I present Lise Olson Bakke to you today:
Lise was Ingeborg’s older sister, also my grandfathers paternal aunt, born on the Bakke farm (where I’m from) in 1859 in Hornindal, Norway. She emigrated to the US in 1888, and settled on the Reed/Read farm in Ferryville, Wisconsin. This is the picture she sent home to her family. She also visited the folks back home in 1914 with her son Peder Reed (born 1894), I know this from passenger manifests of the steamboat from Bergen.
For Lise there was a life in far better circumstances in the US, than the starvation and poverty at home. Her coming back to visit is a certain proof of it, only the most fortunate were able to do so!
I love this cabinet card, with the elaborate details and die cut edge. I hope you can use my Lise for some fun crafting project, enjoying that you know a little about her too!
Today’s mystery:
I have searched for Lise and her family, without luck. I believe her husband was named Reed/Read, possibly he was also Norwegian (Reed could be a Norwegian name from one of our nighbour towns). The only Lise I have found so far that might match my grandfather’s aunt would be Lise Olena Olson in Tacoma Pierce, Washington. That also matches the name of the photographer on her picture. I thought Washington and Wisconsin are two different states…? And if this is indeed my Lise, why did she go by the name Olson? Did she at some point re-marry? Or did she for some reason start using her fathers name (Ola=Olson) to simplify the Reed name? I also have no clue to what the first name of her husband was, if she had more children, and if there are living relatives after her… so all you helpful genealogy-peeps out there: please do your magic and see if you can find any more clues for me?
I also have to say that I am absolutely, utterly stunned with the response I had from you on part I of this mystery!!! Already after 1 day, I have traced Ingeborg’s big family “over there” and written several of them on facebook! I’m just now waiting, keeping my fingers crossed for positive answers, and I will of course keep you posted 🙂
The file is free for your personal use and enjoyment. I scan all my ephemera in 600 dpi. Go to the download folder below to grab your high quality PNG-file (transparent background):
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love the story-I always wonder about these old photos and the story they could tell-thanks for sharing
Thank you Barbara 🙂 I hope to be able to fill you in on my findings, but it might take a while to research everything. xoxoxo
I am enjoying these posts. So interesting to hear the stories behind the photographs. I am glad to hear that you received a good response from your last post. Good luck tracing your Lise.
Thank you Sweetie 🙂 I want your dancing muybridge, will have to go on BPL and search for her…lol!
I feel like a real detective, trying to trace these relatives, but for some reason it also feels meaningful and important. Maybe old age is starting to impact me…? lol xoxoxo
Hi Gunnvor I just sent her to you by email.
🙂
but I spelt your name incorrectly in the email…oops.
Thanks a lot Sweetie! I have answered your email, there might be some fun surprises for you 😉 xoxoxo
yes Washington and Wisconsin are different states and it is 1873 miles [that is 3014.3km] from Ferryville, Crawford County,WI to Tacoma, WA. I looked on the 1900 census At both spellings for Reed but did not find anyone with a wife of the correct name in either state. I am looking now for Olson just in case she married and Olson.
The 1890 census burned so we have to start in 1900.
Dear Obie 🙂
Thanks again, you are really good at this!!! Are you interested in genealogy in general or are you just enjoying the challenge? 😀
I started looking for a possible Reed husband for Lise the other way yesterday, from emigrant lists out of Norway. And I found him! She married Jakob Rasmusson Reed from Gloppen, Norway. He was born on October 6th 1853, and he was one of the early emigrants in May 1875: http://da4.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbase&sidenr=4&filnamn=emiberg&gardpostnr=1664&personpostnr=1664#nedre He was listed then as unmarried.
Their first son Rasmus Severin Jakobson Reed was born in 1892, in Wisconsin. So I need to find a US marriage liscense in the timeframe from Lise immigrated until Rasmus was born (1888-1892). They had a second son Peder I. Reed in 1894. I believe the I. is actually a J. standing for Jakobson, since that was the usual way of denoting kinship for Norwegians at the time. I found all 3 with Find a Grave here: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=60023433 in Vernon County, Wisconsin.
It appears both boys died young in Crawford County, Wisconsin. Rasmus only 16 years old in 1908 and Peder at age 20, shortly after he returned from the visit to Norway in 1914. 😦
Since Jakob also died in 1911, Lise was left alone. She is not listed in the same grave, so where did she go? She was 62 years old in 1911, so there are probably not any more children, but she could have remarried, and the question remains where she was burried. The thought that she could have returned to Norway crossed my mind, but I can not find anything suggesting that she did after 1914. Lise could have been using the name Lizzie, but I’m not entirely convinced…
Can you please use your sources to check for their marriage details (1888-1992) and to see where Lise/Lizzie went after 1914, and when she died and where she is buried?
Love&Light
Gunnvor Karita 🙂
I am able to see some of the information on select censuses via a Wisconsin site I found, and one one of them, it lists Elsebeth Reed as the wife of Jakob Reed…:-P So I’m starting to wonder if this was all a wrong match 😦
I started researching my family about 20 years ago. I really love it. Our library has a subscription to Ancestry.com and we may use it for free inside the library. I will try to get to the library and run your names through their search engine. By the way my surname is Hill and I descend from KING HARALD I “Fairhair” of NORWAY who lived in the 900 hundreds.This is one of my mothers lines.
Such an amazing story, and really exiting to follow, and I´m sooo exited for you dear friend, and hope you´ll finally get to the bottom of your little mistery here and find all your relatives over there today, that would be sooo exiting. Almost can´t wait to hear the next chapter now ha ha ha.
Have a great day and lots of fun.
There are indeed more chapters, I’m just trying to break this into pieces that can be researched separately…;-) xoxoxo
On the Crawford Co site there is a birth record listed. I found Rasmus Secerin Reed 27 june 1892 father is Jacob Reed and mother is Lena Pederson and for Peder Olai 7 may 1894 father is jacob Reid and mother is Lisa Pederson.here is the site http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wicrawf2/
On the same site found Jacob married Lisa Pederson 20 march 1891
Thank you sooo much again Obie! I can tell that you have experience with this type of research!! For Lise I think your data proves this to be the wrong husband…:-O In one way sad, since it means we still don’t know more about her and her family, but in another way exciting, since there could still be more children and living relatives after her 😀 I’ll stop by our local library later today and pick up a book that I expect lists the Reed’s families from our neighbour town, and see if I can find another Reed candidate. If you go by the library, please try running the name Peder/Peter Reed born in Ferryville (or around) in 1894. I think that is our most certain lead atm….;-) Thanks again, and please let me know if you need any intel from Norwegian registers, to let me return your help! xoxoxo