This map shows Minnesota and the Dakota Territory in 1862. Just a few years later, in 1866 and 1867, my Boe and Halvorson-Otterholt ancestors left Norway and settled in Dodge County, Minnesota.
Showing posts with label North Dakota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Dakota. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2016
Mappy Monday: Johnson's Minnesota and Dakota, 1862
This map shows Minnesota and the Dakota Territory in 1862. Just a few years later, in 1866 and 1867, my Boe and Halvorson-Otterholt ancestors left Norway and settled in Dodge County, Minnesota.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Tuesday's Tip: They May Have Moved
Many families were enumerated in the same location in two or more consecutive U.S. federal censuses. However, they may not have lived in that location for the entire time between census enumerations. People sometimes moved away, and then moved back. Even if you check city directories, if you skip some years, you could miss a move.
At the time of the 1910 U.S. census enumeration, my 2nd-great-grandfather's brother Clarence Bateman Gatlin and his family lived at 4801 Alabama Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee.
1910 United States census, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, Ward 25, population schedule, enumeration district 82, sheet no. 7A. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
By November 1910, the family had moved to New Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama. Clarence's son Clarence J. Gatlin died there on 14 November 1910.
Clarence J. Gatlin death record. Center for Health Statistics, Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery, Alabama.
The 1911 Nashville City Directory mentions Clarence's move.
Nashville City Directory 1911. New York: Marshall-Bruce-Polk, 1911. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
By 1912, Clarence and his family had returned to Nashville. They lived at the same address as they had before the move, 4801 Alabama Avenue. Perhaps they rented the house while they were away, or perhaps Clarence's father William Dow Gatlin, who lived with the family in 1910, had remained there. (He died in Nashville on 4 March 1911.)
Nashville City Directory 1912. New York: Marshall-Bruce-Polk, 1912. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
My great-grandfather John Boe and his family went back and forth between St. Louis, Missouri and Williston, Williams County, North Dakota. On 28 April 1908, my grandfather John Boe was born in St. Louis. The 1908 St. Louis City Directory lists the Boe family.
Gould's St. Louis City Directory 1908, page 220. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
The next child, Florence Kathleen Boe, was born on 22 November 1909 in Williston. The Boe family was in St. Louis at the time of the 1910 U.S. census enumeration.
1910 United States census, St. Louis, Missouri, Ward 22, population schedule, enumeration district 340, sheet no. 2A.
John Boe was also listed in the 1910 St. Louis city directory.
Gould's St. Louis Directory for 1910, page 304. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
John was listed in the Williston City Directory in 1911.
Williston City Directory, 1911-1912. Williston, ND: North Dakota Directory Co., page 31. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
In 1913, he was listed in the St. Louis directory.
Gould's St. Louis Directory for 1910, page 356. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
On 9 February 1914, John's daughter Theodora Catherine was born in Williston. The Boe family had returned to St. Louis by 29 July 1916, when John's daughter Geraldine Edith was born. This was the last of the moves back and forth.
At the time of the 1910 U.S. census enumeration, my 2nd-great-grandfather's brother Clarence Bateman Gatlin and his family lived at 4801 Alabama Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee.
By November 1910, the family had moved to New Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama. Clarence's son Clarence J. Gatlin died there on 14 November 1910.
The 1911 Nashville City Directory mentions Clarence's move.
By 1912, Clarence and his family had returned to Nashville. They lived at the same address as they had before the move, 4801 Alabama Avenue. Perhaps they rented the house while they were away, or perhaps Clarence's father William Dow Gatlin, who lived with the family in 1910, had remained there. (He died in Nashville on 4 March 1911.)
My great-grandfather John Boe and his family went back and forth between St. Louis, Missouri and Williston, Williams County, North Dakota. On 28 April 1908, my grandfather John Boe was born in St. Louis. The 1908 St. Louis City Directory lists the Boe family.
The next child, Florence Kathleen Boe, was born on 22 November 1909 in Williston. The Boe family was in St. Louis at the time of the 1910 U.S. census enumeration.
John Boe was also listed in the 1910 St. Louis city directory.
John was listed in the Williston City Directory in 1911.
In 1913, he was listed in the St. Louis directory.
