Gurine [Jacobsdatter] Olson-Staff with her daughters Ellen (standing) and Olena. From J. Skolrud Collection
ir children left Norway for America on April 1, 1883. After settling in Minnesota, Ole and Guri had two more daughters: Ellen and Olena [Lena]. According to Guri’s obituary, Lars and Johanna died in 1882 and Ole in 1885. Her granddaughter Marian [Skolrud] Demmer believe the children perished during a flu epidemic so the year of their deaths may be off by a year. I have not found death or burial records for Ole or the children.
Guri’s daughter Lena was born the same year that her father died so Guri was a young widow with two children. About 1980, she married Lars Pederson Staff (1842-1912). They had three children: John, Lars and Jennie.
Guri died January 23, 1941 in Otter Tail County, Minnesota and is buried in the Bethlehem Cemetery in Fergus Falls, Otter Tail, Minnesota. Her obituary was published later that year in the April 11th edition of the Hendricks Pioneer. In the obituary, her first husband is referred to as Ole Olson. It was probably assumed that his last name was Olson since that was his daughters’ last name–some of the confusion caused by patronymic naming.
