Name:           Serine (Serena) Tormodsdatter MADLAND1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14, 20, 21, 22, 23  

Click for photo from Anderson9

Sex:                 Female

Father:            Tormod Jensen MADLAND (1780 - Jun 1826)

Mother:          Siri Ivarsdatter SELDAL (1770 - 1829)

 

Individual Facts

Birth                     about 25 Dec 1813                               Bjerkreim parish, Stavanger Amt. (Rogaland), Norway

Baptism                1 Jan 1814                                             Bjerkreim parish, Stavanger Amt. (Rogaland), Norway

Baptism RLDS    Apr 1864 (age 50)                                 Suscol, Napa Co., CA15

Death                   7 Jan 1898 (age 84)                               Fruto, Glenn Co., CA16,17

Burial                    1898 (age 84)                                        Tulocay Cemetery, Napa, CA

 

Marriages/Children

1. Jacob Anderson SLOGVIG

Marriage                1 Mar 1831 (age 17)                              Kendall (Murray), Orleans Co., NY18,2

Children                 Sarah ANDERSON (1834 - 1850)

                                Martha Jane ANDERSON (12 Jun 1836 - 16 Jul 1873)

                                ? ANDERSON ( - )

                                ?Inga ANDERSON (1839 - 1850)

                                Isabelle ANDERSON (18 Jul 1839 - 19 Nov 1881)

                                Andrew Jackson ANDERSON (12 Apr 1842 - 15 Dec 1917)

                                Jacob ANDERSON (21 Jul 1844 - 22 Jul 1866)

                                ?Rachel ANDERSON (1849 - )

                                ? ANDERSON ( - )

                                Julia "Julie" S. ANDERSON (8 May 1855 - bet 1870 and 1872)

 

Notes:

Birth: [Her place of birth was originally thought to be Høle parish, but Gunleif Seldal searched for her birth records in Høle and has not able to find any evidence of her birth there. Gunleif continued searching and was eventually able to locate her baptismal record under the Bjerkreim church, where she was baptized on 1 Jan 1814 indicating her birth a few days earlier. (correspondence with G. Seldal Jan-Feb 2003)]

Marriage: Married Jacob ".. at Kendall, in the woods near Lake Ontario, in the same place where her sister Julia had been married." (Anderson2 p. 101)

Baptism: [2nd baptism as adult in Reorganized LDS Church; baptized by E. C. Brand.]

Burial: [Buried beside husband & son Jacob Jr. in Block 49, Lot 19.]

Death: [A footnote in the Slooper book states that "Her death record at Napa shows her as 'Senenger', death from 'old age'" and would lead one to believe she died in Napa.  However the reference here is to the Tulocay Cemetery records.  Elsewhere in the Slooper book it indicates that she died in Fruto.  Guinn's Calif. history book has a death date of 7 Jan 1898 at Fruto, CA. Newspaper sources & other records confirm death in Fruto, Glenn county, Sacramento Valley, California.]

.

General: IMMIGRANT     SLOOPER -  - She apparently moved about 1815 with her family to the city of Stavanger, Norway, where her father worked and had a blacksmith shop.   She was 11 years old in 1825 when she sailed to America on the sloop Restoration with her parents and 2 sisters.  Serine accompanied her parents to Murray, northwestern NY, near the shores of Lake Ontario. There, about 6 years later, she married SLOOPER Jacob in 1831 having her 1st child at about the same time as their family move to Fox River, IL (1834). She had 6 more children while at Fox River.  She moved with Jacob and her children to Pottawattamie Co., IA, in 1848.  She was listed as age 36 in the 1850 Pottawattamie Co., IA, US census, and at that time the following children were listed in their household: Sarah age 16, Martha age 14, Ingah age 11, Andrew age 9, Jacob age 5, and Rachel age 1.  In 1854 the family moved to California by wagon train; at that time she had 6 living children according to the Slooper book: Sarah, 20; Martha, 18; Inga or Isabelle (?), 15; Andrew J., 12; Jacob, 10; and Rachel, 5 (p. 425).  A letter that Serena wrote in her later years confirmed that she had 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls.  

.