On 9 February 1914, John's daughter Theodora Catherine was born in Williston. The Boe family had returned to St. Louis by 29 July 1916, when John's daughter Geraldine Edith was born. This was the last of the moves back and forth.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Sibling Saturday: New Machinery Firm - Boe Brothers
Williston Graphic, 10 February 1910, page 6
My great-grandfather John Boe and his brothers Hans Adolph Boe and Theodore Jorgen Boe started the farm machinery company Boe Brothers in 1910. The company was based in Williston, North Dakota.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Statehood Day, North Dakota and South Dakota
On 2 November 1889, North Dakota and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states to be admitted to the union.
Members of the Boe family (ancestors and collateral relatives) lived in North Dakota, some for longer than others. My maternal grandfather lived in Williston, Williams County, North Dakota for a few years when he was a boy.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Sports Center Saturday: Alpha Boe
My first cousin twice removed Alpha Boe played basketball in high school. In 1917, she was one of the students appointed to represent the Williston High School juniors in the field day contests. She was on the following teams: Basket Ball Pass for Girls, Goal Throw, and Girls' Basket Ball.
In 1919, the Williston, North Dakota newspaper Williston Graphic reported on the Williston High School girls' basketball team against the Stanley, North Dakota girls' basketball team, which was the strongest team in the region. Although the Williston team lost, they played a good game. Alpha and some of her teammates were going to travel to Stanley to play another game against the Stanley team.
Williston Graphic, 4 October 1917, page 2
In 1919, the Williston, North Dakota newspaper Williston Graphic reported on the Williston High School girls' basketball team against the Stanley, North Dakota girls' basketball team, which was the strongest team in the region. Although the Williston team lost, they played a good game. Alpha and some of her teammates were going to travel to Stanley to play another game against the Stanley team.
Williston Graphic, 20 March 1919, page 1
Monday, September 7, 2015
52 Ancestors: Week 36 "Working for a Living": John Boe
When my great-grandfather John Boe was 19 years old, he worked as a farmer on his parents' farm.
1895 Minnesota state census, Swift County, population schedule, West Bank township, page 1. Ancestry.com. Minnesota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.Original data: Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905. St. Paul, MN, USA: Minnesota Historical Society, 1977. Microfilm. Reels 1-47 and 107-164.
By 1900, John was working as a salesman. He may have changed occupations at the time of his first marriage (to Signe Olson, on 21 March 1897). He remained in Swift County, Minnesota until at least 1901, but by 1904, he was living in Mason City, Cerro Gordo, Iowa, where he worked as a traveling agent.
R. L. Polk & Co.'s Mason City Directory 1904. Mason City, Iowa: R. L. Polk & Co. Page 51. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
By 1908, John's first marriage had ended and he had married my great-grandmother Kathleen Graham. They lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked for Weber Implement Company.
Gould's St. Louis City Directory 1908. Page 220. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
In 1910, John and his brothers Hans Adolph and Theodore formed the Boe Brothers farm machinery company. John was president of the company.
Williston City Directory 1911-1912. Williston, ND: North Dakota Directory Co., 1911. Page 31. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
In 1913, Hans Adolph Boe relocated to Alexander, McKenzie County, North Dakota, where he worked in the implement business. That same year, Theodore Boe relocated to Arnegard, McKenzie County, North Dakota and opened a farm machinery business there. John remained in Williston, and changed the company name to the John Boe Machinery Co.
In March 1915, John and his family moved back to St. Louis, Missouri, and John rejoined Weber Implement Co. By October 1915, he was working for Mitchell-Lewis Motor Co. In February 1918, John became president of the Mitchell Automobile Corporation of Missouri, which changed its name to the St. Louis Motor Car Company in late 1918.
In the late 1920s, the company failed, and the Boe family moved to Sarasota, Florida for a year. They then returned to St. Louis. John worked as a factory representative for Marmon Car Co. and for Buick; he was the zone sales manager and covered several northwestern states.
John left his family in 1929, probably because Anna Mae Gamble was pregnant with their daughter Jane (who was born that year in Minneapolis, Minnesota). They were living in Minneapolis in 1930, supposedly married (they actually married on 22 August 1934 in St. Joseph County, Indiana). John worked as a salesman in the farm machinery industry.
1930 United States Census, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, Ward 7, population schedule, enumeration district 27-129, sheet no. 54A. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
By 1938, John and his third family had moved to Algona, Kossuth County, Iowa. John managed the Buick dealership there.
