Lavik Images #281 - #319
This page is part of the sequential posting of the 319 Lavik Photograph Images, and contains Images #281 - #319. The first pages in the Lavik section provide the context for these photos - by describing the background on this collection, the Lavik ancestry in Norway, the biography of Rev. Rasmus Lavik and his family, a listing of all the extended family members and the locations where they lived, and an index to the 319 images. The image at right is the backside of Image #305, the photo being of an unidentified man and the back indicating that the photo was taken by Daniel C. Nyblinn in Kristiania (which is what Oslo was called before 1905), is posted below with an explanation. The backsides of many of these photos are also scanned and shown in this collection to help with identifications.
The Lavik Photograph Items
Items #281-#319
Item #281 - Two young men, postcard, photographed in a barrel that reads “A Barrel of Fun in Fargo”. Searching online for this phrase a few years popped up a postcard of someone else posing in front of the same barrel at this postcard and was shown as “ca 1908”. That link is no longer good. While I can find a postcard in front of the same barrell - it is undated and has no additonal identifying information. It’s unclear who is in this particular photo.
Item #282 - Unidentified Girl and younger girl in stroller, postcard format, no date or location. Looks similar to the two girls posed with a stroller in Item #276.
Item #283 - Unidentified Young Boy and Chair, postcard format, no date or location.
Item #284 - Twelve unidentified people, harvest, holding pails, no date or location.
Item #285 - Unidentified Baby, postcard format, no date or location.
Item #286 - Ingvald, Rudy, and Anton Lavik (left to right), postcard format, sitting on porch banister, no date or location. Mike Collins helped with this ID, and suggested this might be on the porch at the farmhouse in Milnor. I’m just guessing at how old they might be in this photo, but with Ingvald born in 1891, Rudy in 1892, and Anton in 1895 - it’s possible that this photograph was in the period 1910 or so. That was the year that Invald left for St. Olaf Academy. Rudy began at Concordia in 1913.
Item #287 - Three Unidentified men, postcard format, no date or location.
Item #289 - For the first few years I had this photo, I was stumped as to its identification. Then Dallas Loken, great-grandson of Andrew and Maria Ofstedahl, identified this photo as “of my great grandparents, Andrew and Maria Ofstedahl along with Guri Davidson Ofstedal along with what could be her husband (Nels) and sons Arnold and Gerhard”. Then, Don Perrier, a second descendant of Andrew, identified the people in the photo as: “Andrew Ofstedal and Maria Johnson Ofstedal standing with Nels, Gerhard, Guri and Arnold. These are relatives of Maria’s, who was an Ofstedal of a different line.”
Andrew Oftedal was the second son of Anders and Agate Lavik Ofstedal, and another of Rasmus Lavik’s nephews. Andrew immigrated with his older brother Simon in 1870, the year before Rasmus Lavik and another Ofstedal brother Andreas immigrated together. I was initially confused that “Nels Ofstedal” was in this photo, thinking it was the son of Andrew and Maria by the same name. Actually, Maria was of a different line of Ofstedals - and Nels was her brother. Andrew and Maria were married in 1875 in Mower County, Minnesota - where Maria’s line of Ofstedals lived, and where Maria used the name Maria Johnson in the marriage record. Andrew lived right at the South Dakota - North Dakota state line north of Aberdeen, South Dakota. A fourth brother Nils Ofstedahl was a Lutheran minister in that area - shepherding nine different churches in a period in the 1880’s. Andrew was a congregant and is buried at the Aurdal Church, just into North Dakota. On this website in the Ofstedal section are biographies of each of the Ofstedahl brothers. A fifth brother, the Rev. John Ofstedahl, was my great-grandfather. A photo of John and Anna Ofstedahl’s twin children is shown in the document about this photo project.
Item #290 - Carl, Nettie, and Howard Nelson, postcard format, no date or location. This photograph identification was made by Joyce Tsongas. Nettie was the daughter of Karen Matson, the sister of Antonette Hagen Lavik.
Item #291 - Four unidentified men, guitar and tent, outdoors, postcard format, no date or location. None seem immediately recognizable as a Lavik.
Item #292 - Unidentified Woman and Baby, postcard format, no date or location. Is this Antonette Lavik?
Item #293 - Unidentified Baby, postcard format, no date or location.
