The children of Kristen and Hans

The Grandchildren of Kristoffer Kristenson and Ase Amundsdotter

As far as I have records for, the other children of Kristoffer and Ase, that is to say: Styrk , Gunnar, Kari, Eirik, Sjur and Ola did not have children, or more likely, I just don't have those records,.... 

But I do have records for Kristen and Hans, and I present their children here.

Kristen Kristoffersson, Lee

Hans Kristoffersson, Lee and Ingebjorg Larsdotter

Our Line

Hans is our Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather and 

Ingebjorg is our Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandmother.

Their children:

Kristoffer Hansson, Lee was born 1711  -- our line.

Brita Hansdoter, Lee was born 1716

Lars Hansson, Lee was born 1717

Gjertrud Hansdotter, Lee was born 1719

Kristoffer Kristofferson & Ase Amundsdotter

Kristoffer and Ase are our Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather (GGGGGGG Grandfather) and Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother (GGGGGGG Grandmother)!

Kristoffer Kristenson was born in 1610 and died in 1710. He lived to be 100 years old!! We do not know Ase Amundsdotter's birth and death dates right now.

I am also not sure where Kristoffer Kristenson was born, but he lived and worked on the Lee Farm and all of his children were born there. It is a good chance that he was born on the Lee Farm or near by.

They had 8 children that we know about:
Styrk, Kristen, Gunnar, Kari, Eirik, Sjur, Hans and Ola. All boys except for Kari.

Hans Kristoffersson, Lee and Ingebjorg Larsdotter are our line.

Little is known about Styrk, his birth or death dates. He may have died as a baby, but I do not know.
Kristen was born 1631 and died in 1733. He was 102!
Gunnar was born 1645 and died in 1719. He was 74.
Kari was born 1652 and died in 1745. She was 93.
Eirik was born 1656, but we do not know his date of death. Or his age.
Sjur was born 1657 and died in 1726 or 27. He was 69.
Hans was born 1665 and died in 1751. He was 86.
Ola was born 1667 and died in 1732. He was 65.

I will start to introduce the children of these early ancestors in blogs that follow.

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.

Zelma's Brothers and Sisters, Part 2

....as told by Zelma in 1993....


Zelma's Brothers and Sisters from her Step-Mother, Dora Durbin Doyle

James Jr. remarried after Mantha Jane died to Dora Durbin. They had six children. Dora proceeded James in death and James died at the age of 81 at his daughter Olga's home in Zenia, Ohio.

Marie was born January 28, 1923. She married Phillip Bouse.
They had 6 children.

Phillip James, Donna Jean, Dwight David, Emily Jane, Erick, Randy Phillip James

• Nothing is given about Phillip James.
• Donna Jean resides in Dayton and her son, Charlie, resides in Broughton.
• Dwight David was born October 31 (no year given) and married twice to
1) Doris, 2) Sonya. David and Sonya live in Las Vegas and have 3 children.

David, Karl, Suzanne Marie

• Emily Jane Married Junior Collette, they have three children.
Jamie, Angela, Derek 
Her second husband is Rod Stewart. They reside in Anderson, SC.
• Erick resides in Dayton, OH.
• Randy resides in Dayton, OH.

Dorene was born November 29th, 1924. She never married.

Zella Mae was born August 21, 1926. She married Sam Denton (born March 28, 1924) on September 6, 1947. They reside inn Louisville, KY and have 2 children.

Doyle Anthony and Constance Susan

• Doyle Anthony (Tony) was born March 15, 1948 and died January 3, 1955 from Rheumatic Heart.
• Constance Susan (Susie) was born January 25, 1950. She married Danny Thompson on May 3, 1967. They had one child and then they divorced in 1984. Susie remarried on November 3, 1984 to Don Ball and they divorced April 4, 1990. They had no children.

Troy Anthony Thompson

Troy was born November 23, 1967. He married Rhonda Marie Miller (born January 28, 1971) on May 28, 1989. They adopted a son.

