Inger and Johan

        

       

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Inger and Ole Johan Kilane

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Inger and Johan Kilane. Click on the picture to see the larger image. 

    

 

The farm name Kilane (or Kiladn) comes from the word kill, which means narrow, bay, which penetrates far into the land. Kilane was "known for a somewhat remote farm, although it was close by the sea". The nearest neighbors are Vågadn and the Outer and Inner Eiadn.

Johan had the farm for nearly 50 years, until the youngest son, Sigurd took over. Inger and Johan was in their youth established as farmers in North Dakota. They married in Hillsboro (North Dakota) 1. august 1894. There they had two children (Klara and Jone), before they went home and took over the family farm on Kilane in 1898. According to the son Torger they had received totally 13 children (one still-born?), by which 11 lived at the same time. The 11 was Klara (b. 1895), Jone (b. 1896), Siri (b. 1898), Østine (b. 1899), Elen (b. 1901), Seselia (b. 1904), Øystein (b. 1906), Anna (b. 1908), Torger (b. 1909), Magnus (b. 1912) and Sigurd (b. 1915). They also got Marta in 1903; she died of brain inflammation only 7 years old.

Four of the children (Klara, Elin, Seselia and Øystein) moved back to America. Øystein was in Chicago before the war, but returned home and died during his work at Ramsvik tuberculosis center in Stavanger 1944. Klara and Elen also moved back to Norway, and died there. Øystine and Siri died respectively in January and February 1921 by tuberculosis. Johan brought home both the dead daughters on his boat from Hagavik. Jone died at sea in 1933. See more about these here

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Kilane farm, Erfjord in Ryfylke


Family Kilane. Behind from left: Ellen, Øystine, Klara, Jone, Siri, Anna and Seselia.

Front from left: Torger, Sigurd, Øystein, Inger, Johan and Magnus

See more about Kilane's ancestors here and here.


From Kilane. From left: Siri, Inger with Seselia, Klara, Kari Jonsdtr. Eiane and Øystein Torgeirson Kilane (mother and father of Johan), Johan with Marta, Jone, Elen and Østine. In the background, we see three women, two with rakes in their hands. A little to the left of them, behind the garden gate a laborer with the pitchfork. The photo is taken approx. 1905. Click on the picture to see the larger image. 

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Kari Jonesdtr Outer Eiane and Øystein Torgersen Kilane with kids a. Sissela Tobia, (1856-1929; married to Åge Hansen Vik), b. Jone (b. 1859; m.t. Dårthe Sofie Vik), c. Ole Johan (b. 1861), d. Berta Malena (1864-1932; m.t. Jacob Johannesen Dale), e. Martha Karina (1866-1949; m.t. Nils Kittelsen Førre), f. Karoline (1869-1938; m.t. Edvard Torgersen), g. Torger (1871-1958; m.t. Marta Hanakam-Neset, Sand), h. Østen (1874-1971; m.t. Bertha Bjelland). Torger and Østen emigrated to America (see below). Photo from Arthur Storbo, USA; Arthur Storbo is the son of Esther Kalheim Storbo, the daughter of the Osten Kalheim and grandchildren of Jone Kalheim (see image below). Click on the picture to see larger image. 

 

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Inger Kilane (b. Eiane)

Inger Kilane

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Jone Gudmundsson Eiane (born 1840) and Siri Hauskje (b. 1846) married 1868, and had 10 children. Gudmund (b. 1869), Inger (b. 1871, Kilane), Serina (b. 1873, Erfjord), Elen Johanne (b. 1875, d. 1876), Jone (b. 1877, Sande), Johan (b. 1879, Parishes, Mosterøy), Ola (b. 1881, Sokn, Mosterøy), Elen Sofie (b. 1883, Vadla, Årdal), Anna Karina (b. 1885, d. 1905) and Sofie (b. 1887, d. 1906). Jone got the title deed of his father in 1867.

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Siri was born 1846, and grew up on Tøtland, before she moved with the family to Hauskje in 1865.
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Jone Gudmundsson Eiane and Siri Jonsdtr Tøtland (Hauskje) Eiane, the parents of Inger Kilane.
Read more about these here


guro råsåGuro Råså, in service with Jone and Siri over many years

Jone Gudmundsson Eiane and Siri Jonsdtr Tytland Eiane with their children; from left: Serina (1873-1960), Jone (1877-1959), Gudmund (1869-1917), Johan (1879-1942), Inger (1871-1935). Photo from Ryfylkemuseet (RFF1986-116-001).

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Both from the leased land in Kilane and from the farm, there were many young people who traveled to America in the late 1800s. Johan and Inger were among them; they came to America in april 1886 with a ship from Liverpool to Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). When he was back home after 8 years in America, he had become familiar with the ten years younger neighbor-girl, Inger, from the Outer Eiane. Johan returned to America in 1893, and Inger went over to him. They married on 1. august 1894 in Hillsboro, North Dakota. Johan was then farmer in Mayville, N. Dakota, a little northwest of Hillsboro. Inger was from Outer Eiane, just like his mother-in-law. But the two were not related. "They took over a 160-acre homestead in the Red River Valley at the eastern edge of North Dakota, in Morgan Township, Traill County, near Mayville" (according to Art Storbo).

