The Long Winter of 1880-81; 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2026 Week 39 theme: "What Wasn't Written Down"

When I have trouble sleeping, I sometimes listen to podcasts. The selection must be done with care, preferably something only moderately interesting, delivered by a soothing voice to lull me back to sleep. I recently selected "How Frontier Families Survived the Long Winter of 1880" from the Boring History to Sleep podcast only to discover it was not at all boring! My goodness! I had family members who must have endured that winter. Why did I not know this? Why had they not written that down as part of the family history?

The passage of the Homestead Act in 1862 had opened up a vast area of the American western frontier for farming. The US Census had fortuitously been taken as of 1 June 1880, making it easy to see who was probably living in the affected area a few months later when winter arrived in the Dakota Territory in mid October -- and stayed -- and stayed for about 7-8 months into May of 1881. With one blizzard following another and snow piling on top of snow, it must have seemed like an endless onslaught by Mother Nature.

Which family members might have lived through that terrible winter in the Dakota Territory?

In January 1879, my great great grandparents, Swedish Norwegian immigrants Israel Anderson (1829-1910) and his wife Johanna Gundersdatter (1833-1900) had moved to a homestead 7 miles west and about three-fourths mile north of Grafton in what would become North Dakota.  They travelled there by train and horse-drawn covered wagon.  By this time their son Andrew was 23 years old, and would soon meet his future wife Jorgene Torkelson, who had also moved with her family to the Grafton area.

Israel Anderson, his wife Johanna and their children aged 2-19 show up in Pembina County, Dakota Territories in the 1880 census.

1880 US Census for Pembina County, Dakota

(One of Israel's daughters, Olava,  recalled a celebration at her parents' homestead on July 4, 1880 (just a month after this census), for which she and other young people made an American flag from flour sacks, using red berries and bluing to give it the necessary colouring. This shows there were some happier days ahead of the brutal winter that was to come.) 

On the same census page, their oldest son, my great grandfather Andrew I. Anderson and his wife Jorgena (Torkelson)  are listed in a nearby household. Andrew and Jorgena were newlyweds, having married in 1879 shortly after the Anderson and Torkelson families had moved to the area. 

Andrew Anderson, 24, and Jorgena Torkelson, 17, at the time of their marriage.

Fortunately the newlyweds had nearby support of other family members. In addition to the Israel Anderson family, Jorgena's older brother Jorgen is listed in the census just ahead of Andrew. No doubt it was important to have nearby family during this long winter. It isn't clear just how far apart their homes were and it is well-known that travelling any distance during a blizzard can easily lead to becoming disoriented in a white-out and freezing to death, sometimes just a few yards from home. 

Jorgena gave birth to the young couple's first child, a daughter Josephine, on 16 February 1881, still in the thick of the long winter. It must have been terrifying for young women facing childbirth at this time. People had to be self-reliant for all medical and survival skills as no one might be close enough to provide assistance.

Author Laura Ingalls Wilder was a girl living in De Smet, Dakota Territory at the time. She later wrote The Long Winter based on her experiences. Although a work of fiction, meteorologists and historians have verified the accuracy of her reports in this book. 

Her book describes how constant blizzards and snow buildup on rail tracks blocked the trains carrying coal and food supplies. Snow accumulations often trapped people inside their homes with the doors plugged; sometimes all that could be seen of a settler's home was smoke apparently emanating from the top of a snowdrift. There are many stories of how people coped with the lack of supplies, with some being forced to burn furniture and treasured possessions for heat. Meager food supplies had to be stretched as best they could. Twisting hay into burn sticks to heat homes became a new skill to master; children were called upon to assist in whatever way they could.

The Jamestown Weekly Sun and Weekly Alert, Jamestown, N.D., 4 Feb. 1881, p.3

Isolation, cold and hunger would have taken a toll on mental health, marriages and family life. One harrowing newspaper account tells of a husband losing his temper with his wife and locking her outside where she froze to death in the snow. 

