Giljarhus Lineage

Gilderhus Lineage

This first section contains the early chronology of the family beginning with Mikkel Tvilde, 1563-1614 to Sjur Giljarhus, born 1762. The second section is a partial genealogy tracing the children of Sjur and Marta.

The lineage of the Gilderhus family can be traced back to 1563. Before this time there were no written records. But a pastor, Henrik Miltzow, was appointed to Voss, and later became a bishop. He saw the necessity of keeping records of his parishioners, so from his day down to the present it has been possible to trace the lineage of the families of Voss.

In 1563 we find a man by the name of Mikkel Tvilde living on the Tvilde farm. One of his daughters married Viking Bryngelson. One of their sons, Steffa, had a son named Viking who married a girl from Hardanger. They had a son named Sjur who married Guri Vika. Sjur moved to the Vika farm and took that name. They had a daughter Anna who married Andres Kvale. He traded his farm for the Gilderhus farm and took that name. Their son, Sjur, married Marta Vika -- and this is where our story begins.

Mikkel Tvilde, 1563-1614

daughter/Halbjörg married Viking Bryngelsen

son/Steffa

son/Viking

son/Sjur married Guri Vika

daughter/Anna married Andres Kvale (1744 bought the Gilderhus farm)

son/Sjur (born 1762) married Marta Vika

The Family of Sjur and Marta

The following is an informal and partial genealogy tracing the children of Sjur and Marta. It is hoped that future historians of the Gilderhus Lag may complete this genealogy and add other interesting items.

On a gently sloping hillside overlooking a beautiful lake in Voss, Norway, lies a farm by the name of Giljarhus. This name actually means "a house near a ravine or gulch". Down through the years the spelling became changed to Gilderhus. This was due to the Danish influence. Norway was under the rule of Denmark for several hundred years.

During the early and middle 1800's, this farm was owned by Sjur Giljarhus and his wife, Marta Larsdatter Vika. They had six children -- their names in order of age were: Andres, Anna, Lars, Gunvor, Nils, and Ola.

I. Andres was born in 1798. He married Jorun Davidson Mölster, and immigrated to America in 1843 after selling the Giljarhus farm. Andres and his wife had four chilren; Marta, Jorun, Brita, and Ann.

• 1. Marta married Gulleik Bergslien and became the mother of Nils and Julia. Nils became Mabel Johnson's father, and Julia had three children -- Arthur, Margaret and Christine.

  2. Jorun married Clas Bergo and moved to Nebraska.

  3. Brita was unmarried.

  4. Anna married a Mr. Scott and lived in Chicago and Colorado. Her daughter, May Scott Christensen, kept in touch with the relatives until her death and her daughter, Mrs. Laura Cragmile, Palo Alto, California, still does.

II. Anna was born in 1800. In 1838 she was married to Knut Larson Brekke, a widower, and immigrated to Koshkonong in 1843. Her husband died shortly after and she later married Ola Magnuson Satre. They had two children, Ingebor and Marta. The former married a Rev. Juve and lived in Tennessee most of her life. Marta was married to Mr. Johnson, a well-known chair manufacturer in Chicago.

III. Lars was born in 1802. Was married in 1844 to Ranveig Knudsdatter Seim. Emigrated in 1850. He bought a farm in Cottage Grove Township but moved to Minnesota quite early and settled in Dodge County. Their children were Marta, Christens, Anna and Sever.

• 1. Marta was married to a Tverberg, and became the mother of Mrs. Tully.

  2. Christens became Mrs. Knut Lee, and had a large family, Dora being the oldest, and Minnie the youngest. Minnie's son Rev. Holtan, is a Lutheran pastor.

  3. Anna married Erik Lee, a brother of Knut.

  4. Sever and his wife, Johanna, had four son: Leon, Manfred, Walter and (unknown). Leon makes his home with his widowed mother in Kasson, Minnesota. A grandson, Grant, is a Sacred Arts designer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

IV. Gunvor was born in 1805. In 1838 she married Andres Nilson Lie. They emigrated in 1841. Their children were Marta, Nils, Sever, and Andres.

• 1. Marta was married to Helge Lie, but died young leaving two small children, Mary and Andrew. Their father remarried and moved to Britt, Iowa.

  2. Nils married Mari Reque and they had three children, Sever, Julia and Peter.

  3. Sever moved to North Dakota and had a large family of whom there are only two left, Andrew and Nels. Sever was a veteran of the Civil War and was imprisoned in the infamous Andersonville.

  4. Andres was married twice. His first wife was his cousin Gunhild, a daughter Nils. She left three children.

V. Nils was born in 1808. He emigrated in 1839 and first went to the Fox River Valley settlement in Illinois, then to Wisconsin where he bought land in Deerfield township on what later became the Forger Thompson farm. He became the first settler in the town of Deerfield. He married in 1843, sold his farm the same year and moved to what is now the Irwin J. Christianson farm. In 1856 he moved to Dodge County, Minnesota and in 1881 to Nelson County, North Dakota. His family was large with nine children -- Marta, Sever, Gunhild, Fostein, Betsy, Andreas, Anna, Gjirtrud, and Lauritz.

• 1. Marta became Mrs. Quale -- Mable Larson's grandmother.

  2. Sever married late but had a large family several of whom moved to White Snow, Washington.

  3. Gunhild married her cousin, Andres Lie.

  4. Fostein married twice. In his last marriage he had two daughters, Nellie, now deceased and Ruby, Mrs. Vaught.

  5. Betsy became Mrs. Forde.

  6. Andreas lived in Aneta. All of the aforementioned lived in North Dakota.

  7. Anna lived in Minneapolis and died young.

  8. Gjirtrud became Mrs. Lenvik and lived in Minneapolis. She had two sons, Henry and Norman, both now deceased.

  9. Lauritz remained on the family farm in Minnesota. He had four sons, Nordeen, Reuben, Donald and Tom. The latter died in a farm accident.

VI. Ola was married to Eli Nilsdatter Bergslien. Their children were Marta, Sever, Eli, Nils, Andres, Gulleik and Ole.

• 1. Marta was married to Lars Christopher after having been a teacher for many years.

  2. Sever married Ingeborg Fjeld and had three children, Ella, Odolph, and Alvin.

  3. Eli was married to Ole Gunderson and had three children, Clara, Olin and Ella.

  4. Nils married Tena Berge and had one daughter, Elle, mother of Edwin and *Stella Tonetta Jerdee.

  5. Andres was married to Kari Strommen and had three children, Tilla, Nellie and Oscar, all deceased.

  6. Gulleik remained single.

  7. Ole married Belle Vik and had one daughter, Esther.

*Amended April 4, 2001 by John Haney, Portland, Oregon.