Ole Christian was born on 26 Mar 1848 in Målselv in the county of Troms, Norway, the third child and second son of Anders Olsen and Anne Marie Olsdatter, residents of the Moen farm. It was feared that he would die before he could be baptized in a church, so he was christened at Moen by Casper Olsen.
He emigrated from Målselv with his immediate and extended family--in addition to a number of allied families--and settled in the eastern portion of Dunn county in the part of the town of Red Cedar that was later split off to form the town of Colfax. This was in 1862 when Olai was 14 years of age, making him one of the first European settlers to this area.
In 1865 Olai was one of the first members of Holden parish, the sole Norwegian Lutheran parish at the time, to be confirmed in a ceremony that took place in one of the homes of the congretation, since Holden Lutheran church wasn't built in the town of Grant until 1876.
His father Anders homesteaded a 160 acre tract of wild land in what is now section 10 of the town of Colfax. He spent his earliest years along side his brothers, Ole and Nels, working in support of his father to clear the land, erect buildings, and generally make the farm productive for agriculture.
He remained with his parents until he was about 22 years old when he purchased 80 acres in the southwest corner of section 16 in the town of Colfax, adjoining the land of his brother-in-law, Ole Berntsen, husband of his older sister Martha.
Although some minor improvements had been previously made to some of this land, most of it remained wild. Olai's first task was to erect a frame house and log barn, and then he set to clearing and breaking the land for general agriculture.
In 1871 his future bride immigrated to Colfax. She was one of the younger sisters of his brother-in-law and northern neighbor, Ole Berntsen. Her name was Christine. They were married in Holden parish on 14 Nov 1872.
Before Olai finished clearing his first 80 acres, he purchased an additional 80 acres in section 21. This adjoined his first tract from the south. He later added to this land with the purchase of an addition 20 acres in section 16 for a total of 180 acres, all of which he worked.
By 1889 he had been successful enough to have built a very improved residence, a barn of 32' x 60' with a wing measuring 32' x 40', including a basement, large silo, and other buildings. Olai and his wife remained there until 1904, when he semi-retired, renting his farm to his son, Albert G., and moving to a newly purchased lot in section 14, two miles east of the village of Colfax.
This new tract of land was 30 acres in size and included a house. He erected a barn there and continued to farm on a small scale until 1918, when he retired to a nice bungalow house that he built in the village of Colfax.
Olai and Christine were the parents of nine children, all born in the town of Colfax.
The eldest was Anne Pauline, born 2 Oct 1873. She was named for the two baby sisters of Olai that died at such young ages in Norway. She was baptized in Holden parish on 9 Nov 1873. She died 2 Feb 1897, aged 23, and is buried at Holden in Grant.
The second child and daughter, Mathilda Bertina, was born on 28 Dec 1877 and baptized in the newly constructed Holden Lutheran church in Grant on 5 Feb 1878. On 7 Apr 1900 "Tillie", as she was more commonly known, was united in marriage in Seattle, Wash., to Elling Ellingsen, an immigrant from Tynset, Norway. A few years later the couple made their permanent home in Bronken Valley in the town of Grant.
The third child was born on 20 May 1880 (or 21 May 1880) and died infancy. The child is most likely buried in his grandparents plot at Holden Church in Grant where there are a number of small markers that are too eroded now to read.
The fourth child and first son, Albert George, was born on 10 Mar 1882. He was baptized at Holden in Grant on 16 Apr 1882 and confirmed at the same location in 1896. As written above, Albert took over the operation of his father's farm in Colfax in 1904. He was married in Mar of 1909 to Oliva Mathilde Hansine Nysted.
The fifth child and fourth daughter, Ida, was born on 15 Jul 1884 and baptized at Holden on 7 Sep 1884. She died at the age of 25 on 10 Aug 1909.
The next three children died in infancy: Clara, born 26 Dec 1886, died 2 Jan 1887; Selmer Melvin, born 4 Dec 1888, died 30 Nov 1889; and Melvin Sedvard, born 16 Oct 1890, died 27 Jul 1891.
