OLE NILSEN:

An Inventory of His Family Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Nilsen, Ole, 1844-1933.
	Title:	Ole Nilsen, the Younger, and family papers,
	Dates:	undated and 1857-1933.
	Abstract:	Letters by Nilsen (or Nielsen) family members and other Norwegian immigrants to America (1855-1931); and correspondence, sermons, notebooks, clippings, and miscellany (1864-1933) of Ole Nilsen, the Younger, who served as a Lutheran pastor in Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Most of the materials are in Norwegian; some have been translated.
	Quantity:	2.0 cubic feet (5 boxes, including 51 v.).
	Location:	See Detailed Description section for shelf locations.

Ole Nilsen, the Younger, nicknamed "Lille Ola," was born in 1844 in the Norwegian parish of Aal, Hallingdal province, the son of Nils Knudson Gudmundsrud, a teacher and long-time mayor of Aal. Ole studied at Askers Seminary, taught school briefly, and immigrated to America in 1871, settling in Iowa near his older brother and sister. He studied at Cedar Valley Seminary, Osage, Iowa, and at Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis, after which he became a minister of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America. He served congregations in Northwood, Iowa (ca. 1870s-1880s), Scandinavia, Wisconsin (ca. 1890s-1910s), and Grand Forks, North Dakota (ca. 1920s-1930s), where he died in 1933.

His brother, Ole Nilsen, the Elder, nicknamed "Store Ola," was born in 1834 and spent his early life as a non-commissioned officer in the Norwegian army and, later, as operator of the family farm, Gudmundsrud, in Aal, which he later turned over to his brother Nils (1837-1908). Ole married Anne Torjusdatter Holling (1842-1895) and they immigrated to America in 1866, settling first in Estherville, Iowa, and later moving to Luverne (Rock County), Minnesota. Nilsen built and operated a farm at each location and was a lay leader in local Norwegian Lutheran congregations. He died in Scandinavia, Wisconsin, in 1912.

Gro Nilsdatter Svendsen, their sister, was born in 1841 and emigrated in 1862, settling in Estherville, Iowa. There she married Ole Svedsen Skrattegaard and worked as a farm wife until her death in 1878.

The above information was taken from the papers and from Pauline Farseth and Theodore C. Blegen, Frontier Mother: The Letters of Gro Svendsen (Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, Minn., 1950).

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SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The papers are divided into three sections, the first of which consists of the "America letters" of many Norwegian immigrants to their friends and families in Norway, providing information on their lives in the United States. The chief authors of these letters are the three children of Nils Knudsen Gudmundsrud: Ole Nilsen, the Elder (Store Ola), the Younger (Lille Ola), and Gro Nilsdater Svendsen. The second section consists of the personal papers of Ole Nilsen, the Younger (Lille Ole), documenting his career as a Lutheran minister in Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Folde numbers are consecutive through both sections. The third section consists of ministerial notebooks, almanacs and related volumes kept by Ole Nilsen, the Younger, in the course of his career.

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ARRANGEMENT

These records are organized into the following sections:


		"America Letters"
		Personal Papers of Ole Nilsen, the Younger
		Ministerial Notebooks, Almanacs, and Related Volumes

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Ole Nilsen, the Younger, and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 4043; 4156; 4472; 4587; 4631; 4721; 4933; 12,203

Processing Information:

Processed by: Dennis E. Meissner, November 1979.

Catalog ID number: 09-00041224

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

SECTION 1: "AMERICA LETTERS" OF NORWEGIAN IMMIGRANTS TO MINNESOTA, IOWA, AND NORTH DAKOTA, 1857-1931.

The letters consist of typed copies, in Norwegian, made by Arne Odd Johnsen, a Norwegian scholar. The originals are in private hands in Norway. Most of the folders have not been translated; content descriptions are included for the two translated folders. The letter writers all appeared to be relatives or friends of Nils Knudsen Gudmundsrud, and the location of all recipients is Aal in Hallingdal unless otherwise noted.

Location

Box

P1229

Folder 1. Correspondence from various persons, 1857-1896.

