Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Redwood County Home

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards.  Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends.  There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.


I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs.  In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child.  None of mine have any  writing either.


So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

The fifth postcard place is Redwood County Home in Redwood Falls, Minnesota:

A little research from the ever-so-handy Wikipedia, tells me this building was only called the Redwood County Home from 1940-1967.  Prior to this it was the poorhouse and the Home for the aged.  After 1967 it was called the Redwood County Nursing Home.

Leola was born in 1909, so she would have been between 30 and 50 years old at the time.  What significance might the Redwood County Home have had for Leola?

Connecting Haktor T Wicks to Haktor H Wicks - Part 4

Continuing to make the connection between Hactor T Wicks and Hactor H Wicks (Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 for more information)

With the help of a couple people in the Ancestry.com forum for Hordaland, Norway, we have new insights on the Hactor T. Wicks and Hactor H. Wicks connection.  Thanks Brian and Toril!


The results of the past few weeks of research indicate that Hactor Hactorsen Wicks is an uncle to Hactor Torjulsen Wicks.


Keep in mind here that Hactor T's father was Torjuls Hactorsen according to the 1865 Norwegian census.

Norwegian Baptismal Records indicate the following:

• Torgild Hactorsen and his twin brother Lars Hactorsen were baptized on 13 December 1812 in Skaanevik, Hordaland, Norway.  Their parents were listed as Hactor Wiiger and Brithe.

• LARS & TORGILD are on the right page in the link below, first baptism in December.  Source information: Hordaland county, Skånevik, Parish register (official) nr. A 2 (1790-1824), Birth and baptism records 1813, page 94. http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=11664&idx_id=11664&uid=ny&idx_side=-91
• Hactor Hactorsen was  baptized on 30 November 1817 in Skaanevik, Hordaland, Norway.  His parents were Hactor Wiiger and Brithe.

• Column heading translation: Entry Number | Year aand Date | Child's Full Name | Date of Baptism | Parents Names, Class, Occupation and Address | Godparent's Names, Class, and Residence | Where entered in General Register | Remarks
• HACTOR, nr. 82. Source information: Hordaland county, Skånevik, Parish register (official) nr. A 3 (1815-1828), Birth and baptism records 1818, page 22.  http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=11665&idx_id=11665&uid=ny&idx_side=-23

For good measure, let's throw in the assumed older brother, Ole:

• Ole Hactorsen was baptized on 24 March 1811 in Skaanevik, Hordaland, Norway.  His parents were Hactor Wikke and Brithe.

• OLE, left page, almost at the bottom. Source information: Hordaland county, Skånevik, Parish register (official) nr. A 2 (1790-1824), Birth and baptism records 1811, page 39.  http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=11664&idx_id=11664&uid=ny&idx_side=-38

Brian informed me that Torgild and Ole were confirmed on 2 December 1828 and the farm was listed as Vike, though I don't know which reference provides this information.

Toril also mentioned that Wiiger, Wikke, and Vike are the same farm.  So I suppose it's just different spellings based on the timeframe or pronunciation.



Additional Notes:
If you are having trouble reading those images, I was also able to find the baptismal data on http://www.familysearch.org/.

Another neat reference is the explanation of Norwegian Parish Registers in Norwegian Kirkebker - Parish Registers.

Amanuensis Monday: Lowell Workman Honored on 80th Birthday

The following news clipping was retrieved from Grandma Leola's files and was likely printed in the Brookings Register or the Sterling township news in 1961.

Lowell Workman Honored on 80th Birthday

Eureka - Lowell Workman marked his 80th birthday Feb. 24 and was honored at a party at his farm home 10 miles north of Brookings.

The evening was spent visiting and a short program presented events from his lifetime.

Present were his four children: Mr and Mrs. Merle Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. George Workman, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Reed, all of Brookings; and Rev. and Mrs. David Workman and family of Sioux City, Iowa; a brother Jesse Workman; and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gossau, Mr. and Mrs. Ed clifford and Mr. and Mrs. Keith Clifford and family.

One of the first persons born in Brookings County, Workman still resides on the same farm, only a few rods from the sod house in which he was born.

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Stock Exchange, Chicago, Illinois

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.



I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs. In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.


So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

This week's postcard place is the Stock Exchange in Chicago, Illinois:

I know that Grandma Leola's sister Ada lived in Chicago at one point.  But I'm not sure if Leola ever visited her in Chicago.

What significance might the Chicago Stock Exchange have in Leola's life?

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Sanborn, Iowa

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.

I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs. In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.

So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

This week's postcard place is Sanborn, Iowa:

The postcard caption reads: "Main St. Sanborn, IA".

What was the significance of Sanborn, Iowa to Grandma Leola?

