Christopher Camp

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Great Grandfather Amund Christopher

AMUND CHRISTOPHER AND KJESTINA INGEBORG DAVIS FAMILY

Amund Christopher

Back another generation featuring great
grandparents, here are some interesting photos,
facts, and stories...and lots of missing history.

Amund was born near beautiful Voss, Hordaland, Norway March 29, 1828.
The family farm name was Graue.

Graue farm area

waterfalls at Voss

night winter at Voss

Mountains near Voss

Voss Lake

His Parents, Kristoffer Amundson from Voss, (1799-1854) and Guri Ivarsdaugher from Melve, (1802-1851) married in 1824, sold their farm in 1850 and traveled with two children, Amund and Anna (1833), and the household of his home..... to America.

They settle for a short time in Koshkonong, Wisconsin.

"By 1850, over half of the Norwegian immigrants in Wisconsin lived in the Koshkonong settlement,^[5] known as Kaskeland in Norwegian."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Prairie_(town),_Wisconsin

Finally, they settled 40 acres near Spring Prairie, Leeds Township, Columbia County,
Wisconsin.Both parents died in there, Guri in 1851 and Christopher in 1854.

The first wife of Amund Christopher was Britha (Betsy) Johnson, from Moen, Voss,
Norway born on June 22, 1835. She came to this country in 1840. with her father,
Lars Johnson.

Betsy Johnson

They were married about 1853 Their children were:

1) Martin Christopher, (April 10, 1854-1899) Leeds.

Martin Christopher

2) Lewis Christopher (May 9, 1858-1943) Leeds

Lewis Christopher and Julia Charleson

3) Edward John Christopher (September 25, 1866-1901)Emmet.

Edward Christopher and Bertha Halverson

4) Ammon Oliver Christopher
(born July 7, 1869-1949) Emmet

Amund moved to High Lake Township; Emmet County, Iowa,
in 1866, by covered wagon along with many Norwegian friends.
Britha died there in 1871 .

Amund's friend and neighbor, Charles Charleson died in 1872
from a horse and wagon accident.
Charles' wife was left with 4 young children:

1) Mary Ann Charleson, (1865-1900)
2) Maren Guerina (Julia) Charleson, (1867-1941)
3) John Davis Charleson, (1869-1936)
4) Caroline Charleson, (1872-1959)

Caroline Charleson

MaryAnn Charleson,
Charley Olsen
and family

In 1875 Amund married the widow
Charleson and her four children joined his.
Amund and Kjestina Ingeborg Davis
(1841-1919) welcomed four more children
in the next eight years, all born in Iowa:

1) CARL LESTER CHRISTOPHER, (1876-1964)
(Married Inga Olsen, Karl Olsen's sister)

Carl Christopher and Inga Olsen

2) BRITHA (BESSIE) LOUISE CHRISTOPHER,(1878-1958)
(Married Karl Gustav, Inga Olsen’s brother)

Bessie Christopher and Karl Olsen

Oscar Christopher and Freeda Giles

3) GEORGE CHRISTOPHER, (1880-1904) (Married Mollie Anderson)

4) OSCAR CHRISTOPHER, (1883-1967) (Married Freeda Giles)

Interesting fact: Lewis Christopher (Amund and Betsy's son) married Julia
Charleson.(Kjestina and Charles daughter) when they were a little older.
This helped unite the two families together. This "His, Hers and Ours" Family
stayed in close connection with each other throughout their lives

KJESTINA (CHISTINA) INGEBORG DAVIS was born in Numedal, Norway

on December 14, 1841. Her parents and six of her siblings traveled to America

in 1860 and settled in Linden, Columbia County,Wisconsin where 2 more Davis

children were born. George and Maria Davis' children are:

1) Kjestina Ingeborg Davis (1841-1919)
2) Ole Davis (1847-)
3) Ann S. Davis (1851-1880)
4) John Davis (1854-1907)
5) Margaret Davis (1856-1888)
6) Caroline Davis (1859-)
7) Martin Davis (1861-1929)
8) George D. Davis (1865-1918)

As you can see we have a lot more cousins than we thought. Most of my
correspondence and blog posts over the years have been with Carl and
Inga Christopher's children and grandchildren and Bessie and Karl Olsen's
children and grandchildren. For post about these relatives, go to "Older Posts"
at the bottom of this blogpost.