    In California, the family settled on a farm south of the town of Napa in a community called Soscol or Suscol. After Jacob's death in 1864 "Serena Anderson and Andrew J. ran a road house called Soscol House.  It was the only building ever erected at their crossroads, a place where teamsters stopped for their meals.  Serena's life, after Jacob's death, was indeed very closely bound to that of her son (Andrew).  This meant her return to the Pottawattamie County, Iowa farm after 1867." (Slooper, p. 426)  (History of Pottawattamie Co. states she returned "about 1865.").    "... Andrew built a nice frame house diagonally across the Mormon Trail to the southwest.  It had a number of gables and was considered to be a wonderful house because it also had porches.  In fact the roof of the front porch served as a private porch for Grandma Serena Anderson whose room was just in back of the door underneath the middle gable.  An inside door from her room opened on a stairway going directly to the kitchen.  There was a nice spring more west than north of the house about one quarter of a mile away and water was carried from there.  It was necessary to watch out for poison ivy.  the surrounding woods were a great enticement for the children to play hookey from school.  The Osler children sometimes found the heads of tomahawks along the old Indian Trail (The Mormon Trail).  Jesse and Frank James once visited the Osler home.  The neighborhood children were always well treated by Andrew and Melissa, who had no children of their own.  Two Opsal girls from California stayed in the Anderson home for a time." (p. 428; the following is a footnote to this reference to this house: "This house bore a charmed life.  In 1941 a cyclone missed it by only twenty feet.  That distance away there was a large tree, 3 1/2 feet thick and 40 feet high which was torn up by the roots leaving a hole big enough to bury a horse.")   "About 1880 she moved with Andrew to Carson, Iowa; thence back to California after 1888, first to Jackson, Amador County, then with Andrew at San Diego, and finally near Fruto, Glenn County after 1894.  In 1895, the historian, (Rasmus B.) Anderson, was much impressed with her mental and physical vigor at 81.  She died early in 1898 at Fruto, just six days past her 84th birthday.  She was laid to rest ... beside her husband whom she had buried there thirty-four years before.  The grandchildren always remembered Serena, who was short in stature, for the peppermint candy she kept in the long pocket attached to the seam in her. dress." (Slooper book, p. 426)  Cemetery records indicate cause of death to be "old age."

.

   Slooper historian Rasmus Anderson2 p. 101  has this to say about Serena after her marriage to Jacob: "She moved first to the Fox River settlement and afterwards to California, where she is still living (book published 1895), being now over eighty-one years old. ... My last letter from this dear old lady was written at Fruito (sic), Glenn county, California, March 11, 1895, and it shows her to be in the full vigor of her mental and physical powers. She sent me her photograph taken about ten years ago. Her husband, who was born June 8, 1807, died in California, May 5, 1864."

.

   She is listed as age 66 in the 1880 US Census living with her son and his wife in Grove Township, Pottawattamie Co., IA (listed just below her in this census is a 12 year old female by the name of Alice Weeks or Meeks who's relationship to the family is listed as "adopted," however no other family information or documentation indicates a girl being adopted either by Serine or his son and his wife).  She is listed as a widow in the 1885 Iowa State Census living with her son Andrew and his wife in Carson Township, Pottawattamie Co., IA.

.

   "She was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 24 May 1842 by Gordon E. Deuel.  She received her endowment on 7 January 1846 in the Nauvoo Temple.  She was baptized and confirmed a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in April 1864 at Suscol, Napa, California, by E. C. Brand.  She attended the Wheeler's Grove, Iowa Branch." (RLDS Archives, Early RLDS Church Membership by Susan E. Black, p. 124.)  In her obituary in "The Saints' Herald," 1898, 45, p. 112, it states her "husband and nine children passing to the beyond before her. One son, five grandsons, and one granddaughter mourn. ... Her hope in the future was bright and she passed away peacefully.  She was laid to rest in Napa cemetery, beside her husband and one son, to await the resurrection of the just." [Note: in year 2000 the RLDS Church changed its name to "Community of Christ."]

.

Her death notice appeared in "The Promoter" (a Glenn Co. semi-weekly newspaper); Willows, CA, Sat., 8 Jan 1898, p. 2, col. 3, and states:

"DIED

ANDERSON - At Fruto, Friday Jan. 7th, 1898, Mrs. Serena Anderson, aged 84 years."

.Her burial notice appeared in "The Promoter," Willows, CA, Wed., 12 Jan 1898, p. 3, col. 3, and states:

"Buried in Napa

The body of Mrs. Irene (sic.) Anderson who died at the residence of her son, A. J. Anderson at Fruto on Friday evening last, was shipped to Napa Monday for buriel (sic.). The remains were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Anderson. The deceased was a native of Stavenger (sic.), Norway, and was 84 years old at the time of the death."

.*For more information on the Sloopers see notes for her father, Tormod Jensen MADLAND.

 .  

Notes (Family)

Marriage: [Norwegian historian Rasmus B. Anderson has marriage location of Kendall, NY.]

 .

Sources

1.  Rosdail, J. Hart.  The Sloopers; Their Ancestry and Posterity; The Story of the People on the Norwegian Mayflower, The Sloop, "Restoration.".  Broadview, IL: Norwegian Slooper Society of America, 1961.

2.  Anderson, Rasmus B..  Norwegian Immigration - 1821-1840 (As parts copied & furnished by Neil Hofland of Santa Monica, Feb. 1997).  1895.

