Gearing up for Birthdays

Next week at this time, the friends and family of Richard will gather to honor his 80th birthday.  It seems hard to imagine that he's reached this age, as at least to me (Martha the blog editor), well...it feels like we just finished wishing my Grandma Irene a happy 90th.  Nope...that was a few years ago.

In fact, cleaning out some stuff in the basement, I found a letter that Richard had written to Irene in honor of her 90th birthday.  It is dated July 7, 1996.   Her birthday would have been later in August of that same year.
I'll include the text below....but it was clearly done on a type writer.  No word processor and certainly not done via email.  Yes, the times do indeed change....whether we are ready for them or not.
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July 7, 1996
Dear Irene:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Congratulation on nine decades.

There are so many fond memories.  Your first airplane ride was a visit to Tuscon.  We painted your house a couple times.  Your garden was always so productive.  Your roses bloomed seemingly without care.  Uncle Phil's sudden death and the aftermath cast you in a role you had not anticipated but you handled it with grace and joyful generosity.  You knit something for everyone-all the time-and I have two boxes of children wear you knit for the foxy girls which I still have and will pass on to the great grandchildren maybe.

Laura and Martha modeling some of the Irene knitting works

Food, wonderful food!  There was always food in abundance and of high quality.  You prepared all the food for our wedding reception.  You always put a "cover" (cookies) on the breakfast table.  It is dangerous to think about what is best because everything is always good.  I remember baked pies and of course ice cream in at least three flavors.  Time was a factor.  You wanted to know when we were leaving and then another eal would appear. I remember finishing breakfast at 9 am and having lunch before leaving at 11.  Portions were more than generous because you didn't want to have all the leftovers.

My wish is for you to remain health and live independently for many more years.
Sincerely
Your son-in-law, the doctor.
Richard

Editors Note:  Irene would remain living in her own home on Birdsall for a few more years, before moving to a nursing home.  She would pass away December 21, 2002, at the age of 96 years old.

Irene with her great grandson Greg, circa ?1999

Oliver's Story

I was cleaning through some stacks of papers, and I found this letter written by Richard.   Apparently in 2005, Richard served as the host  for a family reunion celebrating the descendants of Olaus (Oliver) Granum.    The text below is from that packet.  

I will coordinate with Richard this summer to see about scanning some photos in to go with the narrative, but for now, I just want to get this text into a digital format for future reference.
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written on this photo is the year 1937

Olaus Granum immigrated to the United States with his parents and seven of nine sibling in 1867.  Olaus' father was Peder Olsen Granum, born May 15, 184 at Midtre Bjugstaad farm, Vardal in Oppland, Noway.

Typical farmland Western Norway, 1950s

It should be noted that this was two days before the approval of Norway's constitution, which is the reason for celebrating Syttende Mai.  (Editors Note:    the constitution was signed in 1814, declaring Norway to being an independent nation in an attempt to avoiding being ceeded to Sweden after Denmark-Norway's devastating defeat in the Napoleonic Wars).  

His mother, Kari Jacobsdtr was born in 1821.

Bergen Port Norway, 1860s

They left from Chritina (Oslo) Norwary aboard the frigate Refundo on April 12 and arrived in Quebec, Canada on May 31, 1867.  There is an account of this journey on a web site the recounts the many hardships and deaths that occurred during this journey.  

Port of Quebec, 1920s

Olaus' parents were accompanied by seven of their children.  

• Martha Marie Granum was born October 7, 1843 who in 1867 married Sven Thoreson a Civil War veteran.  Their farm was at the entrance to Granum Coulee.
• Peter Pederson Granum was born November 14, 1849
• Sophie Granum born November 7, 1853
• Olaus P. (Oliver) was born February 2, 1856 at midtre Bjugstad farm
• Petra Granum born April 29, 1858 and married Even Evenson Jr.
• Martin born in 1863
• Lauritis Granum born February 14, 1866

It is believed that one of the children died en route and was buried in Quebec.  There is no record of Lauritis after leaving Norway so it is possible that this is the child who died.

