Gravesite

Greetings!

After many years of telling myself that I travel to Minnesota, meet my cousins, and find my grandfather and grandmother's graves, I have almost succeeded. Over the past week, I have met with three cousins, one of them a first cousin. I have found my grandfather's grave (pictured below), and will look for my grandmother's in Prior Lake in a couple of days. I've spent time with my Aunt Eloise, who at 93 is still active and enthusiastic about her life.


In the next week, my wife and I will be traveling to Ray, North Dakota to try to learn more about the lives of my grandparents and their siblings. As usual, I'll be posting journals and photos to our travel blog (http://gfpktravels.blogspot.com).

William Walker Fearon

Greetings!

As he sat in the office on that windy June day in 1917, the 26 year-old, North Dakota Police Chief probably had a lot to consider as he filled out the paperwork to register himself for service in World War I. A married father of three young daughters, he also had the responsibility for the town's security.

But his life had provided ample experience to bring to miliary service in Europe. Born in Belfast, Ireland in 1890, his family history was based in Cumberland, England.  Coming to America in 1892 from Ireland with his parents, John and Mary Fearon, the family spent some time in Illinois before finally stopping in Scammon, Kansas. Joining the Kansas Infantry in Topeka when he was 18, he rose to a non-commissioned officer in four years. Upon dischage, he traveled to Ray, North Dakota in 1912, and married the eldest daughter of a local Norwegian farm family. Accepting a position on the police force, he rose to the position of Police Chief over the past five years. In the block asking if the were any reason why he should be excluded, he wrote a large emphatic "NO", and handed his registration to Roy Enerson, Chief Registrar. Nevertheless, he remained in his post through the war, and had one more child eight years later - my father.

Continuing Research

Greetings!

Here are the continuing questions which drive my research currently:

1. Who were my father's father's parents? My grandfather's selective service record in 1917 indicates that he was born in Belfast to John Fearon and Mary Walker. I'm looking for William Walker Fearon's birth certificate, or record of birth, in November 9, 1896. I'm also looking for any records of his parents.

2. Who were Pat's father's parents? Jan Kuta and Katherine Olearski were born in Poland. We think we know the town names, and have located hers.

3. Who were my wife's brother's wife's father's great-grandfather's parents (Marvin Miller, born in 1817 in New York)? Who were her father's grandmother's parents (mary A.Miller, born in 1858 in Massachusetts)? Who were her father's mother's father's parents (John Monigle, born in 1869 in Ireland)? Who were her father's mother's mother's parents (Joseph Laware, born in 1824 in French Canada, and Mary Laware, born in 1832 in French Canada)?

4. I'm doing some research on the family of a friend of mine, Jim Evans. We are looking for his father's father's parents, and have located .

Back from Scandinavia (Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway)

Greetings!

For a detailed report of the trip, go to the travel blog I used to write up the daily adventures (GFPK Travels).

I also am correcting and augmenting the Ancestry.com family tree that I have established, and will be posting photos and documents, and other info into individuals in the family tree. Email me at gfearon@sonic.net if you want to gain access to the tree.

And so many thanks to all of you who provided me with information and contacts. I could not have had nearly as successful a trip researching my Norwegian ancestry without you.

Gregory

Preparing a visit to the Valdres Area in late July

Greetings!

I've read the materials from Trudy Sondrol Wasson, and integrated the information from them into this blog and the family tree information on my Ancestry.com account. That history connects the earlier information on my Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota relatives which I received from Shirley Manning and my aunt aunt Eloise Skare - to relatives around the towns of Vang and Hedmark in Norway.

Of my ancestors in Vang, I know much more due to the many resources I've been guided toward from the Valdres Samband. I've obtained many texts, a DVD, and links to quite a few websites and other materials. I have less information on the my great grandfather's side of the family (from Hedmark), and may learn more research connections while traveling to there.

But my main hope is to see the farms where my great great grandfather (Jon Johan Johnson Lajord Soine) and his wife (Ingaborg Ovesdatter Kattevold), and their parents, were born. Those are the farms with the following names and gardnummers: Ovre Kvale (38/7-8); Berge (22); Norde Tune/Sender (36/2); Soine (50); Lajord (51/3); Myre (47/1); Kattevold (44/1-4); Boe (42); Sore Ellingboe (34); and Norde Haen (70).

I'm going to contact the genealogist for the Valdres Samband to see if he can help me make contact with someone in Vang who might be of help during the four days I will be there. Some have said that the local residents wouldn't mind my showing up without notice, but I would feel much better with someone in the area who knew our relatives or who could direct me to best use my time.

We leave this Thursday, July 6th, and will be gone until mid August. I'll post trip journals as I can on our travel blog (www.gfpktravels.blogspot.com). When I return, I'll make a slide show and post it on YouTube.com for those interested in what we saw and did.

Have a great summer.

Gregory Fearon
Pat Kuta

Soyne family farm photos

Greetings!

My friend and cousin, Trudy Sondrol Wasson, sent me these photos of the Soyne family farm. She is helping me better understand the locations and histories of my family's Norwegian ancestry. She has also sent me maps and other information about several of my family's ancestral farms in the area in and around Vang.

Norwegian Connections

Greetings!

With the help of the Digitalarkivet, I was able to locate some key family farms in Vang, and some key relatives living there in the 1801 Census:

Anne Madsdtr Myhre - Mother of Ann Sjugurdsdatter Lajord, 22 years old and living on the Myhre farm with her brothers John (28) and Thron (32), and sisters Marit (34) and Randi (19). Also living there is his father Mads Johnsen Myhre (64), and mother Anne Evensdtr Myhre (60).

Endre Trondsen Kattevold - grandfather of Ingeborg Ovesdatter Kattevold (her father's side), wife of Jon Johnsen Soine. At 24, he is living on the Kattevold farm with his brother Ove (22), and sisters (Ambior (26), Gertrud (17), Dorthe (15), and Kirsti (12). Also living there is his father Thron Johnsen Kattevold (60), and mother Kiersti Boyesdtr Kattevold (56).

Osten Torstensen Boe - grandfather of Ingaborg Ovesdatter Kattevold (her mother's side). At 20, he is living on the Boe Sondre farm with his sister Giertrude (15), his father Torsten Torstensen Boe (54), and his mother Giertrude Ostensdtr Boe (55).

Per (Peder) Johnsen Kvale (Qvale) - grandfather of Jon Johnsen Soine (his father's side). At 25, he is living on the Qvale farm with his brothers Iver (23), John (15), and Anders (9). His sisters were Randi (19) and Anne (18). Also living there is his father John Pedersen Qvale (58), and his mother Ingeborg Iversdtr Qvale (47).

Ingeborg Andersdtr Thune - grandmother of Jon Johnsen Soine (his father's side). At 24, she is living with her brothers Anders (27) Torsten (21), and Iver (38). Also living there is her father Anders Iversen Thune (65) and her mother Ingri Johnsdtr Thune (65).