Kolbein was the fifth child and 4th son in a family of six children. His parents were Sjur Knutson Tveite O (1776 – 18822) and Synneva Olsdatter Nåsen (1782 – ). He was married in Vossestrand to Ablu Jonsdatter øvre Vine (1821 – 4 Jan 1892). She was the first born of Jon Halsteinson nedre Vinje (1794 – ) and Sigtru Andersdatter Vinje’s (1794 – 1853) five children.

Kolbein and Ablu lived at Almenningen and had 5 children: Sjur, Kari, Synneva, Jon, and Brita. Kolbein was a tenant farmer at Bygd first, and later he was a cottar at Slen. When Brita was four years old, they went to America. They left Bergen on the 18th of April 1854, just six weeks after Franklin Pierce had been elected as the 14th president of the United States.

Not much is known about Kolbein and Ablu. They had another child in Wisconsin in 1866 and she was named Siverina. By 1880 they are in Erhards Grove in Otter Tail, Minnesota where Kolbein is farming. Three of their 6 children are making their home with them, John, Betsy, and Severina. The whereabouts of the other elude me. In 1885 Kolbein and Ablu are still Erhards Grove and John and Severina are still making their home with their parents. The other four children remain a mystery. The family is using Seversen as their surname and Kolbein is known as Colben. Ablu is Abelu. Kolbein died 4 months after his  wife on 12 Apr 1892. They are both buried in Bagstevold Cemetery in Erhard, Otter Tail, Minnesota.

If anyone has any information on the children of Kolbein and Ablu I would love to hear from you.

Nils and Torbjørg were the first of the Vossings to emigrate. They, along with Nils Bolstad and John H. Bjørgo and others had heard Gjert Hovland’s letter read by a lay preacher travelling through Voss. It was this letter that prompted them to leave their home for America. Nils had no land in Voss so was able to leave quickly and by the 18 April 1836 the Dean had registered them as being emigrated after evidentially receiving a minister’s certificate. They left perhaps from Stavanger on one of the Köhler brigs, or from Bergen. For the first year or two they lived in New York. One source states they were in Orleans County and another indicates they were in Rochester. It is likely that they were at one of the Norwegian settlements at Kendall or Murray townships in Orleans County which is near Rochester. They were reported to have been living in primitive conditions and they later went to Chicago. In 1839 they and many others were reported to be living under limited circumstances in a log house on the north side of the river. Nils had purchased some land and in 1840 built a home on the property where he planned to move. The family fell ill and remained in Chicago. In June 1844 Randver Lydvo and Lars Knutson Dykesten were married in Nils’ and Torbjørg’s home by the Rev. Flavel Bascum of the First Presbyterian Church. Knut died before 1847 as Torbjørg was mentioned that year as being a widow and living in a house she owned in Chicago.

Nothing more is known about them or their children. Being the first Vossings to emigrate, there is of course much interest about what happened to them and their children. If you can help with this mystery please contact me.

Gjertrud Davidsdatter Herheim (28 Apr 1835 – alive 1 Jun 1900) was the daughter of David Olson Herheim (1808 – before 1865) and Brita Eiriksdatter indre Sundve (1809 – ). She was born at the Herheim farm in Vossestrand on 28 Apr 1835 and baptized on 17 May 1835. She came to America about 1873 although I have not found her emigration record. It may be possible that she came to America to help her sister’s husband Gundor Olson with his four motherless children. Gjertrud’s sister Sigvor had been married to Gundor and died in 1872 when her youngest was just about two years old. Two years after Gjertrud’s arrival, on 29 Sep 1875 she and Gundor were married.

Gjertrud and Gundor made their home in Mount Valley Twp. in Winnebago County, Iowa and Gundor continued to farm. They had two children: Susan Karoline (1 Oct 1878 – 15 Jun 1951) and Carl Dartinius (30 May 1880 – 21 Oct 1968).

Susan was married 22 Jan 1895 to Fred Dell Huffman. Some time before 1910 they left Iowa for California where they spent the remainder of their lives. The lived in the Pasadena and Long Beach areas of Los Angeles. Fred was employed as a house plasterer. Susan and Fred raised 9 children.

Carl was married to Tone Moen who was a Norwegian immigrant. For a time Carl was a farmer and in 1920 he was an assistant bank cashier and in 1930 a bank cashier. They had an adopted daughter Ruth. Carl and Tone are buried in Trinity Cemetery in Wanamingo, Goodhue County, Minnesota.

A special thanks to Cynthia McDonald for providing the photos and the permission to use them. The photo of Brita is from my own personal collection and was painted by my great-great grandfather Anders Guleikson Sundvesflyne.

For more about Gjertrud and her descendants click here.

Sigvor Davidsdatter Herheim (15 Jan 1883 – 1872); was the daughter of David Olson Herheim (1808 – before 1865) and Brita Eiriksdatter indre Sundve (1809 – ). On 15 Apr 1857, at the age of 24; she left Norway for America. On the 25 May 1862 she was married in Deerfield, Dane, Wisconsin to Gunder Olson Byønemyr (11 Oct 1826 – 20 Feb 1889) who was from the Vistad farm in Mø [Tokke], Telemark, Norway. They were know by Gundor’s patronym of Olson. Sigvor and Gundor had 4 children with Sigvor dying in 1872, just 2 years after her youngest child was born. Gundor  remarried 3 years later to Sigvor’s sister Gjertrud. Their children were Betsy Oline (1863 – ), Olaus Morgan  (Sep 1864 – 1 Sep 1944), Della Osina (3 May 1966 – 31 Jul 1928); and David (29 Aug 1870 – 13 Sep 1957).

A special thank you to Cynthia McDonald for the photo of Betsy and allowing me to use it. The photo of Brita is from my own personal collection and was painted by my great-great grandfather Anders Guleikson Sundvesflyne.

For more on Sigvor and her descendants click here.