By 1940, John's third wife and their daughter were living in Beverly Hills, California. John was in Minnesota. He had been unable to find a job in the automobile business. On 1 April 1940, he started a new job selling living protection. He worked on commission.
John had left Minnesota and gone to California by 27 June 1940, when he died in Norwalk State Hospital in Norwalk, Los Angeles County, California.
By 1900, John was working as a salesman. He may have changed occupations at the time of his first marriage (to Signe Olson, on 21 March 1897). He remained in Swift County, Minnesota until at least 1901, but by 1904, he was living in Mason City, Cerro Gordo, Iowa, where he worked as a traveling agent.
By 1908, John's first marriage had ended and he had married my great-grandmother Kathleen Graham. They lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked for Weber Implement Company.
In 1910, John and his brothers Hans Adolph and Theodore formed the Boe Brothers farm machinery company. John was president of the company.
Williston Graphic, 30 June 1910, page 10
Williston Graphic, 26 January 1911, page 3
In 1913, Hans Adolph Boe relocated to Alexander, McKenzie County, North Dakota, where he worked in the implement business. That same year, Theodore Boe relocated to Arnegard, McKenzie County, North Dakota and opened a farm machinery business there. John remained in Williston, and changed the company name to the John Boe Machinery Co.
Williston Graphic, 13 March 1913, page 6
Williston Graphic, 5 June 1913, page 4
In March 1915, John and his family moved back to St. Louis, Missouri, and John rejoined Weber Implement Co. By October 1915, he was working for Mitchell-Lewis Motor Co. In February 1918, John became president of the Mitchell Automobile Corporation of Missouri, which changed its name to the St. Louis Motor Car Company in late 1918.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 December 1918, page 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 22 June 1919, page 10
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 28 December 1919, page 8
In the late 1920s, the company failed, and the Boe family moved to Sarasota, Florida for a year. They then returned to St. Louis. John worked as a factory representative for Marmon Car Co. and for Buick; he was the zone sales manager and covered several northwestern states.
John left his family in 1929, probably because Anna Mae Gamble was pregnant with their daughter Jane (who was born that year in Minneapolis, Minnesota). They were living in Minneapolis in 1930, supposedly married (they actually married on 22 August 1934 in St. Joseph County, Indiana). John worked as a salesman in the farm machinery industry.
By 1938, John and his third family had moved to Algona, Kossuth County, Iowa. John managed the Buick dealership there.
Algona Upper Des Moines, 10 May 1938, page 5
By 1940, John's third wife and their daughter were living in Beverly Hills, California. John was in Minnesota. He had been unable to find a job in the automobile business. On 1 April 1940, he started a new job selling living protection. He worked on commission.
Letter from John Boe to his daughter-in-law Margaret Boe, 29 April 1940
John had left Minnesota and gone to California by 27 June 1940, when he died in Norwalk State Hospital in Norwalk, Los Angeles County, California.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Black Sheep Sunday and Census Sunday: Boe Brothers in Jail
In 1930, my 2nd-great-grandfather's brother Gregar or (Gregger) Boe and his family were enumerated in Williston. Williams County, North Dakota. The households of his two married sons were enumerated below his household.
1930 United States Census, Williston, Williams County, North Dakota, population schedule, enumeration district 53-64, sheet no. 9B. Available from Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
Close up view of names in the above image:
His sons George and Ingmar were enumerated twice in the 1930 United States Census. The second enumeration was in the Williams County Jail!
1930 United States Census, Williston, Williams County, North Dakota, population schedule, enumeration district 53-63, sheet no. 12A. Available from Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
Close up view of names in the above image:
Ingmar Boe's wife, Louise Ann Decouteau, was a member of the Ojibwe Native American tribe. The 1937 Indian Census of the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation shows that Ingmar was in the penitentiary.
Census of the Turtle Mountain reservation of the Turtle Mountain jurisdiction, North Dakota. 1 January 1937. Page 71. Ancestry.com. U.S., Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Original data:
Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940;
(National Archives Microfilm Publication M595, 692 rolls); Records of
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Record Group 75; National Archives,
Washington, D.C.
Although the Indian census roll indicated that Ingmar would be in the penitentiary until 1940, he had been released by 5 November 1938, when he married Pearl (Peterson) Gardner in Sidney, Richland County, Montana.
Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950, database with images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F37L-PSC), Ingmar Boe and Pearl Gardner, 5 Nov 1938; citing Marriage,
Sidney, Richland, Montana, county courthouses, Montana; FHL microfilm
1,905,316.
I have not yet learned why George and Ingmar were incarcerated.
Close up view of names in the above image:
His sons George and Ingmar were enumerated twice in the 1930 United States Census. The second enumeration was in the Williams County Jail!
Close up view of names in the above image:
Ingmar Boe's wife, Louise Ann Decouteau, was a member of the Ojibwe Native American tribe. The 1937 Indian Census of the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation shows that Ingmar was in the penitentiary.
Although the Indian census roll indicated that Ingmar would be in the penitentiary until 1940, he had been released by 5 November 1938, when he married Pearl (Peterson) Gardner in Sidney, Richland County, Montana.
I have not yet learned why George and Ingmar were incarcerated.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
52 Ancestors: Week 19 "There's a Way": Theodore Jorgen Boe
Theodore Jorgen "Ted" Boe was born in Hagen, Chippewa County, Minnesota on 16 July 1883. He was the son of my great-great-grandparents Jorgen Jorgensen Boe and Aaste Halvorsdatter Otterholt. The family lived in Lac qui Parle, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota in 1885. By 1895, the family was living in West Bank, Swift County, Minnesota. In 1908, he moved to Williston, Williams, North Dakota. He worked with his brothers John (my great-grandfather) and Hans Adolph "Duff" in their farm machinery business, Boe Brothers. On 19 September 1912, he married Anna Marie Braaten. They had three children: Arlene Hildred (born 4 May 1913), Theodore (born 24 April 1915), and Marjorie (born
20 January 1918).
In 1913, Theodore opened a farm machinery and implements business in Arnegard, McKenzie County, North Dakota.
On 20 August 1915, Theodore, Robert Byrne, and Bert Jenner filed for a charter for the Farmers Telephone Company of Arnegard.
In 1918, Theodore was living in Watford City, McKenzie County, North Dakota. He was an implement dealer and a farmer.
World War I draft registration card, Theodore J. Boe. United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
In 1920, Theodore was living in Rugby, Pierce County, North Dakota. According to the 1920 United States census, he was a traveling salesman. He was probably selling farm implements. By 1925, he and his family had moved back to Arnegard.
In 1931, Theodore and his family moved to Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota. Theodore worked for J. I. Case Co.
Polk's Fargo (North Dakota) and Moorhead (Minnesota) City Directory 1932. Including West Fargo. St. Paul, MN: R. L. Polk & Co. Page 131. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Two years later, he and his family moved back to Arnegard, where he worked as a farmer. He was elected McKenzie County Treasurer in 1948. A county treasurer was only allowed to serve two consecutive two-year terms. However, Theodore found a way around that restriction! He was influential in getting legislation passed which eliminated this law. He served as County Treasurer until 1959. When he retired, the North Dakota County Treasurer's Association (which he had helped to create) gave him an Honorary Member Award.
In August 1967, Theodore and his wife Marie moved to the Good Shepherd Home in Watford City. He died in Watford City on 25 November 1967. He was buried in Schafer Cemetery in Watford City.
References
Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt: Shared Roots in Telemark. Compiled by Melvin and Alpha M. (Boe) Brodshaug, 1984. Published by Arlene (Boe) Christensen and Marjorie (Boe) Bergee. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa.
In 1913, Theodore opened a farm machinery and implements business in Arnegard, McKenzie County, North Dakota.
Williston Graphic, 10 July 1913, page 1. Available from Chronicling America.
Farm Implements, vol. 27 no. 6- (31 July 1913), page 54. Available from Google Books.
Harness, vol. 27 no. 6 (August 1913), page 147. Available from Google Books.
On 20 August 1915, Theodore, Robert Byrne, and Bert Jenner filed for a charter for the Farmers Telephone Company of Arnegard.
Bismarck Daily Tribune, 18 September 1915, page 4
In 1918, Theodore was living in Watford City, McKenzie County, North Dakota. He was an implement dealer and a farmer.
In 1920, Theodore was living in Rugby, Pierce County, North Dakota. According to the 1920 United States census, he was a traveling salesman. He was probably selling farm implements. By 1925, he and his family had moved back to Arnegard.
