The Grønvold Lineage

"Grønvold" was the family name in Norway. It still as a matter of fact, as there are branches still going strong in the original valleys.

However, when Ole Petter Martinussen Grønvold emigrated to "Amerika" from Norway, the Grønvold family farm could only support so many: he left behind very hard times in the fields of Norway, as did many Scandinavians in that period of history. Perhaps, as the oldest son of the seven children that had survived, he felt the greatest obligation to relieve his family of at least one burden by leaving for the promise of a better life on the plains of the mid-West prairie states.

We don't know for sure... it's just one of the things that we never thought to ask him or his son or his wife when the chances do so were there. But we do know that one of the first things Ole did was anglicize his name to "Wold."

We also know with certainty that seven years later, on the 7th of March 1910, when he became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America, his name was legally registered as Ole Petter Wold. And he was proud to be a naturalized American citizen.

1. Morris Theodor Wold, son of Ole Peter Martinusen Grønvold Wold and Sidsel Trondsdatter Kjøseie Kjos, was born 24 Jul 1913 in Minot, North Dakota, died 17 Aug 1990 in McMinnville, Oregon at age 77.

Morris married Susan Helen (Honey) Crum, daughter of Paul Crum and Ingrid Christine Kirkeberg. Susan was born on 31 Jan 1913 in Minot, Ward, North Dakota and died on 27 February 2005 in Homer, Alaska, at the age of 92.

2. Ole Peter Martinusen Grønvold Wold, son of 4. Martinus Pedersen Grønvold and 5. Anne Mathea Olsdatter Snekkersveen, was born 14 Dec 1885 in Østre Toten, Grønvold Farm, Norway, died 12 Jul 1970 in Minot, North Dakota at age 84.

Ole married

3. Sidsel (Sissel) Trondsdatter Kjøseie Kjos. Sissel was born 4 Sep 1890 in Vang, Valdres Valley, Sore Holtun, an "underfarm" of the Kjøs Farm, Norway, and died 3 Aug 1979 in Billings, Montana at age 88.

Children from this marriage were:

4. Martinus Pedersen Grønvold, son of 6. Peter Jacobsen Gaardereie and 7. Pernille Johannesdatter Lundereie, was born 22 Nov 1858 in Østre Toten, Norway, died 20 Nov 1935 at age 76 and is buried in the Totenvika churchyard in Østre Toten, Norway.

Martinus married

5. Anne Mathea Olsdatter Snekkersveen, daughter of 8. Ole Christian Hansen and 9. Karine Pedersdatter. Anne was born 9 Sep 1858 in Højle Kolbu, married Martinus in 1884 and died 5 Feb 1949 in Balke aldershjem, Norway at age 90. She is buried with Martinus in the Totenvika churchyard in Østre Toten, Norway.

They are registered in the Norwegian census in Oppeland, Østre Toten, Grønvold farm in 1900. (Ole is listed as a son, but it indicates that he was a day laborer on a different farm, Skramstad mellem. Because he was living temporarily in Hjeldsengen in Østre Toten, his name is listed as Ole Peter Hjeldsengen. 15 years old and having to live away from home to earn money. He must have been planning then to leave for "the better life" in America.) Martinus is a farm owner with day work as a carpenter, as well as working occasionally at a distillery. Mathea is listed as a farmer's wife with income earned in the home from weaving and spinning. They had grain and livestock, but no poultry, beehives, fruit trees or vegetable gardens. [There is a distillery that neighbors the Grønvold farm. Farmers from the area brought potatoes there to be made into alcohol. As of 2008 the building is still there and is under major renovation.]

Children from this marriage were:

	Ole emigrated from Norway on his own at the age of 17. He left Oslo (Kristiania at the time) on the 10th of July 1903 on the S/S Montebello of the Wilson Line, which took thousands of Norwegian emigrants on the route Kristiania - Kristiansand - Hull, England. He signed the ship's register in Norway in such a way that there is no doubt that it was him: Ole Peter Martinussen Grønvold, age 17, carpenter, single. From Hull, Ole went to Liverpool, where he boarded the SS Tunisian, bound for Montreal, Quebec. He was still with the friend from his home town, Peder Jacob Antonsen and they departed Liverpool on 16 July 1903. They arrived in Montreal on 24 July 1903 (10 years exactly before the birth of his first son, Morris). Ole, is listed in the ship's manifest as O. P. Martinussen. (Page 14). Destination listed as Minnesota.
However, Ole settled finally in North Dakota, and he sent money home as often as he could to help the family in the struggling economy of early 20th century Norway. He also sent money in order to help three brothers and one sister emigrate, as well: Klaus, Jakob, Mads and Petronella all followed Ole with 100 Norwegian crowns each in their pockets.
Ole left the life of a farmer behind him. The career he settled upon to make a living for his growing family was that of an engineer for Great Northern. However, though he chose a life that was easier than farming, he never did lose his love of the land. Ole had beehives and vegetable gardens and fruit orchards on the land surrounding his home; he taught himself English and the art of building and running a greenhouse. And when he retired from the railroad, Ole continued working - and working hard. This time with his hobby: Wold's Greenhouses in Minot, North Dakota.

6. Peder Jacobsen Gaardereie, son of 10. Jacob Johannesen and 11. Pernille Jørgensdatter, was born 6 August 1820, dies 2 June 1904, buried 13 June 1904.

Peder married 7. Pernille Johannesdatter Lundereie. She was born 10 October 1825 and died 21 April 1891. They were married 11 Jan 1847.

8. Ole Andersen Holje, son of Anders Hansen and Berte Paulsdatter, was born 7 December 1824 in Gran, Norway.

Ole married 9. Karine Svensdatter Dyste, daughter of Svend Andersen and Agnethe Nilsdatter Skjølsaas. Karine was born 7 August 1829 in Dyste.

10. Jacob Johannesen, son of Johannes and Unknown, was born in 1790 and died 22 February 1862. He was buried 5 Mar 1862.

Jacob married 11. Pernille Jørgensdatter, daughter of 18. Jørgen Pedersen Holjestuen and 19. Pernille Olsdatter Nycklebye, was born 4 September 1786, died 14 September 1851, and was buried 22 September 1851.

Svend married 17. Agnethe Nilsdatter Skjølsaas. Svend and Agnethe were married 4 April 1823 in Hoff Hovedkirke, Østre Toten.

18. Jørgen Pedersen Holjestuen, b. 1756 in Røise (Toten), d. 14 May 1825, buried 20 May 1825 in Hoff Hovedkirke, Østre Toten.