THE HELGESON-BERG FAMILY HISTORYWritten by Clarice Lemburg and her daughter, Diane Lemburg TollefsonUpdated Sunday, July 24, 2005 You may read the various chapters by moving to the "Table of Contents" column on the left and click on the chapter. The chapter will be displayed in this part of the screen. If you want to see a different chapter, just choose it from the left and click on it.
I have grown up hearing stories of North Dakota and the wonderful farming families and life in the small towns of North Dakota. I spent a memorable summer with my grandmother, Bertha Amundson in 1954 and met many relatives and visited many places...it was a summer I have cherished all these years. I wish I had asked more questions then about the family. We do know that in 1865, Helge Aslachson and his wife Barbo left Gol, Hallingdal, Norway with 4 of their 5 sons. They left Bergen, Norway on a ship named Praesident Harbitz on May 27 and arrived in Quebec on July 17, 1865. Exactly 140 years ago, today. Of the 195 passengers on the ship, 16 came from Hallingdal and 12 from the Berg farm. You can find this information on the Internet at: www.norwayheritage.com/p list.asp?jo1535. Once they landed in Ontario, they took a two week train trip south to Lansing, Iowa. They made their home in Lansing and two more sons were born there. Sometime around 1880 they traveled to the Walcott, North Dakota area and lived there the rest of their lives. I have recently heard a story that rings true to me, that they walked to North Dakota...hoiding on to the wagon, and. fearing. another Indian uprising. We know that they left their oldest son, Engebret, in Norway and he came 2 years later on his own. Lewis Hatfield, sent me the story of Engebret's trip to America, and I will enclose that story, also. Lewis visited Gol many years ago and went to the Berg Farm. He sent me photos of that visit which I will include. Mother and I have been researching and recording family history for the last several years and I will include some of the stories and information we have for you. I would like to gather more information and photos from other family members for future newsletters. I do not have photos Helge and Barbo Aslachson and am missing some of their sons, also. My computer has been a great help in locating people. If you have the Internet, please visit Lew Helgeson's site: you will be amazed at all the information he has there.. I also visited a site by a woman named Karen Graham from Canada, she is a descendant of Engebrit Berg, the oldest of Helge and Barbos sons. Her site: www.erin,utoronto.ca/~jsmnson/wri305/e01id7hk/martin.htm, a wonderful memoir from her uncle Martin Berg. I have recently received correspondence from Doreen Daily from Bonita, California. She sent copies of pages from the book of his!ory of Gol...It is in Norwegian, so we need to translate it, but I will send those pages, also. If you have anything to add to the next newsletter, please send it to Clarice Lemburg.
12561 Palomar, Garden Grove, CA 92845. She will be happy to hear from you and hoping to see a photo and some family stories, too. Clarice's phone number is 714 898 4195. Hope you enjoy this, we have enjoyed preparing it. Sincerely, Diane Tollefson
5862 Abbey Drive, Westminster, CA 92683 Our phone # 714 897 055( If you need to contact the Webmaster (Lew Helgeson), here is our address and some phone numbers:
Lew and Carolyn Helgeson,
Home phone: 1-925-846-2971
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