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. 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

Who was Sara Andersdatter? 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 25 Theme: "FAN Club"

My paternal line Bardahl ancestors hailed from quite far up the west coast of Norway in the Hemnes/Nesna area of Nordland. DNA matches from that branch of my family are few. Genealogical records from there also often seem sparse and difficult to access. When I visited the Chester Fritz Library to review other farm books for my Norwegian ancestors, none were available for Nordland. 

Finding some of my Nordlanders in the 1801 Norwegian census confirmed some of what I had already found while providing one tantalizing possible addition to my tree. 

1801 census of Hellesvigen Farm, Hemnes, Nordland, Norway

Lars Joensen (1760-1845) and Martith Christophersdatter (1768-1848) were my paternal grandfather's paternal great grandparents. (Lars was the conduit of the Y chromosome that my brothers and nephew have inherited.)

Seven families were living on the Hellesvigen farm in 1801. Lars and Marith were the 5th family listed, along with their sons Hans Christian Larsen who was 4 and my ancestor Joen Christian Larsen who was just 1. There was also a daughter Bereth Larsdatter who was 5. Then there is a grouping of three unmarried adults who were servants/workers - leading me to wonder how my simple farm folk could afford and find work for 3 hired workers? But that isn't the puzzle. The puzzle is the final person listed for their farm - 67 year-old  widow Sara Andersdatter. Who was Sara Andersdatter? Might she be the mother of Lars or of Marith and thereby push my tree back another generation? Or was she perhaps related to someone else on the Hellesvigen farm?

With the patronymic naming system in Norway at that time. Sara would have retained the Andersdatter name for life based on her father's first name having been Anders. Any of her siblings would be either Andersens or Andersdatters. 

I recognize that my limited knowledge of the Norwegian language and the difficulty in deciphering the handwriting might make it very easy for me to miss a clue. I believe all it says beside her age is that she is a widow after one marriage. 

This seemed like an opportunity to try to research the FAN club (friends, associates, neighbours) to see if I could find answers. What could be learned from investigating other people mentioned in this census or other available  records? 

Time Waster Alert: You might wish to jump right to the Conclusion in the last paragraph rather than travel with me along the long convoluted process I undertook trying to find more about Sara Andersdatter.

Hypothesis 1: Sara Anderson is the mother of Lars Joensen. This seems the likeliest possibility given that she is a widow living in his household in the 1801 census.  Searching for an appropriately timed and placed marriage of a Sara Andersdatter marrying someone with the first name of Joen (because their son is named Lars Joensen) yielded no results. That does not, however, mean this possibility can be discounted. 

Hypothesis 2: Sara Andersdatter is the mother of Marith Christophersdatter. A search did yield a possible marriage in the right time and place between a man with first name Christopher and a woman named Sara Andersdatter: 

7  November 1767 marriage Christopher Pedersen and Sara Andersdatter, Hemnes Kirkebok

Unfortunately, this record is quite bare-bones, not containing any additional information about bride and groom as is often given in later Norwegian records. No other records for this couple have been located.

One obvious step was to check the other families listed on the Hellesvigen farm in that 1801 census to see what names might lead to more insights into any connection between Sarah Andersdatter and either Lars or Marith. 

1801 Norwegian census for Hellesvigen Farm Families 1-3

The first family was that of 48 year-old Erick Jorgen Olsen and his 40 year-old wife Ane Kristina Jacobsdatter. Aside from their Eriksen/Eriksdatter children, there were two other Olsen men, Kristina Joensdatter (age 26, possibly a sister to Lars?) and a young Iversen child. (Yes, of course I searched to see if I could find a birth record for Kristina Joesndatter to locate her family but no luck.) 

 The second family was the 70 year-old widow Jacobsdatter,  55 year-old Andreas Thomsen and his 48 year-old wife Maren Michelsdatter and their daughter Thomina Andreasdatter.

The third family included 42 year-old Hans Olsen and his wife Berith Jonsdatter, and their 4 Hansen/Hansdatter children. Others on the farm were Jensen, Enersen, Hansdatter and Nilsdatter and two people in their 70's - Pernille Pedersdatter and Jens Iversen. 