Of the ninth child, no record has yet been uncovered, though it is assumed he or she died young.
Olai and Christine were also foster parents to several of the orphaned nieces and nephews of Olai, children of his sisters Berit, Ingeborg, and Sirianna.
Although Berit lived till 1920, she was adjudged insane in Feb of 1884 by the court, and she was committed to the local county sanitarium. Her former husband, Oleus, passed away in 1891, and her youngest child was only 11 at the time, and he was taken in by Olai and Christine.
Ingeborg died in 1892, leaving behind four children under the age of ten. Sirianna then married Ingeborg's widow, but he died in 1895 and she died the following year in 1896, leaving three more young children. The youngest of these were taken in by Olai and Christine.
A final note concerning his name: Olai was born in Norway before the use of family names, a practice that was adopted only after living for some years in the U.S. Because Olai was the son of Anders (and probably because there were no other people named Olai Andersen living in Colfax to cause confusion) he adopted his patronym (Andersen, literally "son of Anders) as his family name, Americanized in spelling to Anderson.
(Biographical sketch written by Marco Scavo, 3rd great grandnephew.)
He emigrated from Målselv with his immediate and extended family--in addition to a number of allied families--and settled in the eastern portion of Dunn county in the part of the town of Red Cedar that was later split off to form the town of Colfax. This was in 1862 when Olai was 14 years of age, making him one of the first European settlers to this area.
In 1865 Olai was one of the first members of Holden parish, the sole Norwegian Lutheran parish at the time, to be confirmed in a ceremony that took place in one of the homes of the congretation, since Holden Lutheran church wasn't built in the town of Grant until 1876.
His father Anders homesteaded a 160 acre tract of wild land in what is now section 10 of the town of Colfax. He spent his earliest years along side his brothers, Ole and Nels, working in support of his father to clear the land, erect buildings, and generally make the farm productive for agriculture.
He remained with his parents until he was about 22 years old when he purchased 80 acres in the southwest corner of section 16 in the town of Colfax, adjoining the land of his brother-in-law, Ole Berntsen, husband of his older sister Martha.
Although some minor improvements had been previously made to some of this land, most of it remained wild. Olai's first task was to erect a frame house and log barn, and then he set to clearing and breaking the land for general agriculture.
In 1871 his future bride immigrated to Colfax. She was one of the younger sisters of his brother-in-law and northern neighbor, Ole Berntsen. Her name was Christine. They were married in Holden parish on 14 Nov 1872.
Before Olai finished clearing his first 80 acres, he purchased an additional 80 acres in section 21. This adjoined his first tract from the south. He later added to this land with the purchase of an addition 20 acres in section 16 for a total of 180 acres, all of which he worked.
By 1889 he had been successful enough to have built a very improved residence, a barn of 32' x 60' with a wing measuring 32' x 40', including a basement, large silo, and other buildings. Olai and his wife remained there until 1904, when he semi-retired, renting his farm to his son, Albert G., and moving to a newly purchased lot in section 14, two miles east of the village of Colfax.
This new tract of land was 30 acres in size and included a house. He erected a barn there and continued to farm on a small scale until 1918, when he retired to a nice bungalow house that he built in the village of Colfax.
Olai and Christine were the parents of nine children, all born in the town of Colfax.
The eldest was Anne Pauline, born 2 Oct 1873. She was named for the two baby sisters of Olai that died at such young ages in Norway. She was baptized in Holden parish on 9 Nov 1873. She died 2 Feb 1897, aged 23, and is buried at Holden in Grant.
The second child and daughter, Mathilda Bertina, was born on 28 Dec 1877 and baptized in the newly constructed Holden Lutheran church in Grant on 5 Feb 1878. On 7 Apr 1900 "Tillie", as she was more commonly known, was united in marriage in Seattle, Wash., to Elling Ellingsen, an immigrant from Tynset, Norway. A few years later the couple made their permanent home in Bronken Valley in the town of Grant.
