John E. & Synneve's Life in Belle Creek

According to several sources, a newspaper obituary and David Vangsness's article on Find a Grave, John E. Vangsness was born July 12th, 1852 in Sogngo Fjordane County, Norway. He was the oldest son of Iver E. Vangsness and wife Unni Andersdatter.

John E. Vangsness

Read the entry, Where they came From, with a photo showing their home in Norway, which, I believe is still standing.

They all immigrated to the United States in 1854.  As far as I know now, we DO NOT know why Iver and his wife decided to move to America except perhaps the classic reasons of bettering yourself, having your own land, that sort of thing. The whole family ended up in Madison, Dane county, Wisconsin on July 4th, 1854 for the start of their new life. Iver worked as a laborer, I guess saving money to buy some land.

After eight years in Wisconsin, the family moved to Belle Creek, Goodhue county, Minnesota in 1862. The Civil War was still in its early stages. In a letter to Paul John Sylvester in 1996, John G. Vangsness says that John Vangsness II remember his grandfather telling him stories about that trip. They traveled in an ox-drawn wagon. And they saw Union soldiers in stage coaches, I suppose heading off to the front lines.

In Belle Creek, Iver purchased 130 acres of land in section 31. In about 1866, their first log cabin house was build. Read the entry, Where they Ended Up, which has photos of the log cabin and barn.

John E.'s mother, Unni Andersdatter, died in 1868, when John E. was 16 years old. John G. Vangsness remembers that his father and grandfather, Alfred, talked about Unni being killed by a sheep ram - which shows she was a hard working farmer's wife. She died 47 years before her husband having lived in America just 14 years. His father died in 1905, at the age of 86. I suppose that John E. helped with the care of his four younger brothers: Anders, Carl, Andrew & Cornelius after his mother died. There is mention of a sixth brother that died in infancy, we have no name or dates for this child.

In 1876, John E., 24, married Synneve Berge, 22, from Norway. John G. remembers that her family lived just north of John E.'s farm, now Goodhue County Road 8. So she possibly came from Norway shortly before meeting John E. Perhaps for a few years, they lived somewhere else, because the newspaper obituary notes that in 1885 they moved back to the Belle Creek log house and stayed there till his death in 1938. The couple had ten  children, three dying in infancy and two as young adults. The surviving children were: Unni, Adolph, Olga, Alfred & Nellie. (Ida died as a young adult.) Lydia was raised as John E.'s daughter.

The Family Tree shows Ten Children.... 

....the last child dying the same year as Synneve. I think this period of time must have been very hard on mothers.

Synneve was married in 1876 at the age of 22.

1. First child, Unni was born in 1877
2. Second child, Severine born 1879* See 1895 Census
3. Third child, Ida born 1880
4. Fourth child, Adolph born 1882 & died 1884
5. Fifth child, Olga, born 1885
6. Sixth child, Alfred, born 1886
7. Seventh child, Nellie, born 1888
8. Eighth child, Adolph, born 1890 See Christening Doc. 1890
9. Ninth child, (baby) Vangsness, born & died 1890
10. Tenth child, Synneve, born & died 1891 See Christening Doc. 1891

Synneve died 1891, at the age of 35.

In 15 short years, Synneve had 10 babies and then died.
At her death in 1891, her surviving children's ages were:
Unni - 14, Severine - 12, Ida - 11, Olga - 6, Alfred - 5, Nellie - 3, Adolph - 1

I can only assume that from 1889, Synneve was caring for 3 children of tender years, no doubt getting help from her three older daughters, Unni, Severine and Ida, who were 14, 12 and 11 at the time. But, then from 1890 to her death in 1891 (month unknown), she was pregnant 3 times! Only Adolph, born first of the last 3 in 1890,  survived. She lost her last two babies, and I feel certain, she died with the last baby.

* We have conflicting information about Severina. We have found 1895 Census Report, showing Severina to be alive and 16 years old in 1895. Subsequently, we have also found that she most likely died at the age of 29 in 1908 as the wife of Andrew Anderson.

My mother, Virginia (daughter of Nellie) tells me that Unni raised the last surviving baby, Adolph. In fact, he called her mother and always felt that she was his mother. Unni was instrumental in raising all of the younger children. She felt a real obligation towards her younger siblings, John G. recalls. Unni evidently had a chance to marry, but she let it pass by because she felt strongly that she had to take care of the children left by her mother. She stayed with the family helping to raise all of the children.

John G. remembers Unni and Adolph very well. They came to the farm often to visit. They all played dominos with great enthusiasm and loud conversation in Norwegian. In fact, he grew up on farm homesteaded by our great grandfather. His father rented the farm from Alfred, his father from 1855 to 1967.

Photo of Synneve

I have not been able to find a photo of Synneve Berge, but I would love to have one of this hard working mother and Great grandmother of us all. My mother tells me that she thinks there was a photo of John and Synneve on the wall of their living room when she visited them. Perhaps some other relatives have a photo of Synneve.