The fourth family Hans Gregussen (?), his Jacobsdatter wife and two Hansen children,

1801 Norwegian census for Hellesvigen Farm families 6 and 7

The sixth family included 62 year-old Marten Jacobsen and his wife Karen Peersdatter and all their Martensen/Martensdatter children.

The final family consisted of 53 year-old Peer Thorssensen, his wife Guri Pedersdatter and their Peersen/Peersdatter children. 

Nothing from the list of neighbours in the 1801 census stood out as being a connection to other members of the family of Sara Andersdatter. I did not undertake the overwhelming task of finding parents for each of the heads of all the families to see if Sara might turn up as a mother to another of the farmers or their wives.

Where else did Sara appear in the records? Searches were not particularly helpful. There was a Sara Andersdatter who was witness to the baptism of another ancestor of mine, Olina Maria Olsdatter (1806-1883). Olina would grow up to marry Joen Christian Larsen, the one year-old son of Lars Joensen listed above in the same household as Sara in the 1801 census.

1806 baptism of Olina Maria Olsdatter includes witness Sara Andersdatter of Høijorden

Olina's parents: Ole Jonssen of Vasdal and Marith Arntsdatter. Other witnesses to Olina's birth appear to be (something like) Else Hansdatter of Høijorden, Anne Jacobsdatter of Vasdal and Mathias and Jorgen Arntsen of Høijorden. If this witness is the same Sara Andersdatter, why would she now be affiliated with the Høijorden farm rather than Hellesvigen? This led to to the next hypothesis:

Hypothesis 3 : Sara Andersdatter may have originally come from a family on Høijorden farm in which case she might have a brother of patronymic name Andersen living there at the time of the 1801 census. 

The Høijorden farm from the same 1801 census appears below on the right-hand page. 

Høijorden farm in Nordland, Norway 1801 Census

[To demonstrate the interconnectedness of the families in this community, two farms were located near one another and show up on the same image - the Wasdahl/Vasdal farm on the left and the Høijorden farm on the right.  For Vasdal there were four families listed, including that of my ancestors Ole Jonsen and Marith Arntstdatter at Farm 1. (This is the family that Olina would be born into 5 years later.) None of the patronymics there included any Andersens or Andersdatters.]

For Høijorden, six families were listed. The first family was that of Jorgen Artnsen (known to be a brother to Marith Arntsdatter and also listed as a witness to the baptism of his niece Olina above) and his wife Else Andersdatter age 38 (might she be the same woman who appeared to be called Else Hansdatter in that baptism record? For that matter, might the clerk have transposed the patronymic names of the two female witnesses and it should have actually been Sara Hansdatter and Else Andersdatter as listed in the census for the two wives? I believe that is most likely what happened and that the Sara Andersdatter witnessing Olina's baptism is NOT the same woman I am trying to find.)  In any event, Else Andersdatter would be too young to be a sister to 67 year-old Sara Andersdatter. Living with them was Cornelia Nilsdatter, the same age as Sara Andersdatter; Cornelia was the widow of Arnt Jorgensen and she was Jorgen and Marith's mother.

The next Høijorden family was that of Mathias Arntsen and his wife Sara Jensdatter; Mathias was another brother of Jorgen Arntsen and Marith Arntsdatter and he also had been listed as a witness for the baptism of his niece Olina. 

In the end, I don't believe my subject Sarah Andersdatter had anything to do with the Høijorden farm at all. 

Hypothesis 4: Sara Andersdatter is completely unrelated to my family and is an associate, friend  servant of the family. She is not grouped with the servants and is older than servants generally were in Norway at the time. But, if not related, where did she come from and why?

Future research should include locating a copy of the relevant farm book for Hellesvigen, Hemnes, Nordland. I have spent many fruitless hours browsing through chronological church records for many of the likeliest years to find birth and death records for Sara Andersdatter as well as for Lars Joensen and Marith Christophersdatter; with perseverance, additional browsing might yet bring something to light. Sadly, there are no additional censuses that might have included Sara Andersdatter in her younger years.

Conclusion: So who was Sara Andersdatter? I have failed to find an answer to that question among her neighbours and associates. I still believe she was most likely the mother of Marith or possibly of Lars. I wish I had attempted an easier project for my FAN club investigation, not one with patronymic names and a language I have not mastered. I did not find any concrete evidence to fit Sara Andersdatter into my family tree -- or to rule out that possibility. For me "FAN" club in this case might be an acronym for "Found Almost Nothing!". 

