Etterlysning fra USA
Arne Lundenes
Arne Lundenes
I am looking for information concerning my grandfather, Christian Wilhelm
Mattson, b. September 28, 1869. He immigrated to the United States around
1889/90. He lived and worked in Hancock, Michigan. My aunt Lillian told me
that we were Finnish, but most documents say that he came from Norway. He
was a locomotive engineer for the railroad for the Quincy Mining Company.
The
1910 census for Hancock, Michigan states that he was born in Norway,
immigrated 1890, naturalized and lived at 630 Oak St. My grandmother Hannah
or Anna (Johnson) Mattson may have been born in Michigan, her parents were
from Swed/Finland.At this time they had five children, Norman, 13; Lillian,
11; Ransom, 8; Mabel, 7; Earl, 3 months (My father). They had one more
daughter, Doris. Hannah, my grandmother, was b. May 2, 1873, and d.
February
17, 1915. Christian married again October 30, 1920, to Edla Maria Johnson,
born October 10, 1880. It was at the same time I received this information
on his second marriage from the Lutheran Church in Hancock that they sent me
the information that he was born September 28, 1869, in Visisaari, Norway.
I
have since been told that Visisaari is Vadso. I thought I had found him,
Christian Mattisen Niskavara in the 1875 census but have since been told
that
this Christian stayed in Norway and had a family. My grandfather died June
15, 1935, at his home at 630 Oak St. in Hancock, Michigan. He stated on his
marriage certificate that his father was Christ Mattson and mother Mary
Erickson. I am reasonably certain that these name are Americanized versions
of their names. I have even thought that perhaps he didn't know his
father's
name so used a version of his own. I need some place else to look. If you
could possibly give me a new direction, I would be forever grateful. Thank
you, Pat Coleman
Dag T. Hoelseth
> Jeg fikk denne tilsendt fra en dame i USA. Jeg håper noen kan hjelpe henne.
>
> Arne Lundenes
>
> ar...@online.no
>
>
> I am looking for information concerning my grandfather, Christian Wilhelm
> Mattson, b. September 28, 1869. He immigrated to the United States around
> 1889/90. He lived and worked in Hancock, Michigan. My aunt Lillian told me
> that we were Finnish, but most documents say that he came from Norway. He
> was a locomotive engineer for the railroad for the Quincy Mining Company.
> The
> 1910 census for Hancock, Michigan states that he was born in Norway,
> immigrated 1890, naturalized and lived at 630 Oak St. My grandmother Hannah
> or Anna (Johnson) Mattson may have been born in Michigan, her parents were
> from Swed/Finland.At this time they had five children, Norman, 13; Lillian,
> 11; Ransom, 8; Mabel, 7; Earl, 3 months (My father). They had one more
> daughter, Doris. Hannah, my grandmother, was b. May 2, 1873, and d.
> February
> 17, 1915. Christian married again October 30, 1920, to Edla Maria Johnson,
> born October 10, 1880. It was at the same time I received this information
> on his second marriage from the Lutheran Church in Hancock that they sent me
> the information that he was born September 28, 1869, in Visisaari, Norway.
> I
> have since been told that Visisaari is Vadso.
Probably the Finnish name of Vadsø, but is spelt Vesisaari (?), cf.
http://www.ruijan-kaiku.no/.
It seems to me that the person in question was born in Norway (have to
be checked in a churchbook) by Finnish (Kvensk) descent (cf. Aunt
Lillian, as well as the fact that the Finnish name of Vadsø was given
to the Lutheran church, not the Norwegian). Many Kvener (any good
English word for a Kven?) emigrated to Finnmark to find work and then
moved on to the United States, but would at arrival be registered as
Norwegian. And as far as I remember, Michigan was/is the state with
the largest Finnish-American population. However, the statistics would
not tell the whole truth, since many immigrants could have been
registered as Norwegians although they were of Finnish descent.
If Mattson was born in Vadsø, he might have been a Norwegian citizen,
but his parents would probably have to be searched in Finland.
> I thought I had found him,
> Christian Mattisen Niskavara in the 1875 census but have since been told
> that
> this Christian stayed in Norway and had a family. My grandfather died June
> 15, 1935, at his home at 630 Oak St. in Hancock, Michigan. He stated on his
> marriage certificate that his father was Christ Mattson and mother Mary
> Erickson. I am reasonably certain that these name are Americanized versions
> of their names. I have even thought that perhaps he didn't know his
> father's
> name so used a version of his own. I need some place else to look. If you
> could possibly give me a new direction, I would be forever grateful. Thank
> you, Pat Coleman
Some information on the Kvener and on Kvensk emigration to the US
might be found
at http://home.online.no/~solhanse/kveeni2.htm (KvenInfo).
Dag T. Hoelseth