Olson Laurel E. 1939

Laurel E Olson

1939

Laurel E. Olson

Parents Leland Hugo Olson and Edith Louise Olson

Laurel E. Olson

Born 1939 Viroqua, Vernon, Wisconsin, USA

Married 1963

Wife Patricia A. Montagnino

Born 1942

Parents Anthony J Montagnino and Vicenza C (Jennie) DiBenedetto

Children

James E. Olson

Born 1964

Spouse Lucy Laburzzo

Married 1993

Lori A. Olson

Born 1967

Spouse Mark Beyer

Married 2002

3rd

Another Story:

I was asked how I became so active in our family ancestry, well it is a long story and it started a long time ago. It was in mid-winter of 1954.

In mid-winter on a farm is a very slow period. All the crops have been harvested and are used to feed your cows. The tobacco crop has been harvested, cured, stripped, bailed, sold and delivered to the tobacco warehouses. A time of year when all the evening chores are done, supper is finished and family conversations are the thing to do.

Well, that was the case in January of 1954. My Dad, Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table talking. My Dad's best friend, his Grandfather Thomas Hestetune had passed just a month earlier and Dad was having a very hard time excepting that he was gone. They, as always, we're talking about family. Who was who, who was related to who, whose son or daughter just got married, who just relocated to another city and what other family information needed to be shared. My Brother Art had completed his technical training in electronics and was working away from home and my sister Ilene was working at Lowery's Dime Store after school and on Saturdays. My sister Carol had just turned 4 and brother Dean was just 1.

My Mom looked at my Dad and asked him, who in this new generation, will ever remember all this family information that we have in our minds? We have to do something to make sure it does not get lost. Someone must record it so it can be preserved and younger people will have answers when the get to be adults. Who can do this? Well, Dad looked at me and then Carol, and back at Mom and said, "well he's (meaning me) not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I guess he is all we have for now.

And that is where it started. Every night after supper the would talk and I made notes in my notebooks. Now if you knew my parents, you know that they knew everybody. They knew parents, children, spouses, in-laws and all the in-law's families. They would talk and I wrote. This process went on every night until spring. During spring, summer & fall, farming tool priority and consumed all our time. Come winter the process started all over again until spring. This went on until February of 1958 when I enlisted into the Navy. At that time I think I had about 7 notebooks full of family data. It seems like someone put a sharp edge on that dull knife because the information was crystal clear.

This will be the end of this memory update. I will pick up this story in another story later after I share my Naval experiences with you.

4th

After 11 years, The most wonderful and enjoyable years of my youth On March 1st of 1957, We moved off the Pine Knob Farm. You can always take the farm kid off the farm but, you cannot take the farm out of a farm kid. I lived on that farm from 1st grade until I was a senior in high school. Dad was looking for a change and wanted to carpentry work. After working at the hardware store for a short period he partnered up with Melvin and they were building houses, farm barns machine sheds and even two churches,

Mom worked full time at the IGA store. Three months later I graduated from high school. I took a full-time job at one of the orchards. I worked there until I enlisted in the U. S. Navy in February of 1958. I was sent to San Diego for basic training (Boot Camp) for four months. During the training, you were evaluated for your natural and educational skills. My skills determined that I was a prime candidate for electronic communications and was sent to Norfolk VA for class "A" radio school. We were trained there for all aspects of naval communications. For five month I learned Morse code, naval communications priority systems, classification systems, Transmitting equipment, Receiving equipment and radio operating procedures.

During this training, you are also evaluated on your background history and style of education. I was selected to also be trained to be a top-secret cryptographer.

After the training was complete I had earned a two-week leave between there and my next assignment. So, I went home for two weeks. While at home my parents and I discussed my recording of all our family history and recording of data. Mom said don't worry. When you get discharged after four year we will continue the project. She said she would make important notes. but she also said her memory was better than any notes she could record.

