It has been awhile since I have added to this blog. The reason is simply I am running out of things to write about. I subscribe to Ancestry.Com and they added a new database this past week covering censuses for Minnesota. Included in this database were censuses for 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905. I was able to find most of my grandparents, g-grandparents, and gg-grandparents that would have been included in these. Most of the censuses provided really no new information but for two of my gg-grandmothers I did find some new information. Guri Lien and Brita (Britta) Benson came over with their families from Norway in 1861 and 1856. I found Guri in the 1885 census. This is the first census that I have located her. She was living in Wheeling township, Rice County with I believe a grandson. I found Brita also in the 1885 census. She is living with another elderly woman. I am making the assumption that they are living in the town of Kenyon at this time. I also know now that she died sometime after the 1885 census. The picture is of the 1885 census for Britta Benson.  ¶ 9:28 AM 2 comments

 
My grandparents on my mother's side are Bernt (Ben) Fredrickson and Florence Meader. Ben was born on December 7, 1894 to Nub and Bertha Fredrickson in Gordonsville, Minnesota. Florence was born March 2, 1902 near Des Moines, Iowa (Berwick ?) to Orren Elles and Elsie Meader. They married June 27, 1918. They had six children. They are Bob, Delmar, Elsie (my mother), Beverly, Benny, and Jerry. Of all my ancestors the only one I know of that came down with the Spanish Flu of 1918 was Ben while he was in the army. Three of my four grandparents are full-blooded Norwegians. The only one that is not is Florence. She is part English, Scottish, German, and probably Welsh. Ben died in July 1970 in Albert-Lea Minnesota and Florence died in 1987 also in Albert-Lea. The picture shows them with their youngest child Jerry. The picture would have been taken probably in 1941 or 1942.  ¶ 3:07 PM 1 comments

 
My grandparents on my father's side are Joseph Marcuson and Etta Gunhus. Joseph was born August 18, 1877 to Sjur (Sivert) and Ingeborg Markuson in Goodhue County, Minnesota. Etta was born to Erick and Astrid Gunhus on December 4, 1882 in Rice County, Minnesota. Though they lived in different counties they lived within a half-mile of each other's home. They were married on February 4, 1914 and moved onto a farm Joseph had bought in 1899. My mother says that Etta told her that when she married Joseph she persuaded him to change the spelling of Markuson to Marcuson. They had a daughter and three sons with my father being the youngest. Joseph died in 1955 and Etta died in 1967. The picture is of their family. My grandmother is holding my father which would date the picture to around 1925.  ¶ 10:52 AM 2 comments