The Lunds — where we came from
The Lund family of Minneota, Minnesota, descended from four Norwegian
immigrants; one from Hedmark and three from Telemark, both farming areas.
Bear in mind that before 1923, Norwegians did not have surnames, only
patronymics, e.g. Jan Nilsen (or Nilson), meaning Jan, son of Nils, or Anna
Egilsdatter, meaning Anna, daughter of Egil. Our four ancestors are:
- Peder Nicolaisen, born 1841 in Løiten (now Løten), Hedmark,
who became Peter Nicolai Lund when he arrived in the United States in 1868.
- Bergit Høljesdatter, born Gransherad, Telemark, in
1834, who arrived in the US in 1842 and became Betsey Lund when (after a
first marriage) she married Peter Lund.
- Bjørn Jansen, born in Sauherad, Telemark, Norway, in 1852,
who became John Bjorn Johnson when he arrived in the US in 1861.
- Simonine Mathene Andersdatter, born in Bamle, Telemark in
1858, who took the surname Halvorson (her father's patronymic) when she
arrived in the US in 1861, and became Martina Johnson when she married John
Bjorn Johnson in 1875.
The counties (fylke) Hedmark and Telemark are on east side of the "bowl of
the spoon" as shown on the map. The towns Løten, Gransherad, Sauherad, and
Bamle are indicated with the reddish pointers. Click the Enlarge button
above the map for a closer look.
