The Andersons at Bawlf, Alberta, Canada (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 32 theme: "Wide Open Spaces")

My maternal great great grandfather Israel Anderson (1829-1910) spent a lifetime searching for wide open spaces. Born in 1829  and raised in Laxarby, Västra Götaland, Sweden, 3 miles from the nearest town, he moved to Norway as a young man to work on a farm there. He married farmer's daughter Johanna Gundersdatter Opsahl and moved to America in 1856 with wife and their first child, my great grandfather Anders (Andrew) Anderson. 

Israel and Johanna went on to have the following children: Andrew b 1855, Sophia b. abt. 1856, Ida b. 1858, Gunelius b. 1862, Olava b. 1864, Annetta b. 1868, John b. 1868, Betsy b. abt. 1870 and Carl Gustaf b. 1873. Johanna died in 1900.  

Over the years, the call of its wide open spaces took Israel and family to several newly developing areas on the American frontier. After first settling in Decatur, WI, they moved on to Northwood County, Iowa and then to Grafton, Dakota Territories, traveling by train and covered wagon. In 1901 son Carl Gustaf moved across the border to homestead in Manitoba. In 1902 son Gunelius moved his family to Canada as well, settling in what became the Bawlf area of what was then the North-West Territories.  In 1903 Israel himself emigrated for a third and final time to join Gunelius in the Bawlf area. He was a widower in his mid-70s.

Alberta was not even yet a province when Israel arrived. In 1903 the land was still part of the North-West Territories, and, of course, before that had been part of the truly wide open spaces occupied by the western First Nations peoples. At noon on 1 September 1905 Alberta became a Province of Canada. Israel had been there for a couple of years by this time.

Google Earth view of Bawlf area - showing the present-day checkerboard of fields that were wide open spaces when the Andersons arrived

The Village of Bawlf was established in the vast Canadian prairies in 1905, the same year that Alberta became a province. Named for Nicholas Bawlf, president of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, the town came into being alongside the new railroad. Farming and shipping grain were its raison d'être.

Son Gunelius "G.I."  had moved there the preceding year with his family. The following is from a letter dated 17 May 1977 from Ernie and Esther Anderson to R.W. "Bob" Anderson, based on their recollections of  comments made by Gunelius's son Lawrence Anderson: 

"G.I. left Edinburg, N.D., where he owned a hotel, in 1902 and moved to Alberta. Andrew and John came up two years later and bought a half section beside the homestead. Lawrence was saved land, proved it up and got it at age 21. The railroad came in 1906. Israel homesteaded near his sons' farms and was required to spend a few months each year on his homestead, so he had a house on skids that he pulled over to the land in summer and then back to the sons in the winter.    Lawrence said they lived in 2 tents when they arrive in Daysland and lived in them until three weeks before Christmas when their house was finally ready for occupancy. It was bitterly cold, he remembers."

The 1906 census of Alberta shows Gunelius at section 8-45-17-W4M, his sons Emil at 10-45-17-W4M and Lawrence at 30-44-16-W4M. Another brother, John Anderson, had homesteaded at Bawlf just east of his father at NE36-44-17 W4M.

Homestead application of Israel Anderson

Sadly, on 7 March 1910, at age 80, Israel died before proving up his homestead application. 

1910 Post Card from Gunelius Anderson advising sister Sophia of Israel's death

Decades ago my uncle Bob Anderson and his son visited the rural Lutheran cemetery near Bawlf  where Israel is buried. A few years after this, while attending a kids' hockey tournament at nearby Daysland, my husband and I also paid Israel's gravesite a visit.

Two of His Male Anderson descendants visit Israel's burial location 

In 1998, in response to my letter to the Village of Bawlf, local resident and historical record-keeper Lil Bohmer sent me a considerable amount of information based on local knowledge of the family. Lil was a member of the same Bawlf Lutheran Church as the Andersons and was the record-keeper for the cemetery. She provided the burial locations for Israel as well as for Gunelius, his wife Sophia, their daughter Gina Reesor (1891-1928), son Emil (1884-1950) and son Alfred (1886-1954).

Lil went on to say: 

I found in the Daysland History book the enclosed information about Kenneth and Aleda Anderson. Also in the book were copies of maps showing land owners in the early 1900s. Another son of Gunelius and Sophia farmed north of Ohaton. He was known as Ike but a gentleman who knew him said he thought his given name was Israel - after his grandfather. The other son Lawrence, who farmed with Alfred later lived in Daysland. I found several people who remembered Gunelius and family but no one is left who would remember Israel. The house that the Andersons built on their farm was considered a beautiful place. Their neighbours and church friends were all there for Open House when it was completed. A few years ago that house was moved into Daysland to be a neat looking place yet. It was a 2 story. The fact that it had a kitchen nook and a dining room had impressed everyone. 

