Shake Those Branches

What motivated Anders Olson  and Christ Miller to up and move their families to Oklahoma?  They were well established in Jewell, Iowa with homes, a farm with good friends and family.  Anders had only recently purchased farm land from his FIL Christ Miller in September 1895.   Anders would have to leave his two sisters and their families and start anew in Oklahoma.  His children wouldn't have the opportunity to grow up with their cousins.  I am sure it was a hard decision to make.    Document showing Anders' purchase of Christ Miller's farm near Jewell   Christ and Dora moved into Jewell and set up a home there.   As I have written before, Christ had become quite active in the city life of Jewell.  He seemed to be dealing in real estate and taking an active role in city affairs, even running for city council.  He was well respected in his community.     Newspaper articles started appearing in the local papers aro...

  Anders and Anna's first five children were born on their farm near Jewell, Iowa before the family moved to Oklahoma in 1901.  The family were members of the Jewell Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation.  Most Norwegians were of this Christian denomination.  I have been able to find all the baptismal records of the children expect for John.  It was either not written down correctly or possibly he was baptized at another church.  I have a theory, but first need to research it.    First up is Christine Dorthea, who was born on March 28, 1892.  She was baptized on June 12, 1892 by Rev. N.G Peterson.  Her Godparents where her maternal grandparents, Christ and Dorthea Miller, her aunt and uncle Ingeborg and Peder Lund and someone named T Talem.     Christine's Baptism Record     Christine Dorthea             Elsie Theodora was born on January 23, 1894 at the home of her parents....

  After the town of Jewell Junction was formed in 1880, a group of Norwegian immigrants began to organize a Lutheran congregation.  The first preacher called to serve this church was N. G. Peterson and he preached his first sermon in the summer of 1887.  Church services were first held in an old school building.  Later that summer they adopted a constitution and named the new congregation the "Jewell Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation"  They decided also to pay the preacher a salary of 40 dollars for the first year and 50 dollars for the following year.  In 1889 they began raising the funds for a new church building and acquire land in Jewell to build the new church.    It was decided they would need to raise between 1200.00 and 1400.00 dollars.  The church was completed in the fall of 1890.  Several Danish families joined the church and the congregation decided to change the name to "Bethesda Norwegian Danish Evangelical Luther...