Brita Larsdtr. Jordalen's Family

Voss and Ulvik, Norway Immigrants in Clay County, South Dakota

THE BRITA JORDALEN AND ASLAK IVERSON STORY

Brita, a sister of Bottolf Larsen Lunde, was the second daughter of Lars Bottolfsen Jordalen and Brytteva Kolbeinsdtr. and was born 25 February 1820 in Norway. She emigrated to America in 1848 with her parents.

Her first marriage was to Lars Mikkelsen Holehaug with whom she had a son, Mikkel. Lars died soon after, leaving Brita a widow. Brita�s second husband was Aslak lverson. Aslak also had been married before and had a son, Iver Aslak Iverson. Aslak was born in Norway and came to America in 1854. Aslak was born l5 August 1827.

Brita and Aslak had two other sons: Lars,(aka Lewis A.) born 13 September 1858 in Dane County, Wisconsin. Jacob G. was born later in South Dakota.

The family moved to South Dakota in 1859 settling first in Vermillion Township and three years later to Norway Township, both being in Clay County. Aslak is mentioned as a prominent pioneer in the early settlements of South Dakota.

Aslak had been a teacher in Norway so he held the first school sessions among the settlers in Norway Township and they were of a religious nature. He held small classes in various homes, without pay, and taught the children the English language and a little reading and arithmetic. The religious instruction kept alive Old World traditions of the parochial school.

Aslak had a good singing voice so he also had a singing class and would lead the devotional exercises in the log houses. Brita and Aslak's home was a noted center of attraction and the neighbors often gathered there.

Aslak was held in high esteem by his fellow citizens and served as a county commissioner for three terms. Besides being a farmer, he owned and operated a flour mill and two saw mills.

Aslak died 3 December 1889 at the age of 62 years. Brita�s death date is unknown at this time, but she was still living in 1905 as the census that year lists her as being 85 years old.

by Helen Stiklestad

Aslak and Brita
Aslak and Brita

BRITA'S PARENTS

Lars Botolfsen Jordalen, son of Botolv Olsen Lunde and Ingebjorg Larsdatter Høn. was born 1787. He emigrated with his familiy on the "OLAF KJERRE" ship to Pleasant Spring Township, Dane County, Wisconsin in 1848.

Apparently, son Botolv came early in 1844. Botolv was about 25 when he emigrated. The rest of the brothers and sister emigrated with their parents except Ingebjorg who remained in Norway.

Lars Bottolfsen, with son Christian and daughter, Brita moved on to South Dakota in 1860s. Lars was born March 12, 1783, died February 18, 1878. He married Brytteva Kolbeinsdatter Jordalen in 1816.

She was the daughter of Kolbein Anderson Overland and Brita Stykaarsdatter Oyjorden and was born in 1797.

There were ten children:
1. Ingebjorg was born in 1817, died in1890. She remained in Norway where in 1837 she married Eirik Oyelson Lunde.

2. Botolv was born March 28, 1819 and died October 1861. He emigrated to the USA in 1844.

3. Brita was born February 25, 1821 and died March 16, 1906. She was married to Lars Mikkelsen Holehaug. He died early in the marriage and left one son Mikkel Mikkelsen. She remarried Aslak Iverson on July 15, 1858 in Cambridge, Wisconsin before they left for the prairies of South Dakota. Aslak Iverson was born August 15, 1827 and his first wife Guro Samsonsdatter Haaheim are both descendants from Anders Anderson Riber. Aslak and Guro had one boy named Iver Aslak Iverson and Guro died shortly after giving birth to this son. * See "Iverson Family History" by Gladys Scholten.

4. Kolbein was born August 23, 1824 and died December 26, 1911. He emigrated with his parents and married Britha Hansdatter on July 4, 1857. Britha was born July 26, 1829 and died in May 1880. Both are buried in the West Koshkonong Lutheran cemetery.

There were two children:
~~1. Henry Jordalen
~~2. Lars Jordalen

Kolbein married again to Helen Hendrickson in 1880. They had three children:
~~1. Ida was born in 1881 and died July 10,1971.
~~2. Kari was born on July 24, 1885 and died July 1959.
~~3. Louise was born on September 23, 1889 and died January 12, 1979.

5. Styrkaar was born December 26, 1926 and emigrated with his parents to the USA. He served with Company B, 15th Wisconsin Regiment in the Civil War. He settled in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota after the War. He married and had one child, Mrs. C. Purdy.

**6. Ole b.1829 d.1830 according to Ættebok for Vossestrand

7.Marta was born in 1831 and emigrated with her parents. She married Kolbein Nelsen Draugsvold and lived in Blue Earth, Minnesota.