Israel's grandsons Clarence and Ingwald (sons of Andrew) homesteaded in the Lancer area of Saskatchewan, Canada a few years later. The wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies did not suit everyone. Some of the sons or their descendants ended up moving back south of the 49th parallel. The current crop of Andersons inhabiting Canada's wide open spaces primarily descend through the Israel/Andrew/Ingwald line. 

3 of Israel's sons backed by their sons about 1915: lower left my great grandfather Andrew Anderson in front of his son Clarence, lower centre Gunelius in front of his son Emil and lower right John in front of his son Victor. The picture was taken after Victor returned from fighting in World War I

Tomas Willumsen (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 31 theme: "Earliest Ancestor")

"How far back have you gone? Who was your earliest ancestor?" are questions frequently asked when folks learn I'm "into genealogy". I generally sidestep, claiming greater interest in finding details to flesh out the lives of more recent generations. In truth, I remain a bit of a skeptic when told that Charlemagne was my 36th great grandfather. The earliest ancestor in my database was even earlier than Charlemagne, namely a Norwegian named Svidrii Heytsson (born c.600) but I have indicated in a big bold note: Probably did not exist and is an imaginary person based on Norse mythology!

I won't be tackling Charlemagne or Svidrii - or anyone from that far back. I have instead selected the earliest named person (with at least a bit of information attached to his name) on one particular line of my paternal family tree. This line hailed from Sogn og Fjordane county (now part of Vestland in the Western part of Norway): Tomas Willumson of  Lærdalsøyri (Lærdal), my 10th great grandfather. He was probably born around 1560 but no record has been located. (I have certainly gone back further than this with my early New England ancestors back to England - but not so much in this part of Norway.) 

This Lærdal area was close to the Vang area of Oppland where Tomas's descendants were found, including my Dad's paternal grandmother Anna Elton. 

Sogn og Fjordane (Vestland, Norway) scene between Aurdal and  Laerdal, image by Stefan Wagener under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License

Sogn og Fjordane is a land of superlatives: largest glacier in mainland Norway (Jostedalsbreen, in the Breheimen mountain range), the deepest lake (Hornindalsvatnet), and the tallest waterfall in Norway (Ramnefjellsfossen). 

It also has one of the best examples of the Norwegian stave church: Borgund Church. built about 1180. Since the Valdres Samband records connect my family line to Tomas at Borgund, it would be nice to be able to find church records for him here.

22 August 2006 Flickr: Borgund Stavekirk, Norway; author zoetnet 

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Two different biographical sketches have been presented for Tomas:

1. According to a note from the Valdres Samband genealogy page, Tomas was: "a man who came from Bergen and had much money. He was buying farms and was a "grocery" man at Lærdalsøren. He also had some in Vindedalen."
2. According to the Lærdal bygdebok IV:105 - "Tomas Willumsen var prest.  Han tok borgarskap i 1643, var huseigar på Lærdalsøyri og dreiv med handel.  Ein Guttorm Andersson frå Hallingdal vart bøtelagd for å ha overfalle han i hans eige hus her rundt 1617.  Han er gravlagd under koret i Kaupanger stavkyrkje der det heng eit epitafium som viser han og familien."

[English translation - of sorts] "Tomas Willumsen was a priest.  He received permission to trade in 1643, was a house owner at Lærdalsøyri and worked in commerce.  A Guttorm Andersson from Hallingdal was fined for having [overfalle] him [he] in his to own house here around 1617.  He is buried under [koret] in Kaupanger church [stavkyrkje] where hangs an epitaph which shows he and his family."

Well, that's confusing: businessman or priest - or both? An excellent source for genealogical research in Norway is their church records. Although there are some church records dating from the 1600s, the ones for Lærdal and Borgund do not begin until about 1711. Nor is their a census record to add any clarity to what Tomas was actually up to. 

The following lineage has not been verified but Tomas is said to have been the father of Karen Tomasdatter born 1593 at Lærdal. Karen married a man named Ola Bartsalsen Voll and had a daughter Gunvor Olsdatter Voll born c.1624. Gunvor grew up and married Anders Andersen Hatleberg (1612-1692); we are slowly inching our way into the time frame when actual records can be found. Gunvor and Anders are my 7th great grandparents. 

Fortunately Norway did conduct censuses, albeit of just the male half of the population, in the Manntall of 1664 and 1666. The one conducted in 1664 did not specify ages, but the following image appears to be the one for Anders Andersen Hatleberg and sons Olla and Anders.

