoc; the other two were in the countryside on the old „Winnebago Road." The two rural churches were named for places in Norway: Gjerpen Church, eight miles from the city, served the eastern settlement; Valders Ch ruch, five miles farther west, served the western.

In 1850, the congregation called from Norway the Rev. Mr. Jocob A. Ottesen. The signatures of the Berge brothers appear with those of more than one hundred other men who signed the letter of call. Rev. Otteson arrived in 1852, dividing his time be tween the three churches. The Manitowoc church withdrew from the joint congregation øin 1871, but the farmers living near the Gjerpen and Valders chruches liked the joint arrrangement and stuck with it.

The importance of the Lutheran congregation cannot be overstated, for it providet more than a place to worship and socialize. Indeed, it became a means to preserve the orwegian language and culture, and to pass it on to future generations. Moreove r, the congregation was a bulwark of strength and security in a strange land

Anne married Torger Knutsen HOUGEN on 30 Nov 1857 in Manitowoc Co., WI. USA. Torger (son of Knut Nilsen JØRSTAD and Marit Knutsdtr ONSTAD) was born on 24 Mar 1833 in Jørstadhaugen 36/8 Øs; died on 15 Feb 1916 in Manitowoc Co., WI. USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1857

Notes:

As the Berge brothers went about the serious business of marriage, their sister Berit Olsdatter planned her emigration. Berit, age 20, arrived in Manitowoc during the summer of 1857, the sixth and last child of Ole Gulliksen and Anne Iversdatte r to emigrate

Berit married August GULLIKSEN on 14 Dec 1858 in Gjerpen, WI., USA. August (son of Gullik Gudbrandsen BERGE and Maria Eller MARIT) was born on 24 Dec 1839 in Haag, Nederland; died on 24 May 1924 in Gjerpen, WI., USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Wisconsin, South Dakota USA
• Emigration: 1850, USA

Notes:

Han dro til USA sammen med foreldrene. Han tjenestegjorde i CO. E, 18th Wisconsin infanetri regiment i borgerkrigen.

Occupation:
Farmer i WI 1860

Gullik married Sigrid Julsdatter GULHAUG on 23 Jun 1853 in Gjerpen, WI., USA. Sigrid (daughter of Jul Olson (Høyme) GULHAUG and Berit Eivindsdtr HØYME) was born on 5 Mar 1836 in Gullhaug 3/1 Vs; died in Decorah, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marit married Torleiv Olson ELLINGBØ in 1843. Torleiv (son of Ola Torleivson ELLINGBØ and Ågot Helgesdtr ELLINGBØ) was born in 1821 in Ellingbø 34/1 Skøre; died in 1885 in Ellingbø 34/1 Skøre. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Arrived US in 1849.

Marit married Johannes Knutson BERGE on 3 Oct 1850 in USA. Johannes (son of Knut Tordsen BERGE and Ingrid Johannesdtr HANDE) was born on 8 Sep 1825 in Berge 50/3 Midtre Vs; died on 25 Jan 1887 in Valdres, WI. USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Berit married Helge Anfinnson KVAME about 1855. Helge (son of Anfinn Olsen KVAME and Marit Helgesdtr KJERSTEIN) was born in 1830 in Kvame 11/ I Øye; died in 1913 in Kvame 11/ I Øye. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Anne married Ove Bøyesen WANGENSTEEN in 1861. Ove (son of Bøye Ovesen WANGENSTEEN and Berit Olsdtr KVÅLE) was born on 26 Jul 1842 in Stele 21/1 Nerre; died on 11 Oct 1926 in Vang Kirkegård. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]