[#10583] American surnames - Thomassen

[Gjest Roger Thauland]

Talked to Walter Kosary, who handled the services for Ella--he knew her and looked up some info in his records, the parents were Sam and Christine Thompson. He had no knowledge of her first marriage. The church is St. Gall. The rectory is at 5511 S Sawyer. I will try to follow up on his info that living family works at a store selling Electrolux vacs, near 110th and S Western Av. So, perhaps, just maybe, they will have some useful information. Roger.

[Gjest Egil H Thomassen]

Just a call to say I am impressed, Roger.Concerning the year they left for US, it seems to be different for each source. The sailing register for Christiania, however, state that Soren departed 9 Febr 1883 for the promising land.

[Gjest Roger Thauland]

Mixed news today: Svend Swansen, 3040 Edgewood Av, wife Laura, born june 23 1857,Drummond(sic), a laborer, in Norway, parents info unknown, informat Mrs Myrtle Gramm, same address, died dec 19, 1930; all from IL cert(33884) on lds film. Perhaps you can confirm that i have the wrong Marie..the one i found has a birth date of dec 22, 1849, father Otto Thompson born Oslo, unk mother. Wrong tree it seems...(unless they fit some other Thomassen..i doubt that). But i have found the 'right' vac shop and talked with a gentleman who knows a Cleary who knows Janet. He will call for me and offer my number. If this fails to work, then i will email the address and you might try writing. The obit for Lillian arrived.

[Gjest Roger Thauland]

Baldwin, Lillian M, wife of Luther H., sister of Clara Coy. Services Tuesday, Wee Kirk o' Heather, Forest Lawn Mortuary. LA Times, Mon 23 June 1952. Seems no kids, but not really proof. Roger.

[Gjest Egil H Thomassen]

Sorry, seems that the Marie you have traced is a wrong one. Our Marie/Maren was born 9.3.1848, father Nils Thomassen.A Marie Thompson marry Hans Peter Miller 13 Febr 1886 in Cook, Ill. (a LDS marriage) The obit of Ella Cleary mention a Kristine Miller.

[Gjest Egil H Thomassen]

I have read the book of Knut Gjerset: 'Norwegian sailors on the Great Lakes', recommended by Kathy. Interesting information. The book index 583 Norwegian captains on the lakes. Unfortunataly, Thos C Thompson was not one of them.Year 1869 f.i. there were 2.388 vessels on the Great Lakes, and a great many of the lake sailors in those times were Norwegians, some say up to 50%. Had to be large number of captains then, since many of the sailing vessels were small schooners.

[Gjest Roger Thauland]

I hope you try the Ottawa county resources-the hist. and genea.. groups may find something, esp in newspapers. The marr of Hans in 1886 was a JP civil service; he 34 and she 36. A witness was MM Hayes. I'll look at some Hans in the death index. but the best leads may come from Svend/Laura. Svend Swansen; 3043 Edgewood Av, father of Emanuel S., Mrs Cora Simison, Mrs Marie Harris, Mrs Myrtle Gramm, Norman L, and Jennie Swensen. from Chgo Daily News, dec 20, 1930. Is seems they never resolved the question: Swansen or Swanson...

[Gjest Roger Thauland]

Laura Swanson, 3043 Edgewood Av, wife of late Svend, mother of Emanuel S, Mrs Cora Simison, Mrs Marie Harris, Mrs Myrtle Gramm, Norman L, and Jennie, and sister of Mrs Christine Thompson, member of Ladies' Society Minde(Kathy-whats that?). The only Mrytle(1930:kids=Lillian ?,18;Howard G,17;Lillian ?, 23-a niece) that seems to fit, died jan 1978 Chgo, 60626, born 25 may 1889. The only Emanual, died 1937 and i ordered film. I saw a Norman, born 1895 in the 1930 census, married with children. Roger.

[Gjest Roger Thauland]

Could not make out Myrtle's husbands name(Kathy-help!). The printer at the FHC is slower than slow(hey what-me complain, nope-just tell it like it is)-so no print of Norman till next week. Cora m to Thomas, both 45,k=Thomas,21; Warren,16;Marshall,13. Did not find the others, but was hurried, so please look again; and the 1920 census might help. With all of these i suspose some living relatives may unlock some of the 'secrets'. Roger.

[Gjest Kathy Bergan Schmidt]

'Minde'(old Dano-Norwegian spelling for 'minne') means memory so that's probably the Ladies' Aid Society of the Minnekirken -- the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church at 2614 North Kedzie Boulevard, Chicago 60647, phone 773-252-7335. That suggests that the family remained active in the Norwegian-American community and perhaps can be found in other N-Am organizations.

[Gjest Kathy Bergan Schmidt]

The name of Myrtle Gramm's husband is Grover. I suspect that his Norwegian parents named him after Grover Cleveland, who was president when he was born on 14 Sept 1888. That date comes from the Social Security Death Index, which also says he died in January 1968, with his last residence being in the 60626 zip code of Chicago.According to the 1930 census, Grover was a census enumator working for the US government. He was, in fact, the enumerator for the very ED his family was in -- as he wrote so boldly on the top of the census form.He did not appear in the 1920 head of household index on Ancestry.com.

[Gjest Egil H Thomassen]

To the participants and readers of this inquiry, in particular Kathy and Roger in Chicagoland, I send my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Egil