This is a series of genealogy-related emails begun by Brad Wogsland in August of 2006.
Wednesday, August 2, 2006 8:10 am
Hello Wrolstad Webmaster,
As you may or may not know, the Vraalstad farm in Norway is adjacent to the Vaagsland farm. Naturally, there was much intermarriage - so we are probably related! I wanted to invite you to look at my site
where perhaps you can tell me how for back on the tree our common ancestor is.
Thanx,
Brad Wogsland
Dear Brad Wogsland; Our "webmaster" Frank Grahek, forwarded your note because I am sort of the family historian, not to be confused with genealogist. Congratulations on a lively website. I was particularly pleased to see you have been in contact with Melvin Voxland. I hope he is still in good health. I haven't seen him since the 80's so there could have been a lot of changes.
On the Vraalstad-Vaagsland connection, I agree there must have been a lot of intermarriage. Your observation that the farms were adjacent is also true in central Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, my father operated a general merchandise store and the Wogsland farm was just down the road as well as the Wrolstad farms. In Tordal, the Wogslands operate a general store in Bostrak and the Vraalstad farms are just down the road.
I assume you have Melvin's "Voxland Viking Saga". We do have a limited number of copies of the Wrolstad Family History that is available at $25, including s & h. Most of the text is available on the website. It is the genealogy, etc., prior to 1825 that may interest you...plus some appendices. There is another Malcolm Rosholt book, "From The Indian Lands" that you might get by inter-library loan. In the Vraalstad Ancestra Line beginning on page 8 of Melvin's book, number 10, Torbjorn Jorgenson (1584-1667) may be the closest common ancestor, but there could well be an earlier connect.
Always interesting! I note the edu in your address...meaning what?
Hilsen, Marwin
Hello Cousin Marwin,
Genealogy has be a hobby since my grandfather died about 15 years ago and I took over his work. He was in contact with Melvin in the 80's before that, but I unfortunately haven't ever been. Most of what I have done is put my grandfather's (and my wife's grandmother's) work online. My grandfather had intended to put a book together, but I think the web format is much more condusive to the nature of families. Like you I have also striven to be a historian rather than just a genealogist compiling a list of begats, but sometimes that is all one has.
I have Melvin's book (from my grandfather) which has an immense amount of info in it, and I would love to have a copy of the Wrolstad Family History - just tell me where to send the check. For a long time I wondered if that Ole Olson Wrolstad was just another name for my ancestor Ole Olson Wogsland who immigrated about the same time and lived in the same area because my Ole's name already appears in several different variations in the historical record. It will be nice to see how he is related to me through Torbjorn Jorgenson. I also have several of Rosholt's books on that area of Wisconsin, one of which is now available online:
http://library.uwsp.edu/pcl/history/ourcounty/
Universities get to use the .edu suffix on webages and email. Right now I am at the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) working on my Ph.D. in physics, but it is through the University of Tennessee. I am somewhat younger than usual genealogist - my parents were born about the same time as your son Bradley:
Wogsland.org/genealogy/1979/bradley_james_wogsland.html
tusen takk,
Brad
Brad; The check should be made payable to the Wrolstad Family Reunion and you can send it to me at 1346 Conservatory Court, Saint Paul, MN 55117-4586. Am leaving for about 8 days and will pick up on your last communication when I get back. Ha det bra, Mar (rather than Marwin which prompts people to call me Marv.)
Brad received the "Wrolstad Family History" in the mail August 12th