The family most likely originated at the Gjesdal farm in the Jølster parish. By 1865 Ole C. Gjesdal (C may stand for Carlsen (Karlsen) or Carsten) his siblings and his widowed mother were living in the town of Lærdaløyri in the parish of Lærdal.
http://draug.rhd.isv.uit.no/ftsoek/ftsoek.asp?kommando=boste...Census year: 1865
Municipality: Lærdal i Sogn og Fjordane
Municipality number: 1422
Name of domicile: 5 Rode No 17
Number of persons in this domicile: 6.
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Name Family status Marital status Occupation Birth year Birth place Ethnicity
Magrethe Gjesdal Husmoder e der nære sig ved Dagarbeide og lidt Fattigunderstøttelse 1819 Lærdals Prgj.
Ove C. Gjesdal Hendes Søn ug 1851 Lærdals Prgj.
Ole C. Gjesdal Hendes Søn ug 1856 Lærdals Prgj.
Johan C. Gjesdal Hendes Søn ug 1858 Lærdals Prgj.
Marie C. Gjesdal Hendes Datter ug 1854 Lærdals Prgj.
Gjørond Gjesdal Hendes Datter ug 1861 Lærdals Prgj.
the mother Magrethe is working with day work and recieving some help from the poor fund.
By the census of 1900 I find Ole Gjesdal, his wife Oline and their kids living in Bergen, and Ole is a police officer.
It says that he came from Lerdalsøren (different spelling, same place as above) so I am quite sure it is the same guy.
http://draug.rhd.isv.uit.no/ftsoek/ftsoek.asp?kommando=boste...Census year: 1900
Municipality: Bergen
Municipality number: 1301
Street: Blegebakken 6
Number of persons in this domicile: 9.
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Name Family status Marital status Occupation Birth year Birth place Ethnicity
Ole Gjesdal hf g Politibetjent 1856 Lerdalsøren NB
Oline Gjesdal hm g Hustru 1852 Indre Holmedal NB
Karl Gjesdal s ug Musikstuderende 1880 Lerdalsøren NB
Magrete Gjesdal d ug Syerske (damesøm) 1882 Lerdalsøren NB
Sigrid Gjesdal d ug Husgjerningen 1883 Lerdalsøren NB
Jakob Gjesdal s ug Løbergut (manufakturf) 1885 Bergen
Kristoffer Gjesdal s ug Søn 1887 Bergen
Marianne Gjesdal d ug Datter 1890 Bergen
Oskar Gjesdal s ug Søn 1892 Bergen
One of their children's baptism records show up on the digital archives out of Bergen, Jakob Ove Wangensteen Gjesdal, b. 1885, as seen above. What a name! Wangensteen is a name originating out of Lærdal parish.
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...19291 1885 146 Sep 23 Nov 08 Jakob Ove Wangensteen m Politikonstabel Ole Karsten Gjesdal 21-108b 1856 1853 Oline Gjertsdtr. e
It shows Ole Karsten Gjesdal as a police constable in Bergen. The wife Oline Gjertsdatter. So now you know her father's name was most likely Gjert.
She was born in 1853.
Here is your ancestor Kristofer's baptism record. Now it says that the father is Ole Karlsen Gjesdal. So his father was Karl, probably originating from the farm of Gjesdal in Jølster.
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...19992 1887 168 Okt 21 Des 26 Kristofer Oliver m Konstabel Ole Karlsen Gjesdal 21-108b 1856 1852 Olina Gjertsdtr. Korskirken
Kristofer Oliver was born Oct. 21 1887 baptised Dec. 26 same year, in the Korskirken (Cross church) in Bergen. Mother's birth year a little off at 1852. Ole is a Constable.
Here's another child of Ole and Oline. It gives their address.
