The following short biographies were written by Olava Lommen Hammersland, certainly with the help of family records and the information that her parents relayed to her. Olava’s handwriting is completely without shaking, so I’m sure she wrote these at least 25 years ago. Excerpts from another document, recorded by Olava, are inserted where appropriate.
(These entries were typed by A. Marie Hammersland Reyner in 1979).
LOMMEN HERITAGE
Thrond Hodne was married to Thora Olsdatta Orager who was an only child. They got the name Lommen from the name of the “gard” (farm) in which they lived, as was the custom in Norway in those days. (Father said there were seven separate Lommen gards in Slidre Valders). Thora Orager was the daughter of Ole and Barbro. Barbro’s father was Knut.
(Julie Springer Burkey inherited the trunk pictured at right that was Barbro Orager’s, daughter of Knut. The trunk dates back to our earliest traced ancestry. Barbro was Julie’s great-great-great grandmother. (see family tree above).
The children of Thrond Lommen and Thora Olsdatter Orager Lommen were:
Ole born March 20, 1824 - 1896
Gulbrand born August 23, 1826 – December 19 (20), 1900
Knut born October 22, 1830-June 17, 1910
Barbro born August 31, 1833-1863
Kari born March 4, 1839-December 19, 1917
Suneva born December 19, 1840-November 14, 1926
Ole T. born January 5 (6), 1844-July 14, 1930
Marit born November 10, 1846 (died January 15, 1847)
Marit born May 1849 (died in infancy)
Gulbrand, Barbro, Kari, Suneva and Ole T. traveled with their parents to America arriving in Winneshiek County in September 1851. The trip across the ocean was made by sail boat and they came up the Hudson River and Erie Canal by tow boat pulled by horses walking on land.
His wife Thora Orager Lommen continued to live on the same farm until her death. She was born June 12, 1804 and died January 19, 1880. She was buried in the cemetery near the paving between Decorah and Calmar. Here also are buried Gulbrand Lommen and his wife Elizabeth Brandt Lommen.
Ole Lommen, the oldest remained on the “gard” in Norway until his death at age 72 years. A clipping we have tells he died from tuberculosis. He was described as a dependable highly respected man and active in his community. He had five children namely: Knut, Tollef, Ingrid and Ole. Ole was a twin, but his twin brother did not live to grow up. Ole was here in America about ten years, but went back to Norway and died over there.
Gulbrand Lommen attended Asker Seminary in Norway but came to America with parents in 1851. He was County Treasurer of Winneshiek County for two terms; also Vice Consul (Norwegian Swedish) for Iowa. For many years he was “kirke’sanger” for Decorah congregation. His duty was to stand in front and lead congregation in singing). He was also a member of the church council of the synod for many years, most of the time between 1857 and 1870. He was also one of the original incorporators and trustees of Luther College. He was married to Elizabeth Brant Lommen who was a sister of Rev. Nils Brandt, one of the early pioneer pastors. Gulbrand had no children but had three stepsons. Elizabeth Brandt had been married to Jorgen Lommen (no relation to us as far as we know). The three step sons were Gulbrand who went to Alaska and became very rich. He was known as the “Reindeer King.” He was a lawyer and judge. Jorgen lived in Minneapolis and Ole J. lived on the home farm with his stepfather Gulbrand from whom he bought the farm.
Knut Throndsen Lommen graduated from Asker Seminary, Norway in 1848. He taught for some years in Norway. He was assistant editor of “Emigranten”, Madison, Wisconsin, 1864-1866, and “Skandinaven”, Chicago 1866. He was teacher (substitute) Of Religion and German, Latin and Greek at Luther College Spring 1868, October 1868 and winter 1869-70. He was editor of a family magazine “For Hjemmet” (For the Home) from 1876-1887. Wrote Norwegian “Leseboger or Readers which were used for many years in teaching Norwegian reading, He translated Altenberg Testament from German to Norwegian. Wrote poetry for papers and magazines and some published in a book called “Orkenblomsten” (Desert Flower). Also wrote a book called “Bibel og Geology (Bible and Geology) and some smaller pamphlets. He was sick for many years. The last nine years in bed. His illness was called Shaking Palsy. His sister Sunneva then took care of him. He lived at 201 St. Lawrence St., Decorah, Iowa. Was buried in the Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery, Decorah.
Barbro Lommen Halverson was married to Ole Halverson (nicknamed Ole California because he and his brother Tollef spent a few years digging gold in California during the gold rush in the late 1840’s). He bought a farm about 1-1/2 miles southwest of Ossian where they lived. Two daughters were born: Thora Elizabeth, and Ingeborg, who married Lars Dybendahl. Harold Hammersland rented this farm for eight years and it was there that Ada, Hanford, Clarice, Alice and Sylvia were born.
Kari Lommen Johnson was married to Orgen (George) Johnson who had a general store in Yorkville, Illinois, a small town southwest of Chicago. They had no children. They were both buried near Yorkville.
Sunneva Lommen attended Upper Iowa University and taught school for some years. Later she made her home with Johnsons in Yorkville and during that time she made her living by dressmaking. When Uncle Knut became a helpless invalid, she moved to Decorah and took care of him until his death. She inherited his house and lived there until her death in 1926. She was buried near her brother Knut, in the Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery at Decorah.
Ole T. Lommen was 7-1/2 years old at the time when his parents and four other siblings arrived in Winneshiek County in September 1851.