Ofstedahl Ancestors & Relatives[1]
The first Ofstedal (Ovstedal) ancestor to arrive in North America was Anders who came to South Dakota as a farmer in 1871. His brother Simon had immigrated to Minnesota two years earlier. Anders was Grandma Perrier’s (Dora) father. Grandma Perrier first came to Canada (Southern Saskatchewan) in 1911 to cook for her brothers who had moved there earlier to homestead. Her brothers, Andrew (Hogan), Johannes (Johnny) & Berent (Benjamin, Benny), had homesteads ranging from one to six miles from Grandpa Perrier’s.
The history of the Ofstedahl’s[2] in Canada is relatively recent; however, available information on ancestors in Norway goes back to the sixteen hundreds and is as follows:
Jacob Monsson (1653 – 1716) m Torbjorg Knutsdaughter in 1677, both from Lien
Lars Jacobson (1688 – July 2, 1766) m Brita Knutsdaughter (Sept 10, 1682 – July 11, 1733) on Sept 29, 1709, both from Fjellanger; m Anna Larsdaughter in 1734
Ivar Larson (Mar 6, 1712 – June 24, 1803) m Agata Andersdaughter (1716 – July 2, 1777), both from Fjellanger
Anders Ivarson (Apr 30, 1747-1815) m Agata Jacobsdaughter (Oct 1, 1747 – June 20, 1800) on July 2, 1775, he from Fjellanger & she from Mo
Simon Anderson (Apr 3, 1791 – May 1825) m Anna Mikkelsdaughter (Apr 19, 1795 – Oct 11, 1873) on Oct 1, 1815, both from Fjellanger
Anders Simonson (Ofstedal ) (Dec 6, 1817 – May 8, 1892) m Agate (or Agatha) Andersdaughter (July 12, 1821 – Nov 20, 1907) on July 2, 1844, he from Fjellanger & she from Lavik
Anna Ofstedal (1846 – ), there is some indication that this may be in error as the last daughter also is Anna (transposition of 4 and 6 in 1946). However, there also is a tendency for families to name a child after a child who has passed away (eg Nils below)
Simon Ofstedal[3] (Mar 30, 1848 – ) m Kari Tuff (1859 – ) in 1878, immigrated to Fertile, Minnesota in 1869, farmed, both are buried in Rindal Cemetery
Andrew (Dec 22, 1878 – )
Peder (1882 – ) m Gina Hogenson in 1905 – 11 children: Clarence, Marvin, Palmer m Myrtle Veker in 1936 and had 6 children {Janice, Paul m Anitra DuRose (one child Catherine), Sandra, Vivian, Donald & Wesley}, Lloyd, Milton, Gelina, Ernest, Thelma, Ruth, Arnold & Howard
Martha (1883 – )
Alfred (1885 – )
Nicoli (1888 – )
Dortheaus (1890 – )
Agatha (1892 – )
Mathilda (1894 – )
John (1896 – )
Katherine (1899 – )
Anders Ofstedal (Feb 9, 1850 – Jan 13, 1937) m Maria Johnson ( – ) on Feb 13, 1875; immigrated to the US in 1870, farmed; Grandma Perrier’s father
Nils Ofstedal (1851 – 1853)
Nils Ofstedal (1853 – ), immigrated to the USA in 1872, pastor
Andreas Ofstedal ( – )[4], immigrated to Fertile, Minnesota
Johannes Ofstedal (1857 – ), immigrated to Grafton, North Dakota, pastor
Dorthea Ofstedal (1860 – )
Anna Ofstedal (1864 – )
In 1846 Anders and Agate Simonson moved from Fjellanger south to the Meland farm where they had six children. The Meland farm was just south of the Ovstedal farm, which they bought in 1857. It was at that time that they changed their name from Simonson to Ovstedal. They had two more children at Ovstedal. The areas Fjellanger, Meland and Ovstedal are northeast of Bergen. In the spring of 1878 they followed their children to the US. Both are buried in the Rindal Cemetery, Garden Township, Polk County, Minnesota.[5]
The following are the known descendants of Anders Ofstedal, Grandma Perrier’s father:
Anders (Andrew A) Ofstedal (Feb 9, 1850 – Jan 13, 1937) m Maria Johnson on Feb 13, 1875
Agatha m Herman Stai – six children: Helmer, Agnes, Ordean, Maxwell, William, Mavis
Andrew (Hogan) Ofstedahl (1878 – 1958) m Olga K Johnson (1893 – 1974) – 5 children: Max (m Lillian Paquin), Bernice (m Steve Sorochan), Ralph (m Ann Lazich), Norma (died as an infant), Norman (m Bernice Potter); note Norma and Norman were twins; both Hogan and Olga are buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Assinibioia, SK.
Johannes (Johnny) Ofstedahl (1880 – 1947) m Alma – 1 child: Fern; buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Assiniboia, SK.
