The Hogenson's... The Hogenson family came from the Sogn og Fjord area near Lærdal, Norway. The family lived on farms in Borgund Parish and were "husmann" or renters. They were permitted to live on the farms small plots, but in payment for this right usually had to work so many days a year on the landlord's farm - sometimes up to 200 days a year. There were four "husmann" or sharecroppers on the Lyøsne Øvre farm. The four farms or "plasen" were called Lyøsne Øvre, Stuvene No. 1, Stuvene No. 2 and Sletten (which is the Hogenson ancestral home). Lyøsne Øvre may have been owned by a Danish noble or the State Church of Norway.

In the 1865 census, Haagen (Hogen) Knutson Lyøsne (born 1806) and his wife, Ingeborg Olsdatter (born 1809) lived on the Sletten "plas". Haagen was the son of Knut Sjurson Lyøsne and Sigrid Hakonsdatter. In 1833 he married Ingeborg, who was born on Voll. They were the parents of 10 children: Knut, Sigrid, Ola (the elder), Henrik, Hakon, Marta, Ingeborg, Ola (the younger), Kari and Durdei.

At the time of the 1865 census, 3 children were still living at home - Ola, age 20; Kari, age 16; and Durdei, age 14. Total livestock and grain inventory on Sletten then were: 4 cattle, 12 sheep, 4/5 tonne (a measurement) of barley and 3 tonne of potatoes. During the summer, Ingeborg and the other wives on the plassen would take the cattle and sheep up to Lyøsnedalen "seter" (mountain pasture) for summer grazing. Their husbands would come on the weekends to visit and carry down the cheese, butter and milk. Ingeborg took along her small spinning wheel. It was stated in the Lærdal history that she was very good at the art of spinning and weaving. It also noted that had not Haagen and Ingeborg been hard working and thrifty folks, they could not have raised such a large family on such a meager plas. In their later years they lived with their son, Ola (the younger), who had become a renter on southern Bjorkum. Haagen died in 1899 and Ingeborg some years earlier.

One of their older children, Henrik (Henry) Hogenson Lyøsne, was born in 1837. He married Mari (Marie) Hansdatter Kallevang. She was born March 18, 1839 to Hans Nilsson and his wife Barbara Einarsdatter Kallevang. Later her parents moved to Li. By 1865 they were living as renters at Arheim, part of the farm Øvre Kvamme in Borgund. But, like many other husmann in the farming areas of Norway, Henrik could see no future there. He went to America to find something better.

In April of 1871, the family left Lærdal Parish for America: Henrik, Mari, their 4 children - Ingeborg, age 9; Hogen, 6 1/2; Hans, 3 1/2; and Barbro, 1 - and Mari's parents - Hans Nilsson Li and his wife, Barbara Einarsdatter, both age 78. They went directly to the Owatonna area of Steele County, Minnesota where they lived and worked for 9 years. Three more children were born there. Mari's parents apparently died there, too. Henrik's sister, Marta, and his brother, Ola, (the elder) and his wife, Sigrid, also immigrated to America, according to the Lærdal register, but it is not known where they settled.

In 1880, Henrik and Mari and their family, accompanied by their son-in-law, Jens Anderson (who married Ingeborg in 1878) and his family trekked northward to homestead. They went by oxen and wagon to a place in Walworth Township, Becker County - 3 miles east and 1/2 mile north of Ulen, Minnesota. When they arrived, Henrik built a dugout cellar for the family to live in. They were still living in it when the last two children were born in 1881 and 1883.

At Ulen, Mari became well known as a midwife and delivered most of the babies born northeast of Ulen for many years. She would stay and care for the new mother and child for some days after the birth. If needed, she would bring food and clothing from home to help out. Sometimes she received payment for her services, but most times not. Henrik and Mari lived on the homestead until about 1916 at which time they moved to an 80 acre tract across the road. The youngest son, Martin, took over the farm when they retired. Henrik died in July of 1921, Mari in May of 1927. Both were buried in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Cemetary, north of Ulen. Their nine children were: Ingeborg, Hogen, Hans, Barbro, Nels, Olena, Edward, Anna and Martin.

Jens & Ingeborg Tinjum...Jens Anderson, as he was then known, worked in southern Minnesota for a number of years. In 1880, Jens and Ingeborg settled 4 1/2 miles east of Ulen, Minnesota. They had apparently planned to settle farther south but the land was all under water from spring flooding.