Sunday's Obituary: Madala Wicks

Obituary and notice of death for Mrs. Madala Wicks from The Roland Record in 1932

From the Roland Record, Roland, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, December 28, 1932.

MRS. WICKS DIED SUNDAY
HAD LIVED IN ROLAND COMMUNITY FOR OVER HALF CENTURY

Mrs. H. T. Wicks died at 6:00 o'clock Sunday evening at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Julia Christianson north of Roland, where she had been staying since she suffered a stroke about three months ago.

The funeral will be held Thursday afternoon at 1:30 at the Christianson residence and at 2:00 o'clock in Bergen church with Rev. M. O. Sumstad in charge.

Mrs. Wicks would have been 86 years of age if she had lived another month and had lived in this community for more than fifty years. An obituary will be published next week.

Also from The Roland Record, Roland, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, January 4, 1933.

MRS. H. T. WICKS

Mrs. Madala Wicks wss born January 11, 1847, in Skaanevigs prestegjeld, Norway, her parents being Torres and Elizabeth Vika. She grew to womanhood in Norway and on April 3, 1870 was married to Hactor T. Wicks coming to America the same year and settling in Lisbon, Ill.

They came to Iowa in 1875 and lived on a farm northeast of Roland until 1882 when they moved to a farm 4 1/2 miles north of Roland where they lived 34 years. In 1916 they retired from the farm and moved to Roland to spend their remaining years. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary April 3, 1920. Mr. Wicks preceded her in death, on July 23, 1924.

She suffered a stroke a apoplexy 8 months ago and since then has been failing. The last 3 months she has made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Julia Christianson, passing away on December 25th being 85 years, 11 months and 14 days old. She has been a member of Bergen Lutheran church since coming to this community.

Mr. and Mrs. Wicks had 10 children two of whom, Millie and Thomas, died in infancy. Those left to mourn her death are Mrs. Ben Borwick, Mrs. Andrew H. Twedt, Tom H . Wicks, Mrs. John Waage of Brookings, S. D., Mrs. Julia Christianson, Mrs. J. E. Jacobson, Theo. H. Wicks and Mrs. G. T. Halverson of Belmond. She also leaves 58 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren, 3 half sisters, Mrs. Ole Wicks of Roland, Mrs. Theo. Carpenter of Story City and Mrs. Golla Orton of Norway, 3 half brothers, Thomas Wicks of Clarion, Tom Wicks of Story City and George Wicks of Elmore, Minn.

The funeral was held at the Christianson home and at Bergen church Thursday afternoon, Rev. M. O. Sumstad officiating. Interment was made in the Roland cemetery. Pall bearers were Ben Borwick, Andrew H. Twedt, J. E. Jacobson, Theo. Wicks, Tom Wicks and G. T. Halverson.

Among those from a distance who attended the funeral were Mrs. Ida Waage, Thomas and Viola Waage of Brookings, S. D., Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ziergler and 2 children of Volga, S. D., Mr. and Mrs. Garfield Halverson and 2 children of Belmond, Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Wicks and son Cryder Wicks and sons Orville and Everett of Kanawha, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wicks, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Hill, Mrs. Knute Munson and Mr. and Mrs. Elias Olson and daughter Bernice of Clarion, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Arthur of Eagle Grove, Mr. and Mrs. Selmer Norem and Clarence Norem of Radcliffe, Mr. William Mackstad and Mr. Keneil Swenson of Nevada.

Source: Iowa GeneWeb Story County Obituaries, (http://iagenweb.org/boards/story/obituaries/index.cgi?read=272157) on 2/3/2011.

Connecting Haktor T Wicks to Haktor H Wicks - Part 3

Continuing my search for the connection between Haktor T Wicks and Haktor H Wicks (Read Part 1 and Part 2):

As I promised in Part 2, I'll start this post off with the Norwegian Census.  Since Haktor H Wicks immigrated in 1867 and Haktor T Wicks immigrated in 1870, the 1865 census seemed like the place to begin the search.  It would likely have been amongst the last public records of the two being at the same farm. 

I was not successful in finding the Haktors by name in the 1865 census.  Next I tried using the farm search and searched for "Vike".  The index found twenty-four entries for Vike in Hordaland, which happens to be where Skanevik is located.  Clicking on Hordaland's link, it then found twelve entries for Skaanevig (Norwegian form of Skanevik).  All twelve entries are listed in the same District, Page, School District, Local Parish, and Parish. 