1664 Parish Priest's Census Manntall for Sogn og Fjordane p97

I believe the following image shows the record for Anders Anderssen Hatleberg in 1666. His age is given as 53 and three boys aged 20, 16 and 4, all conforming closely to existing family information (which would have Anders at 54, sons Ola and Anders aged 22 and 17 and the youngest boy age 5).

Sogn og Fjordane Manntall 1666 for  Borgund Lærdal p 132

Tomas Willumsen has not been spotted in either of these censuses, meaning he probably died between 1643 (when he was reportedly granted permission to trade) and 1664. 

Anders and Gunvor's daughter Velgjerd Andersdatter (b. abt.1651) was the last of this particular line of my ancestors to be born in Borgund/Lærdal in Sogn og Fjordane; she married a man from nearby Vang, Oppland where she died in 1694. 

Having used this opportunity to dig as deeply as I am able in this line (and not finding it particularly fruitful),  I will continue to focus on ancestors for whom record-finding is a better possibility. The upside, however, is that a visit to the Borgund Stavekirk and some of the superlative geographic features of Sogn og Fjordane will definitely be included in future travel plans to Norway.

Some Resources: 

• Hovland, K. and Espe, A., Lærdal Bygdebok v. 4, 2001; accessible at such places as the University of North Dakota's Brekke Collection: https://apps.library.und.edu/bygdebok/place/186
• Valdres Samband (Genealogy Collection), a Norwegian bygdelag or community organization for descendants of Norwegians who emigrated from the Valdres region in Norway to North America.  

Confirmation: A Lutheran Rite of Passage (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 30 theme: "Religious Traditions" )

1940 Confirmation at Bethel Lutheran Church near Leinan, Saskatchewan - author's father Ken Bardahl back row centre

The Evangelical Lutheran Church was the state church in Norway from 1537 until 2012. It was mandated to keep the official state records including births/baptisms, marriages and deaths/burials. All of these entailed church matters as well as vital statistics. The church records are mostly available online through the Norwegian national archives, albeit only in a browsable format in challenging Gothic script in old Norwegian.

One other church record that is often available is the list of  those confirmed into the Lutheran Church as an affirmation of the baptism done in infancy. From 1736 on, it was a requirement that young people be instructed in the catechism and pass a test before taking their first communion. Confirmation traditionally occurred at around 14-15 years of age and can often be found by searching the church records 14-16 years following a person's baptism record; sometimes confirmands were as old as 20 so scrolling through a few years' records might be required. Confirmations are fairly easy to spot even in chronological church records as lists of young people of about the same specified age. Sometimes it lists the father and, occasionally, the mother. It does not often provide much in the way of new information but is another piece of the genealogical puzzle to map out a person's life in a given location. 

For example, after finding the birth record for my paternal immigrant ancestor Hans Olai Johnson Bardahl in 1841, it was fairly easy to find his Confirmation record from 1857.

1857 Confirmation Record for Hans Olai Johnson (blue underlining) from Nesna, Nordland, Norway church book

Hans's Confirmation record is unusual in containing a generous amount of genealogical information including his name, date and place of birth, father's and mother's names, his religious knowledge and diligence (which I wish I could decipher) and finally the date on which he had been vaccinated for smallpox. Smallpox vaccine was mandated in Norway from 1810 and often shows up in the church records alongside births/baptisms, confirmations or marriages. Hans had been vaccinated 18 September 1845 at age 4.

Both paternal grandparents were Confirmed as Lutherans in the United States; much of the same record-keeping persisted in the Church although not mandated in America. My favourite record is the certificate in Norwegian for my paternal grandmother Louise Nelson, confirmed in 1897 in Erdahl, MN.

My paternal grandfather John Bardahl was confirmed in Elbow Lake, Minnesota in 1893.

1893 Confirmation of John Bardahl from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Records for Elbow Lake, MN

John was 14 when he was confirmed; his parents were Hans and Anna Barda(h)l , his birthplace was Chippewa, Minnesota and his religious knowledge was good. 

My maternal grandfather Ingwald Anderson (1893-1958) should have been confirmed in about 1907; no record can be found. This could be because his mother had been experiencing mental health issues following the still birth of a baby in 1900; family life was very disrupted by this and religious practice and guidance may have fallen by the wayside.

My brother's copy of our first year Confirmation book containing much of the Catechism that was to be learned by memory

My Dad's sister Inez Bardahl's Confirmation Photo c.1932

Conformation was a major milestone deserving of a new dress or suit and a professional photograph.

My Dad Ken Bardahl was the son of John and Louise (Nelson) Bardahl and was confirmed in 1940 at age 14. At that time, confirmands were tested orally in front of the congregation on their memorization of the Catechism. Following my Dad, my brother and I took the two years of religious training and had our Confirmation at the same church. By that time, we were all grateful to learn there would no longer be public testing of one's ability to memorize the Catechism and no record kept of one's religious knowledge as had been the case for our ancestors.