In his fictionalized classic of Norwegian homesteaders in the Dakotas, Giants in the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie, O. E. Rölvaag had one young wife losing her mind in the bleak situation and another character freezing to death in the snow while venturing out in a blizzard to seek assistance for a dying friend. As with the Laura Ingalls Wilder story, his account is considered to accurately reflect the situation these homesteaders encountered during that endless winter. On pages 486-7, he says:

Day and night the snow fell. From the 15th of October, when it began, until after the middle of April, it seldom ceased. From the four corners of the earth if flew; but of all the winds that brought it the south wind was the worst; for that whisked and matted the flakes into huge grey discs, which fell to the ground in clinging, woolly folds . . . .And all winter the sun stayed in his house; he crept out only now and then to pack down the snow; that was to make room for more. . . . The suffering was great that winter. Famine came; supplies of all kinds gave out; for no one thought when the first snowfall began, that winter had come. Who had ever heard of its setting in in the middle of autumn?

Many of the families were, like the Andersons, new settlers in the area. They probably had not had the time or wherewithal  to build much more than a sod hut and perhaps a barn or shack to accommodate a few animals. The produce on hand was likely just a small amount of grain after the first season of breaking some sod and planting. 

Contemporary news reports confirm the dire situation that developed. 

Yankton Press and Dakotan, Yankton, S.D. 3 May 1881 from Newspapers.com

The Bismarck, N.D. newspapers from the time consistently denied that the trains weren't getting through. Probably parts of the region fared better than others; most likely a few trains did get through from time to time. Some tried to see the bright side of the endless snowfall. 

Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck, N.D., 11 Feb 1881 from Newspapers.com

My personal experience with snowy winters on the Canadian prairies just north of the Dakotas cannot compare in terms of privation. Even so, I recall the winter of 1965-1966 for the unrelenting snowstorms that lasted far too long. By my time, there was a snowplow available to open the roads for trips for supplies and to ensure we could get to school most days (even though weekend plans were almost always canceled). The snow was piled so high that my siblings built tunnels through it - no doubt against my parents' admonitions about safety. You could actually look down on the roof of the house from the top of the snow bank behind it. Although the situation was tedious and very annoying, we were not in any danger of running out of food or fuel as my ancestors may well have been.

Survivors of various traumatic and difficult events often shy away from speaking of those troubles in future years. The recent Covid pandemic, for example, is already fading from many memories and will not likely form a significant part of the ongoing family saga for most of us (unless we lost a loved one during that terrible time). When an epidemic or a stretch of bad luck or terrible weather finally come to an end, many of us just want to get on with life in the better times. Perhaps it isn't surprising that none of the Andersons seem to have written down an account of their experiences during that long terrible winter of 1880-1881. 

Some Resources:

• Boustead, Shulsky and Hilberg, "The Long Winter of 1880/81", Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2020 accessible online at https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/101/6/bamsD190014.xml
• Rölvaag, O.E., Giants in the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie, Translated from the Norwegian by Lincoln Colcord and the Author, New York: Harper and Brothers, 1927 
• Wilder, Laura Ingalls, The Long Winter, New York: HarperCollins, 1940

Hønefoss, Buskerud, Norway: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2026, Week 35 Theme: "A Spot on the Map"

One of my major goals on a recent trip to Norway was to visit the location my Grandma Louise Nelson Bardahl's family had come from. Grandma's parents were Carl Johan Nelson and Karen Nilsdatter; both had been born, baptised, confirmed, raised and married in the area of Hønefoss, Buskerud, Norway. As this was to be our first trip to Norway, I was pleased to learn that the town of Hønefoss, located just 63 kilometres northwest of Oslo, is easily accessed by road and rail. It proved to be so much more than a mere"spot on the map".

Norderhov Kirke, Buskerud, Norway photo by author 14 May 2026

Over the years of researching my Norwegian ancestors, I had developed a strong sense of the importance of the Lutheran Church in their lives. As the state church in Norway from 1537-2016, it was tasked with being the official record keeper for Norway's vital statistics; these were recorded in the kirkebøker (church books) available freely online at digitalarikvet.no.

