Tov (Tor) Torbjørnsson Torvetjønn

Thor Torbjørnsson Haddeland Kingland

MyHeritage familietrær kelly Family Site (23andMe) administrert av Dana Kelly

• Født: 8 feb 1807 - Haddelan, Telemark, Norway
• Død: 3 feb 1886 - Albion, Dane, Wisconsin, USA
• Foreldre: Torbjørn Aasvaldson Torvetjonn, Guro Torsdatter Torvetjonn (born Bosboen)
• Søsken: Ingebjorg Torbjornsdatter Torvetjonn, Kirsti Torbjornsdatter Torvetjonn
• Kone: Aslaug Alvsdtr Kingland (born Våmartveit)
• Barn:
  • Guro Torsdtr Kingland,
  • Torbjørn Torsson Kingland,
  • Alf Torson Kingland,
  • Ole Torsson Kingland,
  • Andrew Anund Kingland,
  • Thor Thorsson Kingland,
  • Axel Thorson Kingland,
  • Ingeborg Kingland,
  • Alice Thompson (born Kingland),
  • Axel Kingland

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GEDCOM Note

Thor transferred land to his son, Thor, in November 1870.

Notes from Sandy Gretebeck, Burlington, WI - Dana Kelly comments in italics and in brackets:

Settled in Cottage Grove twp of Dane county. [I have not been able to establish this. I haven't located Thor on the 1850 census in Albion, Christiana, Pleasant Springs, Cottage Grove, Deerfield, or Dunkirk townships.] Sons Annon & Alf bought 120 acres in the Town of Burke, Dane county, WI. [I have located Alf in Burke township in 1870 and 1880. I have not located Annon on the census. I believe he is "Andrew" on the 1860 census in his parents' household.]

Tor Torbjørnsson was from Haddeland, of the Bekkhus family. They got the farm Kingland, part of Vaamartveit.

Church register of the Koshkonong / Liberty Prairie churches list him as Thor Thorbjörnse Kingeland and as arriving in 1847, dated in Dec of 1850 by Rev. J.W.C. Dietrichson.

(Please note that many of the details in the following account are refuted by historical documents.)

From The History of the Hanson and Kingland Families by Johanna Kingland Lyster

THE KINGLAND FAMILY

Thor Kingland and his wife Anna arrived in America about 1820 or 1825 from Norway in the month of November. [Vinje parish records indicate Thor, Aslaug, and at least three of their sons (Torbjorn, Ole, and Thor) left Vinje in 1847. Boston passenger lists indicate they likely arrived in August of that year.] They were a young couple and no children were born before they settled on the Kingland farm which they bought from an Englishman who bought the land directly from the U.S. Government. [Thor and Aslaug had six known children prior to leaving Norway. Guro died in Norway, and their five surviving sons immigrated to Wisconsin.]

Because it was a severe, cold winter that year, they had to dig a basement and build a small house above it to live in. This hut was built on the western side of their land near the former Swan farm and Rutlin farm. The next year they moved to the eastern side of their farm and built a stone house. Below the house were several cold springs of water in a pond where they found plenty of water to drink and use. This pond did not freeze over in the winter time because of the springs. It had to be fenced in and around it so no cattle or people could fall into it and drown. From our house we could hear the frogs, bullfrogs, and turtles croaking all night in the summer time.

The children born to Anna and Thor Kingland were Ole, Alf, Torbjon, Alice, another girl who became Mrs. Monsen, and two other boys at least, whose names are not recorded. Alice married Tobias Thompson and moved to Viroqua on a farm there. [Guro died in Norway, Anund/Andrew is rumored to have moved to Iowa after selling his share of the farm he bought in Burke township with Alf, Ingeborg became Mrs. Monsen, and there were two sons named Axel - the older died as a child and the younger is found living in Viroqua in 1910.]

Thor, our grandfather, was born in 1844 and died February, 1913. He was named after his father. Two of the other boys moved to Iowa to live there. [Most likely Anund and possibly Axel.] I don't recall their names. Four of the boys served in the Civil War of 1860 to 1865: Ole, Torbjon, Thor (our grandfather), and Alf. Ole became "shell-shocked" while serving near the south in the army. All his companions or soldiers were killed or taken prisoner. He crawled under a hay stack and stayed there three days and nights. Each day the Confederate soldiers were around the stack looking for him. The third night he crawled out and started walking north each night and day until he finally came home. By that time the war was over. He lived on a farm joining our Grandfather's farm for several years, then he and his family moved to the western states, North Dakota and Canada. He died in North Dakota and is buried there. He was a quiet man but I remember talking with him when I was a little girl and liked him very much. He changed his name to Thompson. [Most records show his name as Kingland.]

Our Grandfather Thor, named after his father or the "Sun God" which the Norwegians worshiped years ago before they knew about Christ; which is about 1200 years ago now. [Thor was actually the god of Thunder.] Grandpa was a Corporal, 15th Wisconsin Regiment and headquarters. Grandpa's brother Alf changed his name to Thorsen and moved to a farm near Sun Prairie. The U.S. Government asked him to change his name because they had trouble to keep all the "Kingland Boys" or soldiers straight, as four of them fought in the Civil War. He also had children: Nellie, Clara, and Alf. There may have been more.