I left for my next assignment after two weeks and was sent to Morocco in North Africa to a major Naval communications facility where I was totally involved with very classified communications. While I was there I was upgraded from the standard Naval top-secret clearance to Department of Defense top-secret and then to NATO top-secret clearance. and was dead center involved in all the Cold War activities. After my two years were complete I was then given a new assignment. In the late summer of 1960, I was given a four-week leave and went home to spend that month with family and friends in Wisconsin.

5th

After a month-long, well deserved leave I reported to my next assignment which was an Escort Destroyer USS John Willis (DE-1027) at its homeport in Newport RI . As usual I reported to the Officer Of the Day stating I was Olson (Radioman Second Class) reporting for duty. The OOD said welcome aboard, we have been expecting you. Please report directly to the Capt's quarters. He has been waiting to see you. By the way, this is not standard procedure. The OOD escorted me directly to the Capt's quarters. He introduced me to the Caption and returned to his duty station. I, somewhat confused, said, "You requested to see me, Sir"?) He stated yes I did. Can you please explain to me why you have been assigned to my Ship? Your Security Clarence Level is higher than mine, What's the deal? I stated I did not know Sir, but I am just following orders. This issue became a bone of contention during my assignment on that ship. Every time The top-secret mission was relayed to the ship I was the only crew member on the ship authorized to decode and inform those required to be informed. Every Top-Secret message came with two sets of information. One for the ship's crew and one for me.

After about a month I received one of those messages and I informed the Caption that we were to get underway and head toward the east coast of Florida and he was to tell the crew it was an exercise in NASA recovery procedure. He asked me if that was all the information in the message and I told him yes. He asked "then why is it classified Top-Secret. As I was instructed I said "Sir, As of now that is a need to know topic" I also assured him as soon as I am instructed I will inform you immediately. His comment to me was "I am going to hold you to that" and mumbled something to himself that I could not hear but I knew what he meant.

The next day off the coast of Virginia , I received another Top-Secret message stating I was told to advise the Caption to change course and to head directly to the naval pier at Norfolk VA and the Caption would be sent a vehicle from the Atlantic Fleet Command. He was to meet the vehicle immediately after docking. As usual, I gave the Caption this information and he directed a coarse change and again I heard that quite mumble to himself.

After a few hours, the Caption returned and I was summed to his office and he asked if I was aware of the information he had just received. As usual, I stated "yes Sir but as I told you I was also informed It was on a need to know only" instruction. Another mumble and we were deployed to participate in what later became known as "The Bay of Pigs Operation." Halfway down the East Coast of Florida, I received another Top Secret message which told me to advise the Caption to "Abort" the mission and return to Newport . I did and heard another mumble.

6th

After returning to Newport, The ship continued with routine sea exercises and training. The ship with the crew was deployed the Boston Naval Shipyard for technical equipment upgrades and ship's hull inspection. The USS John Willis had a different type of construction. The ship's hull and superstructure were made out of aluminum instead of the usual steel. Steel and saltwater do not mix well so this ship was an experiment to improve the rust problem on all naval vessels. When ships go to a shipyard the first task is to chip away all the old paint, grind off all the rust right down to the bare steel, prime the complete ship and repaint everything with a couple of coats of "Battleship Grey" Well, the aluminum did not have one trace of rust, so it received a new coat of bottom paint and we were done.

The ship and crew were then deployed to the Naval Fleet Training Facility in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. We spent a month there training and participating in the Cuban Blockade and the returned to Newport for more in fleet training. Later that summer the Captain received an order from the fleet Admiral that the city of Bridgeport, CT had received a request that an active duty US Navy ship be sent there to participate in their Veteran's Day events. Bridgeport was a major manufacturing city and had many WW2 and Korean War veterans worked for those companies and this would be a way for those veterans and other city residents to go onboard and tour all the new ship enhancements. The ship arrived on Friday, November 10th and half the crew were given Saturday (Veterans Day) permission to leave the ship and visit the city. I was on duty. On Sunday the other half of the crew were given permission to leave the ship and visit the city. I and a few friends were in the city when we were approached by an individual who stated he was a veteran and advised us that there was a dance in town that night and we were all invited as guests of the city and he said he would drive us there. So, we all went. He introduced us to some friends he knew. Well, one of those friends was a feisty young lady named Patsy. We all had a wonderful evening and exchanged names and addresses. Sailors did not have phone numbers at that time. The next morning we departed and returned to Newport.

