Vangsness, Vangsnes, Wangsness Family Group

John G. Vangsness found a group on Facebook for the Vangsness Family Name. People with that name or are related to the Vangsness family are joining the group. I sent a friend request too.

One person, Norman M. Wangsness mentioned that his ancestor was
Markus Hallvardson Vangsness. Norman says that Markus came to America about 1841 and that he had 13 children. In our family tree, we have some relatives named Hallvardson as well, but that does not form a family relation, it just means that one of our relatives had a father named Hallvard.... None-the-less,  I contacted Wilda Obey and she did some research and came up the with following information.

Markus Hallvardson Vangsness

Norman's ancestor is on page 692 -3 of the Balestrand Bygdebok, farm 15 of Vangsnes, in Sognefjord area of Norway.

(See the links in the blog to find out what a Bygdebok is and where Sognefjord is.)

In 1803 Hallvard Samuelson Lunde bought this farm. He was the son of Samuel Hallvardson Lunde and son's son of Hallvard Person of Lundsviki. The father, Samuel, had married Gurid Andersdtr Valsvik of Arnefjord and they lived there some years. Hallvard was born in 1775 in Lidal and in 1800 married Anna Markusdtr Dale of Svaerefjorden. Hallvard was a boat owner and had enough money to buy the Vangsnes farm. 

Hallvard died in 1838 and his wife in 1857. They had 6 children who grew up: Markus got the farm; Gurid married Sjovat Anderson Vangsnes (see p. 685); Anna married Sjur Olson Berrekvam and they left Vangsnes. Brita, Anna and Gjertrud must have left the area also. (WO says Brita Halvorsdtr Vangsnes is on p. 606 of the Leikanger book; Anna Sjovatsdtr Vangsnes married Arnfinn E. Husabo Leikanger book; someone came to MN in 1875. Apparently 2 daughters named Anna.) Probably they went to America. The only one buried in Vangsnes is Gurid who died 1871.

Markus Hallvardson who got the farm was born in 1804 and in 1841 married Brita Sjursdtr Vangsnes (p. 688 ) They had the farm 6 years until 1844 they sold it to Jon Erikson Ramsoy from Aurland. After that I don't know more of Markus and his family. (WO says: They left for America 12 April 1844 with Markus's in-laws. They were among the first from this area to go.)

Wilda says:

The above is more or less my translation from the author, and my thoughts are in ( )s. I could probably trace the family back from Markus and his wife - some from the Arnafjord area of Vik, and Lunde, Lundsviki, and Svaerefjord are in Balestrand. My guess is that they would probably be related to you somewhere back on the line.

Wilda also says:

I just started making a pedigree chart for Norman's ancestry and so far haven't seen any connection between his family and yours. He is related to me, and his ancestor Markus Hallvardson's wife Brita Sjursdtr Vangsnes's mother is Inger Persdtr Mundal born 1797 and Inger's brother is Walter Mondale's ancestor.

Walter Mondale - Late 1120's to 1857

Here is a quick Family Chart for Walter Mondale...from his Great Grandparents, Brita and Fredrik on up to the late 1120's for his earliest ancestor, Harald Gillekrist, as well as Harald's father, King Magnús Berfœttr III and Harald's grandfather, King Olaf Haraldsson III.

I input all of his family from the previous article and output this chart. The dates were added by reading the article and estimating the dates. Some have no dates because there were none in the article.

You can see the whole Family Tree HERE.

Walter Mondale - From Vangsnes in Sogn

Here is an old article written about Walter F. Mondale, when he was a presidential candidate in 1983. His ancestors come from the same part of Norway as the Vangsness Family. I have been told that he and I are distantly related and I hope to document this in the future.

I thought it would be interesting for everyone to read this interesting story. It tells of his Norwegian family background in Vangsnes in Sogn.  Gjertrud married Hans Person Mundal. It was Gjertrud who got the deed to the Mundal farm, which seems to be King Bele's farm. Their daughter, Brita, took over the farm, but later left for America in 1857 with her husband, Fredrik Person Vangsness when her parents died.....

Here is the whole article:

Walter F. Mondale - a descendant of the old Viking Kings

by Herman Raunehaug

"The article is written by an energetic young man who is interested in genealogy and in helping anyone who may need help from Norway in tracing their background. He is presently president of the Board of Directors of the Cleng Peerson Memorial Institute, headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. "

You may write to him at:

Herman Raunehaug

Telemarkvingen #7

4030 Stavanger, Norway

This note was added at the bottom of the copy I received, so I am not sure if it is still accurate. 

I will write about Cleng Peerson later....