Life was hard on the prairie. Ingeborg milked the cows as well as doing all the other work of a pioneer woman. She made good use of her spinning wheel. Many times Jen had to seek employment away from the farm to make ends meet. Ingeborg was often left alone with the small children. She told about the Indians coming to the house asking for food. She would always give them something to eat. One time the Indians came looking for food and she didn't have anything to offer them. They became angry and started a fire a short distance from the house. Luckily the fire went out on its own.

Shortly after arriving in Walworth Township, Jens changed the family name to Tinjum after the Tønjum farm in Norway (he was also known as James A. Tinjum). Their mail came out of Lake Park and there were so many Andersons that it often got mixed up. Jens had to walk to Lake Park (Ulen was not there until 1886) for mail and supplies. Sometimes he carried a bag of flour all the way home, a distance of 15 miles.

Jens and Ingeborg acquired additional land and in the process built up a substantial farm with one of the largest houses around. The house and big barn were built about 1885. Jens planted hundreds of trees which developed into a large and beautiful grove of which he was very proud. The family enjoyed playing croquet and sometimes had to finish games by lantern light. They raised potatoes on their farm besides grain crops and hay, and built a large potato house. They had cattle, chickens, pigs and sheep, although raising sheep had to be given up when dogs started to kill them.

Jens was active in the formation of Walworth Township in 1882 and served in several positions on the town board. He was one of the founders of the Atlanta-Walworth Butter and Cheese Association which carried on business for many years at Voss. The Tinjums donated an acre of land near their home for a school and all their children attended school in the one room building. In the early 1890's, the family became members of the Atlanta Lutheran Church nearby. When a tornado destroyed the church in 1902, Jens was named to the committee to raise funds to rebuild. Eventually, the Tinjums and ten of their children came to be buried in this church yard. Jens and Ingeborg's children were: Anna, Henrik, Richard, Julius, Oscar, Marie, Bennie, Otto, John, Theodore, Alvin, Sophia, Tillie, Clayton, Martin and Hazel.

The Tinjums retired to Detroit Lakes in 1919. Otto, Theodore and Alvin then farmed the home place. Theodore and Alvin served in the Army during World War I, both seeing duty on the front lines in France. Jens died in April of 1923, Ingeborg in March of 1929. In 1947, the big house burned and the barn was later torn down. Tillie and Sigvart Melby lived on the farm until 1979 when Tillie moved to Ulen. Shortly after this the farm was sold.

Jens' parents and siblings... Anders Olsson Tønjum, born 1817, and Ranvei Torstensdatter Horge, born 1814, were married July 14, 1846, at the Tønjum Church. Anders was the son of Ola Jensson Tønjum and Anna Johannesdatter Husum. She was the daughter of Torsten Olsson Horge. Anders and Ranvei lived on a place called Geili near Tønjum. In 1851 when his brother, Jens Olsson Tønjum, left for America they lived in a cottage on Tønjum called Brusegjerdet. Anders was a blacksmith by trade and was known as "Brus-smeden" (the Brusegjerdet blacksmith). He died in 1858.

Five children were born to Anders and Ranvei - four sons and one daughter: Ole, Jens (died as infant), Jens, Torsten and Anna. The names of the children seem to follow family traditions. There was a long line of men named Ole or Ola and Jens in the family on Tønjum. The first three boys were probably named for their grandfather and great-grandfather repectively. The other son, Torsten, was most likely named after his mother's father. Anna must have been named for her grandmother who died when Anders was only 15 years old.

Jens immigrated to the U.S. in April of 1868. Ranvei, along with Torsten and Anna, followed in 1872. Records indicate that Ole immigrated in 1874, but not much is known of him.

After immigration, they settled in Freeborn County, Minnesota and the Albert Lea Area. Then, each of the children married and went their separate ways. Ranvei eventually lived with her daughter, Anna, and family. She died near Barrett, Minnesota in December of 1895.

Ole was said to have married a Swedish girl and they were the parents of a boy and girl. Later, the wife returned to Sweden, taking the children with her. It is told that the boy drowned there. Their names are not known nor is it remembered where they lived or what ever became of Ole.

After working in Freeborn and Steele Counties, Torsten (later called Thomas Anderson) married Ragnhild (Rose) Erickson in 1877. They farmed in Aurora Township, Steele County, Minnesota near Owatonna and were the parents of 13 children: Amos, John, Ole, Randi, Alfred, Theodore, Marie, Marcus, Malena, Joseph, Anna, Carl and Walter. Torsten died in August of 1913, Ragnhild in March of 1925.

Anna married Christ(ian?) Christopherson in....