After the war, Grandpa married Syneva Jeran. Her uncle, Jacob Jeran, had a farm adjoining the Kingland farm. Thor enlisted before he was 18 years of age but the draft board sent him home until he was of age. When the war ceased, the Kingland children moved to different places. Two of the boys moved to Iowa and settled; we have no record of their names. Thor, our grandfather, bought his father's farm and settled there for the rest of his life. His wife, Syneva, inherited her uncle's farm that adjoined the Kingland farm. They had each a farm. Of course, it was listed as the Thor Kingland farm. Grandpa's farm extended on the south to Ole Kingland's farm and line fence, on the west to the Bosben and Rutlin farms, and east to Syneva's farm. Grandpa Kingland raised and milked Red Durham cattle because of their rich cream and milk. Grandpa and our Dad, "Tommy," changed this land some so both herds of cattle could have access to water when on pasture. They now had a ditch with water in it for pasturing cattle.

Great-Grandpa Kingland and Great-Grandmother moved to some land near "Wheeler Prairie" near Stoughton and spent their lives there. This was very good farming land and they called it the Biblical name, "Goshen." Grandpa Kingland married Syneva Jeran before he enlisted again but they felt they had a duty to fight the war as they thought it was soon over. This was when he was wounded and nearly lost his leg. He was a strong country boy and told us he saw the Southern man was aiming at him, so he did also, but said he did not want to kill him but to wound him. In those wars they lined up on each side and fired at each other. When the wagon came to pick up the wounded they did not bother to pick up anyone who could not help himself into the Patrol Wagon. Grandpa had tied his wound up but had lost a lot of blood. Being his arms were so strong, he pulled his whole weight into the wagon. If he hadn't, the story would have been different. When he came home at last they still lived on this farm and he had to have hired help until the children became older.

The children born to Syneva and Grandpa Kingland were Seward Frederick, born 1865, died 1894 (at my Dad and mother's home); Thomas Andreas, our Dad, born July 4, 1868; Anna, born May or June, 1871; and Annund Thrinius, born November 5, 1874. Anna Kingland died July 2, 1889, aged 18 years, 1 month, 9 days. She was engaged to be married but died before it happened. Her suitor did not marry for several years. Annund married a woman in Grand Forks and lived there. We have no record of his time of death. He is buried in a cemetery near Grand Forks. They had no children.

The sad part of this story is our Grandmother, Syneva Kingland, who died August 22, 1878, aged 33 years, 6 months, 8 days. She had a disease called "Quick Cancer" then and died young, leaving all these small children for Grandpa to raise. He had to hire different housekeepers and finally married Gunhild Eitland from Norway. It was not a pleasant life for the first family of children. She continually saw only their faults and not those of her own. Consequently, my Dad stayed several years with his grandparents in Goshen as they called it. Our Dad's half-sisters and brothers wee Tilla, Amelia, Tunnis, and Annie. They grew up as our neighbors until they married and left home.

My Dad (Thomas) married Johanna Hansine Godfredine Hanson (Jensen) December 23, 1885. Grandpa now asked him to buy his mother's farm (Syneva) and give the rest of the children their share of the money. This he did and they lived there most of their lives thereafter. He had to pay several thousand dollars for the farm and put new buildings and a house on it. A neighbor, Thor Smithback, had several farms and he loaned him the money but he kept raising the interest rate each year until finally he demanded 8% interest. Another man loaned him the money for less interest so he did not succeed in getting his farm. This was Old Man Bjorn. His daughter married our Uncle James Hanson, Mother's brother. Mr. Bjorn was an honest man. [Actually "Bjoin".]

As we never knew our other Grandfather, we were very much attached to Grandpa Kingland. We also never knew Grandma Kingland (Syneva). She died so young. Grandpa received a Civil War pension of $50 a month so it helped him to manage his farming, etc. Grandpa Kingland was a God-fearing Christian. When he got his heart attack, he put all his trust in Jesus. My father helped take care of him the last day he lived. Tunnis was not at home and did not return until after he had died. He told my father, "I wanted to talk with him (Tunnis)." It was possibly to caution him against his drinking habit. As he had severe heart pains, he asked my father to lift him up and he said, "You have been a very good son to me. I see Jesus there. He died for me." Then he died in my father's arms. He died in February, 1913.

Mulla (Amelia Kingland) and Andrew Tillung moved back to Grandpa's farm and Gunhild made her home there until she died. Our Dad did not receive his inheritance from his father's estate as Gunhild and her children had a will made so they alone received his estate. My father was the only one left of Grandpa's first family. A relative of Syneva (Dad's mother) was very upset and wanted my Dad to contest the will because he knew Grandpa Kingland wanted that done. "He had a right to the share of his father's estates as well as the others had," he stated. My Dad did not contest it and the other children and Gunhild didn't see the wrong they had done to him.