Also on board was Mari Jensdatter.  This is Olaus' grandmother, the widow of Ole Pedersen.  Ole died February 22, 1855.   Mari Jensdatter was accompanied by her eldest son, Peder Olsen Granum (Olaus' father) and her daughter, Anne Marie.    Mari Jensdatter died February 3, 1870 and is buried at the French Creek Lutheran Church in Trempeleau County Wisconsin.   A record of Anne Marie's death is found in the records in Steel County North Dakota.

Olaus' siblings also included Ole and Johan, twin boys born April 8, 1841.  Ole emigrated to the United States in 1873, traveling aboard the Hero.  There is no record on Johan.  JoHanna born November 14, 1847, made it to Holmen, some how at some time because on July 13, 1872, she married Helge Thoreson at the Halfway Creek Lutheran Church.

Peder Olsen and Kari Jacobsdtr Granum lived in Granum Coulee until some time after 1880. It is unclear when exactly they left Granum Coulee.   It is possible that they lived there until Olaus Granum married and took over the farm.  This is known from the diary kept by Sven Thoreson, which recorded the exchange of goods for Peder Olsen's farm labor in 1879.    In the 1880 census report, Kari is recorded as living in the Sven Thorseon household.  She is listed as the mother-in-law (her daughter being Martha Granum Thoreson)

Sometime after 1880, Peder and Karin Granum moved to Volga South Dakota with four of their children

(Ole Granum, Peter Granum, Sophie Granum Myrah and Petra Granum Evenson).  

Three of  Peder and Kari's children remained in the Holmen area:   Martha Marie Granum Thoreson, Olaus Granum and Martin Granum.  

Olaus Granum worked in the pineries, and farmed.  He married Nellie Thomte on July 24, 1884.  Nellie has come to this country with her parents in 1871 and had resided between Coon Valley and Chaseburg.     She was born December 24, 1860 in Gjovik Norway.  

Nellie's parents were Peter Thomte, born April 6, 1831 at Lind-Norde Lands, Norway and Karen (Handsdatter Johansen Lien Valer) Thomte Bjerke.    Nellie's siblings included

• Hans Frederick b. October 27, 1858
• Pauline (Lina) b. January 1, 1870
• Henrietta (Nettie) born ?
• Trena b. February 24, 1876
• Ole b. January 24, 1878
• Anton, born February 23, 1880
• Carl July 24, 1881
• Additionally, there were four children that died at birth or shortly after and their information is not recorded

Olaus and Nettie lived on a farm at the end of Granum Coulee Road.  They had nine children.  Below are the brief history of their descendants

• Clifford Granum, born 12.11.1884.  Died 7.23.1917.  He marrield Lula Chishold and they had three children:  Ruth (b. 4.3.1911), Clayton (b. 5.31.1915 and Clifford Jr (born 8.21.1917).  They lived in Tacoma Washington.

• Selmer Carlton Granum was born on July 14, 1886.   He married Belda Taje Anderson on April 14, 1910.  Two weeks after their marriage, they moved to South Dakota where they farmed and had six children:  
• Lillian born August 13, 1910, married Clifford Hanson and Lived at Lake Camptell
• Ruben born January 9, 1912 and married Gladys Woodward.  They lived in Brookings, South Dakota.
• Glennon was born on October 17, 1914 and married Muriel Hanson.  They made Volga South Dakota their home.  
• Allen was born Januray 7, 1917
• Kenneth was born November 29, 1919 and married Fern Heath
• Lorraine Elva borned November 28, 1923 and married Allan Anundson
• 
  
• Oscar Granum was .born July 14, 188 and died on Februrary 15, 1919.  His death was a casualty of World War I.  Initially buried in France, he was later returned to the United States and is buried at Halfway Creek Cemetery

• Henry J. Granum was born October 31, 1891 also a veteran of WWI.  He married Esther Severson. Esther was born February 2, 1911.  They had no children.  (at the time of this writing, Esther was still loving, but has since passed away, 1.3.2008).  

