Letters

I have received some very nice letters regarding the genealogy websites I have built. I think it would be a good idea to post some of them for everyone to read. I won't be posting all of them: only the ones I feel are especially constructive and helpful.

While researching Johanna's sister Sigrid's line I found genealogical information on the internet telling me that her first son, Esten, had a family in Norway. The genealogical notes were written in Norwegian. I don't speak Norwegian but I thought that the notes might be helpful to anyone in the family who does speak it. But I didn't want to add the notes to my database without the permission of the writer of them, Stein Kvello. So I wrote him a letter and explained what I wanted to do and he wrote this letter back to me. I think "trekkspill" means accordion. Anyone know for sure?

"Hello! Yes, Ane Larsdatter is my grandfathers grandmother and Esten B. Kvello is my grandfather. I see yours grandmother is Mabel Louise Uglem and her grandmother is Ane Larsdatter. So we are related, no doubt of that. You are of course welcome to use my notes, it's a pleasure if you do. I live in Hommelvik, 23 km from Trondheim, ut grow up in Oppdal, 120 km south of Trondheim. Do you know Norwegian geography?. I was in North Carolina 2 yars ago. Next summer the plan is to visit the west coast with the harmonica club "Nidaros trekkspillklubb". I play trekkspill myself. Regards Stein M. Kvello "

The late Philip Rodvold's wife Emma has been a great help to me. She is such a sweet person on the phone! She wanted to send me lefse through the mail. I said that I thought it might go bad while in passage. Whereupon she said she sends it to her son through the mail and he says not to worry as he will eat between the molds!!! Ha! So true, so true. A little mold is not likely to stop many of us from partaking in lefse made by loving hands!

Emma speaks Norwegian well and translates into English for her family. She told me she had translated an article about Brynhild that our family might like to read and she wanted to send it to me. I have now added it to our memoires page. She also gave me permission to quote a portion of her letter. Many thanks to Emma Rodvold for her kindness.

"I want to write a few lines to send along with this information you said you would like to have. I hope you will be able to read it all. These arthritic fingers do not work like they used to. ...

Ragnvold, Ole and Ernst Rodvold settled in Montana (also Hannah, a sister). Ernst went back and lived in Norway -- possibly because he was the oldest son so their gaard (farm) was his after his folks' death. Ragnvold's daughter Marilyn McCann and grand-daughter, Colleen Sauer came to the Rodvold family reunion out in the Black Hills in 1995 (I think). I do hope you guys can come sometime. We have it every 3 years so the next one will be in 2004 in August. ...

I hope I have helped you. --Emma"

This is from my Holme family research. Vickie Sparrow is the wife of a Protestant minister. They live near the Kennedy Space center and she works for NASA. Genealogy is her hobby. We have been collaborating for over two years. Today she was at work in her office in Florida and I was at home on my couch doing research and we were writing letters back and forth all day whenever I found something. Slowly but surely we were honing in on an elusive group of ancestors whose line had disappeared. I was using the Social Security Death Index mainly. First I discovered Marion Holme McCasey. That was a big breakthrough. Then I looked for her husband Jack McCasey. We had no dates of birth of death for him. Then I checked under John McCasey and found him! He died in July of 1973. His last SS check went to Florida. But if they lived in Florida how did it happen that his wife Marion died in Ypsilanti, Michigan a year and a half after him? Then I realized that after her husband died she would go live with her daughter. We knew the couple had a daughter with the unusual name of Patience born aroung 1920, but we had no other information about her other than that Patience had a child. But we didn't know her husband's surname or where they lived. Well, I got to thinking that since Marion was living in Ypsilanti when she died, it would make sense that Patience lived there too. She would be 82 years old if she were alive. today, otherwise she should be in the SSDI. But I didn't know Patience's last name to check. But Patience is such an unusual name that I realized I should be able to do a search for her by the first name alone. So I searched the SSDI for anyone named Patience with a SS card issued in Michigan. There was only seventeen of them. And she was the second one, Patience Elizabeth Murphy, born, in December of 1919 and died in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1989. So now we know her husband's surname was Murphy and we are well on our way to tracking down the rest of her family. Vicki had already left work and gone home by the time I figured this all out so I emailed her at home and told her. She sent back this email right away:

"Okay, Keemosabi...YOU are making progress....and what a fine job you're doing too! <grin> I had remembered my mom telling me that Patience had died several years ago. And I believe that Uncle Mac's wife died before him (I never met her). BUT....you certainly followed those clues through to their logical conclusion and I'm betting, were absolutely correct in the final outcome. I'll add that to my growing list of questions to ask Mom because I'm sure she'll know where Patience lived. I DO know that she lived up north somewhere because the one time I met her, she had flown down to visit her Dad in St. Pete. Gosh! Small world, sometimes, isn't it? Continue on with your mission.....you're doing an excellent job! :-) -Vicki "

