Guri and her husband Jon lived at the Draugsvoll farm in Vossestrand. In 1876 Guri and her daughter Gjertrud emigrated to America and she made her home with Gjertrud and her family. The 1880 census records that Guri was a widow, but the the Vossestrand records indicate that her husband did not die until 1883. All of her children came to America and she has many descendants since she was the proud grandmother of more than 40 children.

Children:

1. Torbjorg (1847 – ) m. 20 Jun 1875 in Voss to Eirik Guleikson Leidal. They emigrated the same time as Guri and also lived in Winnebago County, Iowa. They had 3 children.

2. Ola (24 Apr 1849 – 4 Dec 1915) m. 11 Oct 1873 in Minnesota to Olina Rognaldsdatter Stalheimsøyne (20 Oct 1853 – 18 Feb 1898). They lived in Minnesota and later moved to Winnebago County, Iowa. He and Olina had 13 children. When Olina died he married Marta Oddsdatter Bratthole (7 Jan 1879 – ) and had 3 children with her.

3. Arne (1852 – after 1925) m. to Marta Andersdatter Hole (the younger) (1869 – after 1925).
4. Anders (18 Feb 1855 – 1 Jul 1939) m. 6 Nov 1880 to Marta Kristoffersdatter Herheim (13 Jul 1862 – 7 Jul 1948). They also made their home in Winnebago County, Iowa. They had 13 children.
5.Gjertrud (7 Jun 1858 – ) m. c1877 to John Reine (1 Jan 1847 – ) who was from Haangsfjorden, Langenes, Vesteraalen, Norway. They also made their home in Winnebago County, Iowa. They had 11 children.

SOURCES: 1865 Norwegian Census (Nordland); 1885, 1895, 1925 Iowa State Census Records; 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 US Cenus Records; Bethel Lutheran Cemetery Transcription Records; Directory of Winnebago County Iowa (1900); Gullickson Family Tree (Gullickson); Iowa Marriage Book 1880 – 1897; Emigrants from Bergen (1874 – 1930); History of Winnebago and Hancock County Iowa, Vol. II (1917); Lake Mills Graphic; Lime Creek Genealogical Society; Obituary (photocopy, unknown source); Tronheim Emigrants (1867 – 1930); Vossestrand Baptism Records (1855 – 1867; 1865 – 1879); Vossestrand Death and Burial Records (1878 – 1903); Vossingen 19th year, Issue 33 (1937); Ættebok for Vossestrand

Botolf  Magneson was the first child and son of Magne Botlovson Bystølen who emigrated in 1837. Botolf was born in the Koshkonong Settlement in Wisconsin on 4 Nov 1847. When he was seven years old father purchased a tract of government land on Section 11 in Rock Dell, Olmsted, Minnesota and they made Minnesota their new home. He received his education in schools in the area, but very early on, he had determined to become a farmer. In 1888 he married Miss  Ella B. Roe. She was born in Dec 1857 in Norway and was the daughter of pioneer settlers in Iowa who had come to Armerica in 1885. Botolf owned 180 acres of land in Olmsted County, Minnesota and made his living farming. He found it hard going in the beginning, but stuck to it and eventually became quite prosperous and it is said that there was not a nicer farm in the entire township. His sister Åsa and her husband Ole Ellingson had a farm (blue) right next to his (green). Botolf had stocks in the Zumbro Creamery Company and in the Farmer’s Telephone Company. He and Ella did not have any children. Botolf died in 1917  and he and Ella are both buried in Zion Cemetery in Rock Dell Twp., Olmsted, Minnesota. His first name was recorded as Botolf, Buttolf, Butle, Bottle, and Buttle.



Sources: 1905 Minnesota State Census Records; 1850; 1860; 1880; 1900; 1910 US Census Records: History of Olmsted County, Minnesota (Leonard); History of the Emigration from Voss (Rene); Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index; Norwegian Immigrants to the United States (Naeseth), Vol. 1; Olmsted County Plat Maps; Zion Lutheran Cemetery Headstones

Kristoffer was the son of Guleik Kristofferson Selje (1797 – 1854 and Gjøri Persdatter Sundvesflyne (1799 – 1859). They were married in 1831 and had five children. The father died when Kristoffer was 20 years old and his mother died five years later. His youngest sibling Anders was just 10 years old when his father died. Kristoffers eldest brother Per took care of the family and Kristoffer worked where ever he could earn a few coins to help the family. In 1863 he married Ingebjørg Davidsdatter Herheim, daughter of David Olson Herheim (1808 – before 1865) and Brita Eiriksdatter indre Sundve (1809 – ) (photo to the right) who were married in 1833 in Vossestrand. Ingebjørg was the third of their six children and was born in April 1838.In 1873 Kristoffer, his wife and 5 children: Marta, Gjøri, David, Guleik, and Ola set off for America. His brother Anders and his new wife Guri, likely went with them. For the first three years Kristoffer farmed in Fertile, Worth County, Iowa. He later bought land in Logan Twp. and moved to Vinje, Winnebago County, Iowa where his brother Anders and many other Vossing people were living. His brother Anders’ wife died after the delivery of her sixth child and Kristoffer and Ingebjørg took in a few of Anders children. When Kristoffer died in 1894 it was likely too difficult for Ingebjørg to raise her 9 children plus the additional difficulties of her brother-in-laws children. She already had her married son David and his 3 children living with her while he attended medical school, and her hands were full. A few of Anders children went and lived with his son Dr. Gilbert Herm and the rest went into foster care.

In America Kristoffer had four more children: Betsie Julia, Susan Alice, Ole, and Lewis. Gilbert (Guleik) and David became doctors, and Ole became a civil engineer building many of the bridges and building in Marshalltown, Iowa. Many of the children stayed in Iowa and other went to South Dakota, California, and Seattle, Washington. They were richly blessed with at least 42 grandchildren.

Some of the children used Gullickson and other used Herm as their surname. Kristoffer was known as Christopher and spelled his surname both Guleikson and Gullickson. He and his wife are both buried in Bethel Lutheran Cemetery in Vinje, Iowa; although they are not together.

Both Kristoffer and his brother Anders sent money to Norway to help their brother Perto buy his home.
Per Guleikson Skjelvik
Kristoffer and Anders brother

SOURCES: 1865 Norwegian Census Records; 1880, 1900 US Census Records; 1895 Iowa State Census Records;  Iowa, Bethel Lutheran Cemetery Headstone s; Gullickson Family Tree Book (Gullickson); History of Winnebago County and Hancock County Iowa, Vol. II; Lime Creek Genealogical  Society – Group Sheet; Winnebago – Births and Christenings;Iowa, Winnebago – Marriage Records;  Letter, Kennison to Ward (in author’s possession); Norwegians in America with Maps (Ulvestad); Vinje, Vossestrand Birth and Baptism Records 1865-1879 and 1866-1877; Ættebok for Vossestrand