Item #294 - Holiday card from H. O. Gardner og hustru, in Norwegian. #294a is the front portion of the card. The note appears to be “fra deres gamle venner” - or “from your old friends”, if I have the translation right. [The 1930 census shows Henry O. Gardner in Dunbar Township, Sargent County – the County where the Laviks lived in Milnor – in an entry taken on April 2, 1930. Shown were Henry O. Gardner, 70, immigrated in 1878, born in Norway with both his parents born in Norway; and Kristine, 71, none listed as her occupation, born in Norway with both her parents born in Norway, immigrated in 1886. The census further showed she was twenty-seven at the time of her marriage, and he was twenty-six at the time of his marriage – intimating that they were married about 1888. It is likely that they were parishioners of Rev. Lavik or neighbors - both of Norwegian ancestry - and therefore they were friends.]
Item #295 - Holiday card note “Best Christmas wishes to you all from Hulda. 295a is the front of the card, in English. I thought it might be from Antonette’s niece, but she was Hilda, not Hulda. There were seven Huldas in the 1930 census in Sargent County. One of the seven was in Milnor – Hulda Olsen, the wife of Gilbert Olsen, a laborer whose parents were born in Norway.
Item #296 - First of five photos done in brown tone, many of them on the verge of crumbling. They all seem to be in a mountain outdoors location, all seem to be women, and any that have women in the image, they are dressed in the same period clothing and hats.
This one shows six women outdoors, with one other person deep in the middle background, by a body of water, appearing to eat or take a break of some sort.
Item #297 - Second in the brown tone series, Two women and possibly a man, camping by lake, slightly faded, no date or location.
Item #298 - Third in the brown tone series, Faded photo, appears to be people hiking by down logs, one carrying a camera (?), no date or location.
Item #299 - Fourth in th series of brown tone photographs, Five women outdoors, one holding a form of binoculars, no date or location.
Item #300 - Fifth and last in the series of brown tone photographs, Rapids in River, mountain in background, no date or location. The photograph, as well as others in this set, has the initials “H. M. L.” written on the back. One of them has just “H. L.” written in pencil on the backside.
This writing on the back may be the key fact in determining who was in these photos, and where they were. Hannah Marie Lavik was a daughter and youngest child of Rasmus and Ingeborg, born in 1882. John Lavik writes that Hannah lived and was a teacher for a period in Spokane, Washington. It would point to this being her and friends, in the outdoors somewhere in eastern Washington or Northern Idaho by where she lived. And no one else in the Lavik family came close to having the initials “H. M.”
Items #296a, #297a, #298a, #299a, 300a. At left are copies of the reverse sides of the previous five brown tone photos. I thought it important to see here that there were initials on the back of each of these photos - two with “H L” and three with “H M L”. It’s significant to me to remember Hannah Lavik by showing these. For the longest time, I hadn’t figured out who was in these photos, and where they might have been. Hannah Marie Lavik was a teacher, and died an untimely death in 1908 at age twenty-six. These photos indicate friendship, and the outdoors. I’m glad she can be remembered.
Item #301 - Unidentified Young Man, Hanson’s Gallery, H. T. Hanson, Manager, Norman, Minnesota. This photographer is not shown in the Minnesota Directory of pre-1920 photographers. However, Item #308 below was taken by Hans T. Hanson, who photographed in Fargo and Buffalo, North Dakota - from 1895 to 1930. It is quite possible it is the same photographer for this photo.
Norman is not a city in Minnesota - but a County. Simon Ofstedahl, Agate Lavik Ofstedal, Tjorborg Lavik all lived in the area of Rindal. While they lived just into Polk County, the Rindal Church and graveyard - where some of these people are buried - is just into Norman County. The young man in this photo does look like a couple of other photos in the collection and will require additional analysis.
Item #302 - Unidentified Young Woman, photographed at C. L. Merryman, Kirkhoven, Minnesota. The corner reference for the photographer was scanned as 302a and is shown below. He is shown in the Minnesota Directory of Photographers as Charles Lincoln Merryman, having worked on Eleventh Street in Kirkhoven, with branch offices in Spicer and Sunberg. He is shown to have worked over a long period, with specific years in Kirkhoven listed as 1894-95; 1904; 1910; and 1922. This frame seems to match others in the general vicinity of 1900. Kirkhoven is in Swift County, Minnesota. This city is about one hundred miles west of the Twin Cities, and about two hundred miles south of Polk County - I am unaware of family members that lived in this area at this time. It is possible that one of the Lavik daughters was teaching in this area.
