It All Started . . .

Getting Started with Genealogy

Darlene (Strand) Owen Jones

It started with Mom.

Mom collected early photos of her family and asked my artistic husband to make them into a collage.  Who were these people?  When and where were the photos taken?  I recognized my Grandma and Grandpa Strand and my aunts and uncles.  But who were the others?

Then there were names and birthdays.  Mom wrote them down.  I wrote them down.  And when we visited Norway in 1986, her cousin Anna wrote down our Norwegian ancestors back for most of two hundred years.

What do you do with the photos and the names and the birthdates?  I didn’t know, so just continued to collect them in notebooks.  Then last year I got a software program, Family Tree Maker.  Easily I typed in the names and dates we had collected.  There were several hundred – which seemed like a lot.

As I started, I had two questions:  “How did my grandparents get from Norway to North Dakota?” and “Who are my other cousins - second and third cousins, second cousins once removed - the ones I’ve never met?”

The first discovery was that my grandparents didn’t know each other in Norway.  They a lived thousand miles apart.  We don’t know exactly how they met, but in 1907 they lived only a few miles from each other in North Dakota.

Through the magic of the internet, I found the ship manifest showing that my grandfather, Enevold Strand, left Liverpool, England in April 1904 and two weeks later, via Canada, was in Fingal, North Dakota with his friend Emil.

After considerably more searching, I found that Esther Anderson arrived in Boston in April 1907, traveling to North Dakota to meet up with her brother Enoch in Valley City, North Dakota.

So my first question was answered.  And as often happen, finding one answer leads to many more questions: why Fingal, how and why did all of the Strand family join Enevold, why did they leave Fingal, and many more.  Tracking down grandpa’s brothers and sisters led me to many new “Strand” cousins.

Once again, the internet has played a huge role in my searches.  Through Face Book and ancestry.com I am now in contact with many cousins throughout the country.  Best of all, I’m now connected to cousins in Norway.  I hope to visit them in the near future. And I’ve joined the local chapter of Sons of Norway to learn more about my Norwegian heritage.  Genealogy is alive!

Strand Family photos collected by Clara Strand Owen

Collage created by Jimmie Jones
March 2014

Esther Strand's 89th Birthday in 1971

Esther turned 89 on April 30, 1971.  

She was born in Hollund, Hordaland, Norway on April 30, 1882

Her family celebrated with her in Eugene, Oregon

Grandchildren:

Jerry Strand, Jay Coster, Barbara Crowe, Esther Strand, David Snell, Paul and Dale Berg

Esther with her daughter Norma Coster & her husband Grant, her grandchildren Jay Coster and Barbara Crowe and her great-grandchildren Christian and Sivje Crowe

Esther with 8 of her 9 children helping celebrate

(youngest to oldest from left)

LaVerne, Buddy, Clara, Norma, Lillian, Morris, Emma, Alma

missing - Bernice

Esther with her children Alma and LaVerne Strand watching

Four generations with Esther

Daughters Emma Berg and Clara Owen

Grandchildren Jerry Strand, Barbara Crowe, and in-laws Bobbi Berg and Terri Snell

Great-grandchildren Paige & Serena Snell, Christian & Sivje Crowe, Joan Strand, John Paul Berg 

Were you there?

Unfortunately, I wasn't.

Timeline for Nikolai Strand

Timeline for Nikolai I. Strand

1852 - Nikolai Marthin Isaksen born Sortland, Nordland, Norway

1854 – Henrietta (Hendrikki) Marie Berg born Buksnes, Nordland, Norway

1879 - Nikolai and Henrietta married

1880 – Hans Angel Nikolaisen born in Bø, Sortland, Nordland, Norway

1881 – Imar Enevold Neander Nikolaisen born in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway

1882 – Nikolai purchased land: Strand - Gnr. 1 (farm 1) Brnr. 4 (parcel 4.)

1883- Nikolai “Herman” Oberg Nikolaisen born in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway

1884 – Elenor “Nora” Jorgine Nikolaisdtr. born in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway

1887 – Andrea Nikoline Nikolaisdtr. born in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway (also listed with surname Enoksdtr.)

1889 – Thora Elise Nikolaisdtr. born in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway

1893 – Nanna Marie Nikolaisdtr.  born in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway (also listed with surname Enoksdtr.)

1896 – Marie Nikoline Nikolaisdtr. born in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway (also listed with surname Enoksdtr.)