In 1931, Theodore and his family moved to Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota. Theodore worked for J. I. Case Co.
Two years later, he and his family moved back to Arnegard, where he worked as a farmer. He was elected McKenzie County Treasurer in 1948. A county treasurer was only allowed to serve two consecutive two-year terms. However, Theodore found a way around that restriction! He was influential in getting legislation passed which eliminated this law. He served as County Treasurer until 1959. When he retired, the North Dakota County Treasurer's Association (which he had helped to create) gave him an Honorary Member Award.
In August 1967, Theodore and his wife Marie moved to the Good Shepherd Home in Watford City. He died in Watford City on 25 November 1967. He was buried in Schafer Cemetery in Watford City.
References
Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt: Shared Roots in Telemark. Compiled by Melvin and Alpha M. (Boe) Brodshaug, 1984. Published by Arlene (Boe) Christensen and Marjorie (Boe) Bergee. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
52 Ancestors: Week 12 "Same": Alpha Madeline Boe
At first I was not sure which relative I wanted to feature for 52 Ancestors Week 12, "Same." But then I read Schalene Dagutis Jennings' Week 12 post about her relative who wrote a book on one of her ancestors and his descendants. I have a relative who did the same thing: Alpha Madeline Boe, my maternal grandfather's first cousin.
Alpha Madeline Boe was born on 12 November 1901 in Swift County, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Hans Adolph Boe (the brother of my great-grandfather John Boe) and Unni (or Eunice) Severina Saterlie. In 1905, she and her family lived on the Saterlie farm in Milan, Chippewa County, Minnesota. The family then moved to Williston, Williams County, North Dakota. In 1915, the family moved to Arnegard, McKenzie County, North Dakota. Alpha attended high school in Williston; she graduated from Williston High School in 1919. Alpha was enumerated twice in the 1920 United States census: once with her parents and siblings in St. Louis, Missouri, and once in Arnegard, as a boarder in the home of Walter and Josephine Robb. In both censuses, she was listed as a school teacher. She and her father were both listed in the 1920 Little Rock, Arkansas city directory as well. She taught intermediate grades for three years in Arnegard. She also taught in Montana.
She married Melvin Brodshaug in Arnegard on 27 December 1927. In 1928, the couple moved to New York City, where Melvin studied at Columbia University and received his Ph.D. Alpha worked at B. Altman and Co. and taught at Altman Continuation School. She and Melvin had two daughters.
Melvin worked for Erpi Classroom Films, which became Encyclopedia Britannica Films. Erpi moved from New York to Wilmette, Illinois in 1945. Alpha was on the Board of Deaconesses of the Congregational Church in Wilmette.
The family moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1954, when Melvin became the Dean of the School of Public Relations, Boston University. Alpha was on the Council of the Old South Church. She did volunteer work at Boston City Hospital as a member of the Rotary Anns. She was a member of the Boston University Women's Council. She was a board member of the Boston University Women's Guild.
The Brodshaugs moved to Virginia for five years in the mid-1960s, after Melvin retired and became a communications consultant for Norfolk State College. They then moved back to Massachusetts and lived in Harwich Port, Barnstable County, on Cape Cod. Alpha and Melvin went into the production of educational sound filmstrips. Alpha belonged to the Pilgrim Service League of the Congregational Church in Harwich Port.
In 1973, Alpha and Melvin traveled to Bø, Telemark, Norway, where her (and my grandfather's) paternal grandparents had been born. They met with the local genealogist, Johannes Saga. They traveled to Bø again in 1976, along with one of their daughters and three of their grandchildren. They visited the house where her (and my grandfather's) grandfather and his ancestors had been born. They also visited the Otterholt house, where her (and my grandfather's) grandmother had lived.
Alpha and Melvin compiled the book Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt; Shared Roots in Telemark, which was published in 1984. The book contained information about the ancestral families of her (and my grandfather's) paternal grandparents, Jorgen Boe and Aaste Halvorsdatter Otterholt, and also covered their descendants. Alpha and Melvin contacted family members and requested information. I remember providing information about myself for the book. I was in high school at the time. Although I did not start researching my family history until later, when my family received our copy of the book, I read it and was fascinated.
