Ingebjørg Thomasdatter BERGE

Notes:

Birth:
Berge 22/2 Sygarde

Family/Spouse: Ola Olsen HEEN. Ola (son of Ola Torgiersson KVIEN and Ågot Johannesdotter KJERSTEIN) was born about 1710 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Træet under Berge 22/2

Marit married Gullik Gjermundsen HERMUNDSTAD in 1774. Gullik (son of Gjermund Gjermundson HERMUNDSTAD and Ragnhild Gulliksdatter HØVERSTAD) was born in 1751 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in 1806. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Hermundstad 5/

Family/Spouse: Guttorm Sjugurdson STRAND. Guttorm (son of Sjugurd Guttormsen STRAND and Else Johannesdatter SVIEN) was born in 1804 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in 1884 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Marit Andrisdotter SVEJI. Marit was born in 1790 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in 1864. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1939-MN-013173

Notes:

From the Budstikken, December 1996:

Was the Valdres Sjugurd Strand America's oldest Hardanger fiddler? A Valdres bygdebok refers to him thus, "When the fiddler, J.O. Quale and Knut Ellingboe visited Sjugurd Strand when he was 100, he played a few tunes." Not many men lived to be a hundred and two generations ago, and still fewer played the hardingfele at that age! So, who was he?

The bygdebok elaborated on him: Sjugurd often played the fiddle in the evening or while resting after work. Quale and Ellingboe heard him play "Teigen" and a springar, "Krosshaugen," which he learned from Ola Strand paa Soyne. Ola was one of the great-est Hardanger fiddlers in his area and, if he was Sjugurd's mentor, the latter may have been a good fiddler, too. Valdres Samband genealogist Betty Rockswold discovered that Ola Strand paa Soyne was married to Sjugurd's cousin.

But Sjugurd was more than a fiddler. The bygdebok continued, "Sjugurd was unusually spry and agile. There is hardly a ceiling in the Øye area which he could not reach with "a stempla rundkast" (a type of halling dance in which the dancer becomes air-borne and kicks the ceiling beams)."

Sjugurd was born in Vang, Valdres, on Oct.25, 1837, and had worked on the Sveji farm south eight summers before he immigrated to the Northfield, Minn., area in 1866, settling on a small farm (possibly in Goodhue County). That same year he married Engeborg Thomasdatter Elton on Oct.25, the birthdays of bride and groom. They had four children while living near Northfield: Thomas, Gilbert, Thomas (the first Thomas died) and Martin. In 1871, the family moved with their ox-drawn wagon to Wang Township, Renville County, Minnesota, where nine more children were born. Four died in infancy.
Torger, Sarah (Mrs. Iver Soine), Ella (Mrs. Olaf Holien), Mary (Mrs. Andres Brekke) and Sever survived childhood diseases.

Sjugurd Strand's name became Americanized to Sever Guttormson Strand, Guttorm being his father's given name. But in Wang Township, he continued to be called Sjugurd Strond, Strond being a dialect form of Strand.

The centenarian enjoyed good health and was active until he fell and injured his hip the year before he died. Until then he carried himself "in a true soldier manner," said one obituary. After his accident, he was confined to bed but was congenial and cheerful.

Except for his injury, he enjoyed good health and at all times had full possession of his faculties. He began using tobacco at age nine, always ate three good meals and two lunches, with coffee each meal.

Sjugurd died March 13, 1939 after a few days of illness. His wife had died January 13, 1937, at age 92.

Sjugurd married Ingeborg Thomasdatter ELTUN on 25 Oct 1866 in Minnesota. Ingeborg (daughter of Thomas Torgeirson ELTUN and Sigrid Ivarsdatter KJERSTEIN) was born on 25 Oct 1844 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 13 Jan 1937 in Renville County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her father was Einar Gulliksson Hermundstad, Vang A, p. 114.

Birth:
Hermundstad 5/

Died:
Stele 21/

Ingebjørg married Andris Nilson LUNDE in 1844. Andris (son of Nils Helgesen KJERSTEIN and Gunvor Andrisdatter LUNDE) was born in 1777 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died in 1865 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]