The Children of OK Olson and Gertrude Halgrimson

TO POST ON JUNE 12, 2007

Not much is known about Ole K Olson, we knew he was born in Norway in January 1842. There is a reference to an Ole K Olson dying in Crookston in 1928 but we can not be certain this is the father of Julia Clara Olson Rye, as the records do not indicate any next of kin.

We do know a bit about Gertrude: She was born on January 11, 1960-September 18, 1940. Her father's name was Andrew Halgrimson and he was born in Norway. According to the certificate of death, Gertrude was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

OK and Gertrude married on April 4, 1880 in Fillimore County, MN.

Here are the children listed on the census

Oscar; September 12, 1876 in Freeborn County, MN

December 12, 1944 in Espelie, Marshall County, MN

He is buried in Rosendahl Church Cemetery.

His spouse was Tilda Peterson

Christine; 1883
Her spouse was Nils Jorgenson
I think we are still trying to chase this lead down.

Alfred; July 1885

Carrie Olson born in Minnesota in September 1887
She married Charles Dillion

Carl Olson; January 1888
Died October 1940 and is buried in Torgerson Cemetery

Julia Olette Olson; October 24, 1889 in Beltrami, MN
Died October 19, 1980 and is buried at Wildwood Cemetery at Rosewood, MN
Married Henry T Rye on December 9, 1908

Eno Gilmet Olson; January 6, 1892 in Crookston, MN
Died December 2, 1949 and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Thief River Falls
Married Myrtle Cora Quam; October 12, 1909- August 25, 2006
They married in 1925
Myrtle is buried at Greenwood Cemetery
It is said he dropped dead on the streets of Thief River Falls of a heart attack.

Henry H Olson; March 1894

Helen Olson; February 1896
Died May 21, 1914 near Goodridge, MN and buried at Torgerson Cemetery, near Goodridge, MN
Married to John Gilsoul

Inga Olson; March 1898
Died May 21, 1914 near Goodridge, MN and buried at Torgerson Cemetery near Goodridge, MN

We do know from reading the 1900 census that Ole K and Gertrude were living in Scandia Township in Polk County, MN.

We can learn the following information from the census, eventhough the enumerator took liberties in calculating birthdates.

Ole K Olson was the head of the house hold. It states he was born in January of 1841, and was 18 when he was first married. He and his parent's were all born in Norway, and Ole was a farmer. He came to the states with his parent's in 1852.

Gertrude is listed as a woman having ten children all of whom are living. Her name is spelled Gertrud and she was also 18 when she married. Now, tell me this, how can Gertrude, born in 1860 and Ole born in 1941 or 2, both be married at eighteen? Language barrier? Enumberator liberties? Married before? After all, the 1900 census does not ask how many times you have been married, only how many births and how many children living. In the top half of this document, we have an Oscar, did Gertrude OR Ole K have a son by someone else before she married OK Olson? What about Anne born in 1889? Was she away when the census was taken and reported on another document some where?

Alfred; July 1884

1. Karen M; September 1886
2. Carl; January 1888
3. Anne M: May 1889
4. Julia O; October 1890
5. Enos G; January 1892
6. Henry H; May 1894
7. Hellen A; February 1896
8. Inga; March 1898

As you can see, the dates are off. All of us who knew and loved Grandma Julia Rye know that she was born 1889. Where is the tenth child? The tenth child had to have been Gertrude's because the census doesn't ask for how may sperms the male donated.

Why was Knute Olson, Ole's forty year old brother living with them? Is the one neice and two nephews children of Knute? Their names look like Gina, Carl O, and Johnny. The girl was fourteen and the boys 10 and 8.

Look too, and the variety of spellings of Halgrimson on Gertrude's death certificate and Holmgrimson in the obituary for her daughter, Julia Olette Olson Rye. Oh, this looks like a Sherlock mystery to solve. I will be really wrinkled when I find this out.

The only memory of Gertrude passed on to me was from Ella. I asked her what she remembered about her Grandmother. She remembered she was really nice and that she always had a clear candy dish with pink and white peppermints which she always shared with her grandchildren. We relived the candy dish by getting a clear dish and peppermints for her room at the nursing home. She said, "Now I have something to share with my grandchildren."

What is it about candy jars that tugs on the heart strings? That is another story for another day.

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