My dad raised 9 to 12 acres of tobacco each year and also a lot of pigs. Mother raised chickens and sold eggs. In our family were nine girls, namely, Syneva (Susan), Anna, Lillian, Semanda, Johanna, Gertie, Dora, Milla, and Tena. The first child was a boy who died when about two years old from an epidemic of diphtheria. His name was Gurgine. He is at West Koshkonong Cemetery. Besides the nine girls in our family we kept a hired man in the summer time, our Grandma Jensen, and a carpenter who couldn't get a home and asked to stay with us. He had a room over a big stripping house where he slept and he had his meals and washing, etc., with us. At times we were 13 people at our dinner table.

Mother was a very good cook like her mother was. She sewed all our dresses, washed and scrubbed floors after we were all in bed. Her work was never done. She also gave us out set jobs to do, so no one could fight about it. Tunnis (Dad's half-brother) was always a spoiled child. Being the only boy Gunhild (his mother) gave in to everything he demanded. He would not listen to any reprimands from Grandpa. Tunnis became ill and had a leg amputated. He also reformed and became a Christian. Grandpa's prayers were answered.

When Anna, Lillian, and Semanda were in school (Lenaas School), Tunnis hitched a team of colts to the wagon which they hauled milk cans in. They were big green cans weighing several pounds. This creamery was south of Lenaas School, so all the children had a ride by standing in the back of the wagon. Anna got in last and tunnis yelled at the horses which made them lunge forward. Anna grabbed a can but it was not full enough to hold her weight. She lost her balance and fell backwards pulling the can over her stomach. We thought she was dead but she revived when the doctor came. She always was frail and weak after that. I had not yet started school so I remember distinctly how blue and bad she looked. It took some time for her to gain her strength. Later, when she was a grown woman, she had an operation for appendicitis which had been caused by the milk can, the doctors stated. I was 6 years old then when it happened. So many things that happened from the time I was 5 years old. I remembered everything distinctly.

My dad's half sisters and brother married the following: Tilla married Edwin Lee of Cambridge. She is the only one living now, over 80 years old. Mulla married Andrew Tillung and moved on the home place. Tunnis married Olga Torke from Cambridge. They were divorced after they had three children. She lived in Edgerton. Anna married Emil Lukken from Cambridge.

We had several horses through the years. I remember "Old Jim." He was white and was Mother's and Grandma's "buggy horse." Later we had a big pair of gray horses, Bill and Norman. Bill became Mother's buggy horse. He was not afraid of anything but squealing pigs. When Mother drove to Deerfield to do her grocery shopping, etc., they thought she had a big horse and how did she manage him, from running away? He was very gentle and Mother was a good horsewoman. Norman was my Father's "pet." He always came home from the fields "stepping lively" no matter how tired he was.

One day the horses were let loose to eat around the yard and they had wandered up the road to the hill. Something frightened them and they came galloping down the road. Tena was very small but she loved the horses and started down the path to meet them. Semanda was a fast runner but she didn't make it as Tena fell right in front of Norman. He lifted his feet so carefully he never touched her. That is what's meant by "horse sense." Everyone had a dinner bell on the farms because they didn't know when diner and supper were served otherwise. Bill would hear the dinner bell a quarter mile from the house and he would stop and would not go any farther so they knew it was dinner time.

Mother's last buggy horse was Prince, a roan-colored horse. He walked very fast so it didn't take her long to get to town and back. One nice winter day she had to take her eggs to town in a cutter. There were a lot of big snow drifts so the road was laid across a field for short distance. The pitch holes were deep and the cutter tipped her and some of the eggs out. She had a big fur coat and was dressed so heavily she couldn't get in the cutter again very fast. She called "Whoa" and Prince would stop until she came to the cutter but didn't wait for her to get in. This happened about three times but finally she made it and got all her eggs to town and none were broken. The last picture we took of him and Mother he was getting old but he raised his head up so high as though he felt very good. By this time the Ford cars were in and horses were used only for farm work.

During the summer we had three weeks of Norwegian Religious School. The teachers were students who were learning to be ministers. They got their board free by staying one week at a time at some farm where children went to this school. We had one by the name of Radevar. He was a native of Madagascar and was the first black man I had seen. He stayed three weeks, as some of the people did not like to keep him. He was a very religious man and every night he would go to the barn to watch the men milk the cows. His expression always was, "Oh, if my people could have cows and milk like this."

When he finished his schooling he went back to his native villages to teach Christianity. He also married a Christian woman. This was a mistake to send him to his home, as the people tried so hard to make him a heathen again, the women especially. He went back to some of his sinful ways. Finally he became very ill. His wife forgave him and he died. She had him buried in California.

Our grandparents and our parents and we children always lived in a Scandinavian settlement in Wisconsin. We never knew our Grandmother Syneva Kingland as she died so young but we had our Grandmother Mickolene Jensen with us many years.

The Scandinavian neighborhood we lived in was a thriving community. Some people who lived there a few years told me later, "That was the friendliest community they had ever lived in, " because the people always were so full of fun and pep. They enjoyed living together with their church, school, and social gatherings as "Kaffe Lag" or coffee parties, house parties, and sometimes barn dances! At Christmas time we went "Yule Buking." We dressed up in different clothes and visited each home to see if they could identify us, then we had to remove our masks.