3.  History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.  Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1883.  p. 353.

4.  1850 US Census.

5.  Archive Records furnished by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints under cover letters of 6 and 20 Oct 1999. (Contact person: Barbara J. Bernauer, Assistant Archivist).  Independence, MO: RLDS Church, 1999.  Wheeler's Grove Branch Record Book (#172), card file, obituary & Early Church Membership. [Note: in year 2000 the RLDS Church changed its name to "Community of Christ."]

6.  1860 US Census.  Napa Co., CA.

7.  1885 Iowa State Census.  Carson Township, Pottawattamie Co.

8.  1880 US Census.  Grove Township, Pottawattamie Co., IA.

9.  Anderson, Rasmus B..  The First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration, (1821 - 1840), Its Causes and Results.  (This is a very difficult to find, out-of-print book, but it was transcribed by Neil Hofland of Santa Monica and posted in many installments to the Internet Norway List.  These postings were gathered together from the List Archives and made available in a zipped file format by Debbie Chan of Winnipeg, Canada, in Feb 2000.).  Madison, WI: Published by the author, 1895.  pp 91-101.

10.  Anderson, Rasmus B..  "'Restaurationen' -- the Norse Mayflower,"  AMERICAN SCANDINAVIAN REVIEW, Vol. 13., pp. 348-360. (Copy of original from Washoe Co. Library, Reno, NV; furnished by Bob Westberg.).  January 1925.

11.  Flom, George T..  A History of Norwegian Immigration to the United States; From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848.  Iowa City, IA: Privately Printed, 1909; Facsimile Reprint by Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, MD, 1992.  pp. 46, 57-58.

12.  Seldal, Gunnleif.  Correspondence with Gunleif Seldal of Klepp, Rogaland, Norway, including e-mails, attached MW Word Documents entitled Marthe tormodsdatter and Munnor Marcusdatter (Jens Madland's wife) presenting Gunleif's research on the Madland family.  Klepp, Rogaland, Norway: private, 2000.

13.  Blegen, Theodore C..  Norwegian Migration to America 1825-1860.  New York: Haskell House Pub., 1969.  p. 393.

14.  Hauge, Alfred.  Cleng Peerson, Volume 1 & 2, Translated from the Norwegian by Erik J. Friis. (Historical novel/fictionalized biography originally published in 3 volumes by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo.).  Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975.  pp. 80, 346, 401.

15.  Archive Records furnished by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints under cover letters of 6 and 20 Oct 1999. (Contact person: Barbara J. Bernauer, Assistant Archivist).  Independence, MO: RLDS Church, 1999.  Wheeler's Grove Branch Record Book (#172).

16.  Rosdail, J. Hart.  The Sloopers; Their Ancestry and Posterity; The Story of the People on the Norwegian Mayflower, The Sloop, "Restoration.".  Broadview, IL: Norwegian Slooper Society of America, 1961.  pp. 426, 426n, 468.

17.  Guinn, J. M., Prof..  History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California. An Historical Story of the State's Marvelous Growth from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time.  Chicago: Chapman Publishing Co., 1906.  p. 1469.

18.  Rosdail, J. Hart.  The Sloopers; Their Ancestry and Posterity; The Story of the People on the Norwegian Mayflower, The Sloop, "Restoration.".  Broadview, IL: Norwegian Slooper Society of America, 1961.  p. 57.

19.  Naeseth, Gerhard B..  Norwegian Immigrants to the United States; A Biographical Directory, 1825-1850; Volume One 1825-1843.  Madison, WI: 1993.  p. 5.

20.  Hauge, Alfred.  Cleng Peerson, Volume 1 & 2, Translated from the Norwegian by Erik J. Friis. (Historical novel/fictionalized biography originally published in 3 volumes by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo.).  Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975.  Vol. 1, pp.80, 342-344, 346, 361, 401;  Vol. 2. pp. 85, 136, 149, 152, 192.

21.  Dybdal-Holthe, Nils.  Tysvær, Gard og ætt 2, Tysvær Sokn (Vol. 2 of "Tysvær Bygdebok" or local history book for "farms and families" for Tysvær subparish, Tysvær kommune, Rogaland county, Norway).  Stavanger, Norway: Tysvær Kommune - Dreyer Bok, 1990.  p.  25.

22.  Nag, Martin.  Ryfylke-kvekerne! Utvandring! Essays og myter. Stavanger, Norway; Kveldsbel-eika; 2000, p.  200.

23.  Norlie, Olaf Morgan.  History of the Norwegian People in America. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1925 (Heritage Books Reprint, 1999), pp. 122, 123, 132, 144.

 

Prepared by:

O. Keith Wheeler

Mad River, CA 95552

(707) 574-6595

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