George Christopher died young and had no children. Recently through DNA testing
I met on line one of Oscar's grandchildren, Carol Kerr, so I will be sharing information
about Oscar's family history that I am learning from her, on the next blogpost.

I still have a dream that I can find and correspond with current relatives from the
Davis family, the Charleson four and the first four Christopher families.

I would also like to connect with relatives from Amund's sister, Anna's, family. She
chose to use Graue as her surname. She married Anton Nelson Meland, October 6,
1854. They stayed in Leeds, Wisconsin and they had six children, (some kept the
farm name, Meland, as their surname, some chose Nelson for their surname)
They later moved to DeForest WI and became one of the first settlers there

Anton Nelson Meland and Anna Christopherdatter Graue

1) Anna Nelson (1855-)

2) Julia Nelson (1857-)

3) Betsy Nelson (1863-)

4) Edward Christofferson Meland (1866-1939)

5) Soffia Nelson Meland ( 1872-1954)

6) Tina Nelson (1877-)

Below is a photo of their descendants celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary:

Anton and Anna's 50 wedding anniversary in October 1904, Wisconsin

Handwritten names of Amund Christopher and his father, Christoffer Amundsen,
appear in a Norse/English Bible that has been passed down since 1850 and now
belongs to Pastor Paul Christopher of Minnesota. We are fortunate that cousin Paul
has kept it all these years and has copied the few pages for us to view here. You can
see "Christopher Ammundsen New York July 1850" on the first page, and his initials
with his farm name on the second page. Amund's signature is on the third page.
Perhaps Amund's father bought this Bible when they first arrived in New York.

Enjoying retiring from farming, Amund moved from
Iowa to Medina, North Dakota about 1903, close to the
time as Carl and Inga, Bessie and Karl moved there.
No doubt he loved to watch his grandchildren playing
while their parents developed their homesteads.
He passed away March 31, 1907, but Ingeborg continued
on and traveled with the Olsen family until she
passed on in Havre Montana on January 8, 1919.
Both are buried in the Olsen plot, Medina Cemetery.

Names on the Olsen Gravestone at Medina Cemetery:

Amund Christopher born Mar 29,1828 died Mar 31,1907
George Christopher born July 29,1880 died Jan 28, 1904
Raymond Norman Olsen born Mar 13, 1904 died Aug 17, 1908
Ingeborg Olsen Christopher born Dec 14, 1841 died June 8, 1919

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

CHRISTOPHER REUNION 2016

PHOTOS FROM FRENCHTOWN POND STATE PARK AUGUST 21 2016

Rick and Heather Stiles

Aaron, Emry and Becca Bell

Diana (WeeZee) Cote and Dawn Wahl

Kristine and Michaela Zimmerman and Faye Gibson
Barbara Erlandson, Kim Kananen Sara Bingham Aaron Grigg in background

Sharon Mitchell and Lana Rankin

Carl Erlandson Scott Fowler John Cheney Dean Indreland
Michelle and Emma Grigg

Hali Bell Hannah Bingham Lizzy Cheney

Katie Kananen

Colby Bell Timothy Grigg

PRESENT GENERATION COUSINS..Rick Christopher attended but left before this photo was taken

Sharon Mitchell Barbara Erlandson Faye Gibson Lana Rankin Donna Chambers Diane Cote Dawn Wahl Goldie Indreland

next generation of cousins

Scott Fowler Kim Kannnen Kristine Zimmerman Sara Bingham Mike Rankin Becca Bell Tina Cheney Heather Stiles Emma Grigg Eva Rankin Rylie Wahl in front : Autumn Wahl Michael Wahl

upcoming generation: missing from photo, but attending reunion: Amy Grigg, Melanie Grigg,
Troy Bingham, Emry Bell, James Cheney