Arranged in groups by authors:

Asle Tohrson Hagen, Stoughton, Wis., to Nils K. Gudmundsrud, 1857, 1865. Two letters.

Nils an Even Gudmundsrud, Northwood, N. D., to Nils K. Gudmundsrud family, 1892-1897. 11 letters.

Olaf Nilsen Gudmundstud, Scandinavia, Wis., to Nils K. Gudmundsrud family, 1895-1898. 17 letters.

O. T. Opsata, Iowa and Minn., to his family, 1860, 1870, 1876. Three letters.

Barbro Tollefsdatter Sando and Berthe Marie Sando, Estherville, Iowa, to relatives, 1863-1878. Four letters.

Sevath Sevatsen, Painted Creek, to Haagen Alesen Bøigaard, 1874. One letter.

Birgit Knudsdatter, Story City, Iowa, to Nils K. Gudmundsrud, 1867-1872. Six letters.

Torketl T. Hoff, Norseland, Minn., to Nils K. Gudmundsrud, 1869. One letter.

Margit Opsata, Rock County, Minn., to Nils K. Gudmundsrud, 1872, 1873. Two letters.

Sigrid Henriksdatter Thorsgaard to Gudmundsrud family, 1880. One letter.

K. T. Hagen, Minot, N. D., to Nils K. Gudmundsrud, 1895. One letter.

H. Solheim, Minnewaukan, N. D., to various friends, 1893-1896. Six letters.

L. V. Bakken, N. D., to Knudt Svedsen Bry, 1888. One letter.

Erik Ellingsen, Silver Lake, Minn., to Tøsten H. Dokker, Hol in Hallingdal, 1865. One letter.

O. Ellingsen, Reynolds, N. D., to S. Reinton, Hol in Hallingdal, 1894. One letter.

Letters from various other persons to friends and relatives in Aal, Hallingdal, 1875-1879. Five letters.

Folder 2. Letters from Laurtis S. Swenson and family, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Berne, to Erling Baekkestad, 1899-1931.

Swenson, United States Minister to Denmark (1897-1905), Switzerland (appointed 1909), and Norway (appointed 1911, 1921), was the nephew of Baekkestad, a schoolteacher in Aal, Hallingdal.

Folder 3. Letters from Sigri Nilsdatter Svendsen (Mrs. Nils), Northwood, N. D., to her father, Nils Nilsen Gudmundsrud, 1893-1899.

Nils was another son of Nils K. Gudmundsrud.

Folder 4. Letters from Svein Strand, Minn., Wis., and Iowa, to Erling Baekkestad, 1897-1913.

Strand was a Norwegian Lutheran clergyman.

Folder 5. Letters from Gro Nilsdatter Svendsen (Mrs. Ole), Estherville, Iowa, to Nils K. Gudmundsrud and family, 1861-1880.

Gro Nilsdatter's letters describe the births, deaths, and growth of her children and news of other relatives and family friends living in the Upper Midwest. Earlier letters contrast American manners and methods with Norwegian customs, and discuss prices and living conditions--both physical and economic--in the Estherville area. There are also data regarding the vicissitudes of crop and livestock operations, sale and acquisition of land, financial problems, and religious thoughts and activities. The untranslated segment also contains information on her trip to America.

A different translation of the entire contents of Folder 5 was published in the following volume translated by Pauline Farseth and edited by Theodore C. Blegen: Frontier Mother: The Letters of Gro Svedsen (Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, Minn., 1950).

Location

Box

P1229

Folder 7. Letters from Ole Nilsen, the Elder (Store Ola), Estherville, Iowa, and Luverne and Bemidji, Minn., to Nils K. Gudmundsrud and family, 1866-1880, 1898-1910.

Folder 7 also contains a typescript copy of a diary ("notes") kept by Ole Nilsen during the immigration trip from Bergen, Norway to Estherville, Ia. (April 27-July 10, 1866). Folder 8 includes a handwritten translation of the diary and folder 9 includes a published version.

Folder 8. Handwritten translations of the letters in Folder 7. Translated by Edna Rude (Mrs. DeFloren), Bemidji, Minn.