Marjorie Sillerud (1919-2001) 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025, Week 24 theme "Artistic"

My mother's cousin Marjorie had a passion to paint. She is quoted as saying, "I think I've tried everything I've ever heard or read about."

Marjorie (spelled "Marjory" in her birth record) was the first-born child of Martin Ben Sillerud and Annette "Nettie" Anderson. Martin had moved to Saskatchewan to homestead in 1911. Annette's brother, my grandfather Ingwald Anderson, had homesteaded in the same area. Although I don't know exactly how Martin and Nettie met, no doubt it was while she was visiting her brother in the area sometime around 1917 or 1918. They were soon married and Marjorie came along in 1919, followed by son James a few years later.

Nettie with Jim and Marjorie as children c.1925

 

At age 6 Marjorie started working with pastels she had received as a gift, with horse's heads and movie stars being her favourite early subjects.

According to a tribute posted on her Findagrave site by sister-in-law Margaret Sillerud: 

Growing up on a pioneer Saskatchewan farm, Marjorie developed a deep appreciation of nature and had an unusual gift of seeing depth of beauty and color in the world about her: Saskatchewan's "living skies" with their clouds, colorful sunsets and sunrises; the nearby Great Sand Hills with their own distinctive landscape; and the plant and animal life of rural Saskatchewan. Her unique way of sensing nature's beauty was later to lead to her lifetime involvement in drawing and painting, transposing the beauty of nature to canvas.

She enjoyed helping out with farm chores and learned to sew at a young age. During the "Dirty 30's" she was paid to do sewing for other young girls. Sewing was to remain a lifelong passion. Again, according to her sister-in-law Margaret: 

Every family member has memories of her hand made gifts: such as hand-sewn shirts, vests, little dresses or toys. One very special project was for her granddaughter Teresa - a beautiful purple graduation gown. Marjorie sewed nearly every outer garments that she wore, including jackets and coats, always in colors and fabrics that met her keen artistic judgement. She was even known to remodel fur coats. As a hobby, while watching television, she made bodies of dolls, stuffed them, painted on faces, added under clothing, shoes and traditional dress. Her Native Indian, Eskimo, Gypsy, Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Japanese and Hutterite dolls ... were immaculate and artfully made and much in demand.

Marjorie eloped with Gordon McCoy in 1938 and had a family of a son and twin daughters. My mother (who was Marjorie's first cousin) recalled how Marjorie hated to have her creative endeavours interrupted by housework and that instead of doing the laundry she would be more likely to sew something new (with no pattern) for her children to wear. 

Marjorie's twin daughters

Over the years, Marjorie lived and worked in Washington state, White Rock/Vancouver, B.C. and in Swift Current, Saskatchewan under the names Sillerud, McCoy, Posthumus and Burruss.

In the early 1960's she was part of a small group that started what has become an ongoing legacy of a street art sale in Anacortes, Washington. She sold her first oil painting there; it was of Mount Saint Helens (before the 1980 explosion).  In Washington, she studied at the Skagit Valley College and in Bellingham under the guidance of Ernest Watson and Richard Major.

She preferred oils, but also tried acrylics and pastels, eventually switching to watercolours when she became allergic to the solvent in oils. She did many works on commission. Although she did portraits, she said she preferred not to as it was difficult to achieve a result that everyone in a family thought to be a good likeness. Nevertheless, she accepted a commission from an Inuit woman from Baker Lake in the early 1990s; a photograph of the woman standing in front of her caribou skin tent holding a traditional outfit provided the basis for that painting. She did numerous pastels of First Nations people such as the one below she did based on a photograph she took at the Calgary Stampede.

Pastel by Marjorie Sillerud

After moving to Vancouver, B.C., she learned the slow tedious techniques used by the Old Masters. It took her 6 weeks to complete her copy of a work by Murillo. She joked that the result was the only way she was going to have an Old Master in her home. 

Her works have sold around the world and won many awards, frequently including "People's Choice" awards at art shows. At the Anadessa Art Show she won the top three ratings for her works titled "Debutante", "Rosebud Creek" and " Oriental Poppy".

