This is a series of genealogy-related emails begun by Tim Amundson in July 2006 when he discovered Wogsland.org.
Found your genealogy online after typing in Amund Simonson on the search engine and was astounded when the picture of Amund, Helene, Simon, Anne and Hannah appeared. My name is Tim Amundson and my grandfather was Alfred, Anne's younger brother. I live in Wausau,Wisconsin, and will be visiting my parents in Iola this weekend. I was interested in finding out if you had gotten any information on Amunds family in Norway? I have been trying to but can't seem to zero in. I found some information but not sure how accurate it is? What I have found in one place shows a fathers name of Simon Halverson but no mother. In another place I find a Amund Simonson born in 1852 as a foster child with no fathers name but a mothers name of Ragnild Andersdatter. Was hoping you might have additional information.
As far as children of Amund and Helene I have some information you can add to your information. Simon Amundson died in 1941 being klled in the woods while cutting wood with his brother Oscar. I have a copy of the obituary from the Iola Herald if you would be interested. Also, Harris and Alfred were twins so Harris's birth year is the same. I am pretty sure Harris died almost a year to the day after my grandfather died. I am going to Iola to visit my parents so will stop by the cemetary to verify the year of Harris's death. Odin is also buried there and I can get the year of his birth also.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. I certainly snjoyed the genealogy and following the growth of the Wogsland family. My mother grew up on the farm directly south from the Wogsland farm and Walter and Vivian were good friend of my grandfather Art Stoltenberg as well as Walter being my dads cousin.
Tim,
Sorry I took so long to contact you back, but I having been moving across the country this past week. Unfortunately I don't have more than what is online already about Amund. Actually, his father's name is only a guess based on normal Norwegian nomenclatural procedures. I am definitely interested in Simon's obituary, but moreover I am interested in any other information about your part of the family. Pictures and interesting stories like that about Simon's death (how does one get killed cutting wood anyway?) really bring family history alive. My goal with Wogsland.org is preservation of this history though dissemination. So far it has worked fairly well and I have met several new people like yourself.
Genealogy can be very time consuming however, and one never completes the task! Nevertheless, the basic things I like to know about a person are birthdates, birthplaces, marital history, children, interesting or historical events that affected their lives, deathdates (where applicable), etc. Pictures are also really nice to see and help make people seem more real.
Of course, I like to strive for historical accuracy and try to use primary sources whenever possible. From the details of your email I am guessing you are a reliable source, but I'd like some more information about your parents (to link you to Alfred) just to be sure. One can never be to careful in the internet age.
Thanx,
Brad
I have gotten additional information since the last time I wrote to you, some related to the children of Amund Simonson but most related to my family. If you send me your new address I can send you a copy of Simon Amundson obituary. The story of how he died is included in the obituary but to make a long story short a limb on the tree they, he and Oscar, were cutting broke off and hit him in the head. A splinter punctured his skull and he died instantly. That was in the summer of 1941, June I believe. Harris died in November of 1962 and odin died in 1967. All this I gathered in the cemetary in Iola.
My grandfather Alfred married my grandmother Ely Esther Peterson in June of 1920. My grandmother went by the name Esther. She was born in 1898 in Naskov, Maribo, Denmark and immigrated to the United States in 1900. She died in July of 1992.
Alfred and Esther had two children, my father Alton and my aunt Jeanette. My father was born May 31, 1925. My father married my mother, Donna Louise Stoltenberg My mother was born 7-28-1928 and they married 8-6-1949.
My parents had 3 children of which I am the oldest. I was born 12-6-51 and married my wife, Mary Fischer on 8-16-75. She was born on 3-4-52. We have two children, Bryan Alton born 3-27-80 and Christa Alise born 1-8-83. Next is my sister Susan Ann born 11-29-53. She married James P Hardwick. Jim was born 10-10-50 and they were married on 7-12-75. Jim and Sue have 2 children, Laura born 4-5-83 and David born 8-27-85. The youngest is my brother Tom born 2-8-56. Tom married Jean Hoffenberger who was born 6-28-57. They were married 5-23-81. They have 3 boys, Anthony (Tony) born 10-28-85, Alan born 6-30-89 and Andrew (Drew) born 5-24-91.
Backing up a little, my aunt Jeanette was born 1-6-34 and she married Carlyle Olson who was born 3-10-28. Uncle "Ole" married aunt Jeanette 6-19-54. They have three children. Mark was born 6-21-55, Dennis born 10-22-56, and Dawn Marie born 1-15-63. Mark married Nancy Berg who was born 12-11-54 and they were married 7-26-75. They have two boys, Shawn born 11-1-79 and Brandon born 11-21-84. Dennis married Patricia O"Connell who was born 4-28-58 and were married 10-8-81. Dennis and Pat have three children, Steven born 6-14-86, Kristen born 6-29-87 and Nicholas born 6-3-91. Finally come Dawn who married Chris Kosciaszko who was born 12-9-59 and were married 5-28-88. They have two children. Victoria was born 9-18-90 and Kyle who was born1-5-92.
I'll let you digest this for now. I also have some more info on the Simonson/Amundson family you may be interested in. One tibit though is that my parents still live right next store to the Simonson homestead place. Hope to hear from you soon. Tim Amundson
I know you have been busy with your move, but was wondering if you received my e-mail with the family history of my grandfather Alfred Amundson? I have several interesting things you might be interested in. I do have a copy of the obituary for Simon Amundson and could send you a copy of it if you like. Also, for some reason in 1942 my grandfather apparently didn't have an original birth certificate and needed verification of his birth. I have a copy of a letter the minister at the church sent to verify his baptism and a letter from Anna Wogsland verifying that she was present at his birth. I could send you a copy of that as well. I was very interested in the photo that you have posted of Simon, Helena, Simon, Anna, and Hanna. I had never seen that picture. I do have a family portrait of the entire family from probably around 1907 to 1910 as Odin looks about 10-12 years old. If you don't have that I'll try to get a copy of that for you as well. I did do some research in the Norwegian census but am having problems finding Amund Simonson birth along with parents name. I did find an Amund Simonson who was listed as a foster child but not sure if that is him or not. The mothers name was Ragnild Andersdatter but no father listed and I found another site with Amund and Helene listed with children Simon and Anna that showed a fathers name of Simon Halverson but no mother listed so I'm trying to match the two up. I did find Helene's family and her name was Hansdatter. Her parents names were Hans Gunderson and Ronnaug Larsdatter. She was the seventh of ten children. From all indications some of the children stayed behind in Norway while others immigrated with their spouses as the archives show some dates of death for some but not others. If you are interested I can send you copies of that as well. I is getting late and better hit the hay. Look forward to hearing from you.
Tim Amundson