Nilsen's letters provide more data on many of the subjects found in the correspondence of his sister Gro (Folder 6). In addition, he provides details on his family's emigration from Bergen, Norway to Iowa; comparisons of American crops with those in Norway; agricultural problems, including grasshopper plagues; and illnesses affecting his family, especially diphtheria.

Folder 9. Published version of the translations in Folder 8, complied by Theresse Lundby, Moorhead, Minn., 1977.

This publication includes genealogical data complied by Lundby; genealogical and biographical data on Ole Nilsen and family translated from the Norwegian newspaper NU (Christiania, Norway), XII:12, March 19, 1907; and a compiler's preface giving data on Nilsen's life in America.

Folder 10. Letters from Ole Nilsen, the Younger (Lille Ola), to Nils K. Gudmundsrud and family, 1871-1930.

Nilsen's letters discuss prominent leaders in the Norwegian Lutheran church and the U.S. presidential election of 1872.

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SECTION 2: PERSONAL PAPERS OF OLE NILSEN, THE YOUNGER (LILLE OLA), UNDATED, 1864-1933.

All of the papers were either authored or collected by Nilsen and were originally catalogued as a separate collection. The papers consist of correspondence, articles and sermons by Nilsen, notes, photographs, clippings, and other printed items, ministerial almanacs, and miscellaneous papers. Almost all of the papers are in Norwegian.

Location

Box

P1229

Folders 11 and 12. Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, undated and 1882-1933. 2 folders.

Almost all the correspondence is letters received by Nilsen, since he apparently kept no copies of his letters sent. Folder 10 contains copies of his own letters to his family. Among the correspondents are such Norwegian Lutheran church leaders as Hans G. Stub, Theodore H. Dahl, Christian Johnson, N. B. Thvedt, and N. G. Peterson regarding various church matters of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America, including its charitable institutions. Also present are machinery patents bought by Nilsen, and his call to the congregation at Scandinavia, Wisconsin.

Folder 13. Articles, undated.

Handwritten copies of articles by Nilsen.

Folder 14. Confirmation sermons, undated.

Folder 15. Funeral sermons, undated.

Folders 16-17. Sermon notes, undated. 2 folders.

Location

Box

P1229

Folders 18-19. Sermon notes, undated. 2 folders.

Folders 20-21. Miscellaneous notes, undated. 2 folders.

Folder 22. Photographs, clippings, and printed materials, undated and 1916-1931.

These are largely copies of, and clippings from, Norwegian language newspapers.

Folder 23. List of immigrants to the U.S. from Aal and Hol, Hallingdal, Norway, during the period of 1839-1881. Complied by E. Bekkestad, 1925.

Includes name, birth date, and emigration date of each emigrant.

Folder 24. List of immigrants to the U.S. from the province of Flaa, Norway, during the period 1837-1911, undated.

Includes name of head of emigrant household, number of household members, emigration date, parish, and settlement location in the U.S.

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MINISTERIAL NOTEBOOKS, ALMANACS, AND RELATED VOLUMES

Location

Box

P1229

Volume 1. Personal account book, 1878-1879.

Volume 2. Ministerial notebook, July 1877-1879.

Volume 3. Ministerial notebook, 1880-1881.

Volume 4. Miscellaneous notebook, 1877-1891.

Volume 5. Ministerial notebook, 1882-1884.

Volume 6. Ministerial notebook, 1885-1888.

Volume 7. Ministerial notebook, 1889-June 1892.

Ministerial Almanacs (Volumes 8-47):

The ministerial almanacs are a series of pocket notebooks printed annually by the Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, for gratis distribution to ministers of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America. The almanacs contain sections in which the minister could record various types of information documenting his work throughout the year, including miscellaneous accounts; a daily log documenting the performance of ministerial duties; and a separate record of baptisms, marriages, confirmations, and obsequies performed. The volumes also contain printed information such as names and addresses of ministers and officers of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church, and tables showing the proper liturgical texts for each Sunday of the year, as well as for special ceremonies.

Volume 8. 1892.

Volume 9. 1893.

Volume 10. 1894.

