Ole Larsen Ballestad

Utreist med/ Emigrated on: "Bowditch" May 12 1846.

Utreist til/ Emigrated to: Cato township, Manitowoc Co, Wisconsin - 1846.

---

Ole Larsen Ballestad was born Oct 8, 1822 on the Ballestad(40) farm in Gjerpen parish, Norway. His parents were Lars Thorsen Ballestad, and Karen Gurine Sørensdatter from N. Myren under Øvrum. He emigrated together with his brother Thor. Also on the boat was Inger Margrethe Andersdatter, born Febr 17, 1818 in Eidanger parish. Inger Margrethe and Ole married in 1849, and they settled as farmers in Cato township.
They seem to have had no children of their own, but had a fosterson Arne, born May 11, 1854, died jan 5, 1863 in Gjerpen township.
They also raised Thomas J. Ryen, who was the son of Johannes Thomassen and Johanne Nilsen.
Ole Larsen died April 21, 1901 and Inger Margrethe on jan 11, 1897.
They are both buried at Faith Lutheran Cemetery, Valders township.

Ole was very much involved in the founding of the Gjerpen and Valders Congregation. Its constitution was signed by 62 people at the home of Ole Larsen Ballestad on June 16, 1851.

---

Letter from America: (January 1857)

From Ole Larsen Ballestad and Inger Margrethe Andersdatter

... there was very little rye this summer and cold fall so the potatoe-grass froze early ...  now there is a very cold winter and lots of snow ...
Please send our love to brother Jacob with wife and children, and tell him that we have not received any letter from him since June 14, 1852, and father, you must ask him to write to us. It is so fun to read letters from you; then it is just like talking to you, both relatives and friends, so we are often with you in our thoughts.

You must also greet Johannes Eegaasen with wife and children from us, and thank him so much for writing to us for you.

Inger is asking that when you write to us next time, you must tell us whether the pear-tree has fruits and whether the plum-tree has fruits, and whether you have had flowers from the seeds we sent you ...

© 1997 - Skien Genealogical page - by Jan Christensen.