Keiter Directory Co.'s Williston City and Williams County, North Dakota Directory, 1918-1919. Norfolk, Nebraska: Keiter Directory Co. Available from
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Alpha was living apart from the rest of her family while she attended high school.
References
Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt; Shared Roots in Telemark. Compiled by Melvin and Alpha M. (Boe) Brodshaug, 1984. Published by Arlene (Boe) Christensen and Marjorie (Boe) Bergee. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa.
Rural Cass County: The Land and People. West Fargo, ND: Cass County Historical Society, 1976.
Alpha Madeline Boe was born on 12 November 1901 in Swift County, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Hans Adolph Boe (the brother of my great-grandfather John Boe) and Unni (or Eunice) Severina Saterlie. In 1905, she and her family lived on the Saterlie farm in Milan, Chippewa County, Minnesota. The family then moved to Williston, Williams County, North Dakota. In 1915, the family moved to Arnegard, McKenzie County, North Dakota. Alpha attended high school in Williston; she graduated from Williston High School in 1919. Alpha was enumerated twice in the 1920 United States census: once with her parents and siblings in St. Louis, Missouri, and once in Arnegard, as a boarder in the home of Walter and Josephine Robb. In both censuses, she was listed as a school teacher. She and her father were both listed in the 1920 Little Rock, Arkansas city directory as well. She taught intermediate grades for three years in Arnegard. She also taught in Montana.
She married Melvin Brodshaug in Arnegard on 27 December 1927. In 1928, the couple moved to New York City, where Melvin studied at Columbia University and received his Ph.D. Alpha worked at B. Altman and Co. and taught at Altman Continuation School. She and Melvin had two daughters.
Melvin worked for Erpi Classroom Films, which became Encyclopedia Britannica Films. Erpi moved from New York to Wilmette, Illinois in 1945. Alpha was on the Board of Deaconesses of the Congregational Church in Wilmette.
The family moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1954, when Melvin became the Dean of the School of Public Relations, Boston University. Alpha was on the Council of the Old South Church. She did volunteer work at Boston City Hospital as a member of the Rotary Anns. She was a member of the Boston University Women's Council. She was a board member of the Boston University Women's Guild.
The Brodshaugs moved to Virginia for five years in the mid-1960s, after Melvin retired and became a communications consultant for Norfolk State College. They then moved back to Massachusetts and lived in Harwich Port, Barnstable County, on Cape Cod. Alpha and Melvin went into the production of educational sound filmstrips. Alpha belonged to the Pilgrim Service League of the Congregational Church in Harwich Port.
In 1973, Alpha and Melvin traveled to Bø, Telemark, Norway, where her (and my grandfather's) paternal grandparents had been born. They met with the local genealogist, Johannes Saga. They traveled to Bø again in 1976, along with one of their daughters and three of their grandchildren. They visited the house where her (and my grandfather's) grandfather and his ancestors had been born. They also visited the Otterholt house, where her (and my grandfather's) grandmother had lived.
Alpha and Melvin compiled the book Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt; Shared Roots in Telemark, which was published in 1984. The book contained information about the ancestral families of her (and my grandfather's) paternal grandparents, Jorgen Boe and Aaste Halvorsdatter Otterholt, and also covered their descendants. Alpha and Melvin contacted family members and requested information. I remember providing information about myself for the book. I was in high school at the time. Although I did not start researching my family history until later, when my family received our copy of the book, I read it and was fascinated.
Alpha and Melvin compiled another book on her mother's side of the family: Saterlie – Fedje: Common Roots in Sogn. It was published in 1986. Melvin also published additional works on his family.
Alpha died on 4 December 1997. Her husband Melvin had died nine years earlier, on 18 May 1988.
In the acknowledgements at the beginning of Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt; Shared Roots in Telemark,
Melvin and Alpha wrote "Hopefully, some one will pick up the challenge
and extend this genealogy both in breadth and depth." I think they would
be pleased that I have continued to research the family.
References
Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt; Shared Roots in Telemark. Compiled by Melvin and Alpha M. (Boe) Brodshaug, 1984. Published by Arlene (Boe) Christensen and Marjorie (Boe) Bergee. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa.
Rural Cass County: The Land and People. West Fargo, ND: Cass County Historical Society, 1976.