One of the last Confirmations at Bethel Prairie Lutheran Church, June 1964, Leinan area of Saskatchewan; author's brother back row left; author front row right; author's younger sister's Confirmation was also held here a few years later (no photo available as so often happens with younger siblings!)

Some Resources:

• Research Outline Norway, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah (a precursor to materials now available on the familysearch.org website Research WIKI), pages 14-16

Wescott and Bullen Cousins (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 29 theme: "Cousins")

 

Wescott - Bullen Cousins photo abt.1893-1894

This photograph shows two sets of sisters who were first cousins, their common grandparents being David Bullen Sr. and  Jane Murdie. The Bullen sisters (on the left) were daughters of David Bullen Jr. (1832-1911) and the Wescott sisters (on the right) were daughters of David's sister Sarah Catherine Bullen (1838-1933). The Bullens were living in Poynette, WI and the Wescotts in Colby, WI., a distance of over 200 miles as the crow flies. 

Pictured are: 

Maude Bullen (married name Branton) upper left

Eva Bullen (married name Wescott) lower left

Idella Wescott (married name Wicker) upper right

Mayme Wescott (married name Edwards) lower right - my maternal great grandmother

The photographer is identified on the back as M. Danks of Colby, Wisconsin. He was registered in business there from 1893-1906 (but had died on 11 February 1905). That limits the timing of this photograph, as does the apparent ages of the young women when compared to other photographs of them.  

I often wonder about the reason for the cousins being together and dressing up with corsages. Perhaps a family wedding? Of the two ring fingers visible in the image, Eva appears to be wearing a wedding ring while Mayme does not; Eva had married her first cousin Harvey Wescott (brother to Idella and Mayme) 14 October 1890 but this would have been prior to Mr. Danks having his photography business in Colby. Mayme married Charles Edwards 1 October 1896 in Great Falls, Montana. There were a couple of family weddings in Colby that occurred in 1894 when Idella Wescott married Frank Wicker and when Idella and Mayme's brother Fred married Josephine Nikodeme. Perhaps the family had gathered for one of those events, but Idella is not dressed in traditional bridal garb if this was at the time of her own wedding. In any event, the gathering of the four of them in Colby was considered worthy of this group photo.

Maude Martha Bullen (1869-1964) was born in Arlington, WI. She married Charles Branton on 16 March 1897. The following is from an undated and unsourced newspaper clipping in the possession of Mrs. A. H. Nelson at the time she and Ruth Dunlop compiled their family history in the 1930s: 

At the Mr. E. Parsonage on Wednesday evening, Nov. 28th, Miss Maude M. Bullen, daughter of Mrs. Hannah Bullen of this city, and Mr. C. H. Branton, also of this place, were joined in holy bonds of matrimony. Following the ceremony the newlyweds started on an auto trip northward to Unity, to spend a few days with the family of the bride's sister, Mrs. Eva Wescott. 

Miss Bullen has spent the major portion of her life in Poynette and was for a number of years a faithful employee of the Poynette Telephone Co. She is held in the highest esteem by her friends. For the past year she has been employed in a hospital in Madison.

Mr. Branton is foreman of a crew of county men, whose business he has successfully conducted for the past eight years; he has been a neighbor to the editor and family for about twenty years, and our associations with each other have been gilt edge. We join in extending congratulations--may they be blessed with health, happiness and prosperity.

This is where the story gets confusing. The good wishes from their wedding announcement did not result in a "happily ever after" story for Maude and Charles. In the 1900 census, just 3 years later, she was a teacher living with her parents under the name Maude Bullen, single. Charles was listed in the same town having been married 3 years to someone named Eliza with two very young children. There is no record of Maude and Charles having any children nor of their marriage having been annulled or ended by divorce. No additional marriage record has been located for Charles and Eliza. Maude is listed as single and a "call girl" with the telephone company in 1920, living with her widowed mother.  From time to time over the years, she used the name Branton. When Charles died in 1959, his obituary lists her as his surviving wife along with the implication that the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren listed were also hers. In fact Eliza had predeceased him but there is no reference to her in his obituary.  

Maude died in 1969 and is buried with her parents in the Bullen section of Hillside Cemetery in Poynette, Wisconsin.

Maude Bullen stone - photo courtesy Findagrave.com member EAK II

 

Eva Lee Bullen (1868-1939) was the first-born child of David Bullen Jr. and Hannah Hodgson in Arlington, WI.  According to her obituary, she received her education in the public schools of Arlngton, and graduated from the Poynette High School.  She went to Marathon County, WI as a teacher, then on 14 October 1890 married her cousin Harvey Wescott and had a family of  3 sons (Harry, Ross and Glenn) with him. 