District no: 6
Page: 215
School distr: 6th
Local Parish: Aaker
Parish: Skaanevig
Farm: Vike

Many of the 80 names listed for this farm have contain some form of Haktor. This looks very promising!  Scanning down the list of names:

• Person #, Household, Name, Relation, Occupation, Martial Status, Age, Gender
• 1900, 1, Ole Hactors., husfader, Gaardbruger og Selveier, g, 54, m
• Horses: 1, Cattle: 10, Sheep: 20, Pig: 2, Oat: 3, Potatoes: 2
• 1901, , Kari Johannesd., hans Kone, , g, 66, k
• ... two female servants (Tjenestepige)
• 1904, 1, Hactor %H% Ols., hans Fader, Føderaadsmnd, g, 83, m
• 1905, , Britta Torjusd., hans Kone, , g, 85, k
• 1906, 1, Hactor Hactors., Logerende, Sømand, g, 47, m
• 1907, , Guri Tallaksd., hans Kone, g, 29, k
• 1908, , Hactor Hactors, deres Søn, , ug, 2, m
• 1909, , Tallak Hactors, deres Søn, , ug, 1, m
• 1910, , Lisabeth Hactorsd., deres Datter, , ug, 4, k
• 1911, 1, Johannes Johannes., Husfader, Husmand uden Jord, Sømand, g, 41, m
• 1912, , Britta Hactorsd., hans Kone, , g, 39, k
• ... Johannes children (Johannes, Hactor, Ole, Johannes, and Bølla)
• 1918, 1, Torjuls Hactors, Husfader, Husmand uden Jord, Jagtebygger, g, 53, m
• 1919, , Christi Sjursd., hans Kone, , g, 50, k
• 1920, , Sjur %Hactor% Torjulss., deres Søn, , ug, 15, m
• 1921, , Niels Torjulss., deres Søn, , ug, 7, m
• 1922, , Aasa Torjulsd., deres Datter, , ug, 9, k
• 1923, 1, Hactor Torjulss. deres Søn, Sømand, ug, 19, m
• ...  (Johannes and Elias families)
• 1955, 1, Tørris Gudmunds., Husfader, Gaardbruger og Selveier, g, 39, m
• Horses: 1, Cattle: 10, Sheep: 30, Pig: 1, Oat: 4, Potatoes: 4
• 1956, , Alis Tørrisd., hans Kone, , g, 26, k
• ... children of Tørris Gudmunds
• 1960, , Madela Tørrisd., hans Datter, , ug, 19, k

Dictionary: g = married; ug = unmarried; k = female; m = male; Kone = wife; Tjenestepige=female servant in house and farm; Gaardbruger og Selveier = peasant proprietor or freeholder; Logerende=lodger; Husmand uden Jord = man without land.

Based on the Census data above, the family appears to go like this:

• Hactor Olsen -born in 1782, married Britta Torjusdatter
• Ole Hactorsen - born in 1811, married Kari Johannesdater
• Torjuls Hactorsen - born in 1812, married Christi Sjursdatter
• Hactor Torjulssen - born in 1846, married Madela Tørrisdatter
• Hactor Hactorsen - born in 1818, married Guri Tallaksdatter
• Britta Hactorsdatter - born in 1826, married Johannes Johannesen

If this is true, that would make Jessica's Haktor Haktorsen Wicks the uncle to my Haktor Torjulssen Wicks, right?

Now we just need to find references from 1820-1865 that would show the Hactor Olsen family.   I know the censuses between 1801 and 1865 were just statistical and didn't really include names of family members.

I've also found some birth records and marriage records for children in both families via the FamilySearch.org site, but still nothing that really ties Hactor T Wicks or his father Torjuls H Wicks to Hactor H Wicks.

Are there any other Norwegian genealogy references for the 1820-1865 time frame that I'm overlooking?

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Marent Trestle in Missoula, Montana

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.
I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs.

In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.


So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

This week's postcard place is the Marent Trestle in Missoula, Montana:

The text reads: "Marent Trestle, N.P. Ry., Missoula, Mont., 226 Feet High".

Why might the Marent Trestle in Missoula, Montana have been important to Grandma Leola?

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Dennis Morgan

The past two Thursdays, I have shared postcards from Grandma Leola's box of treasures.  Today, I have another postcard, but this one is a picture of Dennis Morgan.

My initial thought, which shows my youth, was who is Dennis Morgan?  So I googled him.  Wikipedia says Dennis Morgan was an actor-singer born in 1908.  His peak acting-singing years were in the 1940s and performed in shows such as God is my Co-Pilot, The Desert Song, Kitty Foyle and Christmas in Connecticut.

Why did Grandma Leola still have this picture postcard of Dennis Morgan?  Is this from an meet-and-greet or autograph session? Was it common for autographed pictures to be on postcards in the 1940s? 