Not being fluent in Norwegian meant that my word recognition was limited to the words around births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. Much of the nuance escaped me and I continue to discover more when I revisit records found some time ago. Part of the overlooking results from the organization of the parishes in Norway where the church records for parishes (sokn) under one main pastor might be grouped together in the name of his prestegjeld.

Entries relating to the Haug church are a good example of my failure to appreciate what I was overlooking. During the time of my  Hønefoss ancestors, the relevant prestegjeld was the Norderhov prestegjeld. It's easy to read the Norderhov church books and jump to the conclusion that any baptisms,  marriages or burials listed there would have occurred at the Norderhov kirke. In fact, the Norderhov kirkebøker include records for Haug, Hønefoss, Lunder, Viker as well as Norderhov churches. Sometimes records clearly indicate the relevant church -- and sometimes they don't.

Norderhov church book marriages 1795 - marriage of Torger Hanson and Sonev Nielsdatter

For example, the marriage of my grandmother's grandparents did actually occur at Norderhov Church ("Nordrehaug") on 7 April 1795 as shown in their marriage record (above). 

Norderhov Kirke, Buskerud, Norway - photo by author 14 May 2026

Grandma had visited Norway in 1967 and proudly shared the following photograph of the church associated with her parents and identified it on the back as shown. An examination of the steeples will show that her picture was not of Norderhov Kirke.

Grandma had identified it as being at Lucken (Løken farm associated with her family). It took just a bit of digging to determine that Grandma's picture is of Haug Kirke. 

Haug Kirke photo 14 May 2026 by author

Haug Kirke photo 14 May 2026 by B Graham Barnard

Upon our return home,  I revisited some of the old records I had found years ago to see if I could find more clues about certain events having actually occurred in this or any other specific church in the Norderhov prestegjeld. Here are the birth/baptism records for Carl and Karen, and, sure enough, a careful look under the baptism date shows "Haug". (And, yes, I do understand that Carl's record shows him to have been born to unmarried parents.)

birth and baptism Carl Johan Nelson (above) and Karen Marie Nilsdatter (below)

Other examples of records from the Norderhov kirkebøker indicate events from other of the local parishes in the group. For example, Carl's mother Guri Larsdatter's records indicate that she was associated with Viker (Wiger) Kirke.

Baptism record for Guri Larsdatter 31 May 1807 at Viker ("Wiger") Church

.

Viker Kirke photo by author 15 May 2026

Viker is definitely farther afield from Hønefoss than Norderhov and Haug, as can be shown on the following map. For this reason, Viker became affiliated with Adaal rather than Norderhov from 1832. 

Map showing  Hønefoss town and area; Norderhov, Haug and Viker Churches - Google Earth

Because our time was so limited and the churches were of greater interest to me, we did not spend any time wandering around the town of Hønefoss. 

Hønefoss viewed from the train 29 May 2026

A couple of weeks later, on a train journey from Myrdal to Oslo we did pass through the area again and I snapped a few images from the train window. No longer just a spot on the map, I now have much better sense for the lay of the land and the interrelated nature of the local churches of the Hønefoss area.

Hønefoss area landscape from train window 29 May 2026 -Tyrifjorden

 

Borgund Stave Church: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2026 Week 34 theme: "Long-Lasting"

 

Borgund Stave Church - photo by author 28 May 2026

The Borgund Stavkyrkje in Lærdal, Sogn og Fjordane had been added to my "must-see" list for a visit to Norway after discovering a few years ago that I had ancestors from there. When we visited there earlier this year, it surpassed all my expectations and will form a long-lasting memory.

My Borgund ancestors are from earlier lines of my Dad's paternal grandmother Anna Elton (1849-1938). Anna emigrated with her  parents to America in 1854 from Vang/ Øye region in Norway's Valdres Valley, Oppland.  The distance between Borgund and Vang is about 50 km. Anna's grandmother Synneve Haakensdatter Kvamme, born at Øvre Kvamme (farm), Borgund was baptised at the Borgund Stave Church on 23 September 1791. Somehow she had managed the 50 km. trek by 7 August 1814 when she married Knud Emdressen Haalien at Øye, Vang in Oppland. (Interestingly, there is another stave church at Øye but that and the Vang area will have to await another visit.)

