Kari (Caroline) Sanderson

Kari was the second child born to Osten and Aase Sondreson from Bakkajord in Tinn, Telemark, Norway. She was born September 2, 1817 and was nearly twenty years of age when she came to America with her parents. It would seem likely that she was a big help to her parents on the voyage over to America and in the Beaver Creek time period. She undoubtedly nursed her parents prior to their death and assisted the other children afterwards. After the death of her parents she somehow made her way to Mission Township, LaSalle County, Illinois. How she got there is unknown. The only record we have of Kari (who later changed her name to Caroline here in America) was the census records of 1850 and 1860. She is shown as living in the home of Nels Fruland in Mission Township. She is listed as blind and a "pauper". Nels Fruland is also one of the survivors of the Beaver Creek Settlement. Kari went from the Beaver Creek Settlement to the Fox River Norwegian settlements and was taken in by the Fruland family. It is known that other members of this family were aided by that same Fruland family. Nels Fruland died in march of 1873 and the death of Kari is presumed to be sometime after 1860 as she not located in later census records.

http://www.xmission.com/~rhubarb/bcrk-kari.htm