1896 – Henrietta died in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway (age 41)

1897 – Marie died in Strand, Sortland, Nordland, Norway (age 1)

1904 – Enevold emigrated to America

1905 – Herman emigrated to America

1906 – Nikolai, Nora, Andrea, Nanna and Thora emigrated to America

1907 – Hans, Dina and Astrid emigrated to America

1910 – Nora died in North Dakota (age 25)

1926 – Nikolai died in Montana (age 73)

1951 – Herman died in North Dakota (age 68)

1952 – Andrea died in Montana (age 64)

1955 - Hans died in North Dakota (age 75)

1960 – Enevold died in Washington State (age 78)

1963 – Nanna died in North Dakota (age 70)

1969 – Thora died in Washington State (age 80)

Elizabeth Clark Owen obituary 1913

The Homer Star – October 23, 1913

Homer, Dakota County, Nebraska

Family name is usually spelled Owen (not Owens)

MRS. OWENS IS DEAD

Oldest Woman in Dakota County Dies at the Age of 96 Years

Elizabeth Dorinda Clark, was born in Pennsylvania on August 19, 1817 and died in Homer, Nebraska, Sunday night, October 19, 1913, aged 96 years and two months.  She moved with her parents to Michigan in 1829.  At the age of 17 she was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church of Orion, Michigan, and remained a member to the time of her death.

She was united in marriage in 1836, at Pontiac, Michigan, to Charles Owens, who preceded her to the other world in 1863.  To this union were born 10 children, six of whom are still living to mourn the loss of mother.  Mrs. Mary E. Adams, of Bellingham, Wash., Mrs. Minerva C. Williams, of Ardmore, Okla., Romaine Owens of Brewster, Wash., Asa Owens, Folsom Cal., Mrs. Daniel Purdy, at Homer, Mrs. William Parvin, Lowell, Mo.

She has 45 grandchildren, 88 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.  Three brothers survive her, Romaine Clark, Orion; Chauncey Clark, Metamora; and Smyth Clark all in the state of Michigan.

In 1864 she moved with her family to Blue Earth County, Minnesota, where she experienced all the hardships and sufferings of an early pioneer.  She remained in that county until 1893, when she traveled in a covered wagon to Joplin, Mo.

From there she came to Homer, Nebraska, in 1897, making her home with her daughter Mrs.  Daniel Purdy.  In 1901 she fell and fractured her hip and since that time she has been an invalid.  She has always been a patient sufferer.  Death came to her not as a dread monster, but rather as a welcome messenger who would take her to her home on high.

For several months she has been failing, but on last Thursday there was a decided change for the worse and the end came peacefully on Sunday night. Funeral services were held at the home and at the Methodist church in Homer on Thursday afternoon, Rev. L. R. Keekler officiating.  The remains were laid to rest in the Omaha Valley cemetery.

Timeline for Seth and Edna Owen

Seth and Edna Owen Timeline

1882  Seth Owen born in Mankato, Blue Earth, MN on June 28 to Charles Romaine & Mary Marquette Owen

1888  Mary “Edna” Morris born Deedsville, Miami, Indiana on August 18 to John E & Julia Lockwood Morris

1889  Edna moved to homestead near Bridgeport WA with her parents Township 30N., Range 25, Section 31 a 200 acre parcel with 1 – 160 acre parcel and 2 -  side by side 40 acre parcels

 1889  Seth moved to De Smet, Kingsbury, SD with parents  

1900 census Seth living in De Smet with parents and brothers Fred and Romaine

1900 census Edna living in Douglas County with parents

1906(?)  Seth homesteaded in Washington between Mansfield and Bridgeport adjoining the homestead of his parents Charles Romaine and Mary Owen Township 29N., Range 26E, Section 31 160 acres

1908 Seth and Edna married near Bridgeport 

1909 Jessie born near Bridgeport

1910 census Seth & Edna in Dyer Precinct - Douglas county (Bridgeport)

1910 Stella born near Bridgeport

1911 granted land patent near Waterville, WA

1911 Donald born

1913 Donald died (scarlet fever) age 2

1913 Dorothy born near Bridgeport

Left homestead when crops were blown away; dry land farming

1914(?) Moved to Mansfield (20 miles east of Chelan) first on a small farm then into town with no running water, electricity or indoor plumbing

1915 Frances born in Mansfield

1918 lived in Mansfield (Seth’s WWI draft registration)

1919 Kenneth born in Mansfield

1920 census in Mansfield as a farmer Seth, Edna, Jessie, Stella, Dorothy, Francis, Kenneth

Moved to Waterville (NE of Wenatchee)