Patsy and I communicated by letter and I happened to find out that one of my shipmates just lived in a neighboring town to Bridgeport. I told him that I had met this very nice young lady and we were writing to each other. He said that if I ever need a ride to Bridgeport when he had a weekend pass he would give me a ride down and pick me up on his way back to the ship. So, for many weekends I and a few other friends would hitch around trip ride with Don. This went on for many months. That Christmas I was on duty so, I had New Years off. I went to Bridgeport with Don and by then Patsy and I could see that this relationship had moved far beyond just friendship.

7th

In December of 1961, I received a Top-Secret message to tell the Captain that we were being deployed to Norway in February. I was to tell the Captain to set course for Oslo and we were to take on High-Level Norwegian Naval Staff to show them how this all-aluminum vessel would stand up to all the high sea storms that are at their peak during the winter storms in the North Sea. At that time Norway was the largest producer of aluminum in the world and was considering switching to aluminum war vessels. I gave this information to the Captain.

In the meantime I wrote to my parents an advised where we were going so I could get more information on our ancestry. Mom sent a letter back an stated I should contract my Grandmother on my Dad's side because she would have the information I needed. I wrote to her and at the time we were given orders to deploy I had not received any information. We departed for Norway in late January of 1962. Upon arrival in Oslo, the ship was met by a delegation of Norwegian Officials. I then heard the Captain Say, "Olson report to the Captain's quarters" by now this was a common announcement to all the crew and I went to his quarters. As I arrived he introduced me to all the Officials, one who was the U. S. Ambassador to Norway and told me to go to my quarters and pack my uniforms and things. I was being sent to Bergen Norway because the Embassy had made arrangements for me to go visit my ancestor's decedents, I was put on a train and sent from Oslo to Bergen and I was told that staff members of the Embassy would meet the train in Bergen and escort me from there. The staff members met the train and drove me to a large hotel in Bergen. There I was introduced to a descendant on my Norwegian ancestors. Her name was Anna Sime, She was a high-level staff member of the hotel. We had supper together and assigned me a room. She told me we would meet for breakfast the next morning and go over the plans for my visit. The next morning, which was a Friday we had breakfast and she gave me a detailed tour of the city. She told me that I would be taking a ferry vessel from Bergen to Ardal later that day. It would be an overnight trip. She had to work the next day and advised me that her Brothers would meet me at the ferry in Ardal and she would come on Sunday. It seemed that my letter to my Grandmother had been answered and I was going to have an eye-opening look into my ancestry. I arrived the next morning right on schedule to meet Anna's Brothers. I did not speak any Norwegian and they did not speak any English, but with sign language, they took me to their home, which was the same Hestetune homestead my Great Great Grandparents departed from in 1854 to go to America. I was the first descendant of theirs to return for a visit in over 100 years. The first thing they wanted to show me was some letters their ancestors had received from America. They were letters that were sent to them in the late 1800s. It seemed a few letters were sent back to Norway by those who had immigrated in 1854 and a few from the first generation of Norwegian/Americans, but the next generation, which would have been my Grandparents had discontinued writing. Their first question was, who are you and how are we related. Anna, who spoke English arrived the next day and normal conversations began

8th

Anna explained that she was part of a group called "Fjord Heritage Group" and the group was trying to start compiling information on Norwegian families that had immigrated to America during the 1800's and her ancestor was, Endre Hestetune's, Sister Barbara who stayed in Norway and raised her family on the Hestetune family homestead called "Endregarden", where I was now staying. This was all new information to me and I just held that information in my mind. I enjoyed the next four days there meeting other people area's who were interested in what had happened to their distant relatives. I then returned to the ferry to return to Bergen to meet my ship. The ship left Bergen an headed up the west coast of Norway to the Artic Sea. After almost a week of bouncing around like a cork in the middle of an ocean the Norwegian Naval observers departed our ship with the firm conclusion that Norway would continue to use steel hull ships in their fleet.

