The Hillestad Family from Hafslo, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway



The Hillestad Family


from Hafslo,
Luster Kommune, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
to America


Hillestad house in Norway, from a postcard dated 1913

The photo at right is Ruth Hillestad Lundberg in a bunad brought to America by her aunt Malene, probably in the 1920s.


     The first of my ancestors to live on the Hillestad farm was Per Olson who came from the farm Kjos. As I understand it, Hillestad belonged to one Nils Olson Kj�tnes in 1693. When he died in 1717, the farm passed through his widow, Anna Knutsdatter Hauge, to her second husband, Ivar Akselson Fet. After Anna died, Ivar married Synneva Torbj�rnsdatter Solvi. After Ivar died in 1758, Synneva married my ancestor, Per Olson Kjos. Their oldest son Ivar and his wife Anna Ingebrigtsdatter S�nnesyn got the farm in 1783 and had it until Ivar died in 1829. Ivar and Anna's son Per and his wife Anna Kristoffersdatter Sie had the farm from 1829-1839. Anna was a descendant of the Nitter family, which was said to have been founded by a pirate and/or murderer who was exiled from Scotland in the 1500s.

     Per and Anna had 9 children: Malena (b. 1814), Ivar (b. November 3, 1816), Kristoffer (b. 1820), Anna, Brita, Ingeborg, and three others who likely died as children. Ivar took over the farm in 1839 and ran it until 1868. Ivar married Kirsti Andersdatter Nygard Solvi, the daughter of Anders Olson Nygard Solvi and Kari Olsdatter Melheim. Ivar and Kirsti had 11 children:

1. Peder (Per) Iversen Hillestad (christened December 25, 1840) married Marta Jakobsdatter H�ri and they had at least three children: Jacob (b. February 13, 1870), another son, and a daughter.

a. Jacob Pederson Hillestad (b. February 13, 1870)

2. Anders (Andrew) Iversen Hillestad (christened August 21, 1842)

3. Anne Iversdatter Hillestad (christened September 8, 1844) probably died before her sister Anne was born in 1850.

4. Ola Iversen Hillestad (christened October 17, 1847) was a teacher. He married Elina Nilsdatter Hillestad and they had at least three children: Ivar, Malla, and Nils.

5. Anne Iversdatter Hillestad (christened May 12, 1850)

6. Iver Iversen Hillestad (b. December 10, 1852)

7. Kari Iversdatter Hillestad (christened May 17, 1855)

8. Christopher Nitter Iversen Hillestad (b. February 19, 1858)

9. Johannes (John) Iversen Hillestad (b. October 1860)

10. Andreas Iversen Hillestad (christened September 20, 1863)

11. Malene Iversdatter Hillestad (christened July 15, 1866) came to visit her siblings in America once, probably in the 1920s.

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Probably dating to the turn of the century, this photo is simply labeled "The Hillestad Family in Norway."

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Map of Norway

Map of Sogn og Fjordane, showing Luster Kommune boundaries

Map of Sogn og Fjordane, showing Hafslo

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Text copyright 2001 by Chris Larson
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