Mikkel Olsen was born on February 22, 1829 in Norway. He married Sidsel Mikkelsdatter on September 21, 1858 in Vang, Hedmark, Norway. (Most of the records I have located list her as Secil which may be the “Americanized” version of her name.” According to the marriage records on Ancestry.com and the Ministerialbok on the Norway Digital Archives, Secil was the daughter of Mikel Simonsen and she was born on May 19, 1836.
Mikkel and Secil had a son, Ole. He was born on September 2, 1861 in Vang.
In 1868, Mikkel and his family immigrated to Quebec, Canada, and then on to the United States. They sailed from Christiania (the Danish name for Oslo) on April 19. 1868 on the Bark Nornen. They reached Quebec on July 4, 1868. The family is listed on teh passenger manifest as Mikkel Olsen Dalsengen (age 38), Cecil Mikkelsdatter (age 34), and Ole Mikkelson (age 5).
The ship that brought them to America
The Bark Nornen was built in 1850 at the Rod shipyard at Dalen, Tjome. In 1867 the Nornen departed from Christiania on May 3rd, and arrived at Quebec on July 5th. In 1868 she departed from Christiania and arrived at Quebec on July 4th. The passenger lists were archived by the National ARchives of Canada (NAC). It is told that on one of the voyages they almost ran out of food supplies, and this almost caused a mutiny among the passengers. The mutiny was stopped by the crew.
Settling in the United States
When coming to the United States, Mikkel’s family settled in Minnesota, first in Fillmore County and then moving to Otter Tail County in 1871. Mikkel became a United States’ citizen in 1876. His citizenship papers were completed and filed under his Norwegian name, Mikkel Olson. I have not found the family on the 1870 census, but starting with the 1880 census, the family name is listed as Skolrud in may variations such as Skaalrud and Skalerud. On all of the censuses, Mikkel’s occupation is listed as Farmer.
Mikkel’s family
Mikkel’s son, Ole, was five years old when the family left Norway. Mikkel and Secil’s daughter, Maria, was born in May 1869 in Minnesota.
According to Grandma Julia’s labels, this photo included Mikkel, Marta (Mikkel’s second wife, see below), Ole and Maria. However, Maria looks younger than thirteen in this photo whch was her age at her mother’s death so I believe the picture may actually include Secil, Ole and Maria’s mother.
Mikkel and Secil had a second daughter, Sophia, born in 1874. Sophia died at about age three on March 6, 1877. Secil passed away on March 13, 1882. Secil and Sophia are buried in the Hedemarken Lutheran Church Cemetery at Carlisle, Otter Tail, Minnesota. A volunteer from findagrave.com was unable to find their gravestones but sent a picture of the cemetery sign.
On the 1885 Minnesota Territorial and State Census, Mikkel’s wife is listed as Marta, age 41, so he must have married a second time. I haven’t found marriage records or death records for her yet. Also, Maria, age 16, is not listed so she may have been working for/living with another family.
Mikkel died on August 16, 1921. He is buried in Friborg Cemetry at Rothsay, Otter Tail, Minnesota.