During this trip Patsy and I communicated by letter and really began to know and determine who we were and made plans of what we were going to do after my enlistment was finished.

On the return trip to Newport the crew experienced what really rough seas are. About half way between England an Newport we encountered a real strong winter hurricane. We were in seas where the waves were breaking at over 80 feet with temperatures in the teens. Our ship was cocooned with over 6 inches of solid ice. When we arrived at Newport the ship was seven inches below the waterline because of the weight of all the ice. All the hatches had 6 inches of ice that the dock crew had to chip away before any exterior hatches could be opened. The Captain politely advised us after we had docked that to keep any of the crew from worrying, he had lied to when he told us not to worry because the ship was so well constructed that it could handle anything the storm would through at us. He said "I am sorry I lied to you, but I have never been more in doubt about our safety than this return trip.

I was scheduled to be released from active duty upon our return to Newport and I had been selected for a position at the Chief Of Naval Operations Office as a classified communications operator. With my tier three top secret clearance and as very strong letter of recommendation from our Captain, he said all I had to do was to show up for my interview at the Pentagon, but instead I was greeted with an involuntary six month extension because of the Russian missile crises in Cuba. This put an end to that opportunity.

My trips to Bridgeport resumed and Patsy and I were both glad that my lengthy deployments were done. Our ship was assigned to NASA space capsules chase and recovery duty which meant deployments were usually about three to four days and then back to Bridgeport on weekends. It is now early summer 1962 and I am half way through my six months involuntary active duty extension. Looking forward to what life will deal me moving forward.

9th

The last update ended in late summer of 1962. It is now late summer 1964. Two years later an my world is completely changed.

I completed my active duty and was transferred to the U. S. Naval Reserve unit in Bridgeport. Patsy & I became engaged in 1962 and were married in 1963. Patsy took her first trip to Wisconsin and was introduced to an overwhelming large family and a small farming town. A lot to digest in that one week visit. When we returned to Connecticut her head was still spinning and it took her months to try and sort out who was who and how is it possible for such a small town have so many relatives. Remember she only had one sister an two cousins. I was one of five siblings and we were five of sixty five first cousins. She could not get her mind to adjust to those kind of numbers. On this first visit we never told her that there were hundreds of second cousins also out there, for fear that she may never return.

Well now in late summer of 1964, I am working at a manufacturing company as an entry level accounting clerk. Patsy is a legal secretary working for a law firm. I have enrolled at the university, working six days a week and going to the University evenings. Life is moving at a very fast pace. And guess what, we are expecting our first baby. Hang on things will never be the same ever again.

The manufacturing company I worked for closed the plant the last two weeks of July every year for machinery maintenance, so everyone took mandatory vacations at that time. Jimmy was born in August of 1964 so we did not take a trip to Wisconsin that year.

In Sept. of 1967 we bought our first home and Lori was born in Dec. of 1967. I Graduated from the University in 1974 and life was moving at Mach speed.

We started making trips, by car almost every year. Jimmy & Lori became best friend with all their Wisconsin cousins and could not wait to return to Grandma & Grandpa's house as soon as possible. We did not take any other vacations other than back to Wisconsin. It was just assumed "We are going to Wisconsin." That we did and are still doing to this day.

In the summer of 1998, on our trip to Wisconsin The "Fjord Heritage Group" were visiting churches in Wisconsin and we were surprised to find out that our distant cousin Anna from Norway, the one I stayed with in 1963, was one of the group. We met up with the group at our family church and I met the group leader who showed me all the ancestral data that he had transferred from books of records to computer files. He offer to send me a copy of his files, which included all my families information from Norway. He advised me on which software I should purchase that his data files would run on, But, it did not have one name of any Norwegian/American's born in America. I told the group leader that I had all the missing data, which I had started recording as a teenager and I would add all this information to his data and send him a copy of my files when I was finished.

