Four Brothers & a Sister Go to America

Our GGG Grandfather, our Great great great grandfather, is Endre Hansen Lee Nissestad.

GGG Grandfather

He is the GG Grandson of our oldest ancestor, Kristoffer Kristenson.  He was born Jan 25, 1783 on the Lee farm in Vik, Norway and he died some time in 1850. His wife died the same year. At this time, I do not know the exact dates, nor do I know exactly how they died, was it illness? He and his wife, Kari Vikingsdatter Mörkve, had 8 children between the years 1804 and 1823. Two of those children died as babies, 1 stayed in Norway and 4 of the brothers came to America.

8 children

These graphics are from my family tree software. This is what I see when I am working on the family tree database. Names in blue are male and those in pink are female relatives. The one name in BOLD shows our Vangsness line. Two of their children died as babies.

The 4 Brothers:

1
Iver Endreson Nistad, AKA Iver Vangsness, 1819-1905, who came to America with his wife and child in 1854. He is the first ancestor of the our Vangsness line to come to America.

2
Another son, Wiking Endreson, 1813-?, came to America with his brother Iver in 1854. I do not know very much about what happened to this bother.

3

The oldest son, John Endreson, 1804-1887, came to America in 1870. He and his second wife had 11 children, 4 died as children in Norway and 5 came to America, some in 1861 and the rest most likely with their father in 1870. I do not know very much about this part of the family. But there must be many relatives in America now.

4
Then there is Hans Endreson Nistad Dale, 1806-1878, who came to America in 1869 with his wife Ingeborg Wilhelmsdotter. He was 60 and she was 62. Hans and his wife had 7 children, 2 who died as babies and the other 5 eventually coming to America either just before their parents or at the same time.

The Sister:

5
There is a sister, Synneve Endresdatter, 1808-1861, who marries Hermund Johanneson Nese and they have 6 children. Maybe she went to America, maybe she did not! I do not know if she or her husband came to America for sure, but all 6 of her children came to America from 1861-1874. I only know the names of these children and when they came to America. I would like to find out more.

The One Who Stayed Behind:

6
Ole Endreson, 1823-1905, stayed in Norway and had 6 children, all of whom stayed in Norway as far as I know.

So, virtually all of the children of Endre Hansen Lee Nissestad came to America except for one son, a massive exodus in a way. I have always wondered what happened to the parents of these people. Both either mother and father died in 1850, making it much easier to emigrate if that is what you wanted to do. It is something I want to find out. Also, if I wanted to go to Norway to see someone from the family, I would have to look up the descendants of this family. That is good to know!

Dale Family Line

Some time ago, I had received family tree data from the Tode family in the Dale line most likely via John G. Vangsness. (Sorry, I can not remember.) Much of that has already been input into the family tree. But recently, other cousins, direct descendants of the this Dale-Tode line contacted me and I have gotten more detailed documents which I hope to input and share with all the family. It will take me some time to do that. And I hope to share this Dale family search adventure with you all in up coming blog entries.

Bygdabok for Vik i Sogn - Le Farm - Part 2

Here is page 207.

Starting at the 3rd line and continuing for only 2 paragraphs:

Kristoffer Hansson Le was born in 1712 and married in 1735 to Turid Ellendsdotter Holstad. They leased the farm inn 1746. The rent was 1 laup 6 merker of butter (about 39 pounds of butter). Kristoffer and Turid had 3 children who grew to adulthood: Ellend who went to Tryti, Hans who got the farm at Le, and Ingeborg who was married to Kristen Torsteinson Nese, they had a place in Holum.

According to our database, they had 6 children, one that died at age 8. There may be some confusion, because two men named "Hans Kristoffersson Lee" are listed, one living till he is 102 and one living to 79. Also, Ingeborg was married first to Anders Person Tenål, then she married K. T. Nese.

Note:  Norwegian units of measurement

• laup – used for butter, 17.93 kg. 1 laup is 36 pounds.
• mark (pl. merker) –, 1/2 pound, 249.4 g, 218.7 g before 1683.

Usually tax or rent was paid in butter. The butter was put in an oval flat bottomed birch bark container that held 33 pounds.

Hans Kristoffereson Le (son of the above Kristoffer Hansson Le) was born in 1746 and married in 1772 to Synneva Endresdotter Le from farm #2. They had 7 children: Eric who got the farm, Ola had a place at Valsvik, Brita who married to Ola Inebriktson Dale, they had a place under Ola Sjurson Dale, Endre (our ancestor whose name is Endre Hansen Lee Nissestad in our database) had a place at Nistad and Ingeborg was not married in the district.

Our database lists 9 children, one who died before 1 year. 

This page continues with farmers who were in that area but who are not in our line.... so I will not translate the rest.