The third child was born on 20 May 1880 (or 21 May 1880) and died infancy. The child is most likely buried in his grandparents plot at Holden Church in Grant where there are a number of small markers that are too eroded now to read.
The fourth child and first son, Albert George, was born on 10 Mar 1882. He was baptized at Holden in Grant on 16 Apr 1882 and confirmed at the same location in 1896. As written above, Albert took over the operation of his father's farm in Colfax in 1904. He was married in Mar of 1909 to Oliva Mathilde Hansine Nysted.
The fifth child and fourth daughter, Ida, was born on 15 Jul 1884 and baptized at Holden on 7 Sep 1884. She died at the age of 25 on 10 Aug 1909.
The next three children died in infancy: Clara, born 26 Dec 1886, died 2 Jan 1887; Selmer Melvin, born 4 Dec 1888, died 30 Nov 1889; and Melvin Sedvard, born 16 Oct 1890, died 27 Jul 1891.
Of the ninth child, no record has yet been uncovered, though it is assumed he or she died young.
Olai and Christine were also foster parents to several of the orphaned nieces and nephews of Olai, children of his sisters Berit, Ingeborg, and Sirianna.
Although Berit lived till 1920, she was adjudged insane in Feb of 1884 by the court, and she was committed to the local county sanitarium. Her former husband, Oleus, passed away in 1891, and her youngest child was only 11 at the time, and he was taken in by Olai and Christine.
Ingeborg died in 1892, leaving behind four children under the age of ten. Sirianna then married Ingeborg's widow, but he died in 1895 and she died the following year in 1896, leaving three more young children. The youngest of these were taken in by Olai and Christine.
A final note concerning his name: Olai was born in Norway before the use of family names, a practice that was adopted only after living for some years in the U.S. Because Olai was the son of Anders (and probably because there were no other people named Olai Andersen living in Colfax to cause confusion) he adopted his patronym (Andersen, literally "son of Anders) as his family name, Americanized in spelling to Anderson.
(Biographical sketch written by Marco Scavo, 3rd great grandnephew.)
Ole Christian was born on 26 Mar 1848 in Målselv in the county of Troms, Norway, the third child and second son of Anders Olsen and Anne Marie Olsdatter, residents of the Moen farm. It was feared that he would die before he could be baptized in a church, so he was christened at Moen by Casper Olsen.
He emigrated from Målselv with his immediate and extended family--in addition to a number of allied families--and settled in the eastern portion of Dunn county in the part of the town of Red Cedar that was later split off to form the town of Colfax. This was in 1862 when Olai was 14 years of age, making him one of the first European settlers to this area.
In 1865 Olai was one of the first members of Holden parish, the sole Norwegian Lutheran parish at the time, to be confirmed in a ceremony that took place in one of the homes of the congretation, since Holden Lutheran church wasn't built in the town of Grant until 1876.
His father Anders homesteaded a 160 acre tract of wild land in what is now section 10 of the town of Colfax. He spent his earliest years along side his brothers, Ole and Nels, working in support of his father to clear the land, erect buildings, and generally make the farm productive for agriculture.
He remained with his parents until he was about 22 years old when he purchased 80 acres in the southwest corner of section 16 in the town of Colfax, adjoining the land of his brother-in-law, Ole Berntsen, husband of his older sister Martha.
Although some minor improvements had been previously made to some of this land, most of it remained wild. Olai's first task was to erect a frame house and log barn, and then he set to clearing and breaking the land for general agriculture.
In 1871 his future bride immigrated to Colfax. She was one of the younger sisters of his brother-in-law and northern neighbor, Ole Berntsen. Her name was Christine. They were married in Holden parish on 14 Nov 1872.
Before Olai finished clearing his first 80 acres, he purchased an additional 80 acres in section 21. This adjoined his first tract from the south. He later added to this land with the purchase of an addition 20 acres in section 16 for a total of 180 acres, all of which he worked.