In 1980 she moved back to Saskatchewan to be near her family. She joined the South West Artists Guild and was also associated with artists in the Stewart Valley area. She taught many art classes to share her knowledge. In 2001, the South West Artists Guild featured her work in a one-woman show, celebrating her lifetime contribution to the arts community in Swift Current. 

Marjorie died at the age of 82 in 2001.

Once again quoting her sister-in-law Margaret Sillerud who knew her well:

As a person, Marjorie was usually a quiet, unassuming, cheerful person with periods of outgoing exuberance. She loved music, which could bring out another hidden beauty of her personality. 

She will live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew her and loved her. Her works will be treasured family heirlooms, and her art, her legacy to the world.

Some References:

• Sillerud, Margaret (sister-in-law), "Marjorie Anna Sillerud  A Family Tribute" in Findagrave.com memorial #79912686
• Wasiak, Kathy, "A Passion to Paint! This lady has tried everything", The Southwest Booster, Swift Current, Saskatchewan 20 January 1992, pages 5,8

My Parents' Christmas Season Wedding (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 23 theme: "Wedding Bells")

Some of us seem to buck the June wedding trend in my family. My own two marriages were in the Christmas season; my maternal grandparents were married in December and my paternal grandparents in January. One son married over the Christmas season. My brother and sister-in-law headed to Vegas to get married just before Christmas one year. And my parents Kenneth Lorne Bardahl and Elinor Georgina Anderson were married 27 December 1947. We all seem to prefer our nuptials during the cold dark days of winter.

Ken and Elinor wedding photo

My parents met when my mother went to teach at Jorgenson School in the Leinan district of Saskatchewan, Canada in September 1945. This was about 90 km. from the Lancer area farm where she had grown up. Her teacher training had been obtained at the Normal School in Moose Jaw. 

Dad was farming at the time and no doubt soon noticed the attractive new brunette in the community. He had the job of delivering coal for heating the school and it was joked that, after Mum's tenure, the stockpile of coal left at the school lasted for years! Both of my parents loved to dance and no doubt made a handsome couple on the dance floor from the earliest days of their courtship.  

Elinor Anderson as a young teacher - photo courtesy Reynard Anderson family (no relation)

Ken didn't have a car to take Elinor on dates but he was able to borrow one from neighbour Carl Hjermanrud . It meant walking the mile or two to pick up the car and the same mile or two return walk at the end of the evening but Dad was so appreciative of this generosity. My parents became engaged in the summer of 1947; both were 21 years old. This is from my mother's "wedding book": 

Engaged 16 August 1947 - this and all newspaper clippings would be from The Swift Current Sun

Members of the community made a collection to purchase them a set of silverplate cutlery. This was always saved for "good" and was polished from time to time as required. The chest formed a repository for other small treasures such as the beaded identification baby bracelets that their 4 children wore home from the hospital. 

The wedding occurred on Saturday 27 December at First United Church in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.

My mother, never being one for frills and flounces, chose a sensible gray suit for her wedding attire. This was fairly common during and after the Second World War. Yellow roses and a locket from the groom were her accessories.  Her attendants were sisters Kathryn and Eunice. Dad's best man was his friend Marlyn Lovestone. 

The reception was a small one at the home of the bride's parents at 133 Sidney Street West, Swift Current, with sister Helen Anderson, Helen's friend Pat Whelan and the groom's niece Louise Barton acting as servitors. Helen recalls carrying a tray of buns and having one fall off, landing perfectly into the coffee cup of Louise's father Ray Barton. 

Ken and Elinor leaving on their Honeymoon

But the celebrations could not be complete without a wedding dance to follow.

Ken was the farmer and Elinor participated fully with him in farm life during their marriage.

Elinor and Ken holding hands across a wide swath of grain

Their family of 4 children has continued to expand over the years to include many descendants who can be thankful that this couple met and had their Christmas season wedding. 

Ken and Elinor 25th Anniversary 1972

As with most marriages, that of my parents was not without it's challenges. Still, they remained married for life; Dad died in May 1997 just a few months shy of what would have been their 50th wedding anniversary.

2000 Reunion at Waterton Lakes National Park (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025, Week 22 theme: "Reunion")

Attendees - Getting Everyone Posed was a Challenge!