Friday, November 14, 2014
52 Ancestors: #46 Kathleen Graham
My great-grandmother Kathleen Graham was born on 31 October 1879. She was the daughter of James Graham and Catherine Elizabeth Winters. Her birth name may have been Catherine; earlier records list her by that name. She was either born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, or was born in Chicago, Illinois and came to Montreal as a baby. I think that Montreal is the more likely birthplace; her mother's father John Bennet Winters was living in Montreal at the time of her birth.
After 1883, Kathleen's father James Graham either died or left his family. Kathleen's mother Elizabeth claimed to be a widow, but the family story is that James Graham had been a Catholic priest and had returned to the priesthood. I have not yet confirmed the family story, but because of it, I think that James may have left his family, even if he did not leave for the priesthood.
On 20 November 1885, Kathleen's mother Elizabeth married James Mapplebeck. Kathleen and her younger brother Garfield took his surname. They may not have been legally adopted by him, but Kathleen thought of James Mapplebeck as her father. He was the man that raised her.
Between 1891 and 1892, sometime after the 1891 Census of Canada, the Mapplebeck family moved to Alton, Madison County, Illinois. James Mapplebeck was a glassblower, and the Illinois Glass Company was located in Alton. James Mapplebeck had left the family by 1898; he went to California. Kathleen had lost another father.
On 9 August 1901, Kathleen gave birth to a daughter, Vivian. Vivian's father was Samuel R. Bowen Samuel had worked at the glass company, and then had gone to Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York for the summer, while Kathleen was pregnant. Kathleen had him arrested, and he was brought back to Alton, Illinois. A young widow, Lulu (Fox) Masterson, came back with him. Although she had only known him for two months, she paid his bail. They returned to New York while Samuel was out on bail, and he married her on 22 July 1901. In October 1901, he returned to Alton, accompanied by his wife and stepson. Kathleen had him jailed for illegitimate parentage, but he was released on a writ of habeas corpus. He was to be tried on another charge, but I have not yet found any additional information on him. Kathleen showed remarkable strength, especially for her time. Many women would not have had the courage to stand up for themselves the way that she did.
Kathleen was known as Mrs. K. G. Walker, and her daughter was Vivian Walker. I suspect that she adopted this name to pass as a widow because of the stigma of illegitimacy. Walker was her mother's mother's maiden name.
Kathleen moved to St. Louis. At the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (where, according to my mother's first cousin Marie, she got paid for talking), she met John Boe. He was already married, but by the time their son John (my maternal grandfather) was born on 28 April 1908, he and his wife had separated and he and Kathleen had married. They moved to Williston, Williams County, North Dakota, and their daughter Florence was born there on 22 November 1909. In the 1910 United States census, the family was enumerated in Kathleen's mother's household in St. Louis. They were in Williston, North Dakota in 1901. Their son James Jorgen was born on 27 September 1911, and their daughter Theodora Catherine was born on 9 February 1914. The family moved back to St. Louis in March 1915, and their daughter Geraldine Edith was born in St. Louis on 29 July 1916.
Kathleen's husband John was president of the St. Louis Motor Car Company. The company failed in the late 1920s, and the family moved to Sarasota, Florida for a year. They then returned to St. Louis. In 1929, John left Kathleen; he had a daughter with a much younger woman, who he later married.
Kathleen worked for Pevely Dairy. According to her 1930 United States census enumeration, she was educational director. She filed a patent for a design for a scorecard on 4 April 1927, and the patent was granted on 16 October 1928. The design included milk bottles; she probably created it while working for Pevely Dairy. According to my mother, Kathleen was responsible for the introduction of milk into the St. Louis public schools. Free milk programs were established in the St. Louis Public Schools; these are probably the programs she was involved with. By 1936, she was working for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Kathleen was a member of Eastern Star. She attended the Presbyterian Church.
When she was older, Kathleen lived with her children. According to the "Flag of the Day" article in the 30 August 1966 issue of the Chicago Tribune, a flag was flown every day at the home of her son-in-law William A. Paley (husband of her daughter Geraldine) in Wilmette, Illinois, and Kathleen took the flag down at sunset.
Kathleen died in Brentwood, Missouri on 17 November 1967. She was cremated, and her ashes are interred at Hillcrest Abbey Crematory and Mausoleum.
1881 Census of Canada. Hochelaga Village, Hochelaga, Quebec. Ancestry.com; reproduced by courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada. (James Graham is enumerated on the previous page.)
