Mystery Photo Number One

The other day one of my cousins and genealogy buddies shared this picture with me that she had taken from the collection of our 2nd great-aunt.  On back it said, "Mr. and Mrs Iswich (or so it looked) who bought dad and mom's place in Iowa."  We were both curious who these people were.  They must have been pretty close since they gave the Olsons a picture.   A couple days later, A sent me a picture of the 1900 census and right above the Anders Olson family was listed a family by the last name of Isvik.  Sjur Alfsen and Anna Isvik with their two sons Alfred and Elmer appear to be living on the property with the Olsons.  This was 1900 and the Olson's would be moving to Oklahoma in a few months.  The clues begin to fall into place.   We had the right name to match the photo.  We also checked the platt map for Hamilton County in 1918 and there was the Isvik family listed on the property previously owned by Anders.  A took it a step forward and actually located living relatives of this family!  They had never seen the picture before and were very excited and thankful to receive this picture.   I still go back to why would Isvik family give this photo to the Olson family.  I am guessing this photo was taken around 1902, since there is a new baby in the family.  We know Anders went back to Norway in 1903 to visit his family.  My guess is maybe the family sent this picture to Anders to take with him to Norway to give to their family there.  And for some reason the picture never made it and we still have it today.  Or these two families were close and it was simply a gift to the Olsons.  Anyway we solved the mystery of the photograph and was able to share it with the descendants of Sjur and Anna!   

 





 
Here is the 1918 Platt map for Hamilton County and you can see see his name on the property that he bought from Anders in 1901.  






 
 
Obituary  for Mr. Isvik.  
 
 
 
I had thought maybe Sjur might have traveled to Iowa with Anders but when I compared where he was from to Sunde, it is a good ways away.  I also noticed in the obituary that it mentions he emigrated in 1888, which was five years after Anders came to the United States.  

 

 


 

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