Erik Erikson Aarstad was born about 1793 in Norway. He married Kari Simensdatter Botner on October 20, 1822 in Brandval, Hedmark, Norway. Their marriage documents are from the Norway Digital Archives. Kari was born December 26, 1799 in Grue, Hedmark, Norway. Erik and Kari lived all of their lives in Norway.
“Erik Haarstad was a landowner in his native land, a title that gave him no small distinction among the people of the locality and period. He and his wife reared a family of eight children, four of whom came to America. Of those children who cam to America Simon Haarstad was first, the other sons in this country were Gunelius, who lived and died in Trondhjem township, Gilbert, who took up his residence in South Dakota, and Andrew who went into the West to seek his fortune.” (Excerpt from the ebook History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: its people, industries and institutions with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (Volum 2))