At the Wescott Homestead in Wisconsin 1895 (colorized). Harvey Wescott is back row, 2nd from left and his wife Eva is on the far right of the picture with young sons Harry and Ross, standing next to her mother-in-law Sarah Catherine (Bullen) Wescott. (Seated front row are Harvey's sisters Idella and Mayme)

Eva was very active in community and church affairs. She died on 8 March 1939 at Marshfield, WI.

Eva Lee (Bullen) Wescott

Idella Louise Wescott (1869-1963)  was the first of two daughters born to George Garner Wescott and Sarah Catherine Bullen. There were 6 brothers. Idella was in the first high school graduating class of Colby, Wisconsin. Like her cousin Eva, she was a school teacher in her early years. At the age of 24, she married Frank Wicker and went on to have a family of 7 children with him. 

Frank and Idella, unknown year - photo courtesy Dawn Wicker

Frank and Idella's Family Celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary
photo courtesy Dawn Wicker 

Frank died in 1949 and Idella survived him until 1963. They are buried beside each other at Colby, WI.

Headstone for Frank and Idella in Colby Cemetery, photo courtesy kclem of findagrave.com

Mary Jane "Mayme" Wescott (1871-1926) was the second daughter born to George and Sarah (Bullen) Wescott. 

Daughter Marion (Edwards) Miller describes Mayme as follows: 

My mother, a small quiet spoken lady, blue eyes, dark auburn hair that turned grey when she was in her thirties or forties, always going around the house singing softly, a very particular housekeeper, with hands that were never idle.  She loved to sew, made all of our clothes, even coats when we were young, and when she had all of us fitted out, she made clothes for poor children. . . . When she was a young woman she went on a trip to Montana, probably around 1895, to visit a cousin in Great Falls.  The cousin had a young man boarding with her, 6 ft. tall and handsome, a railroad man who had headquarters there.  His name was Charles Francis Edwards.

For their wedding in Great Falls, Mayme made her own wedding dress, a pale mint green, soft taffeta.

Mayme and Charles Wedding Photo 1896

My grandmother Idella Edwards was the oldest of their 6 children. The family moved around a bit with Charles working on the railroad and trying his hand at mining and farming. It was during their short attempt at homesteading in Saskatchewan that my grandmother started to teach in the Lancer area, fell in love with my young homesteading grandfather and stayed behind to marry when the rest of the family moved back to the United States. Mayme was not happy about leaving her daughter behind but nevertheless hand-stitched this beautiful wool log cabin quilt for the newlyweds.

Portion of the quilt made by Mayme for daughter's wedding - now in possession of the author

Mayme died in 1926 at the age of 54 years after having had a number of teeth extracted in an apparent attempt to improve an unknown long-standing health issue. She was hospitalized in Kelso, WA on a Sunday, died on Tuesday and the funeral was held on Thursday morning in Castle Rock, WA. Her remains were cremated and the ashes are in the Portland Memorial Mausoleum.  Charles lived until 1941; his ashes are beside hers. 

The four young sisters/cousins gazing out with so much promise (and a bit of trepidation perhaps) in that early group photo were women of their time who led somewhat conventional lives that were certainly stamped with their own individuality. 

Some Resources: 

• Miller, Marion Frances Edwards; My Memories, personal memoir written for her family in January 1978 from her home at 5405 Union Street, Lexington, Michigan, p2
• Nelson, M. and Dunlop, R., Compilers,  Source Book for the Bullen Family; Privately printed in the 1930s
• Train, May Phillips, Samuel Bullen and Some of His Descendants, Privately printed 1941
• Wicker, Frank and Judith, The Wicker-Wescott Heritage, privately printed Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 1998

Travels to New England (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 28 theme: "Travel")

1997 marked the beginning of my genealogical journey. Appropriately, it had all begun with my husband travelling home to England for the funeral of his dear Aunt Winnie. I spent my evenings during his absence conducting early internet searches for my ancestors known to have been in New England in the 1630s. One of my earliest online discoveries in the Morse family led back to Redgrave and Hinderclay in Suffolk, just a few short miles from where Aunt Winnie's funeral was taking place. My husband was easily persuaded to make the short side trip on my behalf. 

The following year, he took my mother, my sister and me (and a roll of duct tape, he liked to joke!) on a genealogical trip to England to visit many of the places associated with our English ancestors.

The year after that (5 May-26 May 1999), my mother joined us to travel from our homes in Western Canada to New England to check out some of the same families' arrival spots in New England. Even though this was barely two years into my genealogical journey, I had collected a vast number of ancestors and their New England locations. There would be much to see.