A map shows the geographical connections of the relevant areas.

Google Earth map showing locations of Borgund, Hatleberg, Kvamme, Oye, and Vang

1791 birth and baptism of Synneve Haagensdr at Borgens (Borgund), Laerdal

Kvamme stones at Borgund cemetery - perhaps distant relatives? photo by author 28 May 2026 

There may have been long-lasting family or community interactions between the two areas since Knud himself had third great grandparents from the Borgund area. In his case it was to the family farming the Hatleberg farm not far from the Borgund Stave Kirke: Anders Anderson Hatleberg (1612-1692) and his wife Gunvor Olsdatter. We drove past Hatleberg on our way to Borgund.

Hatleberg, Laerdal, Norway, photo by author 28 May 2026

Although the church books for Borgund do not begin until 1711, there are some census records available before that time, at least for the male half of the population.

1666 census (male) for Hatleberg in Borgund, Laerdal: Anders Anderson 53 and his 3 sons ages 4-20

Aside from records of my long ago ancestors in the Borgund area, the physical long-lasting evidence for the lives of all the people who called Borgund Stave Church "their" church is in the church itself. Dating from between 1150-1180, it has been a long-lasting feature of the community from medieval times. The pine trees used for the staves are believed to have been 150 to 300 years old when they were cut, making the trees themselves really long-lasting now. What stories they could tell!

The steeply pitched roofline highlighted with dragon heads is reflective of the Viking age while interior motifs are primarily Christian. Saint Andrew Crosses date from Pre-Reformation Catholic times. After the Reformation, the church was the parish church for the Lutheran Norwegian Church.

Looking up inside the Borgund Stave Kirke to the Saint Andrew Crosses, photo by author 28 May 2026

Even when it was decided in the 1800's that a "new" Borgund Church was needed, the historical relevance of this ancient stave church was appreciated. It was taken over in 1868 by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments which continues to preserve it and make it available for public visits. 

Metal collection tin inside Borgund Stave Kirke, photo by author 28 May 2026

The "New" Borgund Church (1868) sits just south of the stave church, photo by author 28 May 2026

Another feature on the site is the free-standing stave bell tower that covers the remains of the foundry where the church bell was cast; the bell tower itself is probably mid 13th century. 

Stave bell tower, photo by author 28 May 2026

The Borgund site acts as a physical connection to this long-lasting community of people who have called  this beautiful part of Norway their home. 

Author in front of Borgund Stave Kirke, 28 May 2026, photo B.G. Barnard

Suggested Resources:

• https://www.kringom.no/en/laerdal/borgund-stave-church
• https://www.stavechurch.com/borgund-stave-church/?lang=en
• Norwegian digital archives for church records and census information can be found at https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/

Anna-Maria Andersdotter (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 52 theme: "Memorable")

Wrapping up 2025 and looking ahead to 2026! Can something in the future be presupposed to be memorable? In anticipation of something that  is planned for 2026, I am going out on a limb saying that our visit to the Swedish home parish of my 3rd great grandmother Anna-Maria Andersdotter (or Andreasdotter) will indeed be memorable.

Anna-Maria's home parish of Uddevalla was originally a part of Norway when it received its town privileges in 1498. The original Norwegian name was Oddevald. A current map shows its proximity to Denmark and Norway; it would have been a strategic position to control in times of dispute among these three countries. In fact, it changed nationalities a total of 7 times! In 1658 it was ceded to Sweden as part of the Treaty of Roskilde, but Norway invaded the following year. The Treaty of Copenhagen in 1660 returned it to Sweden where it has remained since. 

Location of Uddevalla - Google Earth

Anna was born 8 May 1800 in Uddevalla parish, Vastra Götaland (now part of Göteborg och Bohus), Sweden. Although other members of my mother's paternal Swedish line came from other remote areas of Sweden, our intended trip to Norway enables very easy train access from Oslo to Uddevalla, making Uddevalla the location of our soon-to-be memorable family history visit to Sweden. 

