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Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 4 Sep 2012 3:39PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hmmmm, not sure then. I know my Lian relatives real name in Norway was renhowe. They changed to Lian in America because thorvald married into Martin Lian's family. He married Martin Lian's daughter olava. Maybe they are related to you down the line??

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 4 Sep 2012 4:06PM GMT
Classification: Query
This gets complicated doesn't it. A friend of mine for years just told me her father was a Lian but from central Norway. My grandmother was from most southern Norway.

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 4 Sep 2012 4:16PM GMT
Classification: Query
Wow!! Yes, very complicated Ha Ha. I know there is a "Lian Lake" in Norway somewhere. Maybe some of your relatives are from that area?

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 4 Sep 2012 4:35PM GMT
Classification: Query
I went on Google Earth and the "Lian Lake" is not far from where they came from. I wish there were more relatives alive to answer some questions.

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 4 Sep 2012 4:40PM GMT
Classification: Query
Oh wow! Cool! Well maybe that will turn out to be a good lead for you.

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 7 Sep 2012 7:19PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Lian, Olausen
Hello all:
In the 1865 census of Ramnes, Norway (now called RE, SW of Olso), the Olaus Syversen family consisted of his wife Elen Marie Mathisdatter (d. 1870) and six kids born in either Ramnes or Botne: Anders Christian Olausen (b: 1851); Ole Olausen (b:1854); Syvert Olausen and twin sister Ollette Emilie Olausdatter (b: 1858); Thorvald olausen (b: 1861); Elise Olausdatter (b: 1864). Thorvald wrote in a bio in 1903 that he was one of 10 siblings. I found in Ramnes parish records another girl: Stine (b: 1867). This still leaves 3 kids missing, but the records list only live births.

When Martin M. Lian and his family (wife Ingeborg and daughter Olava) came to the U.S. in 1884, he was part of a party of 8, including Ole Lian (30), his wife Anna (26) and their two girls (Elen 4.5 and Helza 3). This could be Thorvald's older brother and the age is right, but my early research hasn't found him or this family in later census records. There is an Ole Renhowe in Wisconsin that I found in the 1900 census, but I have no proof that he's the or same man and his wife's (Ella) maiden name is not Renhowe.

I did find a 1884 church confirmation record of Olava and it names her father as Martin Mathisen living on the LIAN farm. One family member mentioned that Olava and Thorvald were cousins and the name "Mathisen" appears in some of the other birth records. An article on Norwegian naming practices says that a lot of immigrants used their "farm" names for surnames, resulting in siblings ending up with different last names.

I'm trying to make sense of all of this. If you have further questions or comments, contact me.

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 7 Sep 2012 7:44PM GMT
Classification: Query
Wow! Lots of info to digest.

Re: Ole Olausen Lian born abt 1860 in Norway

Posted: 7 Sep 2012 7:44PM GMT
Classification: Query
Wow! Lots of info to digest.
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