A visit to a good map and travel book store netted me a few treasures including Historic Coastal New England by Clayton and Whitley. The planning and organizing were done the old-fashioned way with books and telephone calls. The following map from Google Earth highlights many of the stops of relevance we made in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. (Martha's Vineyard was thrown in just for fun!)

We visited numerous memorials, libraries and historical societies - and countless cemeteries! We were delighted to find so many stones for ancestors dating well back into the 1600s (a far different situation to our experience in England when there didn't seem to be anything beyond the 1800s). We received so much helpful information wherever we went. As so many genealogists have found to their delight, serendipitous events occurred during our travels.

Some of the ancestral names and their locations in Massachusetts stand out more than a quarter century later: Mayflower ancestors including John Alden and Priscilla Mullins in  Plymouth and Duxbury, Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks at Fairbanks House in Dedham, the Morses and Bullens in Sherborn, Medfield and Wales (South Brimfield), James Cudworth in Scituate, Kenelm and Ellen Winslow at Marshfield, Kenelm II Winslow and Peter Worden in the Worden Cemetery at Dennis, the Carvers and Hartwells at Bridgewater and John Prescott at Lancaster. We also visited Rhode Island to places associated with ancestors Stukely Westcott in Providence and Warwick and the Carvers in Foster.

Sharing just a handful of the dozens of photos taken: 

The author checking out headstones for James and Mary (Cudworth) Whitcomb at Rochester, MA

Fairbanks House, Dedham, MA - built by Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks 1636

Samuel Morse memorial in Vine Lake Cemetery, Medfield, MA

In Rhode Island, we failed to locate any ancestors at North Scituate. But with help from local historians we did find the well-hidden cemetery on the West side of Tucker-Hollow Road where we visited ancestors Joseph and Sarah Carver. The rocky land here seemed very inhospitable for new settlers trying to make a living. 

Joseph and Sarah (Hartwell) Carver Stones in well-hidden cemetery (Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Foster #26) near Foster, RI

Warwick, Rhode Island was said to have a marker for Stukely Westcott but we couldn't find a location described anywhere. Fortunately, we happened to stop in a residential neighborhood where a  man getting into his car serendipitously turned out to belong to the local historical society and took us to see a few sites of interest, including Stukely's marker. (He asked if his ancestor Chad Brown was another of our ancestors as well; it turned out he was - but I didn't yet know this. Thanks for the tour, Cousin!)

Marker for Stukely Wescott, Warwick, RI

We had mixed experiences looking for evidence of our Revolutionary War ancestor John Bullen and his wife Sarah Underwood at Ware, Western and Wales, MA. A very helpful policeman gave us directions to the cemeteries and led us to one. 

Kind Police Officer leading us to the Cemetery

The first day we found nothing (other than kindness and hospitality) but the second day we went back to the town office in Wales/Brimfield and had more success with some excellent documents and old books. Once again, as we were driving around in confusion, we happened upon just the right person out working on his roof. He directed us to the site of John and Sarah's homestead where only a few stones in the woods mark the former location of their hopes and dreams. 

Wales, MA location of John and Sarah Bullen's homestead

My mother claimed to have a "nose" for finding our ancestors; she frequently entered a cemetery and immediately headed in the right direction, soon calling out "Over here!"

At the end of my photo album for our travels in New England I wrote: "The End (for now)". With all the knowledgeable and helpful locals and so many historic places to visit, New England calls out for another visit - perhaps at some time in the future.

Some Resources: 

• Clayton, Barbara and Whitley, Kathleen, Historic Coastal New England Guide to People, Places, Architecture, and Attractions from Greenwich to Kennebunkport, 2nd edition, The Globe Pequot Press: Old Saybrook, Connecticut 1995

Homage to Homemakers (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 27 theme: "Family Business")

More of my ancestors were homemakers than any other occupation. Even when they had other employment outside the home, census records often cite something like "keeping house" or "housewife" or, most often, "homemaker". What occupation could relate more to family business than that of the person tasked with keeping the home and family functioning?

Women over the generations have been the unsung heroines. Their unpaid work is often undervalued (not part of the calculation of GDP in any country, for example) and often seen as unskilled and of low status--probably because it has been a "pink" job. Most often girls learned the necessary skills from their mothers. Although more men are taking on responsibilities for home and family, studies consistently show household duties are not equally shared and very few men would be identified on a census as "homemaker". Some women are not really cut out for the role either, but fully half my ancestors were de facto homemakers. Without their tireless efforts we simply would not have survived.

