Thomas Clarence FORSTROM

Notes:

Buried as Thomas Forstrom.

Died:
“at the age of 6 months”

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 28 Mar 1841, Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

In the Lomen/Slidre births, he is the Ole Endreson Førestraa, b. 27 Dec 1840, bapt. 28 Mar 1841. His parents were Endre Endresen Førestraa and Kari Olsdatter.

Buried as Ole Enderson Forstrom.

An obituary:

Ole E. Forstrom died at his home in Christiania, Tuesday morning, October 19, 1897 from consumption. He had been sick for nearly two years. He was fifty-seven years old. He came to this country about thirty years ago. He first worked for S. B. Spearin, then for Mr. Hamm and finally took up his residence at Christiania where he lived for twenty-one years till his death. He leaves a wife, Betsy; four sons, Thomas, Edward, Robert, and Arthur; one daughter, Ida. Two children dying in infancy preceded him in death. Mr. Forstrom was a man well liked by everyone, a kind father, a good business man, was highly respected and will be greatly missed in the community. Our sympathy is with the bereaved ones in their great loss.

Birth:
Førestraa

Baptism:
Lomen

Ole married Berit Knudsdatter (Betsy E) THOMPSON. Berit (daughter of Knudt Tomason ELLESTAD and Ingri Gulliksdatter EGGE) was born on 21 Oct 1853 in Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 27 Sep 1938 in Dakota County, Minnesota; was buried in Highview Cemetery, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1938-MN-003493
• Baptism: 6 Nov 1853, Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

The Ole Forstrom (shown as Fostrom) family were farming in Eureka Township at the time (June 5th) of the 1880 census. The family consisted of Ole, 39, Betsey, 26, Thomas, 6, and Eda, 3. Also apparently living with them was Thomas Thompson, 21, shown as “cousin.”

By the 1900 census, Betsy is a widow and still living in Eureka Township not far from Peter Thompson. She is 46 (born Oct 1853 in Norway) and came to the U.S. in 1855. Living with her is her sons Olai B., 16 (born Feb 1884) and Arthur J., 9 (born Nov 1890). Arthur is still in school but Olai is shown as a farm laborer. Betsy is shown as having borne 7 children, 5 still living. Also living with her, although also shown as “head,” is her son Thomas, 25 (born June 1874), and Thomas’s wife Tina, 24 (born May 1876). Thomas and Tina have been married for 5 years and have two children (Tina has had a third one who is now dead): Norris O., 3 (born Dec 1896), and Clarence T., 1 (born April 1899).

She is listed in “The Valdris Book”, a history of the Valdris Samband published in 1920 (available on Google Books), as Mrs. Betsey Fostrom of Farmington. She was a member of the Samband between 1910 and 1916. In her entry she is erroneously listed as the daughter of Peter Thompson.

In the 1920 census, she is shown to have come to this country in 1855 and was naturalized as a citizen in 1857.

An obituary:

In the death of Mrs B. E. Forstrom, Dakota county pioneer for 82 years and highly respected woman of Lakeville, the community loses a beloved character, known and admired by everyone. To her friends she was Grandma Forstrom. News of her demise came rather suddenly Tuesday morning, September 27, 1938 at the home ofher son Arthur, where she has made her home. She was able to be out-of doors on Saturday for a walk. Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 1:00 o'clock at the Arthur Forstrom residence and 2:00 o'clock at the Lutheran Free Church in Eureka. Burial will be beside her husband in the adjoining cemetery. Three ministers will have charge of the service, Rev J. R. Langsjoen, the pastor; Rev B. L. Sundal, former pastor; and Rev A. H. Gjevre, pastor of St. John's at Lakeville. Mrs. Sundal will sing several favorite requests of the deceased. Pallbearers will be Milford Halling, Rudolph Ruh, Sherman Torbinson, Oscar Shirley, Sylvester Steen and Carlton Leine. Betsy Thompson was born in Valders, Norway, October 14th, 1853. At the age of one and a half, she imigrated to the United States with her parents, arriving at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, from where they moved to Nerstrand, Minnesota, after a short period in Wisconsin. In the early spring of 1857, the family pre-empted a homestead near the Twin churches in Eureka township, where she lived until her marriage to Ole Forstrom, at which time they purchased the farm where Eureka Center is now located. There a family of seven children were born, two of whom died in infancy and a daughter, Ida (Mrs Ed Ruh) preceded her mother in 1905. Mr Forstrom, the husband, is also deceased. Those surviving to mourn the loss of a loving mother are Thomas of Montana, Edward, Robert and Arthur of Lakeville; also nine grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. Mrs Forstrom will not only be missed by her family but a host of friends in Lakeville, Eureka and the surrounding territory will feel the loss of a kind friend and helpful neighbor. She had an unusual personality that won for herself friends wherever she went and this warm friendly spirit will live on through the years. 10-14-1853/09-27-1938 COMPILED BY JANE GILBERTSON NELSON

