Markuson Family History
In the mid-1960’s my grandparents discovered that my grandfather’s uncle - Albert Markuson, shown in an undated colorized photo here - was alive and living on a farm in rural Minnesota. I got in touch with him in what turned out to be the last months of his life. He had done a four page history of the Markuson family two years before (and had left out my grandfather!). I have since been in touch with Markuson descendant Jay Jerde, who has recovered many old family photos; I have visited Markuson relatives in Norway; and I have done much more research on this branch of the family. But I thought I would start with this page - putting up Albert’s family history, a picture of our immigrant ancestor (the father of Albert and my great grandmother Anna Markuson Ofstedal) Knute Markuson and posting my correspondence with him. I have posted a few photos of Martha Reppen Markuson - Knute’s widow - in my Bernice Connolly interview page in the Ofstedahl section on this site. Hopefully, more information will be posted later.
The photo at left is of Knute Markuson, my great-great grandfather, born in 1834 in the Balestrand area of Norway, immigrated in 1855, and died in 1902 in Minnesota. He and his wife Martha Reppen had thirteen children, two of which were Albert and Anna mentioned above. A third, Matilda, married Andreas Oefstedal, the brother of Anna’s husband John Ofstedahl. Martha Reppen Markuson outlived Knute by almost thirty years, and moved with her daughter Anna to Southern California, where she lived out the last years of her life. Information about Anna and Matilda is contained in the Ofstedahl web pages of their husbands.
Albert Markuson’s 1964 Genealogy
Albert Markuson prepared a genealogy of Knute and Martha’s family as of 1964. There is a brief introductory page and then four pages of family history. I will post those five pages right below. My grandfather Carl Ofstedahl wasn’t listed and his brother Ledwin is listed as Edwin - but at the Glendale address in 1964 where Anna Ofstedahl and Martha Markuson moved when they came out to California from Minnesota ca 1924. That address is referenced in Bernice Connollly’s oral history in the Ofstedahl pages. Albert left my grandfather Carl Ofstedahl out of the listing of children of Anna Markuson Ofstedahl and apologized for it in a letter that is posted below the family history that follows.
Letters from Albert Markuson, 1966
Albert Markuson exchanged letters with my grandfather and I about Markuson family history in September, October, and November, 1966. The first letter was to my grandfather Carl, (where he apologized for leaving him out of the Markuson history above) and the rest were to me. Albert died in December 1966 and his son Cliff wrote to tell me. In these letters, Albert transmitted the genealogy above, and he contacted John R. Lavik on my behalf about Ofstedahl family history. That letter from John Lavik is posted in the Lavik and Ofstedahl sections of this website. I am posting those letters below to complete this Markuson introductory page.
