Genealogy Resources at the Stevne
John Reindl, Lag Genealogist
The 2011 stevne is approaching and we are pulling together a roomful of genealogical resources for the use of our members.
Bygdebøker, Church Records and Censuses
Our two main resources for genealogical research are the bygdebøker and the microfilms of the church records from Norway and we will have over 100 sets of each. The bygdebøker that we bring are largely from the University of Wisconsin library, which has one of the largest collections in the country, and the list of the books that we brought to the stevne last year is located on the lag web page at http://www.nhohlag.org. The lag is also buying recently published bygdebøker for its own collection. Just added have been three new Vang bygdebøker, which we did not previously have available. Members who have bygdebøker are also encouraged to bring their books to share.
We will also bring microfilms of the original church records, which we borrow from the Vesterheim Genealogical Center in Madison. With over 100 films, this is supplemented by copies of the complete census records for 1801 on microfiche, and limited census records for 1865, 1875 and 1900 as well as and the 1838 census (which was done as part of Matrikkel land assessment) in a paper version. Other census records will be available through the Internet.
Rygh list
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, Oluf Rygh put together a comprehensive list of Norwegian farm names by fylke, kommune and parish, along with the history of their names. This is a very valuable resource for finding ancestral farms, and we will have this list for Hedmark fylke in both paper copy and a computerized form.
Topographical maps
We will have a complete section of topographical maps of the NHOH area, many with indexes to the farms, to help members see where their farms are located.
Farm operator books
In the 1940's and 1960's, two series of books (Norske Gardsbruk) were put together that provide information on most of the farms in Norway, giving the then-current owner along with the some genealogical information and a description of the farm along with a photo of the farm house. In many cases, the family has been on the same farm for generations, providing a useful genealogical link. We will have both sets of books.
Cousin-finding database
Over 125 members have submitted their genealogical charts of their ancestors from the Hedmark area and this database has over 2,870 entries, showing common ancestors for lag members. We will have both the paper copies, sorted by kommune, as well as a computerized version.
Bring your own ancestry records and we will look for a match and enter them in the database and three ring binder for future matches!
Ringsaker resources
More of our members have roots in Ringsaker than in any other kommune in Hedmark fylke, but, unfortunately, there are no traditional bygdebøker for this area. Thus, the lag is collecting and developing other resources for this area.
One such resource is the series of Ringsakboka, of which the lag has five volumes. These give a history of Ringsaker from the earliest of history to the mid-1900’s. Closely associated are the Ringsaker historielag yearbooks from 1979 through 2008, and we will bring a translation of the table of contents of these books.
We also have a database of over 11,500 references from history books and magazines to people from Ringsaker, which will be available on computer. This database has proven to be extremely valuable to finding information -- including pictures -- of Ringsaker relatives.
Family history books
his is still a limited part of our collection, as we only have about a dozen family histories to share. We invite all members to bring a copy of their own family history to show and, if they would like, one to donate to the lag.
Bring your laptop!
The Digital Archives of the Norwegian census and church records continues to expand and I strongly recommend that people with laptops bring their computers (with wireless capability). In many cases, the copies of the church records on the Internet are easier to read than those on film and you will have the ability to copy them to your computer and alter the shading, contrast and sharpness.
List of Books and related materials
The list of bygdebøker and related materials for the stevne is on the linked page. If you see a resource that you would like me to bring to the stevne, be sure to contact me either by email or by phone at (608)238-0393. The stevne will have a major collection of materials to help you do your Norwegian genealogy, and I look forward to seeing you there !
John Reindl
last update: 03/17/2011