Item #303 - Two unidentified children, Bagley, Minnesota. 303a is a close-up of the photographer’s name, which is shown as Mons Mossefin in Bagley, Minn. Bagley is in Clearwater County, east of Polk County. Mons O. Mossefin is shown as Norwegian-American born in Voss, and after having a business in Crookston and Duluth, was in Bagley by 1914, where he died in 1926. Carl and Dora Lavik Grimsrud lived here from 1908 to 1912, which is close to this photographer’s time there – if not during it. Daughters were born to Carl and Dora in 1906, 1907, 1909, and 1912. It is quite possible that this photograph is two of the older three daughters. Additionally, Theodore Moen, son of Dorothy Ofstedahl Moen, died after five years of marriage and left four children. His widow Maude and the children lived in Bagley, Minnesota.
Item #304 - Lavik Sisters, taken by J. H. Hunter, Forman, North Dakota. It is clearly Dora and one of her younger sisters - based on other photos, this is likely Hannah. This is identical to photograph #18 – but that photo has a frame that is frayed and has water damage.
Items #305 and #305a - Unidentified man, Norway. #305a. is the back of the photograph, which shows it was taken by Daniel G. Nyblinn in Kristiania (Oslo), and gives the address - the back of this photo is posted as the header of this page. A database of early Norwegian photographers has an entry for Daniel Georg Nyblin (1826-1910) - note that the page that is linked only has one “n” in Daniel’s surname. The link is to a page that is in Norwegian. It appears that Daniel photographed in Oslo (Christiania) from 1866 until 1910. From roughly 1866 to 1870 - when he moved to different address - he photographed at Skippergaden 36, which matches the address information on this photograph above. If that’s true, this period would have been just before Rasmus Lavik immigrated to America. However, the Wikipedia entry on the name of Oslo states that it was Christiana until 1877, Kristiana until 1925, and then became Oslo. This photograph states “Kristiana”, which according to this source would not be in use until 1877. So this is somewhat confusing at to the precise time period reflected.
Item #306 - Unidentified Young Man, Zumbrota, Minnesota. The backside is scanned as 306a, and shows the studio as Cooledge and Haskins at 33 Main Street, Upstairs, in Zumbrota, Minnesota. H. W. Cooledge is shown in the directory as a photographer in Zumbrota in 1878-79 and 1884-86. There are three Haskins in the Minnesota Directory, none shown in Zumbrota or working with Cooledge, but all in the period of the 1880’s or before. Rasmus Lavik lived in this area until he left for Northfield ca 1887. Rasmus and Inbeborg’s oldest son was born in 1874.
Item #307 - Two Unidentified Men, Two Unidentified Women, Red Lake Falls. The back of the photograph shows W. A. Reichel, Red Lake Falls, Minnesota – the photographer who took many other photos in this batch. The people in this photo do not obviously match the other ones taken by this photographer in Red Lake Falls. As a reminder, Rasmus Lavik was posted in Red Lake Falls from 1889 to 1892. Ingvald Lavik was born here in that period. This photo is the sixth in this collection from Red Lake Falls - each of the six photographed at W. A. Reichel.
Item #308 - Unidentified Young Woman, Hanson, 508 Front Street, Fargo, North Dakota. Hans T. Hanson took photographs in Fargo from 1895 to 1930. It is possible that he is the same photographer shown in Item #301 above.
Item #309 - Anton Lavik. This is identical to photograph #24, and was taken at the same time as photo #138.
Item #310 - Rasmus Lavik. This photo was in the batch, and is identical to one of the two photographs of Rasmus Lavik provided by the Norwegian – American Historical Association. However, the one from NAHA of this image is a print that lists the Peck Studio in Zumbrota, which is he same studio that includes a print of Rasmus’ children from his first marriage at a younger age - one of four photographs taken at the Peck Studio that are in the Lavik Collection. This photograph is a fifth, even though this print shows no studio or city. So I scanned this version as well to have it in this collection. There is something small stuck to this photo, and a little water damage – but it’s the same photo.
Item #311, #311a - Holiday postcard sent to Rev. R. Lavik in Milnor, North Dakota from Concordia College. It id dated December 20, 1907, and the photo side is of Concordia College. and the message side is addressed to Rev. R. Lavik, Milnor, N. D.