• Gladys O was born September 10, 1895.  She married Rudolph P. Gullickson (b.  Septemeber 19, 1896).  Rudolph was another WWI veteran.   They had two sons, Gordon Paul (b. August 10, 1929) and Roland Peter (b. June 12, 1932).  Gordon married Jean Mickelburg and at the time of this report, they were living in Wausau, WI.  Roland married Carol McKeeth and they live in Holmen.

• Helen Granum was born May 2, 1897.  She married Owner A. Lund (b. 3.18, 1897).  He too is another WWI vet.  They had four children Elaine (b. 6.7.1918, married to Donald Haug and live in Galesville, WI), Phyllis (b. 10.23.1920, married August Spangrude, live in Minneapolois MN), Duane O (b. September 13, 1922, married to Lynette Symmonds and lived in Spart, WI),  and Lloyd Arthus (b. 3.18.1930, married Donna Koop and live in Febult MN).

• Norman Leon was born November 26, 1904.  He married Havel Volla (born December 14, 1906).  They had two sons, Ropert Lee (born April 3, 1931, married to Birdel Lysdahl) and Richard Allen (b. 7.16.1933, married Audrey Bohren).  Norman and Hazel lived in Holmen, WI
  

• Oris Granum, born September 30, 1907.  Oris never married, never had any children.  He died February 22, 1993 and lived his life in the Holmen and Onalaska area.  He is buried at Halfway Creek Cemetery.

Melvin S. Granum was born April 8, 1909.  He married Harriet Lucille Hendrickson (b. 2.16.1917).  They had three children Vernon (b. 8.2.1936) and married Ruth Ann Graham.  Charlene Sandra (b. 4.26.1940, married Wayne Kulchinski) and Galen Lewis (b. 11.18.1945, married to Rita Brigs.   At the time this narrative was written, Harriet was living at 607 Main Street.  This home was the last residence of Olaus P. and Nellie Granum.  Her family had been the only and continuous occupants since about the 1940s.  Since this was written, Harriet has since passed away.  She died April 9, 2013, at the age of 96.

A year later...

And the desire to share the stories remains....but somewhere I got side tracked. We're tying up some loose ends and getting ready to head out to Wisconsin to celebrate Richard's 80th birthday. As part of this celebration, and related to the recent passing of Aunt Sue, I stumbled across these pictures. Richard shared the following memories about the pictures included

 The one by the car is a 1947 Chevrolet and the picture was probably taken in 1950 .  The sport coat I am wearing had suede trim, and wool light green and brown or tan and was my High School graduation coat so pictures taken fall of 1950.  We drove to California in that car, winter o1948-9 to visit Uncle Virgil and family.  Cousin Steven and Martin Volla.  Notice my mothers coat.  It was the style of the day and called a car coat.  Mother would have been 44 at the time.  Shoes, hat, purse.  She looks much older then than in later years.  Or compared to 'you all' now.

 Robert Lee and Me with the ball:  I was probably two and Robert would have been 4, and it was customary to have studio pictures taken every few year.  The camera in the house was box camera and did not take a very good picture.

The telephone and red wagon I would guess I was about 2 and was NOT a studio picture.  Yes taken with a Kodak  box camera.

The family picture of Norman, Hazel, Robert and Richard, was taken by a photographer from the LaCrosse Tribune at the request of Ray Penn and was used in the book put together for the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Martin and Lena Volla, 1952.  The picture was taken in the living room or the house, now owned by Phillip and Carla Johnson.  We lived in that house 1950 until Bob and Birdie sold to Palmer and Alta Johnson, Philips parent and my 1st grade teacher.