Volume 11. 1895.

Volume 12. 1896.

Volume 13. 1897.

Volume 14. 1898.

Volume 15. 1899.

Volume 16. 1900.

Volume 17. 1901.

Volume 18. 1902.

Volume 19. 1903.

Volume 20. 1904.

Location

Box

P1229

Volume 21. 1906.

Volume 22. 1907.

Volume 23. 1908.

Volume 24. 1909.

Volume 25. 1910.

Volume 26. 1911.

Volume 27. 1912.

Volume 28. 1913.

Volume 29. 1914.

Volume 30. 1915.

Volume 31. 1916.

Volume 32. 1917.

Volume 33. 1918.

Volume 34. 1919.

Volume 35. 1921.

Volume 36. 1922.

Volume 37. 1923.

Volume 38. 1924.

Volume 39. 1925.

Volume 40. 1926.

Volume 41. 1927.

Location

Box

P1229

Volume 42. 1928.

Volume 43. 1929.

Volume 44. 1930.

Volume 45. 1931.

Volume 46. 1932.

Volume 47. 1933.

Volume 48. Lists of monetary subscriptions raised by various congregational groups and paid to Nilsen as remembrances for his services to them, undated and 1873-1920.

Volume 49. Class notes on religion from instructor J. Aars, Askers Seminary, Norway, 1864.

Volume 50. Class notes on Old Testament scriptures, Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis, 1874.

Volume 51. Attendance record for confirmation classes, 1886-1919.

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RELATED MATERIALS

Nilsen, Ole, Dalrosen; fra vikelighetens verden paa begge sider av havet (Augsbug Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1928) 79 pp.

Nilsen, Ole, Festfryd; stykker og dialoger til gjengivelse ved børnefester, ungdomsmøder etc... (Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1900) 192 pp.

Nilsen, Ole, Poems. Translations by Laila Nilsen Ames. Cover by Lawrence Ames. (Tucson, Arizona, 1972) 28l pp.

Nilsen, Ole, Stem i! En samling av gamle og nye snage (Oslo, Carl C. Werner & Co., 19--) 32 pp.

Nilsen, Ole, Taale Tangen. En historie for børn og ungdom... Med forord of Prof. M. B. Bøckman (Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1892) 63 pp.

Additionally, the library holds two serial publications which Nilsen both edited and contributed to: Hallingen, No. 1 (1912)-, pub. various places (Nilsen edited the magazine during the 1922-1933 period); and Luthersk Borneblad, 1875-, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis (this was a Norwegian Lutheran Sunday school paper which Nilsen helped edit from 1878 to 1908).

The researcher may also be interested in the following book based upon an earlier work by Nilsen: Stolee, Ingebor, Luthers Life. A Revision Based Upon "Luther's Life" by O. Nilsen (Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1943) 157 pp.

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CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Agriculture -- Iowa.; Agriculture -- Minnesota -- Rock County.; Diphtheria -- Minnesota.; Frontier and pioneer life -- Iowa.; Frontier and pioneer life -- Minnesota -- Rock County.; Lutheran Church -- Clergy.; Lutheran Church -- United States.; Norwegians -- Northwestern States.; Presidents -- United Sates -- Election -- 1872.

Places:: Aal (Norway).; Estherville (Iowa).; Hallingdal (Norway).; Iowa -- Description and travel.; Luverne (Minn.).; North Dakota -- Emigration and immigration.; Northwood (N.D.).; Norway -- Emigration and immigration.; Scandinavia (Wis.).; Wisconsin -- Emigration and immigration.

Persons:: Dahl, Theodor Halvorson, 1845-1923.; Gudmundstud family.; Johnson, Christian.; Nilsen, Ole, 1834-1912.; Peterson, N. G.; Strand, Svein.; Stub, H. G. (Hans Gerhard), 1849-1931.; Svendsen, Gro, 1840 or 41-1878.; Swenson, Laurits Selmer, 1865-1947.; Thvedt, N. B.

Organizations:: United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America.

Types of Documents:: Diaries.; Patents.; Sermons.

Occupations:: Clergy -- Middle West.

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