Jane Gilbertson Nelson also compiled the puzzling obit for “little Ole Forstrom” as well as this one for which there is no confirmation in either the birth or the death records of the MHS or of the cemetery record for Highview in the Dalby database:

HIGHVIEW CHRISTIANIA LUTH. CHURCH & CEMETERY, EUREKA TWSP. DAKOTA COUNTY, MN. COMPILED BY JANE GILBERTSON NELSON. Name: Gladys Caroline Forstrom Birth: July 19, 1926 Death: August 2, 1926 Father: Ole E. Forstrom Mother: Betsy Forstrom Little Gladys lived 15 days and is buried in the Christiania Lutheran Free Church cemetery, Eureka township. 07-19-1926/08-02-1926

{Clearly this could not have been a child of 72 year-old Betsy.}

Notes:

He and his wife and their three youngest children lived on Tuff in Røen, Vestre Slidre, in the 1865 census. He was gaardbruger og selveier.

Endre married Kari Olsdatter. Kari was born about 1812 in Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried as Knudt Thompson. Known as Knudt Thompson as early as the 1860 census. He was the first of his siblings to come to Minnesota.

According to Linda’s notes: came to America in 1855, built log cabin that ended up on the Dakota County fairgrounds, lived in Christiania.

Linda’s notes also suggest that Thomas and Betsy were Knut’s children through Sonova (wrong).

Knut, Ingri, Thomas (b. 12 Apr 1852), and Berith emigrated in 1855 according to the Vestre Slidre church book. Accompanying them were Berith Thomasdatter Ellestad (b. 16 Jan 1823) and Berith Gundersdatter Ellestad (b. 6 May 1854).

In the 1860 census, Knudt Thompson, 38, Ingre, 41, and their children Thomas, 8, Betsey, 6, and Severt, 5, were living in Eureka Townshop. Also living with them was an Ole Thompson, 62. In Tolly Swan’s Thompson papers, it’s speculated that the “Severt” is actually the son of the next-door neighbor.

In the 1870 census, Knudt, 50, was living in Eureka with his wife Susan, 50, Thomas K., 18, Betsey, 17, and a 5-year old girl named, apparently, Lena Johnson. Knudt was living just a few farms away from his brother Peter.

In the 1880 census, “Knut Thompson” was living with his wife Sonova on a farm in Eureka, Dakota County. Also living in the household were 60 or 61 year-old Kristi Oleson, a housekeeper, and 9 year-old E.K. Sun or Seen, helping out on the farm.

His obit:

Knut Thompson, age seventy-three years and nine months, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs Ole E. Forstrom in Eureka and the cause of his death was general decline. Mr Thompson was one of the oldest settlers of this county. He came to this country from Norway in 1854 and settled in Wisconsin, where he lived two years, moving to Eureka in 1856 where he has since resided. Mr Thompson was a man highly esteemed by his neighbors and those who were acquainted with him for his sterling qualities in all that goes to make a good citizen and a Christian gentleman. He has held several positions of trust and was for several years mail carrier from Christiania to Castle Rock. He leaves three brothers, Peter Thompson of Eureka, Andrew Thompson of New Market and Ole Thompson of Norway Lake, Minnesota, and two sisters, Mrs L Soine of Dennison and Miss Anna Thompson of Eureka, and a daughter, Mrs Ole E. (Betsy) Forstrom of Eureka. His wife Ingri preceded him in death in 1863. Funeral services will be held Friday at the Conference Church. Rev Elias Aas will conduct the service.

Lynn Stegmaier, curator of the Dakota City Heritage Village, provided this history of the log cabin that Knudt built:

“The log cabin was built around 1857 by Knudt Thompson, a pioneer from Valdres, Norway. He and his younger brothers, Peter and Andrew and sister, Anna Ellestad were part of a group of Norwegian immigrants who formed Christiania settlement near Chub Lake in Eureka Township, Dakota County, Minnesota. It was desirable land, having a good combination of timber, open prairie and water with a terrain that reminded them of the old country. Knudt Thompson was a carpenter by trade and his careful notching and fitting of the logs reflected his skill.

