Our grandfather's grandfather, Ole J. Olson, was born January 8, 1830 and was christened January 23, 1830.  Although he has been named Ole J. Vold and Ole J. Olson Wold / Wald in other family histories, there are very few original documents where Ole J. he calls himself anything other than Ole Olesen, Ole J. Olesen, or Ole J. Olson. (see Palistine church record).   He was born the oldest son of Ole Iverson Volden, and christened at the Lutheran church in Årdal, Norway, a church which still stands today.  According to the parish record, Ole emigrated from Årdal on 14 April, 1854.  Once in America, Ole J. settled in the growing Mission township, Fox River settlement, in north central Illinois.  Here he met and married Bertha Andersdatter from Gaard, Talgje, Norway.  The most likely marriage date has been found on a marriage certificate from La Salle county, Illinois with the names "Ole Olson and Betsey Anderson", married Sept. 15, 1855.  Although our family history always records Ole's wife's name as Bertha, several other documents list her as Betsey including the census records from 1860 and 1870, and the land deed records from Polk county Iowa.  Of these records the census records are the most important because they also list the early children of the family, and these correspond to the list of children known through the written family history.  The land deeds show that Ole J. did in fact own land on the northern border of Polk county Iowa near the Norwegian settlements of Slater and Cambridge.  In fact, the land that Ole J. owned can be easily located because it is now bisected by the I-35 freeway, on the northern most edge of Polk county--1 mile south of  highway 210.

While living and farming in Polk county, Ole J and family probably did most of their business in the town of Cambridge in Story Co. which was slightly closer and more accessible than Elkhart at the time.  They were active members of the 1st Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Palistine township.  This congregation is still there, west of I-35 on highway 210 (although the original building burned in about1950). The land that Ole J. Olson owned was exactly 1 mile south and 1 mile east of the church.

Ole J. Olson Wald died June 1, 1908 in the town of Thor, Humboldt Co., Iowa.

His death record is listed in the Humboldt county records of 1908 under the name:
Wald, Ole J. O., 
born Jan. 7, 1830, 
divorced, 
farmer; 
Father: Peter Vold, 
Brith place: Norway,
place of burial: Slater, IA, 
cause of death: Apoplexy.

There can be little doubt that this is the actual death record of our great great grandfather, Ole J. Olson, and the date in Cleva Darling's history (1906) is probably incorrect. The informant listed is Ole J.'s son, Severin Wald who was a well known lawyer for many years in Slater. (The birth date given here is also incorrect by one year).