I am including this story and Vicki Sparrow's letter because I want the children to know the spirit that we share when we work together on the family genealogy, the great friendships that develop. Today in this world there are too many influences telling them it is okay to be bitter and hurtful to each other, that the world is all about personal ownership and very little attention given to the sharing of resources. It's so easy today for a child to grow up thinking he or she is expected to fit into an Enron executive type role model, because that is where the money is, and that is where success is. Where exactly does a young person begin learning a different way of looking at life? Genealogy connects us into an ever expanding family until eventually our hearts are overwhelmed by the knowledge that we are all related to each other. Today, with nations of the world facing each other with secret nuclear weapons and biological and chemical weapons that could bring the end to everything we know and love -- it is time for us to point to the true One family that encompasses us all so that we may find a way to regard each other with the compassion and understanding that should be the utmost characteristic of our human race. Only in this way will our world be spared.

Thomas Ross Holme Sept 12, 2002

Thomas Williams is a cousin of ours. His g-g-g-grandparents were Paul Evensen Uglem and Sigrie Bervendatter Draxten, who are also our ancestors. Tom has done extensive genealogical research on our roots and it is largely thanks to his research that I have been able to extend our database back to 1650 AD in this line.

I am including this letter from Tom, received today, Sept 13, 2002, for two reasons. First because he explains the old Norwegian naming system in such simple terms and hopefully his letter will end a lot of confusion. And secondly, because of the way he explains his own interest in genealogy.

Ross

"Hi Ross, It's great to know that some other descendants appreciate the information I've provided. I remember when I first got hooked on genealogy. I was working in Salt Lake City on business about 15 years ago, and happened to walk by the Mormon's Family History Library there. I walked in, learned that it was free and open to the public, sat down at one of the computer terminals and started typing in some names. Nothing connected until I tried my father-in-law, and immediately had his genealogy back to the 1400's! History had never been a particular interest of mine until I learned about my ancestors. It somehow makes it seem more personal to know that your ancestors lived through the events. My Norwegian side is on my Dad's side. I've found much more interesting stuff on my Mom's side: including a probable connection to a soldier killed in Custer's Last Stand.

The Norwegian naming custom was that every child took the father's name as a second name, and then a farm name as a third name. The third name is normally treated as a surname, but it could change if the person moved to another farm. Thus, Uglem, Draxten, and Lien are the names of farms in Selbu Norway, which probably still exists. Many of the farms had more than one family living on them at the same time, which just complicates the research for genealogists like ourselves. Some of my ancestors, the sons of Anders Eidem, grew up on the Eidem farm. Later the sons left that farm for another farm called Woken (probably because another sibling inherited the parent's farm). As a result these sons usually used Woken as their surname.

More soon, Tom "

This letter just came in today, Sept 14, 2002. Janet Kendal is connected to me through my McNaughton tree and we have exchanged a few correspondances and have MSN messenger. This particular letter has nothing in it about genealogy, but it is a special letter to me because it is a very nice feeling when someone lets us know that they understand us and appreciate our efforts. It made my day.

Hi again Thomas,

Have seen you popping on and off the internet...

I just wanted to mention that I have gone over most of your web site, the personal stories, the photographs, the poetry! Wow. What a full and rich (if not painful at times) life you seem to have had. When you wrote about your lost daughters I felt for you, since I have three daughters of my own, and cannot imagine never seeing them or knowing what they are thinking and feeling. I am sorry.

I applaud all of your efforts in putting together this web site, as well as your open-ness in what you have included. It is honest, and that is a rare thing, sadly.

It would be nice to keep in touch,

Janet

PS. From Montréal, like Ellie!

Here is a wonderful letter from Cousin Jay, recieved today - January 1, 2003. What I love about it is that he shows in his letter how we may disagree with each other, but how the differences we may have do not, and should not, become more important than the spirit in our hearts -- especially true on a New Years Day like this one, which sets the tone for the whole year.

Ross,

I read your post on the website that dealt with generational morality - hiding supposed sins and living lies etc.

My particular take on that is quite simple; and likely at odds with you or others.

Like our staid and starched forbearers, I believe there exists, and has always existed, moral absolutes. The relativists are by definition failed, since to believe there are no absolutes requires the absolute belief that there are no absolutes - which is, of course, a failed definition for the philosophy.

Torsten & Johanna, brothers, sisters, mothers, and brothers lived honorable lives; but like us all, were sinners. So what? Were you expecting something grander?

I appreciate all the work you have done and continue to do. But like any form of reporting, it is best done with an absence of editorialization - I think when facts are presented, descendents can do the interpretation for themselves non?

My reading on my ancestry is awe inspiring. We haven’t descended from great wealth, we haven’t descended from royalty; but we have descended from hard working and honest God fearing people. How could it be any better? We are the people that will inherit the earth.

Love you cousin Ross, and wish you the best in this New Year.

Jay Page