Sirene Olsdatter Skramstad

According to the Skramstad family history in Norway, John Rogstad and SIrene Skramstad were childhood friends. John was born near the Skramstad homestead in Rena shown in the picture. John came to the USA and was in Black River Falls. Serene didn't come with her parents to North Dakota. She came directly to Black River Falls and they married there as soon as she arrived. She was pregnant with John at the time.

Per Else Granum... The name of Siren is written in several ways. When she was baptized in the church was named Sirene, later it has been written as Serine and Serene.

Detter my opinion is the name she was given at baptism is the appropriate, I use Sirene. The name she signed on her marriage license to Simon Horn in 1902 was "Serene".

1) The first Homestead Act was passed in 1862 (in the middle of the Civil War). That's when homesteading started.

2) Before the Northern Pacific Railway reached Fargo, ND, in 1872, then got to Bismarck, ND, in 1873, there was no good way to get to North Dakota. Then there was a major depression for about six years (because the railroad ran out of money and the financier Jay Cooke ran out of money and investors in Chicago and on the East Coast panicked). So homesteading in ND didn't really start until the 1880s.
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3) There were a lot of Norwegian settlements in Wisconsin. Partly because Canada was part of England back then. So Norwegians would take a boat to England, then Quebec, then through the Great Lakes to Wisconsin. Sometimes they would go to New York (which was more expensive), then take a train to the Midwest. But going through Canada was a cheaper way to get to America (or Canada).

4) Immigrants from Norway often sent money home to pay for boat (and train) tickets for relatives and friends from their home farm in Norway. Norwegians didn't randomly immigrate to places they didn't know. They came to places where their friends and relatives lived and lived near Norwegians who not only were from the same area, but were related to them.

Serene left Norway (alone) for Black River Falls, Wisconsin on 17 Jun 1891 to marry Johan Johannesen Rogstad, whom she knew growing up in Åmot. I doubt that her parents ever left Norway. Johan later changed his name on their marriage license to John J. Rogstad.

John J. Rogstad is the same man who Johan Johansen born on 1 March 1867.

He emigrated from Norway on 2 April 1886 and must have been back in Norway in 1891 - if it is he who is the father of serine first child.

He changed the name of John because it is more "American" than Johan. The surname changed he Rogstad because he is born on a farm / smallholding called Rogstad.

Before approximately 1900 we had no surname in Norway. It was common to use his father's name with a suffix -sen for boys and daughter-for girls.

Serine did not name Skramstaddatter, she called herself Serine Olsdatter and when she went to America she called himself Serine Olsen.

                                                         per Else Granum  01/2015

Serine Olsdatter Skramstad followed Johan to America, leaving the parish on 17 Jun 1891.

Sirene's Obituary found in 2014:

Serena Olsen Horn Memorial Photos Flowers Edit Share Learn about sponsoring this memorial... Birth: Jun. 10, 1868, Norway Death: Oct. 14, 1905 Jackson County Wisconsin, USA

Translated Obituary:

Hereby it is made public to absent relatives and friends that it pleased God to take away from this life to a better one my dear wife Serine Horn. She carried her difficult sufferings with patience in prayer and faith to her God who took her into his home. The deceased was born on the farm Skramstad in Aamodt, Norway on the 10th of June 1868 and died 14 Oct 1905 leaving a grieving husband and two boys ages 8 and 13 years. After her first marriage with Johan Rogstad she had a little girl who died at four days old after her last marriage. She was buried Curren Vallens cemetery next to two little girls that have wandered away. (i.e. passed away) A large group of friends showed her the last honor and the remaining family their sympathy and respect. Pastor A. A. Dahl performed the services in the house, the church and at the cemetery. Peace be with her and blessed be her memory.

Burial: Curran Cemetery Taylor Jackson County Wisconsin, USA

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=horn&GSfn=se&... Serine Skramstad Horn Memorial Photos Flowers Edit Share Learn about upgrading this memorial... Birth: Jun. 10, 1868, Norway Death: Oct. 14, 1905 Jackson County Wisconsin, USA

Translated Obituary:

Hereby it is made public to absent relatives and friends that it pleased God to take away from this life to a better one my dear wife Serine Horn. She carried her difficult sufferings with patience in prayer and faith to her God who took her into his home. The deceased was born on the farm Skramstad in Aamodt, Norway on the 10th of June 1868 and died 14 Oct 1905 leaving a grieving husband and two boys ages 8 and 13 years. After her first marriage with Johan Rogstad she had a little girl who died at four days old after her last marriage. She was buried Curren Vallens cemetery next to two little girls that have wandered away. (i.e. passed away) A large group of friends showed her the last honor and the remaining family their sympathy and respect. Pastor A. A. Dahl performed the services in the house, the church and at the cemetery. Peace be with her and blessed be her memory.

Family links:

Children:

 Carrie Agnes Horn (1903 - 1905)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial: Curran Cemetery Taylor Jackson County Wisconsin, USA

Created by: Christine Smith Record added: Nov 17, 2014 Find A Grave Memorial# 138879572

After John passed away Sirene went to work for Nils Mikkelson. The rumor was that Nils had romantic interests but during that time Sirene me Simon. It was believed that Simon lived on the east side of York Rd in Schermerhorn Valley south of York WI. John Jr. would have been about 10 at that time and Olive, who lived with the Nelson near there, would have been about 4. Simon and Sirene later moved to a cabin on the southeast end of Schermerhorn Valley which would have been even closer to the Nelson's so it's assumed that they met as neighbors. After John and Olive were married they moved to Olive's father, Nils, farm to take care of him. Olive later inherited the farms when Nils passed.