W. H. McCoy's Alton City Directory, Including the Towns of Upper Alton, North Alton and East Alton. 1901-1902. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Boe, Kathleen. Design for a Score
Card.Patent USD76601. Application filed 4 April 1927. Patented 16
October 1928. Available from http://www.google.com/patents/USD76601.
After 1883, Kathleen's father James Graham either died or left his family. Kathleen's mother Elizabeth claimed to be a widow, but the family story is that James Graham had been a Catholic priest and had returned to the priesthood. I have not yet confirmed the family story, but because of it, I think that James may have left his family, even if he did not leave for the priesthood.
On 20 November 1885, Kathleen's mother Elizabeth married James Mapplebeck. Kathleen and her younger brother Garfield took his surname. They may not have been legally adopted by him, but Kathleen thought of James Mapplebeck as her father. He was the man that raised her.
Between 1891 and 1892, sometime after the 1891 Census of Canada, the Mapplebeck family moved to Alton, Madison County, Illinois. James Mapplebeck was a glassblower, and the Illinois Glass Company was located in Alton. James Mapplebeck had left the family by 1898; he went to California. Kathleen had lost another father.
On 9 August 1901, Kathleen gave birth to a daughter, Vivian. Vivian's father was Samuel R. Bowen Samuel had worked at the glass company, and then had gone to Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York for the summer, while Kathleen was pregnant. Kathleen had him arrested, and he was brought back to Alton, Illinois. A young widow, Lulu (Fox) Masterson, came back with him. Although she had only known him for two months, she paid his bail. They returned to New York while Samuel was out on bail, and he married her on 22 July 1901. In October 1901, he returned to Alton, accompanied by his wife and stepson. Kathleen had him jailed for illegitimate parentage, but he was released on a writ of habeas corpus. He was to be tried on another charge, but I have not yet found any additional information on him. Kathleen showed remarkable strength, especially for her time. Many women would not have had the courage to stand up for themselves the way that she did.
Kathleen was known as Mrs. K. G. Walker, and her daughter was Vivian Walker. I suspect that she adopted this name to pass as a widow because of the stigma of illegitimacy. Walker was her mother's mother's maiden name.
Kathleen moved to St. Louis. At the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (where, according to my mother's first cousin Marie, she got paid for talking), she met John Boe. He was already married, but by the time their son John (my maternal grandfather) was born on 28 April 1908, he and his wife had separated and he and Kathleen had married. They moved to Williston, Williams County, North Dakota, and their daughter Florence was born there on 22 November 1909. In the 1910 United States census, the family was enumerated in Kathleen's mother's household in St. Louis. They were in Williston, North Dakota in 1901. Their son James Jorgen was born on 27 September 1911, and their daughter Theodora Catherine was born on 9 February 1914. The family moved back to St. Louis in March 1915, and their daughter Geraldine Edith was born in St. Louis on 29 July 1916.
Kathleen's husband John was president of the St. Louis Motor Car Company. The company failed in the late 1920s, and the family moved to Sarasota, Florida for a year. They then returned to St. Louis. In 1929, John left Kathleen; he had a daughter with a much younger woman, who he later married.
Kathleen worked for Pevely Dairy. According to her 1930 United States census enumeration, she was educational director. She filed a patent for a design for a scorecard on 4 April 1927, and the patent was granted on 16 October 1928. The design included milk bottles; she probably created it while working for Pevely Dairy. According to my mother, Kathleen was responsible for the introduction of milk into the St. Louis public schools. Free milk programs were established in the St. Louis Public Schools; these are probably the programs she was involved with. By 1936, she was working for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Kathleen was a member of Eastern Star. She attended the Presbyterian Church.
When she was older, Kathleen lived with her children. According to the "Flag of the Day" article in the 30 August 1966 issue of the Chicago Tribune, a flag was flown every day at the home of her son-in-law William A. Paley (husband of her daughter Geraldine) in Wilmette, Illinois, and Kathleen took the flag down at sunset.
Kathleen died in Brentwood, Missouri on 17 November 1967. She was cremated, and her ashes are interred at Hillcrest Abbey Crematory and Mausoleum.
Winters family Bible
Alton Telegraph, 24 October 1901
Alton Evening Telegraph, 18 May 1905
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 17 November 1967
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