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...20815 1890 95 Jun 11 Jul 20 Mariane Andrea k Politikonstabel Ole Karlsen Gjesdal Blegetrapperne 4 1856 1852 Oline Gjertsen
Here is a good match for her origins, not far from where Ole originated, on the census of 1865.
http://draug.rhd.isv.uit.no/ftsoek/ftsoek.asp?kommando=boste...Census year: 1865
Municipality: Gaular
Municipality number: 1430
Name of domicile: Solheim
Number of persons in this domicile: 6.
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Name Family status Marital status Occupation Birth year Birth place Ethnicity
Gjert Eriksen Husfad g Gaardb Selveier 1827 Førde Prgj.
Cathrine Christensdatter hans Kone g 1829 Indredale
Søren Gjerts.* deres Søn ug 1855 Indredale
Oline Gjertsd.* Datter ug 1853 Indredale
Eline Gjertsd.* Datter ug 1861 Indredale
Caroline Gjertsd.* Datter ug 1865 Indredale
Now, what to do next?
You could try contacting these lookups volunteers that have resources for the parishes and places you may be looking for
First Oline Gjertsdatter, showing her from Gaular, here's a person to contact about her.
Owner(s):
Eva Kalmér Savjord
eksavjord@c2i.netTitle: Bygdebok for GAULAR Band IV
Author: Jan Anders Timberlid
Publisher:
P. Year: 1998
County: Sogn og Fjordane
Category: Bygdebøker
Contents: Gardar og folk i Viksdalen sokn.
English: Farms and people in Viksdalen parish.
Language: Norsk
Ref No.: 67
In Lærdal you might want to contact these people who may have information about the time Ole was living in Lærdalsøyri - Owner(s):
Bente Øien Hauge
email
jens.hauge@fjordinfo.noJan Eri
email
jan.eri@protector-group.noTitle: LÆRDAL Bygdebok Bind I
Author: Alfred Espe, Ola Gram, KÃ¥re Hovland
Publisher:
P. Year: 1987
County: Sogn og Fjordane
Category: Bygdebøker
Contents:
English: Farms and family history of Laerdal.
Language: Norsk
Ref No.: 86
For Jølster parish, where the Gjesdal farm in Sogn og Fjordane is located, you will perhaps want to contact Gerd Fonn, who may be able to tell you about Karl, Ole Gjesdal's father.
Owner(s):
Gerd Fonn
email
gerd.fonn@c2i.netResource:
Title: BYGDEBOK FOR JØLSTER ÆTTESOGE 1801-1974
Author: Anders O Klakegg
Publisher: Jølster kommune, kulturutvalget
P. Year: 1984
County: Sogn og Fjordane
Category: Bygdebøker
Contents: GARDS OG SLEKTSHISTORIE FRA 1801 til 1974
English:
Language: Norsk
Ref No.: 1896
Here are some lookups volunteers with books about Bergens history, and if Ole Gjesdal was a policeman, perhaps he is mentioned, or they would know where to find out about him, or get his obituary.
Owner(s):
Bjørn Erik Boye
email
bjoerboy@online.noLillian Koehler
email
lilliank@bgnett.noOdd Braathun
email
od-braat@online.no Title: BERGEN Bys Historie 3
Author: Egil Ertresvaag
Publisher: Alma Mater Forlag
P. Year: 1995
County: Hordaland
Category: Lokalhistorie
Contents: Dekker perioden 1800-1920/"Et bysamfunn i utvikling".
English: Covers the years 1800-1920/"A city is developing".
Language: Norsk
Ref No.: 667
I think I may have also found the death dates online for Ole and his wife Oline. You will have to check on these, but they might help in finding an obituary eventually.
Here's one for an Ole Karlsen Gjesdal in Bergen
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...22464 76 Gjesdal Ole Karlsen Nov 01 1934
Died Nov. 1 1934
Here's one for an Oline Gjesdal in Bergen
http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...Died Jan 12. 1917 as the flu epidemic that accompanied WW1 was raging ????
4282 149 Gjesdal Oline Jan 12 1917
Good luck with all of this searching,
Taryn From Minnesota