James Anthony Thompson

James Anthony Thompson was born on January 23, 1996.

James Conrad was born January 4, 1928. He married Gladys Clark. 

They had 2 children.

Teresa Ann and Darrell Conrad

• Teresa Ann was born August 1, 1952 and she died February 1992 from diabetes, kidney failure. Sadly, she had lost both her feet to diabetes.
• Darrell married Lori.

Pauline was born on January 24, 1931. She never married and died December 1994.

Annabelle was born on December 23, 1935. She married Jim Durkat. They had 5 children.

Toni, Todd, Tuffy, Keith and one name unknown

Zelma's Brothers and Sisters, Part 1

....as told by Zelma in 1993....

Zelma's Brothers and Sisters from her Mother, Mantha Jane

Zelma was the oldest of the 7 children and she was 15 years old when her mother died. She married Gourmand Dreyfus McAdams in November 12, 1921.
They had 3 children:

Avery Cecil, Gourmand Jr. and Mantha Jayne

Gene was born in 1900. He married Mabel. She had a daughter, Mildred, from a previous marriage. Mabel died of leukemia in 1972 and Gene died of creeping paralysis in 1979.
No children are listed for Gene and Mabel.

Herman was born November 9, 1906. He married Jessee October 9, 1928.
They had 3 children:

Barbara, Dick and Linda.

• Barbara lives in Texas and she married Chuck Carney. They have 4 children:

Vickey, Mickey, Chuck Jr. and Cindy.

• Dick was a Navy career man, a frogman, and he died under mysterious circumstances. He was run off the road into the ocean in California. The family thinks it was foul play and the Navy refused to give out any information. Dick was married and had 5 children which have all disappeared. His sister has tried to find them but ran into a dead end.

• Linda lives somewhere in California, I think.

Nervie was born in 1907. She married Leonard Davis. Nervie and her family lived in Kentucky.
They had 6 children:

Juanita, Merline, Zelma, Letha, Leo and Geraldine.

She died of TB at the age of 31 in 1938. Leonard moved the family to Bedford, Indiana to work in the limestone quarry pits. He committed suicide by hanging himself. The children was put in foster homes and the family tried to find then but could not.

Grace was born May 15, 1908. She married Virgil Browning on December 26, 1925.
They had one child:

Ted

• Ted was born July 13, 1931. Ted married Barb on May 4th (year not given). They had 3 children, 2 girls and a boy. Ted and his family still live in Fairborn, Ohio as of January 1999.

Tereva, Jerry and 1 name unknown.

Grace was a successful business woman. She owned a grocery store, furniture store and still owns a bar in Fairborn, Ohio as of January 1999. Virgil was always called Brownie. He died of cancer.

Gradie was married to Fred McClellan on July 13, 1914. They had one daughter. Gradie and Fred separated. Gradie went to  stay with Grace. The baby girl was smothered and died while sleeping between Grace and Gradie. Gradie divorced Fred and later remarried Pinky Herr. Gradie had a tonsillectomy at home by a doctor who cut a vein in her throat and she bled to death. She was in her twenties. Her husband, Pinky, never remarried and mourned her death until he died.
(Note from Pamela: I estimate that Gradie was born about 1909 and that she died about 1930 or so. No dates are given by Zelma.)

Olga was born July 7, 1916. She married Hassie Johnson on Aug 19, 1932. They reside in Xenia, Ohio.
They have 3 children:

Richard, Nellie Frances (Sissey) and Johnny

• Sissy (born October 6, 1935) had 5 children and she died from a stroke.
• Richard (born December 13, 1933) and Johnny (born March 5, 1944) still live in Xenia.

James Monroe Jr. is said to have lived with Olga till his death at 81, which would have been about 1853.

Zelma's Grandparents and Parents

As told by Zelma January 11, 1993....

