Lars Olson Aldahl (1856-1940)

Lars Olson Aldahl was born on 24 Nov 1856 in Voss, Evanger, Hordaland, Norway as the ninth child of Ole Knutson Aldahl and Ragnild Torkjelsdtr Ofstedal. He had nine siblings, namely: Jorun Olsdtr, Jorgen Olson, Knut Olson, Torkel Olson, Marta Olsdtr, Synneva Olsdtr, Brita Olsdtr, Marjo Olsdtr, and Olaf Olson. Lars Olson Aldahl was baptized on 14 Dec 1856 in Voss, Evanger, Hordaland, Norway. He was the  youngest of his parents’ eight children who survived infancy. He was confirmed in the church at Voss and attended teachers training in Voss from 1876-1878.

Norway

When he was 21-years old, he came to America.  He made the voyage leaving Bergen, Norway on 23 July 1878 and then traveling across the Atlantic departing from Glasgow, Scotland on the ship called the State of Virginia and landing in New York on 14 August 1878. As far as our ancestors go, he was a late-comer to America. The rest of our Norwegians had immigrated two decades or more earlier. Lars joined his brother, Torkel, and sister, Martha, in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota where they had already settled. Upon arrival, he continued his studies at the Lutheran Seminary at St. Ansgar, Iowa. He taught Lutheran parochial school at First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie for many years.

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When he was 28, Lars married Caroline Hilson, daughter of Guttorm Hillson Wenaas and Jorand Christiansdtr Rukke, on 19 Nov 1885 at First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie, Steele, Minnesota.

Lars Olson Aldahl and Caroline Hilson had the following children:

1. Johanna Ragnila Aldahl was born on 02 May 1886 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She married Astor H. Thompson on 28 Jun 1911 in Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church, Austin, Mower, Minnesota. She died on 15 Sep 1969 in Mower, Minnesota at age 83.
2. George Oscar Aldahl was born on 06 Jul 1887 in Mower, Minnesota. George fought in World War I and was wounded in the Argonne forests of France. He married Sylvia Bertina Aldal on 23 Jul 1919 in Emmons Lutheran Church, Emmons, Freeborn, Minnesota. He died on 12 Apr 1949 in Los Angeles, California at age 61.
3. Clara Marie Aldahl was born on 20 Jun 1889 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She married Ole Edwin Stemson on 18 Mar 1914 in Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church, Austin, Mower, Minnesota. She died on 16 Aug 1985 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota at age 96.
4. Selmer Ludvig Aldahl was born on 28 Jun 1890 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. He died on 21 Aug 1923 in Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa after being hit by a train. He was 33.
5. Ida Bertina Aldahl was born on 27 Aug 1891 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She married Henry Bennett Stemson on 30 Mar 1921 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota. She died on 29 Oct 1966 in Wadena, Wadena, Minnesota at age 75.
6. Hilda Melvina Aldahl was born on 22 Feb 1893 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She married Peter O Knutson on 23 Jun 1920 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota (Witnesses were George Knutson and Margaret Aldahl). She died on 16 Aug 1987 in Steele, Minnesota at age 94.
7. Judith “Nellie” Ronellie Aldahl was born on 01 Oct 1894 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She married Andrew Clarence Thompson on 06 Dec 1917 in Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church, Austin, Mower, Minnesota. She died on 04 Mar 1986 in Mower, Minnesota at age 91.
8. Olga Mathilda Aldahl was born on 15 Apr 1896 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She died on 03 Jun 1901 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota, drowning in the well at age five.
9. Noel Clarence Ruben Aldahl “Clarence” was born on 25 Dec 1898 in Mower, Minnesota. Clarence and his brother Joe were both bachelors. They farmed the home farm. He died on 06 Jun 1993 in Blooming Prairie, Steele, Minnesota at age 94.
10. Joseph “Joe” Tilman Aldahl was born on 06 Mar 1900 in Mower, Minnesota. He died on 29 Jan 1985 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota at age 84.
11. Margaret Olga Aldahl was born on 21 Jan 1902 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She married Bennett Nils Christianson on 21 May 1930 in Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church, Austin, Mower, Minnesota. She died on 09 May 1972 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota at age 70.
12. Martha Cornelia Aldahl was born on 17 Nov 1904 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. She married Osmund Oscar Knutson on 18 Dec 1940 in Blooming Prairie, Steele, Minnesota. She died on 24 Jun 1995 in Prairie Manor Nursing Home, Blooming Prairie, Steele, Minnesota at age 90.

Lars and Caroline lived in the Blooming Prairie community for about six years and then, in 1891, purchased a farm located about three miles southwest of Lansing, Mower, Minnesota, northwest of Austin, Mower, Minnesota. They eventually had 280 acres and lived there the remainder of their lives.

Besides farming and raising his large family, Lars was active in his church and community, serving as Lansing Township supervisor, treasurer of the Lansing Farmers Elevator Co., and Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church secretary.

Lars Olson Aldahl died on 08 Nov 1940 in Lansing, Mower, Minnesota. He was buried in 1940 in Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church Cemetery, Austin, Mower, Minnesota.

Where is he in the tree?

Sources:

Ancestry.com, New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006), www.ancestry.com,

Ancestry.com, U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), www.ancestry.com, Collection Number: G&M_75; Roll Number: 75. Record for L O Aldall

Arkivverket Digitalarkivet (Norway), http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?urnread_imagesize=full&info=ingen&hode=nei&show=125&uid=211267&js=j; County: Hordaland; Parish or district name: Voss; Register: Parish register (official); Number (archival reference): A 16; Period: 1849-1863; Location: Regional State Archives of Bergen. Baptism record for Lars Olson Aldahl; digital images, Arkivverket Digitalarkivet.

Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn, The History of Mower County, Minnesota: Illustrated. Chicago: H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Company, 1911. Image Copy. Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?id=LMAvAQAAMAAJ&dq : 2016.

Where can I learn more?

The Aldahl Family