8. Christen was born September 7, 1834, and died March 3, 1922. He emigrated with his parents and then move in 1859 to Norway Township, Clay County, South Dakota. He married Anna Ivarsdatter Tveito in 1861 and they had five children:
~~ 1. Bertina was born in 1862
~~ 2. Anna was born in August 1864
~~ 3. Olaf was born in 1867 and died July 17,1930
~~ 4. Sarah was born May 22, 1871, died October 21,1961
~~ 5. Emil was born September 1876, died February 5,1948

9.Kari was born Arpil 29, 1838 and she emigrated with her parents. She married an American, Peter Mead and they lived in St.Paul, Minesota.

10. Oline was born December 5, 1840 and died October 9, 1925 and she emigrated with her parents. She married Frederick Brown, who later became sectetary of state for Minnesota. They live in Blue Earth, Minnesota.

by Helen Stiklestad

**6 was revised by Stephanie Benoit 2002. There seems to have been some confusion about the Oles. I have edited out the Ole whose story was included until I can do some further checking of original source material.

THE BOTTOLF LARSON JORDALEN LUNDE STORY

Bottolf Larson Lunde was bom 28 March 1819 in Voss, Norway. He was the oldest son of Lars Bottolfsen Jordalen and Brytteve Kolbeinsdatter. Bottolf was married on 25 June 1837 to lngeborg Øyel Eirikson Lunde. Bottolf and lngeborg and four children, Bryttiva, Lars, Øyel, and Eli emigrated from Voss, Norway in 1844 on the Kong Sverre, and came to the Koshkonong settlement in Wisconsin. A farm was purchased in 1845 in Pleasant Springs, the North 1/2 of SE 1/4 of section 14.

In 1848, Bottolf�s parents and brothers and sisters emigrated to America and they came to Pleasant Springs Township, Dane County, Wisconsin. A year later, Bottoff sold the farm to two of his brothers, Kolbein and Styrkaar. Still later, Kolbein became the sole owner of the farm which has remained in the family until the present time.

Bottolf and lngeborg.had six more children: Ole, Christen(CB), Sigrid, Oline, Guri(Julia) and Ingeborg.

In 1858, Bottolf and his brother, Christian Jordalen, left Stoughton, Wisconsin by train to Chicago and then to St. Louis. From there they went to Omaha by steamer. They then visited the settlements in Nebraska. They returned on foot through Iowa carrying back most favorable accounts of a region called Dakota to the extensive Scandinavian settlements on Koshkonong Prairie in Wisconsin--then 18 years old.

More or less as a result of the explorations of Bottolf and Christian, a group of six Scandinavian families left 30 May 1859 to go to Dakota. There were six wagons, drawn by oxen, in this Koshkonong party. Each family had along a few head of cattle. The party proceeded from Stoughton to Dubuque, Independence,Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Iowa Falls, Webster City and Ft. Dodge, arriving in Sioux City after a journey of 37 days. Several additions to their party were added as they traveled through Iowa.

They then followed the southern bank of the Missouri River and finally arrived at North Bend, Nebraska. Here they ran across a large group of Scandinavians, Bottolf Lunde among them, who were waiting developments so they could move into Dakota as soon as the Indians would let them.

All of these folks settled in Dakota during the following months in 1859 and 1860. The Koskonong group continued their journey as far as St. Cloud, Nebraska and found a number of Scandinavians located there and all of these also settled in Dakota in the fall of 1859 and the spring of 1860.

These first settlers took up claims on the Missouri bottom which was a level and fertile land 30 miles long and 5 to 15 miles wide.This was between Vermillion and the James (Dakota) Rivers.

Bottolf Lunde is mentioned as being a prominent pioneer in the earliest Scandinavians settlements in Dakota.

Unfortunately, Bottolf Lunde did not live long after settling in Dakota during the winter of 1859-60. On 12 October 1861, the first funeral among the Scandinavians was that of Bottolf Lunde.

After living in Wisconsin from 1844-1859, Bottolf had led a strenuous life. He had assisted in the organization of the first regular Lutheran congregation among the Norwegians in America. When he died in 1861, he left a large family of boys and girls who all proved to be an acquisition to the Bergen settlement. His widow, Mrs. Ingeborg Lunde, played a distinguished part in the social affairs of the settlement. She will be long remembered for her graceful hospitality.

The oldest daughter of Bottolf and Ingeborg, Bryttiva, married Judge Ole Bottolfsen.

by Helen Stiklestad


Here is a little more interesting information on the
Early History of Scandinavians in South Dakota

          Distant Cousins