The 10th & Final Update:

The last update ended in 1998. This is what else happened in 1998. I retired from the manufacturing company in Bridgeport after 37 years. We sold our home in Connecticut and moved to Florida and bought a home there. So when we left Wisconsin after meeting with the Fjord Heritage Group we returned to Florida with all the data that I had recorded since I was a teenager. I purchased the software their leader (Neil) told me to and loaded it on my computer. I then emailed the leader and he sent me his data base. I was very surprised to see he had sent me over 12,000 names of ancestors data that he had transferred from his old ledgers into the software. It took me a few weeks to digest all this information so I could determine a starting point to start adding all the information. I started with all four sets of my parents grandparents because that is where my parents started with me some five decades earlier. I located them all in his data base because all four sets were from the same area of Norway that I has stayed in 1962.

Ardal Norway (My Mom's Father's ancestors) is the city at the very east end of the Fjord. It is surrounded by other suburb villages: Ovre Ardal, where I stayed is the Hestetune homestead ( My Dad's Mother's ancestors) Sogndahl (my Dad's Father's ancestors) and Luster My Mom's Mother's ancestors) It is amazing how all four family's (unknown to each other)came from four cities within a 10 mile radius in Norway, traveled the same route to America and settled within a 10 mile radius here. They then all joined the same country church congregation and began to know each other. They worshiped there, socialized there and were all buried there and are resting in peace. These four families became linked the day my parents were married. two from my Mom's side and two from my Dad's side. There were only 5 decedents who have exclusive 100% DNA from these four families. That would be me and my siblings. No other individuals can make that claim.

I spent months entering all the data I had recorded in all those years. It included 4 generations of information for each family since they left Norway from my Great Grandparents right up to my generation which started where I left off in February 1958.

The next task was to locate and compile all the information for the last 40 years. Thank God the internet, emails, Google, Ancestry.com and family contacts. For the next 20+ years I was able to expand that data base and add other families going back to their Norwegian ancestors.

Today I have over 22,000 names, birthdates, marriage dates and dates of death in my data base. It is 99% current and I continue to make updates every week. I get requests continually from people for printout of their ancestry and detailed printouts of their current family.

In 2018 we sold our home in Florida and moved back to Connecticut to be closer to family. I am a stroke survivor and have the best live-in caretaker in the world.

This concludes my journey from my teenage years which started with a pencil and some note books an two of the best historian/professors anyone could ever ask for to guide me developing not only a masterpiece of information but a passion for ancestry that became almost an obsession. Thank You Mom & Dad. So many have benefited from your knowledge and will continue to do so for as long as I can continue this journey.

(NOW) I would like a favor from you.

As you know there are members of your family: Parents, Siblings and Cousins or friends that still do not have computers or emails. So please print out these updates and share with them. They may have questions and you can be my link to them. I was recently asked by a member of the Sherry family if I could do a chart for them. They were still recording their information manually on spreadsheets. I took a few weeks but the end product was well worth the effort and now the all have copies.

You know how to reach me: Email or by regular mail @ 432 Asbury Ridge Road Shelton, CT 06484

Thanks & Keep in touch.

Now that I have completed the family ancestry for both my Grandparents on my Father Leland's side of the family, its time to give you some ancestry on my Mother Edith's side:

1. My Mother's Grandparents on her Mother Ida's side were Thomas C. Sime and Mary Sime. Thomas was born in Luster Norway in 1843 and Mary was born in Luster Norway in 1844. They were married in 1862. They had two children, David born in 1863 and Esther born in 1868. Mary Passed in 1870. In 1886 Thomas, David and Esther sailed to America via the St Lawrence through the Great Lakes to Milwaukee. They then traveled to Soldiers Grove I Call this (Generation #1.)

