Anders was born in Sør-Aurdal, Voldera(Valdres), Norway on the Skrukkelia farm on June 22, 1855 and was baptized and confirmed at Nedre Herdals Church in Søendre Aurdal, Norway. His parents were Ola Anderssen Myra, born circa 1824 in South Aurdal and Anne Andersdatter Vestrudiei, born circa 1817. They were married October 4, 1855 in Norderhov, South Aurdal. Anders had one brother, also named Anders born 1860. The Norwiegen custom was to name the first born son after the fathers father and the second born son after the mothers father, in this case they were both Anders.
Ander's grandparents on his fathers side were Anders Olson Nilsebratan and Anne Olsdatter Piltingsrud. Anders was born October 1, 1780 in South Aurdal and Anne was born circa 1784, they were married in 1808 in South Aurdal. Anders died in 1851.
Anders Great Grandparents, Anders Olson Nilsebratan's parents were Ole Anderson Haravika, born circa 1751 in South Aurdal and Anne Hansdatter born circa 1738. Ole died in 1813 and Anne was still living in South Aurdal at that time.
Inger Amunddatter Skarbraaten
Inger was born April 15, 1854 on Skarabraaten(Skarabrøta), Sondre Arudal, Norway, the daughter of Amund Kristaferson Bøle of Tondrud and Marit Gudbrandsdatter of nore Langedraslie.
Inger imigrated from Norway in May of 1875 from Sondre Aurdal to Austin Minnesota. Inger had two sisters, Siri and Thora. I have not been able to find any additional in formation on Siri, but Thora imigated to the United States in June of 1876 to Ramsey, Minnesota.
Anders married Inger Amundsdatter Skarabraaten in Freeborn County, Minnesota. They had eight children,
Olauf Andersen,
Maria,
Albert Andersen,
Henry Anderson,
Adolf Bernhart Anderson,
Adolf Bernhart the younger,
Siri,and
Siri Amalia the younger
Amund Kristaferson Bøle
Amund was born in 1825 on Trondrud, Søudre Aurdal, Norway. Amund died in 1860.
Marit Gudbrandsddatter
Marit Gudbrandsdatter was born on nøre Langedraslie in 1827. She married Amund Krisofferson Lyhus in 1852 and they live on Skarabraaten(Skarabrøta)in Norway. They had four children, Thora, Inger, Kristoffer, and Siri.
Merit and Amund had four children:
1. Thora born 1852
2. Inger born 1854
3. Kristoffer born 1856 and died 1857
4. Siri born 1858
They were found to be living on the Skarabraaten Farm from 1852. Amund died at Skarabraaten in 1860.
Marit inherited the farm called Lien and was raising her three daughter there, Thora, Inger and Siri. Halvor Anders Myre, a widower from Bergen, came to work for her when he heard that she was a widow. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married in 1861. Marit was a very strong woman emotionally and refused to marry him unless he would move to Lien and take her name, as she wanted all her children to the same name, so he had to give in.
Marit and Hallvor had 6 children:
1. Anne Maria born 1862
2. Berthe Kristine born 1865
3. Gurine born 1867
4. Andres born 1869
5. Gulbrand born 1871
6. Oleanna born 1874.
The census of 1864 (Bagn) reports that they had "4 cattle, 6 goats, 2 barrels "blandkorn"(mixture of grains) and 2 barrels of potatoes."
The census of 1865 lists the family living on Skarabraaten, this could be a part of the Lien farm. Most large farms were broken into smaller parcels that were worked by different families.
In May of 1875 Inger immigrated to the United States. Inger sailed from Oslo on the Hero line; her destination was listed as Austin, Minnesota. She and paid 74 Kroner for her passage. Thora sailed from Oslo on the Hero line on June 2, 1876, her destination was listed as Ramsey Minnesota She paid 49.20 Kroner. It is also thought that Siri immigrated around the same time, but I haven’t been able to find her records.
Bertha and Anne left Oslo, Norway in June of 1881 on the Steamship Rolo, bound for Hull, England. The Oslo "dampskip" register lists their destination as Austin, Minnesota. (LDS Library file No. 1353088 numbers 73 and 74) From England it is thought they took another ship to Quebec and then traveled to Minnesota.
The name change for Halvor and Marit came from Lien to Lee when they immigrated to the United States. They left from Oslo, Norway on June 29, 1882 on the "Cameo". Their destination in the United States was Lansing Minnesota, a town not far from Blooming Prairie, where Inger and Thora already lived. From Oslo passport records it states that they paid 408,80 Kroner for their passage. (Halvor, Merit, Gurine, Andrew, Gilbert and Oliana). They lived with their daughter Thora, who was married by then to Gilbert Thompson. According to Gwen Schneider they worked for Gilbert to repay their passage. I do not have any records about what happened to Siri, although Nancy Russell's records list her as coming to the US before Marit and Halvor and that her name was Siri Anderson, living in South Dakota at some point.
Marit was 47 years old when Oliana, her youngest child was born. She was in her 50's when they came to the US and almost 60 when they moved to South Dakota in April 1886. They went by wagon train and it was said that she was the only woman of the group to walk the entire way.
They homesteaded in around Oldham, South Dakota, on what was called Prairie Land, 157 acres. They had a 14 by 16 foot house with a lean-to of 10x16 feet, a stable 24 x48 feet and granary 14x24 feet. Halvor cultivated 125 acres, had 5 acres of woods, a pasture, and a well. The value of their homestead was listed at $500. (Information from their Homestead Certificate)
Halvor wanted to move again, this time to Wisconsin, but Marit refused saying she had followed him from Norway and Minnesota to South Dakota and that was it.
Marit died in 1902 and is buried west of Oldham at Trinity Lutheran Church. I have visited her grave./p>
After her death Halvor moved to Catawba, Wisconsin. His daughter Bertha and Husband Martin Madson and their eleven children went with him. It is said that Halvor married again in Wisconsin to a woman named Gunhild who was said to be 25 years old, but there are no records of her.
Halvor died in November 26, 1913. The story was that he burned his lip on a cigar and cancer set it, causing his death on. His daughter Bertha took care of him his last days. He is buried in Catawba, Wisconsin. Most of the information I have about Merit's family is from Nancy Russell Anderson. She also has a web site with family information.
