Ancestors of Ole Andersen Melom and Anne Knudsdatter Espelien Part II

I apologize for not posting an entry for more than a month.  Certain economic necessities have made writing impossible of late, but I believe things are winding down now.

Last time, I promised a continuation on the paternal ancestry of the descendants of Ole Andersen Melom (born 1807 on Granum farm in Bruflat, Sør Aurdal, Norway) and Anne Knudsdatter Espelien (born 2 April 1808 on Espelien farm in Bruflat, Sør Aurdal, Norway).  Although I have had many items I could have chosen to write about in the interim, I have chosen not to write about these new discoveries until I have posted the second part of this particular entry.  I apologize in advance if this entry is too long, but here we go...

The Paternal Heritage

So that no one has to go back and read the previous entry on the subject, I will start by listing the children of Ole Andersen Melom and Anne Knudsdatter Espelien:

Knud (1829-????)
Ingri (1832-1916)*
Anders (1839-1893)
Ole (1844-1912)*
Maria (1847-????)
Anders/Andreas (1849-????)
Tollef (1853-1936)*
* Immigrated to the United States

Other researchers have listed a daughter, Anne, as well, but I have no information regarding Anne as of yet.

Following the paternal heritage of this family, Ole Andersen Melom was the son of Anders Halvorsen Melom (nee Kringli) and Ingri Olsdatter Granum (1777-????).  I am not aware of any other children born to this particular couple as I have not done enough in depth research on this particular family.  My only excuse is lack of time and the fact that 18th century research is more difficult than 19th century research.

In any case, I do know the identities of Anders Halvorsen's parents.  Anders Halvorsen was born on Kringli farm to Halvor Andersen Kringli and Berit Eriksdatter Espelien.  So here we see another connection to the Espelien farm!  Anders Halvorsen was baptized in the Bruflat church on 24 November 1771 (Aurdal Ministerialbok 1763-1781, page 141).  Anders was confirmed in Bruflat in 1785 (Aurdal Ministerialbok nr. 6, 1781-1804, page 161).  The family is still living on Kringli farm, but this would not last into the 19th century...

By the time of the 1801 Norwegian Census, we find Anders Halvorsen, his parents, and his siblings living on the larger Lie farm in Bruflat, Sør Aurdal, Norway.  Children of Halvor Andersen Kringli Melom and Berit Eriksdatter Espelien listed in the 1801 Census are:

Anders (1771-????)
Thor (1783-????)
Knudt (1785-????)
Erik (1787-????)
Gulbrand (1789-????)
Thidemand (1793-????)

Further research yields the marriage of Halvor Andersen and Berit Eriksdatter, which occurs 6 October 1771 in Bruflat Church with banns 8 September 1771 (Aurdal Ministerialbok nr. 5, 1763-1781, Trolovede, page 233).  It is here we discover Berit Eriksdatter hails from the Espelien farm.

Digging further into the past, we discover Halvor Andersen's baptismal record.  Halvor Andersen was born on Kringli farm to Anders Halvorsen Kringli and Marthe Nielsdatter and baptized in Bruflat Church on 4 September 1742, information which can be found in the Aurdal Ministerialbok nr. 4, 1730-1762, Fødte og Døpte, page 245.  This brings us to the end of my research so far.

Where in the United States did the Meloms immigrate?

Ingri Melom, having married Ole Knudsen Fjeld circa 1856, immigrated with her children to Nelson County in North Dakota, where she (and her children) can be found in the 1885 Dakota Territory Census.  Her two eldest sons, Knud Olsen and Ole Olsen immigrated to the United States before the rest of the family and resided in Arctander, Kandiyohi, Minnesota, where they are enumerated in the 1880 U.S. Census.  The latter married Randi Jensdatter Iverbakken in Kerkhoven, Swift, Minnesota on 12 June 1881.  After Ingri Melom and the rest of her children immigrated to the United States in the Spring of 1882, the family resided in Nelson County, North Dakota, with some eventually taking up residence in Ward, Grand Forks, or Traill Counties.  Inger Fjeld married the author, Hans Andersen Foss of Normanden fame, and lived in Minnesota as well.  The couple may have been married in the Knud Knudsen Renden household, which served as a church until Our Savior's Lutheran Church was built near Kloten in Field Township, Nelson, North Dakota.  Some of the Fjelds are themselves descendants of Knud Knudsen Renden, through his granddaughter, Oline Stigen, a daughter of Ragnhild Renden.

As for Ingri's brother, Ole, he immigrated to Jackson County, Wisconsin in about 1879 and would eventually die in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in April of 1912.  His children lived also in Trempeauleau, Barron,  and Eau Claire, Wisonsin as well as Sheridan and Benson Counties in North Dakota.  Ole married Anne Knudsdatter of Hestekind farm on 14 May 1869 in Bruflat Church (Sør Aurdal Ministerialbok, 1866-1872, page 62).

Their younger brother, Tollef, married Clara Amundson in Maple Grove, Barron, Wisconsin in 1894 and lived in Maple Grove until his death on 16 October 1936.  So far as I know, Tollef's children remained in Maple Grove at least through the early part of the 20th century.

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