Emily Kananen Hallie Kananen Michaela Zimmerman David Grigg holding Michelle Grigg
Katie Kananen Timothy Grigg Colby Bell Lizzy Cheney Hannah Bingham
Hali Bell sitting down and Liam Bell in front

Bill Rankin Carl Erlandson Chuck Gibson

David Grigg Amy Grigg Hali Bell Troy Bingham Hannah Bingham James Cheney Lizzy Cheney
Michelle Grigg Emry Bell

George's Becky holding photo tribute of Cousin George

Saturday, May 13, 2017

DORIS LILLIAN CHRISTOPHER

Doris Esther Christopher (6-10-1923—7-11-1976 ) was the tenth child born to Inga and Carl Christopher at home in Medina, North Dakota. Her siblings are: Glenn Arthur, Jan 7, 1904; Alfred Clifford, Mar. 24, 1907; Roy Willard, Aug 10, 1910; Ruth Lillian, Aug 10, 1912; Lauren Ivan and Lester Carl Aug.5, 1914; Kenneth Orvin, Sept 7, 1916; Otto Vernon, Dec.19, 1918; Robert Norman, March 29,1921; and Don Edwin, Sept.10, 1925.

When Doris was small she used to play with dolls, but the boys would take her dolls and scalp them. She liked to watch her brothers box each other and grab rattlesnakes by their tails and snap them. She even tried to snap rattlesnakes herself. Doris moved from Medina to Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, in 1938 then to Arlee, Montana during her elementary school years. She always helped Don with his homework. Doris was very artistic and musical. She loved to dance. Often Don would play guitar and she would dance and sing on the streets down town for nickels.

Don at 2 and Doris at 4

Lester, Blondie, Doris, Albert in 1941

Albert and Doris Paul 1941

She met Albert Paul at Arlee High School and married him in June 12, 1941 in Missoula. Her brother, Lester, was married at the same time at the Missoula County Court House. They lived in Missoula on 6^th street for 12 years while Albert worked at the lumber mill. Their three girls, Esther, Barbara and Sharon were all born in Missoula.

Doris Albert and Esther

Barbara and Esther welcome baby Sharon

Doris holding Sharon, Albert with Barbara and Esther

Their place on 6th street seemed to be the gathering place whenever family get-to-gethers were held. Often they would host a potluck in their backyard for the Christopher Camp.

Grandpa Carl with Margie, Barbara, Gloria, Esther, and Faye in back
George, Donna, and Sharon in front

Barbara and Sharon with Uncle Don

Doris with sister Ruth

They moved to Dixon, Montana around 1955. There she and Albert owned and operated the Paul Mercantile for 17 years. Doris was the drive behind the success of the store. She handled all the financial part of the business. She never did learn to drive, so Albert did all the driving to get products for the store. They made a great team. Doris attended church every Sunday and mostly enjoyed being home with her girls and working in the store when they were at school.

Esther at family owned store in Sept 1959

Esther graduated from Montana State University and then took nursing training in Bozeman, Billings and Great Falls. Barbara worked as an assistant at Missoula Western Credit Union and Sharon worked in Home Health Care and became a Certified Nursing Assistant at an Alzheimer’s facility.

Doris at Flathead Lake 1956

1956 Barbara, Esther, with cousin Dennis Skofstad
Sharon with cousin Jim Skofstad

Doris and Albert sold the store in Dixon and retired to Yuma, Arizona in 1972. They often returned to Missoula in fact they traveled back and forth every year or so until Doris died on July 11, 1976. Doris loved writing letters and especially the family Round Robin letters. She was always on top of things and would write back immediately to anyone sending her a letter. She enjoyed traveling and visiting with her grandchildren. Doris is known for her sweet, kind and quiet manner.