Rasmus Augundson Mellem
and Malina Persdatter Hillestad Family
This is a work in progress that changes with every additional piece of information I get. I have included every clue that I have about a person, whether it is verified or not. Take it with a grain of salt. I owe much of this information to Lars �yane, with whom I have exchanged information for the Luster County bygdeboks he is writing.
Rasmus Augundson Mellem was born November 13, 1803, the son of Augund Rasmuson Fet and Kari Olsdatter Mellem from Hafslo, Sogn, Norway. On November 2, 1830 he married Malina Persdatter Hillestad, who was born to Per Ivarsen Hillestad and Anna Kristoffersdatter Sie on December 13, 1812. Eleven children were born to them in Norway: Martha, born November 22, 1830; Kari, born in 1832; Anna, born March 16, 1835; Augund (Edward), born October 14, 1837; Malina, born September 26, 1839; Peter, born October 31, 1841; Olena, born November 5, 1843; Christopher, born c. 1846, Johanna, born November 30, 1849; twins Iver and Ragnhild (Charlotte) born August 16, 1852. In 1854 the family immigrated to America and settled in Freeman Township, Crawford County, Wisconsin. Three more children were born in America: Bertha Marit, born January 20, 1856; Iver, born December 21, 1858; and Robert, born November 9, 1863. Rasmus and Malina died between 1880 and 1900, presumably in Crawford County, although no death record for either of them is on file in Crawford, Vernon, or La Crosse County.
1. Martha Rasmusdatter Mellem (b. November 22, 1830) immigrated to America with her parents in 1854 and was married on November 30, 1855 in Dane County, Wisconsin to David Gjertson from Aareskori under Kroken in Luster. He was born December 24, 1827 to Gjert Davidson Kroken and Kirstina Jansdatter from Krossviki under Nes and he came to America in 1852. They first lived on a farm in Dunn Township, Dane County, Wisconsin, before settling in Cherry Grove Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota in 1857. They had 7 children, all of whom used the surname Davidson: Christine, born 1855; Gjertrud Marie (Marie), born April 2, 1857; Malena (Malinda), born 1858; John, born January 9, 1861; Zacharias, born July 31, 1864; Maren, born September 25, 1866; and Anna, born October 23, 1869. David died in Goodhue County on February 10, 1908, and Martha died May 1, 1923.2. Kari Rasmusdatter Mellem (b. 1832) married Anders Knutson (b. 1827) from a farm called Vinda under Hauge. They lived in Vermont Township, near Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, using the surname Hauge. Anders and Kari had 13 children: Peder (b. 1853), Anders (b. 1856), Annie (b. 1858), Malina (b. 1861), Christina (b. 1863), Carrie (b. 1863), Robert (b. 1869), Tonnetta (b. 1870), Annie Marie (b. 1871), Carl (b. 1874), Syverene (b. 1877), John (b. 1879), and Robert Johannes (b. 1882). Anders died in 1894 and Kari died March 8, 1906.
3. Anna Rasmusdatter Mellem (b. March 16, 1835) married Berent Knutson (Ben Knudtson) on January 20, 1858 in Vernon County, Wisconsin. He was born in 1831, the son of Knut Rasmusson and Guri Malene Berentsdotter from Lunde in Rogaland, Norway. Ben was a blacksmith and he died between 1860 and 1867. Anna then married a man named John Iverson who came from Skarestad in Balestrand. John's parents were Iver Olson and Agatha Sjursdtr. He was born February 4, 1830 and came to America in 1861. John and Anna farmed in Freeman Township, Crawford County, Wisconsin, but I don't know what became of them after 1880. Anna had one son, Knut B. Knudtson, (October 15, 1859-October 23, 1859) with her first husband.
4. Edward (Augund) Rasmusson Mellem (b. October 14, 1837) married Mattie (Martha) Helland in 1867. Mattie's father was Nils Hansson from Haugane, Saebo, and her mother was Anna Olsdtr. from Helland in Laerdal. She was born November 17, 1844 and she came to America in 1866. Before marrying Edward, Mattie had a son, Ole, with a man whose name was apparently Lars. Edward and Mattie's other children were: Robert, born June 28, 1868; Anna Malena, born November 8, 1871; Carrie (Kari), born July 30, 1874; Anna Malena (Lena), born April 8, 1882; and Christopher, born January 20, 1885. Edward died in Crawford County on February 23, 1903 and afterward Mattie moved from Freeman Township to Viroqua in neighboring Vernon County. She died there on June 16, 1928 and is buried in the Freeman Cemetery.