Bertina (Bertha) m Peter Kabrud – 10 children: Abner (m Pearl Perrier), Mildred (m Robert Blatchford), Reuben (m Lillian), Ella (m Magnus Boseman), Doris (m Walter Ellenberger), Alice (m Anton Spagrud, m Olaf Knutson), Oscar, Irene (m Bernt Loken), Edwin (m Gladys Rasmussen), Myrtle (m Frank Behler)
Berent (Benjamin, Benny) Ofstedahl (1884 – 1950); buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Assiniboia, SK.
Anna – twin of Berent and died as a child
Nils Ofstedal
Dora (May 7, 1890 – July 2, 1972) m Albert Perrier (Nov 28, 1892 – Aug 16, 1968) on July 1, 1916 – 10 children: see Albert & Dora Perrier Family
Clara (May 7, 1890 – ) m Lester Watkins – 10 children: William, Lynn, Bueford, Muriel, Lyle, Deloris, Ardith, Inez, Opal, Emerald; Clara and Dora were twins
Albert Ofstedal (Mar 16, 1892 – June 16, 1972) m Mabel Strand (Dec 15, 1916 – ) – 4 children: Marion (m Martin Matson), Sylvia (m Clifford Durheim), Raymond, Ruth (m Lyle Swedlind); Ruth & Raymond are twins
Anna m Tom Havig – 6 children: Harold, Milton, Arnold, Esther, Alice, Stanley
Mary m Jorgen Nelson – 7 children: Edna, Norman, Clarence, Melvin, Marion, Inez, Dale
Anders Ofstedal immigrated to the US on April 20, 1870. While information on where he exactly immigrated to in the US was not available, it appears he was living in Kenyon, Goodhue, Minnesota in 1880. He was naturalized on October 18, 1889 in Brown County, South Dakota. This is where Grandma Perrier was born. In 1917 he was living in Ellendale, North Dakota, but there is no indication when he moved there.
“American Fever”: Because of high population growth and limited arable land, mass emigration to North America accelerated dramatically in the 1870s. Drawn by cheap land in the American Midwest, thousands of Norwegians left farming and coastal villages, with the stream of emigrants later swelling even further during the shipping crisis of the early 1880s.
The textile industry started in the 1840s, which was followed by mechanical workshops to build new machinery as the British embargo hindered the import of textile machinery. An economic crisis hit the country from 1848, resulting in Marcus Thrane establishing the first trade unions and demanding that equality before the law be independent of social class. Parliament passed a series of laws abandoning economic privileges and easing domestic trade during the 1840s and 1850s.
Population increase forced the clearing of new land, although some of the growth came in the cities. The population of Christiania reached 40,000 in 1855. By 1865 the population reached 1.7 million; the large increase was largely caused by better nutrition from herring and potatoes, a sharp decrease in infant mortality and increased hygiene. Emigration to North America started in 1825, with the first mass emigration commencing in the 1860s. By 1930, 800,000 people had emigrated, the majority settling in the Midwestern United States.
The population decrease resulted in a labour shortage in agriculture, which again resulted in increased use of machinery and thus capital. The 19th century saw a large increase of road construction, and steamship services commenced along the coast. The first railway, the Trunk Line between Christiania and Eidsvoll opened in 1854, followed a year later by the first telegraph line. Export industry commenced with steam-powered sawmills in the 1860s, followed by canned herring, wood pulp and cellulose. From 1850 to 1880 the Norwegian shipping industry enjoyed a large boom, stimulated by the abolishing of the British Navigation Acts. By 1880 there were 60,000 Norwegian seamen, and the country had the world’s third-largest merchant marine.
[1] A major source for this information was the “Ofstedal Family Directory” prepared by The Matsons and the Blackwells, July 1990. Also, Brian J Porter of Vancouver, BC, in July 1997, prepared a document of Anders Ofstedal’s, Grandma Perrier’s (Dora) father, ancestors.
[2] It appears that the “h” was added to the Ofstedal name to become Ofstedahl only by those who came to Canada.
[3] Information on the Simon Ofstedal family was obtained from “These Our Roots: The History of Fertile, Minnesota The Flower City”.
[4] Andreas was very involved in the organization of Lutheran Churches in the Fertile, MN area, and also served as a pastor in most of them – Little Norway Lutheran Church (established on July 6, 1880 and was pastor here from 1881-1892 and also from 1900-1909); Faaberg Lutheran Church in Rindal (helped establish on June 13, 1881 and was its first pastor from 1881-1889); Sundal Lutheran Church (helped establish on June 21, 1881 and was its first pastor from 1881-1892 and also from 1900-1910); Evanger Lutheran Church (helped establish on July 6, 1880 and was a pastor there – no dates given); Our Savior’s Congregation (helped organize on June 12, 1882). This information was obtained from “These Our Roots: The History of Fertile, Minnesota The Flower City”.
[5] It is of interest to note that Anders Simonson is the name on the tombstone, with the name Ofstedal on the base of the tombstone. Also, there are several other Ofstedal’s in the Rindal cemetery, including his son Simon, Simon’s wife Kari, plus their descendants. Ovstedal was changed to Ofstedal when they moved to the US.