2. Thomas worked as a cobbler and never remarried. In 1887 Esther had a child Ida Sime The father was Osten Vigdahl. They never married. In 1893 David married Cecelia Sime and they had 4 children. (I call this Generation #2).

3 In 1905 Ida married Andrew Olson who's wife Julia Guri Skarr had passed in 1901. Andrw and Julia had a Son Julius was born in 1901. Julia passes shortly after Julius was born. With the help of his siblings Andrew raised Julius until 1905 when he married Ida. Andrew and Ida along with Julius had 7 other children: Catherine, Olga, Edith, Arnold, Clarence, Gordon, and Orvin. This generation continued the farming tradition. (I call this Generation #3).

4, In 1929 Our Mother Edith married Our Father Leland. This generation gave birth to 32 of us 1st cousins. Very few off this generation remained on the farms. (I call this Generation #4)

5. This next generation (My Generation) consisted of 32 first cousins produced a village of second cousins of which very few remained on the farms, (I call this Generation #5).

6. This is a group of second cousins who know about the farms and farming life. They are scattered all over the country but are very close and still appreciate family ties and still appreciate family heritage and like to be included in being kept up-to-date on family ancestry. (I call this Generation #6)

7. There are currently members in (Generation #7, #8 & #9) making up the future. If we can all educate our Children and Grandchildren as well as our Parents educated us, this families heritage will never be lost and out of contact. Remember, Last month we had 2 of our 7th cousins from Norway attend our family reunion. At our See you next time supper. I sat with my Great-Great Nephew Gabriel. and said good by to my 7th cousins from Norway,

Now that I have completed the family ancestry for both my Grandparents on my Father Leland's side of the family, its time to give you some ancestry on my Mother Edith's side:

1. My Mother's Grandparents on her Father Andrew side were Christopher Olson and Cathrina Nygard. Christopher was born in Aardal Norway in 1834 and Cathrina was born in Luster Norway in 1833. They were married in 1857. Luster is just across the harbor from Aardal. Shortly after the sailed to America via the St Lawrence through the Great Lakes to Milwaukee. They then traveled to Soldiers Grove and settled in Norwegian Hollow west of Soldiers Grove. I Call this (Generation #1.)

2. Christopher & Cathrina settled on a farm and had 9 children: Gjertude, Marie, Lars, Anna, Andrew was their 5th child born in 1871, Ingred, Bertha, Lewis, and Emma. (I call this Generation #2).

3 Andrew Married Julia Guri Skarr in 1900. In 1901 Their Son Julius was born. Julia passes shortly after Julius was born. With the help of his siblings Andrew raised Julius until 1905 when he married Ida Sime. Andrew and Ida along with Julius had 7 other children: Catherine, Olga, Edith, Arnold, Clarence, Gordon, and Orvin. This generation continued the farming tradition. (I call this Generation #3).

4, In 1929 Our Mother Edith married Our Father Leland. This generation gave birth to 32 of us 1st cousins. Very few off this generation remained on the farms. (I call this Generation #4)

5. This next generation (My Generation) consisted of 32 first cousins produced a village of second cousins of which very few remained on the farms, (I call this Generation #5).

This is The Norwegian Homestead known as Endregarden that our ancestors lived at before they decided to migrate to Wisconsin in the spring of 1854. Endre & Gert Hestetune along with their 5 children and Endre's Brother Nils sailed to Milwaukee and entered the U. S. then traveled to Soldiers Grove to homestead. Their 6th child was born about 4 months after they arrived.
His Name was Thomas. Thomas was Grandpa Olson's Grandpa, and best friend when he was growing up. Grandpa Olson stayed on his Grandfathers farm and worked for him as his farmhand for many years. I guess there is some special gene in the Olson DNA that makes Grandpa's very special people and it is still apparent today. Please download the attached and enjoy the information. I had the privilege of visiting Endregarden and staying there when I was in the Navy in 1961. Since then Karl and Art were there in 2015. With certainty I can predict that we will be the last to ever have this joyful experience. I do not have email addresses for everyone, so please share this with those that you think might be interested.