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Welcome To The Evjen & Osterkil Genealogy Pages !!!

This is an on-going hobby of mine to put together a family tree complete with memoirs and photographs for the descendants of either of my great grandfathers Andrew Evjen or Halvor Osterkil. Andrew or (Anders Andersen) was born on April 21, 1842, at the tenant farm Småvollan of Evjenåsen (Evjen Ridge) near Horg in the Gauldal Valley located about 40 km (25 miles) south of Trondheim, Norway. He was reported to be a "Hand-saw-maker" in the 1865 census. In 1867 it is recorded that he emigrated to America. Once in America, Andrew may have worked as a lumberjack in northern Michigan for a few years (see reference page). Sometime around 1872, Andrew settled near Porter, Minnesota (in Yellow Medicine County). Like many emigrants from Scandinavian countries, Andrew derived his last name or surnane from his father's name "Anders" and his relationship as "son" to make his full surname "Andersen". After being settled for awhile, Andrew decided to add the old farm name "Evjen" onto his name to make his new American name "Andrew Andersen Evjen" because he thought there were too many Andersens' in the country already. Andrew later married Syneva or (Synnøve Arntsdotter Sylte) who had already emigrated to America in 1871. Syneva was born in 1840 near Syltbakken in the Surnadal Valley located about 130 km (80 miles) southwest of Trondheim.

Halvor Osterkil or (Hallvard Torsteinsen Bonsletten Østerkil) was born on March 20, 1855 at the farm Øvre (Upper) Bonsletten, Østerkil near Hegra in the Stjørdal Valley located about 40 km (25 miles) east of Trondheim. Sometime before the turn of the century he emigrated to America and started a family of 3 children named Tobi, Linfant, and Ida. After his first wife passed away he returned to Norway and married his second wife Anne or (Anne Olsdotter Sylte). During the month of June in 1902, Halvor, Anne and Anne's 9 year old daughter Agnes boarded the ship Cunardlinjen at Kristiansund, Norway and sailed to America. They settled near Dell Rapids, South Dakota. Shortly after settling, Irene was born.

If you are vaguely related to either Andrew Evjen or Halvor Osterkil and if you're from the United States or Norway, I encourage you to e-mail me any material (photographs or text) that you would like to see included. Also, if you find errors or missing information in any of these text blocks, please e-mail me the changes. If you click on the EDIT button found at the top of each block to submit your e-mail, then I will know which block you're talking about. Thank you in advance for any e-mail you might send.

Finally, I would like to specially thank Marilyn (Haugen) Hagle , Ruth Haugen , Beverly Nelson , Lene Sæter , Arild Svalgres , May-Bente (Hånes) Mathisen , Haldis Kristiansen Haugen , Anders Normann , Kathy (McGinty) Stoneberg , Stella (Platt) Hughes , Jon Erickson , Råg Aarnes , Jack Kucker , Amber (Robish) Christenson and Lars Steinar Hansen for all the help and information they've provided towards the production of these web pages.

Daniel Evjen

Picture came from: Marilyn
Date of picture: Approx. 1900
Front row: Syneva, Andrew

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Picture came from: Marilyn
Date of picture: March 27, 1918
Front row: John

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Picture came from: Marilyn
Date of picture: March 27, 1918
Front row: Agnes

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Picture came from: Beverly
Date of picture: Approx. 1869
Front row: John (Joe), Marit (Mary)

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Picture came from: Beverly
Date of picture: BEFORE 1895
Front row: Esten, Kari
Back row: Andrew, Beret (Betsy)

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Picture came from: Beverly
Date of picture: BEFORE 28 DEC 1891
Front row: Ragnhild

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Picture came from: Stella Platt Hughes
Date of picture: 1897
Front row: Halvor

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St. Peters Sunday School - 1897

The enclosed picture is from a centennial publication of the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids. The church was the result of a 1918 merger of the Stordahl Congregation, organized in 1874, and St. Peter's Lutheran Church, organized in 1887 and reorganized in 1892. Our ancestors belonged to St. Peter's, and among those accepting the 1892 constitution were Halvor T. Osterkil and Peder T. Sorkilmo (brothers). When the two groups united they used St. Peter's for church services and the Stordahl parsonage for the parsonage, selling the Stordahl church to the Danish Baptists. I believe that the name, Dell Rapids Lutheran Church, was adopted then. At the reorganization of St. Peter's in 1892 the congregation was holding three services a month, one in English.

This picture was taken in 1897 of the Sunday School of St. Peter's Lutheran Church. At the time they were holding church services and Sunday School in the Danish Baptist Church, which stood where the Chevrolet Garage is now standing. The eight teachers in the top row are Halvor Asterkil, Peter Anderson, Mrs. Ole Paulson, Mrs. H. 0. Rime, Mrs. Ole Langsvehaug, Mrs. Hans Rumholm, And Anderson, Ole Frels tad. Names of hoys and girls taken at random are Georgina Dieson, Alma Dieson, Harry Dieson, Ben Dieson, Alma Langsvehaug, Alma Anderson, Edwin Anderson, Alfred Anderson, Lottie Rime, Olga Rime, Luella Rime, Clara Tufteland, Henry Tufteland, Maurice Johnson, Elsie Johnson, Myrtle Johnson, Laura Moe, Henry Moe, Martin Moe, Stella Moe, Ingvald Fredrickson, Charley Paulson, Edna Paulson, Tilda Paulson, Petra Fredth, Minnie Maim, Oliver Maim, Swanson girl, Mabel Anderson, Hazel Anderson, Elmer Johnson, Julie Sorkilmo, Caroline Hermanson, Alice Paulson.

Picture came from: Marilyn
Date of picture: approx. 1947
Front row: Agnes, Ellen Aronson, Ruth, Anne, Richard Aronson

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Picture came from: Råg Aarnes
Date of picture: approx. 1930-1940
Front row: Ola Olsen Sylte

Syltstua, Surnadal, Norway is the farm where Anne came from. Syltstua is located only about 300 yards from the Syltbakken farm. Try clicking on the picture with your mouse and it should get bigger.

Picture came from: Råg Aarnes
Date of picture: approx. 1930

Syltbakken, Surnadal, Norway is the farm where Syneva came from. Syltbakken is located only about 300 yards from the Syltstua farm. Try clicking on the picture with your mouse and it should get bigger.

Picture came from: Marilyn
Date of picture: Approx. 1931
Front row: Lloyd, Loyal
Second row: Raynard, Vivian
Back row: Helen, Muriel Kucker, Ruth


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