“Though the Indians had given up their rights to the land in the Treaty of Mendota in 1851, some Sioux lived nearby and paid friendly visits to the cabin.

“Knudt and Sonova Thompson and their children, Thomas and Betsy lived in the cabin for a number of years. Knudt deeded the cabin and land to his brother, Peter who had an adjoining homestead. It served as a home for their sister, Anna Ellestad and others. The longest occupants were their brother Andrew’s son, John who with his wife, Helga and eight children, lived in the cabin from about 1902 to 1917.

“The cabin was passed down and loved by younger generations of Peter Thompson’s family as a summer home. After vandals destroyed the interior, Peter’s granddaughter, Ione van Steenwyk donated the cabin to the Dakota County Fair in 1965. It was rebuilt at its last relocation in Dakota City Heritage Village in 1982.

“The old logs, which had been left uncovered by siding after its move to the Fairgrounds, became infested with carpenter ants, powder post beetles and other destructive insects. After consulting experts in engineering and pest management, the Dakota City Board made the difficult decision to destroy the cabin by fire in March 2003 before the insects resumed additional damage to the cabin and the other historic buildings nearby.”

Birth:
Ellestad

Knudt married Ingri Gulliksdatter EGGE on 17 Oct 1852 in Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Ingri (daughter of Gullik Olsen EGGE and Marit Engebretsdatter BEITO) was born on 14 Aug 1819 in Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in 1863 in Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota; was buried in Highview Cemetery, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 1819, Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Buried as Ingri G. Egge, wife of K. Thompson.

Her obituary:

Ingri Thompson, a young wife and mother died at her home in Eureka. Funeral services were held and her remains were laid to rest in the Norwegian Christiania Lutheran Church cemetery. Ingri, her husband Knute and their daughter Betsy came to this country in 1854 from Valders, Norway. They first settled in Wisconsin and two years later, in 1856 they came to Eureka township where they pre-empted a homestead near the Twin churches. Knute, Ingri and Betsy were three of the original members of the Christiania Lutheran Church. The entire community extends sympathy to the bereaved husband and ten year old child.

Baptism:
24 Aug and 26 Sep

Notes:

Called Thomas Knutsen Tørstad, I12971, in Jim’s VS.

The FamilySearch entry is for Tomas Knutson, born in 1795 in Torstad II, Vang, Oppland, Norway.

In the 1865 census, shown as Thomas Knudsen, born in 1794 in Wangs, living with son Anders at Høine. His occupation is shown as “Føderaadsmd.”

The bygdebok says he moved to 26/3 Høyne or Sør-Ellestad in Vestre Slidre.

He married his first cousin.

Birth:
shown as age 23 when he got married

Tomas married Berit Johannesdatter ELLESTAD on 1 Aug 1819 in Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Berit (daughter of Johannes Anderson ELLESTAD and Beret Amundsdatter LOMEN) was born on 30 Jul 1796 in Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died after 1865. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Shown in the 1865 census as Berit Thomasdatter born in 1794 in Vestre Slidre. Living with her husband on the Høine farm with her son Anders.

In his VS, Jim also shows her incorrectly as Berit Thomasdatter. She was definitely Berit Johannesdatter in her marriage record.

Shown as age 24 when she got married.

She married her first cousin.

Birth:
Lommen

Notes:

I10581 Valdres Slekt

Jim’s notes: Han fikk gården av faren mellom 1805 og 1810. I 1818 klarte han ikke å holde de mange kreditorene unna, og søkte om et større pengelån for å sanere gjelda. Takstdokumentet viser at det var en veldrevet gård med bra hus. Pengelånet hjalp ikke, ha n måtte selge unna en hel del av gården, og tilslutt måtte ha "fantegå" fra hele bruket. Det vil si at han gikk konkurs. Det var boren til moren Øystein Øysteinson Kjøs som kjøpte gården. Gullik var gift to ganger.

Birth:
Egge 24/2 Nedre

Gullik married Marit Engebretsdatter BEITO. Marit (daughter of Engebret Knudsen BEITO and Sidsel Julsdater ØYDEGARDEN) was born about 1800 in Øystre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She is I26525 in Jim’s VS. Marit and Gullik had 8 children.