1800 Birth and baptism record for Anna-Maria Andreasdotter in the Uddevalla kyrkoarkiv 1796-1812, p.72 accessed from Riksarkivet

Anna-Maria's father was Andreas Israelsson and her mother was Eva Maria Bergman. Andreas had come from farther north in Sweden. The couple had married in  Eva Maria's home parish of Uddevalla on 27 December 1795. 

After the marriage, the couple lived for a few years in Uddevalla. Their first two children were born there (first, a son named Israel after his paternal grandfather, then Anna-Maria). In March of 1803 when Anna-Maria was just 3, the family moved to Kroken farm, Laxarby, shortly before the August birth of their third child, Anders, named for his maternal grandfather. Tragically, Eva-Maria died of complications relating to that birth. For 4 years, Andreas remained a widower with three very young children before he married again in 1807.

The 1803 move to Kroken had otherwise been a fortuitous move for them, causing them to evade a major fire in Uddevalla in 1806 when the whole city burned to the ground making 4000 people homeless. This was not the only time Uddevalla had suffered such a loss. It burned to the ground a total of 6 times. After the 1806 fire, the city had to be completely rebuilt and was done in a planned grid-like pattern. By the time the Industrial Revolution arrived, the city had recovered and was able to establish a cotton mill with 10, 000 machines driven by steam. A match factory was also established, and later a shipbuilding industry that had built over 200 supertankers by the time it closed down in 1986. 

As far as I am aware, none of my family members have lived in Uddevalla since the early 1800s. When Anna-Maria Andersdotter grew up in the Laxarby area, she married Anders Svenson and had a family of 8 children with him. (Their second son was my great great grandfather Israel Anderson who emigrated to America in 1854.) 

Anna-Maria's story did not end in Sweden; she and Anders also emigrated in 1868 to America to join Israel and other children. Below we can see Anna-Maria, 68, and daughter Eva, 20, listed among the female passengers on the ship City of London that sailed from Sweden on 16 April 1868 and arrived in New York City on 25 May 1868.

Passenger List from the City of London voyage of April-May 1868

An 1874 death record has been located for her husband Anders Svenson in the church records for Lake Mills, Winnebago, Iowa, but no record has been located for Anna-Maria.

Earlier Uddevalla Ancestors

1.    Anna-Maria's mother Eva Marie Bergman was born in Uddevalla 16 June 1771 and baptized the following day. 

1771 Uddevalla Church Records for birth/baptism of Eva Maria 

As mentioned earlier, she died at age 35 from complications of childbirth at Laxarby after the family moved from Uddevalla.

2. Eva Marie Bergman's father was Anders Bergman born at Uddevalla, Sweden about 1739. On 21 June 1767 he married Maja Skredberg Jonsdotter at Uddevalla. 

1767 Uddevalla church records for marriage of Anders Bergman and Maja Skredberg Jonsdotter

Anders died at age 60 on 14 July 1799 and was buried a week later.  Cause of death believed to have been lungsot (tuberculosis).

Uddevalla Death and burial record for Anders Bergman 1799

 

3. Eva Marie's mother Maja Jonsdotter Skredberg was also born in Uddevalla. She was born 2 February 1740 and baptized at Bäve Kyrka, Uddevalla. She and husband Anders had 3 children: Jon, Eva Marie and Christina. Maja lived out her life at Uddevalla, dying there on 27 March 1806 and being buried 3 April 1806.

1806 death and burial of Maja Jonsdtr - from the Uddevalla church records

4, Maja's father was John Jonson, born at Uddevalla and baptized at Bäve Kyrka in 1714. Little more is known about him or his ancestors; he married a woman named Kerstin who was born about 1718. How many more generations lived and died in Uddevalla is so far unknown. 

(One of the most useful research aids for Sweden is the census-like set of documents called Household Examination Records [Husförhörslängder] but they do not begin for Uddevalla until 1812 and cannot assist here.)