Mother's Side of the family...
Zelma's Grandmother on her Mother's side was Marietta Heath. Marietta had a daughter out of wedlock, Mantha Jane Heath, who is Zelma's mother. Marietta later married a man named Golse Weekly.

Note about the Family Tree Charts here:: 

I have added the spouses of the children when known for convenience.

Father's Side of the family...
Zelma's Grandfather was James Monroe Doyle Sr. He married Rachel Ravmer.
They had 3 children:

Sherman, Charity Belle and James Monroe Jr.  

Rachel was kidnapped by Indians and was never seen again.

Also, on the Raymer Family Tree site, they have Lucretia Doyle (b:1858) and Calvera Doyle (b:1868) listed as Rachel's children.

Rachel was later pronounced dead, thus allowing James Monroe Sr to marry Susanne Sandifer.
They had 4 children:

Janie Lee, Bett, Albert and Oscar.

Parents
When James Monroe Jr. (Zelma's father) was a boy, he was sent to live with a family named Haines. That is how he came to be called Haines Doyle. He married Mantha Jane Heath. He and Mantha had 7 children:

Zelma, Gene, Herman, Nervie, Grace, Gradie and Olga.

Mantha Jane died on her kitchen table where she had been operated on for an appendicitis in 1914. Zelma would have been 15 at the time.

James (Haines) Doyle Jr. remarried to Dora Durbin and they had 6 children:

Marie, Dorene, Zella Mae, James, Pauline and Annabelle.

Note:

Dora proceeded James in death and James died at the age of 81 at his daughter Olga's home in Zenia, Ohio. The Raymer Family Tree site lists James Monroe Doyle Jr.'s birth at 1872 and his death as 1953.

The Raymer Family Tree also gives the full name of Mantha Jane Heath as Samantha Jane. Her birth as Dec. 15, 1879 and her death is given by Zelma as 1914, but I have found it elsewhere as April 28, 1920. Also another problem with the 1914 death date is that Olga, Mantha Jane's last child was born in 1916.
Zelma says that Olga was born July 30, 1916...
-either her mother did not die in 1914, but died in 1916 after giving birth to Olga or in 1920...,
-or Olga was born in 1914....
                                              This will have to be verified.

to be continued.....

Zelma Doyle's Family

Zelma is the mother of my Aunt Jayne, Mantha Jayne (Doyle) Sylvester. She was originally from Segal, Kentucky and later moved to Muncie Indiana.

I can remember as a little girl going with Zelma and her husband out to their farm. I would "play" with the baby pigs, laughing as they squealed.  I kept well away from the fenced in mommy pigs who were not happy with me at all. And then later having a wonderful lunch of cooked greens and a wonderful meat dish of some sort. All of it tasted wonderful - good country cuisine. Tomatoes with a bit of salt. Fresh milk. Zelma was always kind to me.

Mantha Jayne and Paul John's Wedding Day, 1950

Dreak McAdams, Zelma McAdams, Bride, Mantha Jayne, Groom Paul John, Nellie Sylvester, Paul C Sylvester

James Monroe Doyle Jr. was Zelma's father. He married Mantha Jane Heath - not to be confused with my aunt, who is Mantha Jayne Sylvester.


Zelma was born January 18, 1899. There were 7 children in her family. She was the oldest.

Zelma, Gene, Herman, Nervie, Grace, Gradie and Olga.

In 1914, when Zelma was just about 15 years old, her mother Mantha Jane was operated on for an appendicitis on her kitchen table and died from the operation.

Later, James Monroe Jr. remarried Dora Durbin and they had 6 children.

Marie, Dorene, Zella Mae, James, Pauline and Annabelle.

Zelma married Gourmand Dreyfus McAdams on November 12, 1921. She would have been just 22 years old. She worked hard all of her life. She had 3 children:

Avery Cecil, Gourmand Jr. and Mantha Jayne.

to be continued.....