5. Malina Mellem (b. September 26, 1839) married Andrew Knutson on December 17, 1860 in Crawford County. Known in Norway as Tonnes Andreas Knutson from Lunde in Rogaland, he was the son of Knut Rasmusson and Guri Malene Berentsdtr. He was born in 1839 and he died October 22, 1879. Andrew and Malina had eight children: Carl Johan (John), born December 21, 1861; Guri Malene, born March 11, 1864; Rinehart, born November 23, 1865; Martin, born March 6, 1869; Betsy Christine, born September 11, 1871; Gilbert, born October 7, 1873; Richard, born December 16, 1875; and Teolina, born June 5, 1879. There is a death record for Malina Knutson on file in both Crawford County, where she was buried in the Ferryville Cemetery, and La Crosse County, where she died on August 18, 1915.
6. Peter Mellem (b. October 31, 1841) married Anna Olsdatter from Haugen under Hillestad in Luster on October 24, 1869. Known in America as Anna Thompson, she was born October 16, 1842 and she came to America with her parents in 1862. Peter fought in the Civil War in Company B of the 17th Wisconsin Infantry from October 1864 through July of 1865. During that time period the 17th Wisconsin participated in Sherman's March to the Sea as well as the Campaign of the Carolinas. After farming in Freeman Township, Crawford County, for a while Peter and Anna moved in 1880 to West End Township in Richland County, North Dakota. Peter and Anna had six children: Christopher Nitter, born November 4, 1869; Malena, born December 14, 1870; Britha, born March 18, 1873; Betsy, born October 23, 1875; Robert, born 1877; and Albert, born in September 1879. Anna died probably in 1890, and Peter then married a widow named Mathilda Olson on October 30, 1893. She was possibly born in 1846 and her first husband may have been named Charles. They were married for less than a year when Peter died on October 13, 1894. Six months later, on April 4, 1895, Mathilda married Ole H. Toftely, who may have been born in 1853. Ole and Mathilda apparently stayed on the farm in Richland County until 1901, but I do not know what became of them after that.
7. Olena Rasmusdatter Mellem (b. November 5, 1843)
8. Christopher Mellem (b. 1846)
9. Johanna Mellem (b. November 30, 1849)
10. Iver Mellem (b. August 16, 1852) almost certainly died before his brother Iver was born in 1858.
11. Ragnhild (Charlotte) Mellem (b. August 16, 1852)
12. Bertha Marit Mellem (b. January 20, 1856) died before 1860.
13. Iver R. Mellem (b. December 20, 1858) appears in the 1880 census in Crawford County, Wisconsin, but he moved to Steele County, Minnesota sometime between then and May 13, 1884 when he married Randa Anderson in Owatonna. The daughter of Mons Andersson Haugen (Ovrevoll) and Martha Torstensdatter Gr�t�yane (Mons and Martha Anderson) from L�rdal, she was born January 24, 1862, probably in Goodhue County, Minnesota. Mons and Martha appear in the L�rdal bygdebok in v. 3 p. 152. Iver and Randa lived in Granite Falls, Minnesota for the first seven years of their marriage, then they farmed in Aurora Township, Steele County, Minnesota for 23 years before retiring to Owatonna. Randa had a daughter, Ida, born November 20, 1882, the father being one Jens Olson (from F�restad in L�rdal?). Together Randa and Iver had six children, the two oldest probably born in Yellow Medicine County: Malina, born September 1885; Miller Richard, born February 14, 1889; Theolena, born March 12, 1891; Carl Oscar, born April 8, 1894; Robert Erwin, born July 5, 1896; and Pearl J., born May 8, 1899. Iver died January 16, 1944 at the age of 85 and six months later, Randa followed, on July 31, 1944, age 82. Both are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Owatonna.
Other interested researchers: Scott White [email protected]
Text copyright 2001 by Chris Larson
[email protected]
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