It will be a quarter century in July since the Wescott-Edwards-Anderson Reunion at Waterton Lakes National Park marked the Millenium. In May of that year, we sent out an update about the reunion; it had been in the planning stages for some time. The following newsletter (with surnames and contact details redacted) outlined our plans. By that time, some 65 family members from various parts of Canada and the U.S.A. had indicated plans to attend. 

The Planning:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Newsletter May 2000 Update

Wescott-Edwards-Anderson Family Reunion

July 14-17, 2000.  Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

Plans for our 2000 reunion are well underway. We have enclosed a list of all those who have thus far indicated that they plan to attend.  The units at Crandell Lodge in Waterton Park have now all been spoken for.  Some people are camping in or outside the park, others staying in Cardston, Alberta, at either the Flamingo Motel or Trails’ End Motel.

Al and Marilyn have prepared a “Time Capsule”, to be opened at some future date (perhaps the next Family Reunion or one 10 or more years down the line?).  If you have an item that you would like included, please bring it along to the reunion.  Ideas you might consider: photographs, stories, schoolwork or artwork of a child, a favourite but outgrown small toy, a current magazine or newspaper (or article), packaging or advertising from something that’s “hot” in today’s market, coins or medallions, a letter to future family members describing something from your past or your predictions or hopes for the future – you get the idea.

Sue has volunteered to organize some activities for the young children in attendance. 

Suzanne has proposed a project dealing with family idiosyncrasies that promises to be a lot of fun and will no doubt generate a lot of good-natured discussion.

Helen has “volunteered” to sing an appropriate song for the family reunion.  (Those of you who have heard it previously will no doubt look forward to hearing about a family that is (fortunately) very unlike our own!)  Joanne will speak briefly about the history book that she and Bob have co-authored and that will be available for purchase at the reunion.  Elinor has suggested a “singalong” of old favourite songs and is trying to find songsheets.  She also plans to present the courtship story of our ancestors John Alden and Priscilla Mullins as told by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  We could also, however, still use more volunteers to speak or provide entertainment at our Saturday gathering.  Don’t be bashful!

Do you have any items of clothing that could be worn or displayed (e.g., colonial bonnet, military uniform, Norwegian or other traditional costume)?  We encourage anyone with the inkling to dress in period or other costume for Saturday’s dinner to please do so!  Rumour has it that at least one of our Pilgrim ancestors is planning to make an appearance.   (Any period will do – colonial North America or anytime before or after since we certainly had family members living through all periods of history.)  Bring along any medals or badges, documents, photographs, old quilts, anything that may be of historical interest to the group.

We might point out that if you enjoy world-class rodeo (or the excitement of a large midway with rides, displays, and all the usual hoopla assorted with a fair), you may want to attend the Calgary Stampede (July 7 to 16) before joining our reunion.  Everett Edwards competed there about 1920 as a saddle bronc rider.

 If you have not yet made plans to attend our reunion, we invite you to do so.  Please contact either: Bob (contact info); or Joanne (contact info)

 Have a safe and pleasant journey to Waterton.  It will be a memorable gathering.

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Reunion Time:

It certainly was a memorable gathering providing both group activities and quiet times for reflection or visiting. 

Gathering at the hotel

Sue G. had contacted CBC Radio's Bill Richardson and a couple of us had our letters read on-air during our drive to Waterton. Sue's was about their son (who has hemophilia) learning to skate; it was later published in Richardson's book Dear Sad Goat: A Roundup of Truly Canadian Tales and Letters. 

Karen enjoying a scenic walk (this was much calmer than our mad-dash trip to Calgary to deliver her to the airport barely on time to catch her flight home at the end of the reunion!)

Sue J. recalls how Graham was locked out of his room one night, creating quite a stir. Joanne is quite certain that Graham strapped his espresso machine into a seatbelt for the drive from Calgary to Waterton so as to have freshly made lattes over the weekend but no one has been able to confirm that. 

Elinor (in black and white dress) encouraged family to dress in costume; to that end she made several of  the outfits; some of us were more cooperative than others in her endeavour.

Helen provided her always-popular rendition of Tom Lehrer's "The Irish Ballad" about a maiden who did her whole family in - fortunately not part of our family! Michael sang "Barrett's Privateers". After later discovering a privateer in our family background, I have tried unsuccessfully (so far) to have him sing a revised version. 

