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He was my g-g-grandfather and he came to America in the year 1851 with his wife Astrid. They came early to the Norseland Community at present day St. Peter, Minnesota. They settled there before Minnesota became a state.
Gene Estensen
Ole Østensen Bøen was born at farm Berge in Tinn, Telemark, Norway in the year 1827. His wife was Astrid Johnsdatter Bøen. Ole and Astrid sailed sailed to America in 1851 with others from Tinn. Their baby daughter Aase did not live to see her first birthday. Astrid was 19 years old, Ole 24 when they left Tinn. A second child, Jon, was born "in a railroad shanty near Galena, Illinois". After working across America for five years, they became early settlers at Norseland in Nicollet County, Minnesota Territory at what is near St. Peter. This was in 1856, long before the Civil War and the Indian Wars. At Norseland, their son Østen Olsen Bøen was born in 1856. He would pioneer in South Dakota, then return to Minnesota. He was my g-grandfather Austin Estensen and he is buried at Cyrus, Minnesota.
My g-g-grandmother, Astrid, died after childbirth in the year in 1867. Ole named the baby girl after her mother, Astrid.
A great mystery to me is where they were on October 1, 1851. Perhaps they were at the Muskego colony. It was on this date that baby Aase died, not yet one year old and her mother had turned 20 years of age.
Last updated June 01, 2002.
