On This Day - January 23, 1862

On This Day....January 23,1862, my 2x great grandparents, Lars O. Olstad and Margaret (Margith) Gunderson were married in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Lars, born in Ringsaker, Hedmark, Norway, immigrated with his parents, Ole Haagensen and Anna Hansdatter, and sister, Helene in 1850.

Margaret, born in Bo, Telemark, Norway, immigrated about 1853 with her mother, Gunild, brothers, Sigurd and Ole, a sister, Anna and a half brother, Andreas (Andrew) Gulbrandson Margaret's farther died 1847. 

Lars and Margaret settled on the farm in Holmen, Wisconsin. In the Long Coulee area and raised two sons, Olaus and George and two daughters, Ovidia and Anbertina. Anbertina is my great grandmother an mother of Edith Viola Dahl, my grandmother.

On This Day - January 22, 1863

On this day, January 22, 1863, Olaus Olstad was born on the old homestead at Long Coulee (Holmen), La Crosse, Wisconsin to Lars and Margaret (Gunderson) Olstad.  Olaus was the oldest child and older brother to my great grandmother, Anbertina Olstad.  Being the eldest son, he was working the farm, you might want to say he was a "Norwegian bachelor farmer" since he was not married, until at the age of 52. In 1915 he married Randine Bjerke.

Olaus as a young man