 Some Sites of Interest in Uddevalla

• Uddevalla Bridge across the Byfjorden (completed in 2000 and part  of European Route E6)
• Uddevalla Clock Tower built in the 18th century
• Museum of Bohuslän
• Kuröd Shell Banks (the biggest shell banks in the world)

Google Earth Map of Central Uddevalla with some possible sites of interest that should prove MEMORABLE!

Some Resources:

• Family Search Research WIKI for Uddevalla: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Uddevalla_Parish,_G%C3%B6teborg_och_Bohus,_Sweden_Genealogy
• Swedish National Archives: https://riksarkivet.se/en
• Wikipedia article for Uddevalla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uddevalla

Florence Adeline Larson (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 51 theme: "Musical")

Florence was my Dad's first cousin; she was the daughter of my grandfather John Bardahl's sister Sarah Bardahl and husband Olaf Larson. Florence was the middle of their 3 children, having been born at Elbow Lake, Grant County, MN on 2 June 1902. The family had moved to North Dakota by the time she was 8 years old. 

Florence graduated from High School in Valley City, N.D.  A good violinist, she went on to study music at the Fargo College Conservatory of Music. After graduation, she taught violin at Wesley College at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. While there, she met Merritt Wain Johnson who was the head of the Piano Department. The couple married on  3 August 1929 in Grand Forks.

1929 North Dakota Marriage License and Certificate

It has been suggested that the marriage was based less on romance and more on Merritt's compassion in trying to rescue Florence from an unhappy situation. She had suffered from tuberculosis and had been confined to a sanatorium for some period in her earlier life. It had made her so miserable that she described it as a prison and swore she would never go back if the disease returned. Her health was not robust. She must have felt safe and protected with Merritt. 

The couple had no children. No doubt Florence enjoyed seeing the early musical success of her sister's daughters who were billed as the "Clark Kiddies".  Florence would not live long enough to see them achieve great fame under the name of  "The Clark Sisters" and later as Tommy Dorsey's "Sentimentalists". 

Florence belonged to the Delta Sorority and Sigma Alpha Iota, a musical sorority, and  to music clubs in Aberdeen and Grand Forks. Music was her life.

Sadly, her health did not permit that life to be a long one. She died of kidney disease at the age of 33 and is buried in Riverside Memorial Cemetery in Aberdeen, South Dakota. 

Florence Larson Johnson stone, photo courtesy Khoward of findagrave.com

Some Resources:

Findagrave Memorial for Florence Adeline Larson Johnson at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106395837/florence-adeline-johnson

The Bardahl and Nelson Portraits (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 50 Theme: "Family Heirloom")

 

Carl and Karen (Nilsdatter) Nelson (top); Anna (Elton) and Hans Bardahl (bottom) 

My paternal great grandparents have been watching over my shoulder as I've written each of these weekly stories this year. I treasure these portraits for the way they connect me to them through my father who scoured antique stores for years to find their large domed glass frames. His older sisters, in a crafting fit, had apparently removed the original frames to make table tops, probably long since discarded. Fortunately they hadn't thrown out the pictures! 

Three of my Dad's four grandparents had died by the time he was born in 1926. Because Dad's parents had moved to Canada from Minnesota, Dad only got to meet his remaining grandmother Anna one time, that when he was 4 years old. I suspect his longing for his unknown American grandparents provided his determination to see their portraits properly framed again. 

When my Dad passed on, my siblings very graciously agreed that I should be the one to take these family treasures. I have always appreciated this gesture from them.

As for the ancestors in these portraits:

1. The Nelsons

Carl Nelson was born in 1839 in Norderhov, Ringerike,  Buskerud, Norway. In 1866 he married Karen "Carrie" Marie Nilsdatter who had born nearby in 1842. The following year, the young couple moved to America. They farmed in the area of Erdahl, MN. where they raised a family of 8 children, the youngest of whom was my grandmother Louise born in 1881.

Carl and Carrie Nelson with their 8 children (colourized)

Carl died in 1911 and Karen in 1915. Both are buried in the Erdahl Lutheran Cemetery, Erdahl, MN.