By 1889 he had been successful enough to have built a very improved residence, a barn of 32' x 60' with a wing measuring 32' x 40', including a basement, large silo, and other buildings. Olai and his wife remained there until 1904, when he semi-retired, renting his farm to his son, Albert G., and moving to a newly purchased lot in section 14, two miles east of the village of Colfax.
This new tract of land was 30 acres in size and included a house. He erected a barn there and continued to farm on a small scale until 1918, when he retired to a nice bungalow house that he built in the village of Colfax.
Olai and Christine were the parents of nine children, all born in the town of Colfax.
The eldest was Anne Pauline, born 2 Oct 1873. She was named for the two baby sisters of Olai that died at such young ages in Norway. She was baptized in Holden parish on 9 Nov 1873. She died 2 Feb 1897, aged 23, and is buried at Holden in Grant.
The second child and daughter, Mathilda Bertina, was born on 28 Dec 1877 and baptized in the newly constructed Holden Lutheran church in Grant on 5 Feb 1878. On 7 Apr 1900 "Tillie", as she was more commonly known, was united in marriage in Seattle, Wash., to Elling Ellingsen, an immigrant from Tynset, Norway. A few years later the couple made their permanent home in Bronken Valley in the town of Grant.
The third child was born on 20 May 1880 (or 21 May 1880) and died infancy. The child is most likely buried in his grandparents plot at Holden Church in Grant where there are a number of small markers that are too eroded now to read.
The fourth child and first son, Albert George, was born on 10 Mar 1882. He was baptized at Holden in Grant on 16 Apr 1882 and confirmed at the same location in 1896. As written above, Albert took over the operation of his father's farm in Colfax in 1904. He was married in Mar of 1909 to Oliva Mathilde Hansine Nysted.
The fifth child and fourth daughter, Ida, was born on 15 Jul 1884 and baptized at Holden on 7 Sep 1884. She died at the age of 25 on 10 Aug 1909.
The next three children died in infancy: Clara, born 26 Dec 1886, died 2 Jan 1887; Selmer Melvin, born 4 Dec 1888, died 30 Nov 1889; and Melvin Sedvard, born 16 Oct 1890, died 27 Jul 1891.
Of the ninth child, no record has yet been uncovered, though it is assumed he or she died young.
Olai and Christine were also foster parents to several of the orphaned nieces and nephews of Olai, children of his sisters Berit, Ingeborg, and Sirianna.
Although Berit lived till 1920, she was adjudged insane in Feb of 1884 by the court, and she was committed to the local county sanitarium. Her former husband, Oleus, passed away in 1891, and her youngest child was only 11 at the time, and he was taken in by Olai and Christine.
Ingeborg died in 1892, leaving behind four children under the age of ten. Sirianna then married Ingeborg's widow, but he died in 1895 and she died the following year in 1896, leaving three more young children. The youngest of these were taken in by Olai and Christine.
A final note concerning his name: Olai was born in Norway before the use of family names, a practice that was adopted only after living for some years in the U.S. Because Olai was the son of Anders (and probably because there were no other people named Olai Andersen living in Colfax to cause confusion) he adopted his patronym (Andersen, literally "son of Anders) as his family name, Americanized in spelling to Anderson.
(Biographical sketch written by Marco Scavo, 3rd great grandnephew.)
He emigrated from Målselv with his immediate and extended family--in addition to a number of allied families--and settled in the eastern portion of Dunn county in the part of the town of Red Cedar that was later split off to form the town of Colfax. This was in 1862 when Olai was 14 years of age, making him one of the first European settlers to this area.
In 1865 Olai was one of the first members of Holden parish, the sole Norwegian Lutheran parish at the time, to be confirmed in a ceremony that took place in one of the homes of the congretation, since Holden Lutheran church wasn't built in the town of Grant until 1876.
His father Anders homesteaded a 160 acre tract of wild land in what is now section 10 of the town of Colfax. He spent his earliest years along side his brothers, Ole and Nels, working in support of his father to clear the land, erect buildings, and generally make the farm productive for agriculture.