Photo of our Leif Erikson statue in Seattle, taken by Kris Leander, director of Seattle’s Swedish Club. The basalt columns in the plaza contain about 2700 names of Scandinavian immigrants (including 11 of my Norwegian ancestors). This story features the strong ties between Norway and the many Scandinavian immigrants who came to Washington State and the Seattle area a hundred or more years ago. As you well know, Leif’s ancestors came from southwest Norway. (From Art Storbo)

Here are some America-letters Østen and Torger sent to his nephew Torger (m/fam)
1954 and 55: Osten_brev_1954, Torger_brev_53, Torger_brev 1955, and from his sister Klara in 1951:
Klara_brev_1951In addition, two letters from Torger in the United States (brev1; brev2) to the daughter-in-law
Karen Kilane (who was married to Sigurd). 

Here is also a letter from Inger Kilane and Anna (Inger_brev) and two letters from Johan Kilane and Anna (brev1; brev2), and a letter (1938) from Johan to the "brother Torger". In addition, a letter fra Anna Dale (datter av Bertha) til morbror Torger. Dessuten et brev fra broder Torger fra Østen, og et brev til «fabror«. Disse brevene forteller en hel del om livet til innflytterne fra Norge – ikke bare enkle dager uten strev og hjemlengsel. 

          

Letter (1947) from Klara to uncle Torger and from Karoline (1924) to his brother Østen.

 

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Johan came to America "in the good old days, and was lucky," according to the 70 years greeting in the newspaper Aftenbladet in 1931. It may seem as if those who sold the farms in North Dakota around 1900, was left with a lot of money. People from Erfjord generally settled in the east in the state of North Dakota.

mayville_mainstreet_1880 Main street in Mayville (North Dakota) approx. 1880, when Inger and Johan were there. 

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When John O. Kilene and Miss Inger J. Eiene from Norway, Europe, got married in Hillsboro, North Dakota 1. august 1894 it was officially witnessed by Bertha Aageson and Thomas Aageson. They were a sibling pair from Tåneset, relatives and friends from the old home in Kiladn.

Inger and Johan had two children (Klara and Jone) in North Dakota before they returned home again in 1898, and took over the family farm in Kiladn. It is said that it was Inger who was homesick. The younger brothers of Johan, Torger and Øystein, was left behind as farmers in North Dakota, but a little further west in the state. Torger was named after his brother who died of scree of stones the year before he was born. Inger and Johan had Kiladn longer than his parents, in almost 50 years. Inger died in 1935. They were the parents of 12 children (13, according to Torger), and it was the youngest brother who took over the farm after them. All the children went to school in Vågadn from 1912.

The leased land in Kiladn was gradually discontinued. Tåneset was matrikulert (registered) as a separate farm in 1921, and taken over by Magnus. [2]


mayville3

 

 

Snowstorm in Mayville, North Dakota 4. January 1897; shortly before Inger and Johan returned to Norway.

Capture2

from: "A saga of two cities, 1881-1981"

johan2Kilane farm was already one of the best in Erfjord. But when Johan came home from America, he saw greater potential in the farm. See clip from Johan's 70 birthday greeting. He realized that there was a wealth which was not yet taken advantage of, and started immediately new cultivation. Gradually new areas was put under the plow, and the farm grew each year. and now, included large areas with fine meadows, areas that were previously only marshland. The farm was very well cultivated on the time of Johan and Inger. In addition to that Johan had cultivated new areas, everything could be harvested with horse and mover. He was an early adopter of acquiring modern plows and good tools on wheels and there were always two horses on the farm in Johan's time.
.....The second youngest son of Johan and Inger, Magnus, bought Tåneset at the end of the 1930s and settled there. In addition to new cultivation, Johan started an extensive fruit-growing in the inter-war years. "In the good years, he sent hundreds and hundreds baskets of berries to England" (see the interview with Magnus Kalheim to the left). He also had large quantities of bulbs. Moreover, he was actively fishing in Vågane, netfish for sprats. It was a great fishing spots both in Kilavågen, Midvågen and Eiavågen. he was also able to do some blacksmith work, and developed the age-old sawmill on the farm. He had a lot of people at work, in the winter, it was always 3-4 man in the woods. Johan was also involved in the public board and care, and had multiple positions. He was convinced venstre-man. [2]

Both Johan and Inger were members in Erfjord school board (in different periods) [3].

Here is a copy of the minutes of the board 3. January 1920 (s.1, s.2). Inger was a member of the Erfjord school board when they introduced 'nynorsk' in the municipality. When she was in school board in the 1920s, their kids were Sigurd 5 years, Magne 8, Torger 11, Anna, 12, Øystein 14. It was probable plenty of things to do at home, too.
  

Våge also mentions, in his book, statistics about the number of children who received education in some selected years.
In 1897 there were in Vågane-Kilane school district 12 children who received 9 weeks of school (at the time Inger and Johan were in America). In 1916, it was in the same district 4 children who received 9 weeks of school. These four must surely have included Seselia (b. 1904), Øystein, Anna, and maybe Torger (b. 1909). In 1921, it was in Kilane-Vågane school district 6 children who received 12 weeks of school (these 6 must have included Anna (b. 1908), Torger, Magne and maybe Sigurd (b. 1915).

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From Stavanger Aftenblad 3/11-1931 (click for larger version)

In 1913 Erfjord became a commune, separated from Jelsa. Until 1913, it was joint board of the commune for Jelsa and Erfjord. Johan Kilane was a member of the joint heradstyret in two periods, from 1902 [3]:

Click to see larger images

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Johan was also a member of Erfjord school board [3]:

 

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File0009    Tåneset

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References
[1] Kristenliv i Rogaland – fra Haugesund til Hidra, by Jakob Straume (1956)
[2] Erfjord – gardar og folk II, by Ernst B. Straume (2004)
[3] Erfjord bugdebok. Våge (1959)