Grandson Ken and his wife Elinor Bardahl at the Nelsen headstone in Erdahl

2. The Bardahls 

Hans Olai Johnson Bardahl was born at Hemnes, Nordland, Norway in 1841. He arrived in North America in 1866, finally settling in the area of Barrett, MN. Anna Ericksdatter Elton was born in 1849 in Vang, Valdres, Oppland and, as a very young girl,  came to America with her family in 1854. She married Hans Bardahl in 1873 in Goodhue County, MN. Hans and Anna had a family of 6 children including son John  born in 1879. Anna had given birth to son Erstein "Steve" from an earlier relationship; he was also part of their family and used the surname "Bardahl". 

Hans and Anna with their 6 children (Steve not present) colourized

Hans died in 1922 and Anna in 1938. Both are buried in the Lien Cemetery, Barrett, MN.

photos courtesy TBurt of Findagrave.com

Handwriting: The Personal Touch (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 49 theme: 'Written")

Genealogists treasure connections to their ancestors. Old family letters, journals and diaries are often especially touching with the ancestor having created it by hand with their own personal flair. Never mind the possible hints that handwriting analysis might reveal. Just the sheer joy of looking at something written by the ancestor's hand can tug at the heart.

With the steady decline in the use of cursive handwriting, written materials left behind now will almost certainly be typed and digitized into conformity. No personal touch except for the content. And even content is being de-personalized with the increasing use of AI. 

Time to revisit some of the handwriting samples left behind by a few members of my family. 

Starting with my Dad Kenneth Bardahl (1926-1997), a keen family historian. I don't have to look far in my materials to find things written by him. Here is one example relating to a copy of a book page about his grandfather Hans Bardahl. 

Written materials provided to me by Kenneth Bardahl 1988 

Yes, Dad, I do enjoy seeing this notation you made and, like you, I hope future generations can also enjoy it. As we do with the writing you did in 1991 at the request of your grandson Grant. Here is the cover letter from Dad's 35 page handwritten life story:

I never heard his story about his day as a sales clerk in menswear and wish I could ask him about that. More stories would have been even better, Dad.

Dad's maternal grandfather Carl Nelson (1839-1911) had beautiful writing as can be seen from these handwritten invitations for his daughter Louise's wedding:

Nor everyone could claim beautiful penmanship. My maternal grandmother Idella Edwards shared a significant amount about her eclectic early American ancestry with her son Robert. Here is an example of her writing from the 1960s relating to her grandfather George Garner Wescott's service in the American Civil War.

Although she had been a school teacher, Della was the first to acknowledge her poor penmanship. I remember when she was learning to type in the late 1950s in preparation for starting a motel business; she told me it would be the only way people could read her writing!

One final person I would like to note is Jorgen Torkelson Neurak (1788-1839), one of my mother's paternal ancestors who was klokkar (sextant) at Nissedal, Telemark, Norway and would have been in charge of keeping the church records. (The Lutheran State Church records are the official vital records for Norway.) For example, the following would have been Jorgen's handwritten entry for the 1835 birth and 1836 baptism of his son Halvor Jorgenson.

Birth and baptism records 1836 from Nissedal Kirkeboker Parish Register 1814-1862, p.49

I find it particularly poignant  to note that upon his death in 1839, the writing in the church books (starting with his burial) took a turn for the worse as a new clerk took over the responsibilities. (Anyone who has experience with old records in Gothic script knows the challenges faced in deciphering even simple words and names when the penmanship is excellent, never mind when it's not.)

Handwritten notations are far more touching than the more easily read and searched digitized version of the same information. It's that personal touch provided by the hand of our ancestors that will be missed when it comes to records being left by us now.

Post Script

After bemoaning the move to digitization and use of AI, it occurred to me that I am not leaving much in the way of handwritten records myself. I have, however, kept journals of my genealogical journey and have copied from a page written by me in January of 1998 at the Alberta Family Histories Society monthly meeting, Beginners' Session. Apparently they were filling us in on local resources available in Calgary. Sadly, I doubt that my log book/journals will provide much of particular interest to future genealogists.