He remained with his parents until he was about 22 years old when he purchased 80 acres in the southwest corner of section 16 in the town of Colfax, adjoining the land of his brother-in-law, Ole Berntsen, husband of his older sister Martha.
Although some minor improvements had been previously made to some of this land, most of it remained wild. Olai's first task was to erect a frame house and log barn, and then he set to clearing and breaking the land for general agriculture.
In 1871 his future bride immigrated to Colfax. She was one of the younger sisters of his brother-in-law and northern neighbor, Ole Berntsen. Her name was Christine. They were married in Holden parish on 14 Nov 1872.
Before Olai finished clearing his first 80 acres, he purchased an additional 80 acres in section 21. This adjoined his first tract from the south. He later added to this land with the purchase of an addition 20 acres in section 16 for a total of 180 acres, all of which he worked.
By 1889 he had been successful enough to have built a very improved residence, a barn of 32' x 60' with a wing measuring 32' x 40', including a basement, large silo, and other buildings. Olai and his wife remained there until 1904, when he semi-retired, renting his farm to his son, Albert G., and moving to a newly purchased lot in section 14, two miles east of the village of Colfax.
This new tract of land was 30 acres in size and included a house. He erected a barn there and continued to farm on a small scale until 1918, when he retired to a nice bungalow house that he built in the village of Colfax.
Olai and Christine were the parents of nine children, all born in the town of Colfax.
The eldest was Anne Pauline, born 2 Oct 1873. She was named for the two baby sisters of Olai that died at such young ages in Norway. She was baptized in Holden parish on 9 Nov 1873. She died 2 Feb 1897, aged 23, and is buried at Holden in Grant.
The second child and daughter, Mathilda Bertina, was born on 28 Dec 1877 and baptized in the newly constructed Holden Lutheran church in Grant on 5 Feb 1878. On 7 Apr 1900 "Tillie", as she was more commonly known, was united in marriage in Seattle, Wash., to Elling Ellingsen, an immigrant from Tynset, Norway. A few years later the couple made their permanent home in Bronken Valley in the town of Grant.
The third child was born on 20 May 1880 (or 21 May 1880) and died infancy. The child is most likely buried in his grandparents plot at Holden Church in Grant where there are a number of small markers that are too eroded now to read.
The fourth child and first son, Albert George, was born on 10 Mar 1882. He was baptized at Holden in Grant on 16 Apr 1882 and confirmed at the same location in 1896. As written above, Albert took over the operation of his father's farm in Colfax in 1904. He was married in Mar of 1909 to Oliva Mathilde Hansine Nysted.
The fifth child and fourth daughter, Ida, was born on 15 Jul 1884 and baptized at Holden on 7 Sep 1884. She died at the age of 25 on 10 Aug 1909.
The next three children died in infancy: Clara, born 26 Dec 1886, died 2 Jan 1887; Selmer Melvin, born 4 Dec 1888, died 30 Nov 1889; and Melvin Sedvard, born 16 Oct 1890, died 27 Jul 1891.
Of the ninth child, no record has yet been uncovered, though it is assumed he or she died young.
Olai and Christine were also foster parents to several of the orphaned nieces and nephews of Olai, children of his sisters Berit, Ingeborg, and Sirianna.
Although Berit lived till 1920, she was adjudged insane in Feb of 1884 by the court, and she was committed to the local county sanitarium. Her former husband, Oleus, passed away in 1891, and her youngest child was only 11 at the time, and he was taken in by Olai and Christine.
Ingeborg died in 1892, leaving behind four children under the age of ten. Sirianna then married Ingeborg's widow, but he died in 1895 and she died the following year in 1896, leaving three more young children. The youngest of these were taken in by Olai and Christine.
A final note concerning his name: Olai was born in Norway before the use of family names, a practice that was adopted only after living for some years in the U.S. Because Olai was the son of Anders (and probably because there were no other people named Olai Andersen living in Colfax to cause confusion) he adopted his patronym (Andersen, literally "son of Anders) as his family name, Americanized in spelling to Anderson.
(Biographical sketch written by Marco Scavo, 3rd great grandnephew.)
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