It would be impossible to name all my homemaker ancestors and identify their specific accomplishments. The occupation comes with a challenging job description requiring a vast number of skills (as I well know from my own personal experience in the occupation!) Requisite skills have varied with the times but may include:  infant and child care, home nursing, gardening, cooking and preserving food, soap and candle making, spinning and weaving fabric, knitting and sewing the family wardrobe, quilt-making, cleaning and organizing the home, providing chauffeur services, maintaining the family calendar of events, and most importantly, providing love and comfort for the other family members. Homemakers often received little of that love and comfort themselves. They were frequently involved in the family business as well, whether that meant assisting in planting and harvesting crops, bookkeeping, or working in a family shop or cottage industry.

My father Ken Bardahl acknowledged in his memoir written in 1991 some of the  challenges faced by the women when his parents homesteaded in Saskatchewan circa 1910: 

On talking of homesteaders, I must give full marks to the wife, who undoubtedly ran into many problems of her own.  To me, I would think that perhaps it was harder for her than her mate.  Many died at childbirth and of course visiting doctors for pre-natal was an unheard of thing.  They usually all had large families and to try and diagnose problems must have been very worrisome.  When we remember that there was no phone, no cars and perhaps miles from help, it must have been a terrible thing when someone became sick or hurt.  Then too, all the clothes had to be washed by hand, perhaps hauling the water first.  I can recall mother telling of when the telephone came to this area in 1917.  The crew needed a place for meals and they offered to build her a clothesline if she would oblige.  This they did and a very good line was built for her.  At that time she would have had 5 youngsters, as if that wasn’t a job unto itself.  

Here are just a few of the homemakers from my own family tree:

• My Dad's mother, my grandma Louise (Nelson) Bardahl (1881-1985) homesteaded with her husband, first in North Dakota, then in Saskatchewan. She and husband John had 8 children: first came 6 daughters and finally 2 sons. She gave birth to my Dad when she was almost 45. 

When the couple arrived in the Leinan area of Saskatchewan in 1910, they had to build everything from scratch - house, wash shanty, barn, shop, pig and chicken houses, granaries. Trees were planted to surround the buildings. The virgin prairie sod needed to be broken to enable planting crops. Grandma took an active part and was in charge of the home; she was an excellent cook and homemaker. The Ladies Aid group (of which she was a founding member) fund-raised to enable the construction of the local Lutheran church. Her children and grandchildren adored her. 

And yet the 1921 Canadian census indicated she had no occupation at all!  

                

But that was improved by the 1931 census recognizing her true occupation: 

 

John and Louise (seated) surrounded by their 8 children; my Dad Ken about 8 years old standing centre (colorized)

• My maternal grandmother Idella "Della"  (Edwards) Anderson (1897-1976) was an intelligent, capable and fabulously creative woman who ran a well-ordered home and was a very good mother. She was also a school teacher, boarding house operator,  motel owner/operator and floral arranger during her life. Not a single census could be located where she was listed as anything other than "homemaker". Perhaps when more recent ones become available they will identify other of her occupations but, in the end, being a homemaker was by far  her most important role.

Della and neighbour with children on the Saskatchewan homestead c.1926 (colorized)

• My 3rd great grandmother Mary (Green) Hoover (1812-1907) in the 1870 US census is listed as "keeping house".  The Kansas Board of Health Annual Reports for various times between 1868-1898 indicate that she was a midwife who was listed in their records as a "physician". Although she was registered as having delivered nearly two dozen babies, she certainly would have expended even more efforts in her homemaking role raising 9 children as she and husband Christian Hoover migrated from one place to another (Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas). She took on an extra load when Christian signed up for the Union army during the American Civil War; sadly, he returned an invalid and eventually died by suicide leaving her almost blind and destitute after all her years of hard work.

Mary (Green) Hoover

• Mary's daughter, my 2nd great grandmother Barbara (Hoover) Edwards Payton (c1834-1890) was "keeping house" in the 1880 US census. As the mother of 4 of her own children (3 still living with them) plus stepmother to 3 of her husband George's, she would have had her hands full.

1880 US census, Howard, Elk County, Kansas

Still, once again, the census categorization does not do justice to the full extent of Barbara's actual occupations. She was very much an active partner with third husband George Payton in many hotel and restaurant business dealings in Howard, KS. At first, only George was listed although, given the nature of the hospitality business, she would have been very involved indeed; over time, "Mrs. Payton" was listed and in the end "Mrs. B.E. Payton" was duly recognized by her initials as being the business person in charge. This can be evidenced from a couple  of the numerous newspaper advertisements and stories for businesses in which she was involved.  

