Stengrim Halvorsen (1799-1870)

Halvorsen or Halverson? It depended on who was keeping the records at any particular time. When Stengrim was born, Norway was a dependency of Denmark. Danish was the language used by the church and the law, but most people spoke a hybrid Dano-Norwegian. In 1814, when Stengrim was a teen, Norway was separated from Denmark and went into a Union with Sweden. Eventually, the Dano-Norwegian language came into use in official places, replacing Danish. This, and personal preference of the individual record keepers, meant that Stengrim’s name was spelled differently in different documents. Oh yeah, Stengrim was sometimes written Steengrim as well.

What was his last name? it depended on where he was living. He has been called Stengrim Halvorsen Stolsdokken and Stemgrim Halvorsen Gampebakken, having lived on the Stolsdokken and Gampebakken farms. He even has been called Stengrim Halversen Bakko because the Stolsdokken farm was later called the Bakko farm.

Stengrim Halvorsen was born about May 1799 at Stolsdokken in Buskerud, Norway. He was the oldest son of Halvor Stengrimsen and Barbra Embretsdr. He had four siblings, namely Engebret Halvorsen, Daniel Halvorsen, Daniel Halversen, and Ole Halvorsen. Yes, two brothers named Daniel. The first Daniel died as an infant, so the name was reused on the next son.

Stengrim was baptized in Gol, Buskerud, Norway on 26 May 1799.

As a young child, he was recorded with his parents in the 1801 Census.

Stengrim married Kristi Knudsdr on Monday, 7 Nov 1825, at Nes, Buskerud, Norway.

They had eleven children.

1. Barbo Stengrimdtr was born in Nes, Buskerud, Norway on 29 Sep 1826. She was baptized there on 29 Oct 1826. She married Helge Asleson Bergsie on 2 Jan 1849 in Buskerud, Norway. Barbo died in Walcott, Richland, North Dakota, in 1906 at the age of 79.
2. Anne Stengrimsdatter was born in Nes, Buskerud, Norway on 20 Dec 1828. She was baptized there on 28 Dec 1828.
3. Margit Steengrimsdatter was born in Nes, Buskerud, Norway on 17 Dec 1831. She was baptized there on 5 Jan 1832. Margit died in Norway in 1907 at the age of 75.
4. Halvor Stemson was born in Norway on 14 Feb 1835. He was baptized in Gol, Buskerud, Norway on 22 Mar 1835. He married first to Ingeborg Myraset. She died. He then married Birgit Nilsdtr Lostegaard on 21 Apr 1864 at Gol, Buskerud, Norway. They immigrated to America. Halvor died in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota on 8 Apr 1927, at the age of 92. He was buried in Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church Cemetery, Austin, on 12 Apr 1927.
5. Barbro Stengrimsdatter was born in Nes, Buskerud, Norway on 19 Apr 1837. She was baptized there on 4 May 1837.
6. Guri Stengrimsdatter was born in Gol on 11 Apr 1840. She was baptized there on 3 May 1840. She married Tor Olsen on 9 May 1880, in Gol, Buskerud, Norway. Guri died in Hallingdal in 1922 at the age of 81.
7. Aasa Stengrimsdatter was born in Gol on 26 Sep 1841. She was baptized there on 17 Oct 1841. Aasa died in Norway in 1912 at the age of 70.
8. Kari Stengrimsdatter was born in Gol on 24 Jun 1844. She was baptized in Gol on 14 Jul 1844. Kari married Knute Knudsen Lestrud on 23 Apr 1872 in Buskerud, Norway Kari died in Olmsted, Minnesota, on 10 Jul 1910, at the age of 66. She was buried in Red Oak Grove Lutheran Cemetery, Austin, Mower, Minnesota.
9. Knut Stemson was born in Gol on 24 Oct 1849. He married first to ______ Hukkee about 1870 in Adams, Mower, Minnesota. She died. He then married Bertha Andersdatter Dahle on 25 Aug 1873 in Adams, Mower, Minnesota. He died in Dawson, Lac qui Parle, Minnesota, on 4 Sep 1924, at the age of 74. Knut was buried at Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Dawson.
10. Thora Stengrimsdatter was born in Gol on 2 Oct 1854. She was baptized in Gol on 15 Oct 1854. Thora married Osten Henriksen Brabant in Norway. Thora died in Nes, Hallingdal, in 1947 at the age of 92.
11. Magrethe Stengrimsdatter was born in Gol on 2 Oct 1854. She was baptized in Gol on 15 Oct 1854. She married Helge Olsen on 13 Nov 1879, in Gol, Buskerud. Magrethe died in Nes, Hallingdal.

He died in Gol, Buskerud, Norway on 21 Jan 1870 at the age of 70, and was buried there on 27 Jan 1870.

Where is he in the tree?

Where can I learn more?

The Stemson Family

Selected Sources:

“Norway profile – Timeline,” BBC News, 19 Apr 2018 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17746861 : accessed 7 May 2019)

“Norwegian language,” Wikipedia (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_language#Dano-Norwegian : accessed 7 May 2019).

Arkivverket Digitalarkivet (Norway), Buskerud fylke, Nes, Ministerialbok nr. 5 (1787-1807), Fødte og døpte 1799, side 196-197 (http://urn.digitalarkivet.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20060127050296.jpg : accessed 7 May 2019); digital images, Arkivverket Digitalarkivet.

Arkivverket Digitalarkivet (Norway), Stengrim Halvorsen death and burial, SAKO, Gol kirkebøker, F/Fa/L0003: Parish register (official) no. I 3, 1863-1875, p. 277 ( http://urn.digitalarkivet.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20051116041187.jpg : accessed 7 May 2019); digital images, Arkivverket Digitalarkivet.

Arkivverket Digitalarkivet (Norway), Halvor Stengrimsen, 1801 Census, Gol sogn, RA, Folketelling 1801 for 0616P Nes prestegjeld, 1801, s. 137b-138a, p. 138 ( http://urn.digitalarkivet.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-ft20090806630324.jpg : accessed 20 May 2019); digital images, Arkivverket Digitalarkivet.