Ola Styrkåson øvre Oppheim was born 5 Nov 1835 at the Oppheim farm in Oppheim, Vossestrand, Hordaland, Norway. His parents were Styrkår Olson øvre Oppheim, b. 1809 and Brytteva Brynjulvsdatter Ure, b. 1811; and was the eldest of their three children. He married in in 1856 in Vossestrand to Anna Knutsdatter Styve, b. 1823 in Evanger, Voss, Hordaland, Norway. In 1880, he and Anna, and their 5 children; the youngest born that same year, set sail from Bergen for America. Eventually they ended up in Chicago, Illinois. After being in America 9 years Ole loses his Anna, his wife of 33 years; to meningitis. A year later Ole was married again to Annie Johnson, b. c1849, who was also a Norwegian immigrant. He and Annie stayed in Chicago where Ole was working as a machine hand in a chair factory. There was a Vossing by the name of Andrew Johnson Gjerager who became known as Andrew P. Johnson. He formed the Johnson Chair Company in Chicago which was a very large and successful company. Many Voss immigrants worked for him, so it is possible that Ole may have worked there. He died on 6 Jun 1913 of arteriosclerosis and endocarditis, a heart condition. He was buried in Mt. Olive Cemetery in Chicago. Ole was known as Ole Olson.
His son Knut was married and moved to Montana where he was first an accountant, and then a business owner selling cigars. He had two children that died young. Nothing is known about Ole’s daughter Brytteva. Anna was married to Sjur Eirikson Arnetveit and you may read about them here. Ola went to North Dakota with Knut. He and Knut had joined up with Mons Teigen (Vossing) to go into sheep ranching and brought 3200 head of sheep in to Gallatin county. Ole drowned in the river in 1897 and Knut eventually sold his interest back to Mons who would become one of the biggest sheep ranchers in the state. Maria married Nils Olson, a Norwegian from Resor, Norway. He was a captain of a lake boat. They had 7 children. One was an engineer and one an accountant.
Of the children and descendants of Ole and Anna, it seems America was kind to them. Two sons involved with the formation of the largest sheep ranch in Montana, a business owner; his grandchildren, accountant and an engineer. I think Ole and Anna would be proud.
His son Knut was married and moved to Montana where he was first an accountant, and then a business owner selling cigars. He had two children that died young. Nothing is known about Ole’s daughter Brytteva. Anna was married to Sjur Eirikson Arnetveit and you may read about them here. Ola went to North Dakota with Knut. He and Knut had joined up with Mons Teigen (Vossing) to go into sheep ranching and brought 3200 head of sheep in to Gallatin county. Ole drowned in the river in 1897 and Knut eventually sold his interest back to Mons who would become one of the biggest sheep ranchers in the state. Maria married Nils Olson, a Norwegian from Resor, Norway. He was a captain of a lake boat. They had 7 children. One was an engineer and one an accountant.
Of the children and descendants of Ole and Anna, it seems America was kind to them. Two sons involved with the formation of the largest sheep ranch in Montana, a business owner; his grandchildren, accountant and an engineer. I think Ole and Anna would be proud.
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