Explore the Andersen/Anderson family history from Norway to New Jersey, including ancestors from Froland, Grimstad, and Arendal and connections to Denmark, the Orkney Islands, Iceland, and the wider Norse world. Stories include Norwegian ancestors, Viking-Age explorations & conflicts, skalds & sagas, early Icelandic settlers, medieval nobles and jarls, knights (riddere), wealthy farmers (storbonder), farms, weavers, seafarers, impact of Reformation, and 19th-century Norwegian immigrants to America.
All 18 Andersen/Anderson stories
Newest first.
- Imagined
- Andersen/Anderson
- Norway
Lars Torkelsen Lindtveit (1648–1710): Timber Baron and Storebonder of Øyestad Parish, Aust-Agder, Norway
Lars Torkelsen Lindtveit was born about 1648. He died in 1710 at Lindtveit, Oyestad Parish, Aust-Agder, Norway. An extremely wealthy farm owner and timber baron, he appears to have been…
- Andersen/Anderson
- Norway
Carl Andersen of Grimstad, Norway: The Wreck of the La Louisiane in 1881
My great grandfather, Carl Andersen, started his career as a junior seaman just after his confirmation at age 15. Born in 1856, Carl needed a livelihood because he was the…
- Andersen/Anderson
- Norway
The Knight’s Leap (Ridderspranget): The Legend Behind Norway’s Famous Medieval Lovers’ Leap
The love story of Erling fra Kvie and Ragnild Skarvangssola is the origin of the legend of The Knight’s Leap, called “Ridderspranget” in Norwegian. The “leap” was across a dramatic…
- Andersen/Anderson
- Historical DNA Connections
- Norway
Erik the Red’s Brattahlíð Family & Viking Kin VK184
It’s a thrill when a DNA discovery matches a family story. A few years ago, I was swapping memories with my cousin, Donna, when she mentioned that her dad told…
- Andersen/Anderson
- Historical DNA Connections
- Norway
Åsa Haraldsdottir of Agder, Norway: The Story of a Viking Queen
Asa Haraldsdottir of Agder was a legendary Norwegian queen of the petty kingdom of Agder. Asa was the daughter of King Harald Granraude of Agder. She was born in the…
- Andersen/Anderson
- Historical DNA Connections
Izjaslav Ingvareych: Prince of Kiev at the Battle of the Kalka River, 1223
Some of my ancient ancestors were Norse traders and raiders that explored and settled in an area near the Baltic Sea in what is now Russia and the Ukraine. After…
- Andersen/Anderson
- Norway
Lussi Long-Night (Langnatt): A Norwegian Christmas Legend
The folklore surrounding December 13th has held a special place in Norway since the Viking Age. It was thought to be the longest night of the year and the beginning…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
Florence M. Anderson (1920–1960): Family History and Life Story
Florence Marie Anderson was born on November 14, 1920 in Elizabeth, NJ. She was the second child and oldest daughter of Anna Louise Paloske and Clarence Anderson. Florence was…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
- Norway
Clarence Anderson (1894–1953): From Andersen to Anderson — Family History & Genealogy
The story of Clarence Anderson’s life is filled with holes, gaps, and questions. His parents were both dead before my mom and her brothers and sisters were old enough to…
- Andersen/Anderson
- England
- New Jersey
- Norway
Carl Anderson (1856–1930): Norwegian Immigrant to America in the 19th Century
Reading over documents and written family stories, I have seen an evolution in the spelling of Carl Anderson’s name: Karl Andersen (Norway), Carl Andersen (1901) and Carl Anderson (1930). I…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
- Norway
The Hurv Farm of Froland: Generations on a Norwegian Farm
The Hurv farm was in Froland, a municipality about 10 miles north of Grimstad. It borders Grimstad and Arendal in Aust Agder county. In 1968, family members still lived on…
- Andersen/Anderson
- Doherty
- New Jersey
Mom and Dad’s Burial
Three years ago this week, on June 14, 2018, we buried Mom and Dad in Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey. Both my parents had originally been cremated, but…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
Ruth Ann Anderson Barry (1928–2007)
Ruth Anderson was born on March 13, 1928. She was the fourth child of Clarence Anderson and Anna Pavlosk. Aunt Ruth, (“Annie Ruth” my toddler version) was my godmother, and…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
Grace Monica Anderson Townsend (1935–1999)
Grace Anderson was born on November 23, 1935. She was the younger twin. Her older sister was Gertrude Emily Anderson. Gertrude died on April 15, 1936 of Sudden Infant Death…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
Clara Marion Anderson Abbott
My aunt, Clara Abbott, turned 88 a few days ago. She was born on February 25, 1933, during the depth of the Great Depression. She was a teenager and young…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
- Norway
Clarence Anderson (1894–1953)
Clarence Anderson was a complex and wounded person. He was capable of great charm, and savage emotional and physical violence. He told my mother, “Always remember we are descended from…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
Mom’s Anniversary
January 8, 2021 is the 10th anniversary of my mother’s death. Helen Louise Anderson Doherty was born at home in Elizabeth, New Jersey on September 10, 1923. She spent most…
- Andersen/Anderson
- New Jersey
- Norway
Carl Andersen and Buffalo Bill Cody: A Norwegian Immigrant’s Hero
I know of very few personal belongings of my great-grandfather, Karl Andersen. He was born in Grimstad, Norway in the 1850s, a second or third son of the family. Karl…