The Howard Courant Thursday 2 June 1881

The Citizen, Friday 1 December 1882, p.3

The Howard Courant 16 September 1887

Barbara (Hoover) Payton c.1890 (colorized)

When she died of a tumor (cancer) in late 1890, one of her obituaries indicated that "she was a good hearted and very ambitious woman".  (No mention is made of her mothering or homemaking skills!)

Their accomplishments often overlooked, forgotten or minimized, the homemakers in my family were doubtless like those in most others. They did what was expected of them to keep their homes functioning and their families thriving without expecting much in the way of acknowledgement or appreciation in return. Many went far above that to achieve satisfying and useful lives in their communities as well. Their efforts are worthy of far more recognition than they have generally received.

Americus Brown (1859-1938) 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 26 "Favorite Name"

(Americus Brown is my 1st cousin 3X removed in the Bullen family.)

Americus Brown photo courtesy SHansen on Findagrave.com website

His parents John and Mary (Bullen) Brown wished to give their first-born child a more memorable name when he arrived on 2 April 1859 in West Bend, Wisconsin. Not another John Brown or James Brown or Peter Brown for him!  One sister Mary Elizabeth "Lizzy" Brown completed the family group. Only Americus had a name that really stood out. By 1880 the family had moved to the small town of Coloma in Waushara County, WI; Americus was a clerk in the railway depot there. 

Americus means "home ruler" or "work ruler". Nothing in what can be learned of his history would lead one to believe that he personified his name. His photograph seems to show a gentle unassuming soul. 

Following his marriage to Isabelle Spaulding three days after his 26th birthday, the young couple moved in with his wife's parents. Isabel had been a teacher and also helped her father with his store and post office located in the same building as their home. That is where they were all found in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. censuses for Waushara County. Americus was a laborer. Ten years later, they were still living with his widowed father-in-law; Americus was employed as a carpenter in the home-building industry. Two sons and a daughter had joined the family and all lived under the grandparents' roof.

Isabel died in 1926. In the 1930 census, for a short while Americus was finally living on his own and presumably the one and only "home ruler".  He was still working as a carpenter at age 71 and living in the southwest part of Coloma Town. 

During the 1930s, newspaper articles detail his visits to stay with his sons when he was ill and offer clues to his deep involvement with the Odd Fellows organization. In 1932, he went to winter at the Odd Fellows home and seems to have stayed there for his remaining years. 

622 Grignon Street, Green Bay, WI from Google Earth Street View

It was at this stage of his life that he was approached by some cousins asking for his input into their compilation of the Bullen family history. This was his response to them as quoted in the Source Book for the Bullen Family by Nelson and Dunlop: 

 

622 Grignon St., Green Bay, WI

          Oct. 19, 1935

Dear Cousin Eva, 

I was greatly surprised to get a letter from you this A.M. I never knew much of this Bullen family and Mother's brothers and sisters. My father's oldest sister married a Alphous Bullen; Mother was a cousin of hers. In 1860 they lived at Lake City, Minn. They had two girls and a boy, Alida and Alitha and William. Mother said she was a cousin of hers of the John Bullen family. 

Mother was born in Hannibal, N.Y. Her mother was Jane Murdy. Her grandmother and she who was her mother came west from N.Y. and settled in northern Illinois with their people. Her grandfather came later as he was a breeder of fine horses -- bringing some blooded stock. When he to where they were he wanted to see farther west so he hitched up a team and started out. It was the last seen or heard of him. It was always supposed he was killed by the Indians for his team.

Your grandfather David Bullen married Jane Murdy for his wife. Their children were Winslow, Mortimore, David and William, Jane, Mary and Sarah. I only knew but one of John Bullen's children. That was Alpheus. He married Eliza, father's oldest sister. I know nothing of the doings at Kenosha.

Who was this Sylvia? You mention my sister? Her husband's name was Nate Baldwin; her second husband was Joe Janotte. She has one daughter, Mary Madden at Minocque, one in Wausau, Flora Miller, one in Rhonelander, Cyntha, two in Chicago, Reba and one other, three boys in Chicago, Louis, William, Eugene, one boy at Fox Lake, Edgar.

If I live to see the second day of April I will be 77.

It's hard for me to write. Perhaps I am not going to help you much.

If there is anything more than I can help you at let me know. I never hear from any of the Bullens; don't know where they are. Did you want the diagram?.

Your cousin, (Signed) Americus

It was the second paragraph that I have examined most closely over the years as it has posed almost the only information available about my maternal line ancestor Jane Murdy. Thank you for that, Americus!

Americus died a couple of years later at the age of 79 and is buried with his wife at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Coloma, WI.

Photo courtesy Steve Seim of Findagrave.com

Some Resources: 

Nelson, M. and Dunlop, R., Compilers,  Source Book for the Bullen Family; Privately printed in the 1930s, p67