1924 Moved to Buckley (near Puyallup) to be a veterinarian.  His parents & brother Charlie had moved to PA

1925 Shirley born in Buckley

1928 Robert born in Buckley

1928 Moved to Port Angeles 708 S. Chambers

1930 Ardis born in Port Angeles

1930 census Seth, Edna and all 8 children living at 708 S. Chambers

1939 Seth, Edna, Frances, Kenneth, Stella, Dorothy living at 708 S. Chambers (City Directory)

1939 Dorothy died (diabetes) age 25

1940 census Seth, Edna, Frances, Kenneth, Stella, Ardis, Robert, Shirley living at 708 S. Chambers

1941 Seth operated service station at 1^st & Peabody (WWII draft registration)

1959 Edna died (heart) age 70

1962 Seth died (colon cancer) age 79

1991 Frances died (lung) age 75

1993 Kenneth died (stroke) age 74

1999 Shirley died (lung & obesity) age 74

2005 Ardis died age 75

2007 Jessie died (old age) age 98

2007 Stella died (old age) age 96

2011 Robert died (lung & heart) age 83

Timeline for Joseph and Olive Marquette (Market)

Timeline for Joseph and Olive Marquette/Market

1804?  Joesph Marquette Sr. born in Canada                                       Name spelled

1820? Olive (?Morgantha) born in Canada

1838? Joseph Jr. born in Canada (m. 1861 Elnor Rubido)

1840 Olive born in Canada (m. 1856 Albert Odett)

1841 Family emigrated to USA (1900 census for Olive)

1848  Maria  born in Worchester, MA (m. James DeCann)

1850 census in Massachusetts (Rice household)                                 Marquet

1850 Mary born in Worchester, MA (m. 1875 Seth Owen)

1852 Adaline born in MA (m. 1871 Charles Butts)

1854 Edward “Ned” born in MA (m. 1874 Mary Rubedo)

1855? Abraham born in ?New Hampshire

1855 moved to Fillmore, MN

1856 William “Henry” born in Fillmore, MN (m. 1881 Lizzie Roerig)      

1857 census in Fillmore, Fillmore County, MN                                 Marguette

1860 census in Fillmore, Fillmore County, MN                                Marquette

1861 Melvina born in MN (m. 1877 John O’Brien)

1863 Josephine born in MN (m. 1877 Joseph Senasac)

1870 census in Center Creek, Martin County, MN                            Market

1872 land patent Joseph Sr. NW1/4 Sec 22-160 acres                       Market

1875 census in McPherson, Blue Earth, MN                                     Market

1880 census in McPherson, Blue Earth, MN                                     Markett

1884 Joseph died in Blue Earth, MN                                                 Market

1885 census (Olive only) in McPherson, Blue Earth, MN                Markett

1889 Olive died in Blue Earth, MN                                                   Marquette

Marquette children were married in Minnesota - most listed as Market or Markett

Need: record of birth, marriage, immigration, where buried for Joseph and Olive

Timeline for Charles C and Elizabeth Clark Owen

Timeline for Charles C and Elizabeth Dorinda Clark Owen

1808 Charles C born in Goshen, Orange, NY

1817 Elizabeth Dorinda Clark born in Damascus, Wayne, PA

1829 Elizabeth moved to Oakland (later Lapeer) County Michigan (MI) with parents Elijah Bailey Clark and Mary Ann Yerkes

1831? Charles moved to Oakland County with Asa

1836 Charles and Elizabeth married in Pontiac, MI

1836 Catherine Owen born in MI

1837 Charles purchased 80 acres in Oakland County MI 4N,10E,E1/2,NE1/4,15

1836 Mary Owen (Weston) born in MI

1843 Elijah Clark Owen born in MI

1845 Henry Clay Owen born in MI

1847 Minerva Celestina Owen (Williams) born in MI

1849 Charles Romaine Owen born in Orion, Oakland, MI

1850 census in Elba, Lapeer, MI

1852 Elva Owen (Purdy) born in MI

1855 William Asa Owen born in MI

1858 Isabel Marthey Owen born in MI

1860 census in Elba, Lapeer, MI

1863 Charles C Owen died in Elba

1864 Elizabeth moved to Blue Earth County, Minnesota (MN) to be with son Clark; took younger children

1870 census Elizabeth in McPherson, Blue Earth MN

1875 census Elizabeth in McPherson, Blue Earth MN

1880 census Elizabeth in McPherson, Blue Earth MN

1893 Elizabeth moved to Joplin, MO

1897 Elizabeth moved to Nebraska (NE) with daughter Elva Purdy

1900 census Elizabeth in Homer, Dakota NE

1910 census Elizabeth in Homer, Dakota NE

1913 Elizabeth died in Homer, Dakota, NE