Elinor reading Longfellow's "Courtship of Miles Standish" to the group after supper in Cardston

We enjoyed going for a boat cruise to the American side of the Lake in Glacier National Park. This service is still available in 2025 with two choices: the Canadian side only up to the international border running through the lake or the full cruise with a 30 minute stop on the American side (no passport required unless planning a longer stay).

Enjoying the cruise - iconic Prince of Wales Hotel in background

Scenic Cruise from Canada to the USA in the world's first International Peace Park

Aftermath: 

The time capsule prepared by Al and Marilyn was filled and sent home with the youngest family member in attendance. It has since reappeared in revised format at subsequent reunions but has been culled to contain a manageable number of "treasures"  for the next reunion.

For our most recent reunion, Peter and Colleen made "name tags" for each attendee. These generated much discussion and enabled everyone to know exactly how they belong to the family!

My "name tag" from our most recent reunion!

End Note: 

A fitting note to end our 2000 reunion at Waterton Lakes was news of the birth in British Columbia of our newest family member. 

Newest family member born July 2000

This Genealogist's Dream: Chester Fritz Library (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 19 Theme: "At the Library")

Accessing Norwegian bygdebøker (farm books) had been high on my wish list for many years. Farm books were compiled by respected historians over a century ago, using numerous sources, including kirkebøker (church parish registers), census, probate, tax, land and court records. Local residents were also interviewed at the time of the compilations. The result is a series of books (in the Norwegian dialect of each community) providing valuable information about the people living on farms in the various communities throughout Norway.

University of North Dakota
17 August 2017 photo by author

These treasured books are not easily obtained or accessed. Interlibrary loan is not an option. Although there are digitization projects that will make access easier in future, for my purposes in the early 2000's, a visit a brick and mortar library was required. The American libraries that include bygdebøker in their collections are few in number and are located in communities that had a sizeable settlement by Norwegian immigrants. It always appeared that the best bet for me was the Chester Fritz Library (Arne Brekke Collection) at the University of North Dakota.

Arne Brekke Collection in the Chester Fritz Library
photo 17 August 2017 by author

A road trip to observe the total solar eclipse in Grand Island, Nebraska in August of 2017 provided the perfect opportunity for a detour to Grand Forks, N.D. 

After determining my preferred date for a visit, I called the Library's archivist to discuss access. I didn't want to show up and discover that the library was closed or inaccessible to me for any reason. He was very helpful, assuring me that although he himself would be away, the library would indeed be open for business. I described what I had done to prepare for the visit and he confirmed my plan and advised me of opening hours and parking.

As for my preparation, I knew that I would need to know county, parish and farm names for any ancestors I wished to research in the farm books. That would be relatively easy if you just had one or two farms to investigate. With Norwegian ancestors on both my father's 100% Norwegian background and my mother's 38% Norwegian background,  I had dozens that I knew of from four counties (Buskerud, Nordland, Oppland, Telemark). But I had just one day allocated for research! (There are limits to how patient a husband might be left to explore Grand Forks on his own!)

Preparation for the visit included: 

• reviewing the bygdebøker information available on the Family Search research wiki
• printing reports from my database for the families to be researched for each Norwegian county, including parish and farm names as well as names and dates for relevant individuals 
• reviewing the information available on the Chester Fritz Library site and printing off the lists of relevant authors/titles/call numbers to enable efficient access
• purchase of a good USB memory stick for storing the documents scanned at the library

My husband dropped me off at 8:00 A.M. on 17 August 2017. A very helpful librarian gave me a quick orientation to the books and the scanner and I was off to the races! I was so fortunate that I was the only patron there all day and had lots of table space and immediate access to the high-quality scanner. I stopped for a quick lunch in the cafeteria to keep me energized. In truth, my success was feeding on itself to build momentum as the day went on.

Accessing the Farm Books photo by author 17 August 2017

When my husband picked me up at the end of the day, I felt very satisfied that I had found and saved everything I had hoped to find that day. He captured this picture of me getting into the car which speaks for itself about the kind of day I had had!

Photo of author after a day at the Chester Fritz Library
by Graham Barnard