Connecting Haktor T Wicks to Haktor H Wicks - Part 2

Continuing my search for the connection between Haktor T Wicks and Haktor H Wicks (Read Part 1 here):

I started by searching in Ancestry.com, but came up empty handed. Then I remembered Jessica had mentioned Hector was married in Lisbon, Illinois.  Having searched for Illinois marriages before, I headed straight for the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index.  I quickly found two marriages for Hector H Wicks.

Groom:  Wicks, Hector H
Bride: Torreson, Lucinda H
Date: 1891-12-06
Vol./Page: 001/0116
County: Kendall

Groom: Wicks, Hector H
Bride: Scott, Lena
Date: 1899-11-29
Vol./Page: 002/0013
License No.: 00002096
County: Kendall

Requesting copies of these marriage certificates could identify other relatives, who may have been witnesses to the marriage.  Unfortunately, I don't believe these will help us connect Haktor Torjulson Wicks and Haktor Haktorsen Wicks.  It did help me identify that Lisbon, Illinois was in Kendall County though.

The Kendall County, Illinois Rootsweb pages had some helpful references, including "Norwegian Emigrants from Illinois to Iowa" and "Norwegian Lutheran Church Records".  The Kendall County site also linked me over to the Norway Heritage site. There I was able to locate immigration information for Haktor and Guri in 1867 and Haktor and Madala in 1870.

Name: Haktor Haktorsen Vike
Age: 49
Sex: m
Remarks:  Residence Skaanevig
Passenger on: Ship Fredrik Petersen 1867, from Bergen May 6 to Quebec June 6

Name: Guri Vike
Age: 40
Sex: f
Remarks: wife - Residence Skaanevig
Passenger on: Ship Fredrik Petersen 1867, from Bergen May 6 to Quebec June 6
Source: NAC C-4522 list 32 - Transcribed by Paul Scheie - 2004

Name: Haktor Torjussen Vike
Age: 24
Sex: m
Additional: residence Skaanevig
Passenger on:  Ship Mercator 1870, from Bergen Apr. 28 to Quebec June 30

Name:  Madelle Torkildsatter Vike
Age: 23
Sex: f
Additional: residence Skaanevig
Passenger on: Ship Mercator 1870, from Bergen Apr. 28 to Quebec June 30
Source: NAC C4525 list 63 - Transcribed by Paul Scheie - 2005

No discovery of the ships they immigrated on would be complete without finding more information on the ships themselves, right?  I didn't think so!  Here are the links to the ship information for the Ship Fredrick Petersen and the Ship Mercator.

All this is really neat information, but still nothing definitively connects Jessica's Haktor H Wicks and my Haktor T Wicks. 

A little browsing around and I found a link to the Norwegian Census, but I'll save that for Part 3.

Connecting Haktor T Wicks to Haktor H Wicks - Part 1

Recently, I was chatting with a co-worker, Jessica, about family tree books.  She was considering creating a book and I offered to show her the Waage Family Tree book that I created in 2005.  I brought the book in and as she flipped through the first couple pages she noticed the name "Wicks" in the book.  Then she began recognizing town names as the same ones her family had inhabited.

My Wicks relatives listed in the book were Haktor and Madala (Wicks) Wicks, parents to Ida Wicks who was the wife of John Waage.  And no, that isn't a typo Madala's maiden name was Wicks too.    Ironically, Jessica's Wicks connection was Hector and his father's name was Haktor Haktorsen Wicks.

Are we related?  Could this be just a coincidence?

Here are the details I knew about my Haktor:

• Haktor Torjulson Wicks
• was from Aaker, Skanevik, Norway
• married Madala Wicks on April 3, 1870
• immigrated to America with Madala in 1870
• settled in Lisbon, Illinois
• three children were born in Illinois
• moved to Iowa, northeast of Roland around 1875
• seven more children were born in the Roland area

Jessica initially shared the following details:

•  Haktor Haktorsen Vike
• married Guri
• Guri was a sister to Thomas T Scott, born in Skanevik, Norway in 1847
• obituary of Thomas T Scott
• son was Hector Wicks
• was from Skanevik, Norway
• settled in Lisbon, Illinois

While discussing I remembered a little section of the Wicks family tree created by Irene Jacobsen back in the early 1980s. Irene noted that Wicks was the interpreted version of "Vik", which in Norwegian means little harbor.  She wrote:

The word "vik" means "little harbor" in the Norwegian language.  Wicks is the English interpretation of this word.  Norway's rugged coast line is full of fiords, islands, and "little harbors."  In some instances a family name was taken from where they lived.  There are many families that immigrated from "little harbors" so there are many unrelated Wicks families in this country.

Even with the "Wicks is a common name" theory, Jessica and I decided that the names and places were all too similar be purely coincidental.  Now we just need some evidence to prove a connection.

... More to come ...  Part 2