Item #312 - Four Unidentified Women, F. W. Gertson Studio, Lidgerwood, North Dakota. This is a duplicate to Item #123. I speculate that the woman in the upper left is Hannah Lavik. The studio marking is scanned at right. It is hard to make out.
Item #313 - Postcard addressed to Mr. Anton Lavik of Milnor, North Dakota from “Ing” [Lavik], postmarked from St. Paul February 10, 1914. The message involved a game that was played to a draw. It was addressed “Dear Kid”. The postcard photo was of the City Hall and Armory in Valley City, North Dakota.
Item #314 - Photo of Simon Ofstedal and Kari Tuff Ofstedal, taken ca 1897 by Louis Olson of Fertile, Minnesota. The backside shows handwriting “MisTorbjor Lavik,” shown above also. This is a wonderful photo, and is confirmed as them by comparison to the photo of Simon and Kari by themselves, which is shown in the Lavik Photo Introduction page on this website, and the same as Ofstedal descendants used in a local Polk County history.
Simon was Rasmus Lavik’s nephew, the son of his sister Agate Lavik Ofstedal. Simon’s wife Kari, was the sister of Rasmus Lavik’s first wife, Ingborg Tuff Lavik. Tjorbjorg lived with the Ofstedals, and was shown with them in the 1885 Minnesota state census, and again with them in the 1895 Minnesota state census - both in Polk County, Minnesota. That was the last known record of her. Tjorbjorg immigrated with Simon Ofstedal (Sr.) and her sister Agate Ofstedal in 1878.
Simon and Kari had twelve children. Two died young in 1881 and 1888. The twelfth one, Kathryn, was born in June 1899. The eleventh one (which made nine living at that time), was John Ofstedal, born in November 1896. Since there are nine children in the photo, John is probably the youngest one in this photo, in his mother’s lap. That would place the date of the photo about 1897. Louis Olson is shown in the Minnesota photographers directory as having taken photos in Fertile, no years or address given. Simon and Kari and family lived not far from Fertile in Polk County.
Item #315 - A postcard marked December 21, 1911 to Rev. and Mrs. R. Lavik, Milnor, North Dakota. The message is brief, and appears to be in Norwegian, and is signed by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Norstad. I searched in census and cemetery records for any one by this name and could not find anything. There are “Thorstads” in Sargent County, but not a Thomas. I’m not sure who these people were, although as stated the message was in Norwegian. The card was made by Donaldson Studio in Wahpeton, North Dakota. The photo side is of a house in a wooded area and it’s unclear if that was a unique photo of the residence of the people who sent the card.
Item #316 - Photo of unidentified man, taken by Lee Bros. studio, no city listed, undated. The Minnesota photographer directory shows Peder and Thorwald Lee, Norwegian-Americans who took photos from the 1890’s to the 1940’s in Minneapolis. There was also a C. F. Lee, who worked in St. Paul at multiple locations as “Lee Brothers” from 1904-1907.
Item #317 - Envelope addressed to Rev. and Mrs. R. Lavik and Anton, No date or location listed. This envelope contained the two photographs that are listed as #318 and #319.
Item #318 - Unidentified older man in a minister’s dress, W. Cappelen, Christiania (Oslo). On the backside is shown an insignia, “Wilh. Cappelen, Cand. Pharm & Photograph, Kangens Gade No. 13, [two words, and then] Christiania” - shown above. Item #305 lists the history of the name of Christiania, and implies that is the spelling above was used, this was before 1877. The entry for Wilhelm Peter Daniel Cappelen in the Norwegian Photographer Directory in Norwegian, shows that he photographed at Kongens Gade 13 in Oslo from 1864 to 1868. If that’s the case, this photgraph was taken before Rasmus Lavik immigrated to the United States. However, given the envelope above that this photo was kept in, it’s possible it was mailed from Norway after Rasmus immigrated. It is unknown who is in this photograph.
Item #319 - Unidentified younger man in a suit, with a note in Norwegian on the reverse side, no date or studio listed. The back and front have no identifying printing from a studio. However, there is a handwritten note in ink in Norwegian on the back of the photo that states “En Erindring til R. Ladvik”. The loose translation of this note is “A reminder (or remembrance) to R. Ladvik”. If that is the correct translation, this is likely a note from the person in the photo, with the photo as a remembrance of that person to Rasmus Lavik. This photo was in the envelope above as Item #317, along with the photograph above that is Item #318.