When Hans Anderson (1844-1924) was about seven years old, he and his family immigrated from Fredriksvern, Norway, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as part of the Norway Lutheran Church movement to North America. The family became part of the Missouri Lutheran Church Synod.
In researching the Lutheran Church records and historical information for the 1950s, trying to find some records as to the parents of Hans Anderson, including records of his marriage on June 15, 1867, to Sarah Olson in La Crosse. Wisconsin, I found some interesting resources that may help others on similar searches.
There is an excellent History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod timeline that shows the chronological events and history of the Norwegian Synod (1853) and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (1918) which records much of the Norwegian immigration time periods.
Here are some highlights as pertains to the Anderson Family migration.
1825: Beginning of the Norwegian Migration to America. The sloop Restoration sailed from Stavanger, bringing 52 Norwegian Quakers to America.
1845: The first Norwegian church building was inaugurated March 12 in Muskego [Wisconsin].
1851: Kirkelig Maanedstidende (Church Monthly) was launched two years before the official founding of the Synod.
1853: The Synod for the Norwegian-Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the Norwegian Synod) was organized at Koshkonong and Luther Valley near Madison Wisconsin. The Synod adopted the ritual of the Church of Norway. Three leaders of the Synod were Herman Amberg Preus, Jakob Aal Ottesen, and Ulrik Vilhelm Koren.
1861: Luther College, founded first near La Crosse, Wisconsin; relocated to Decorah, Iowa, the next year.
1872: The Norwegian Synod participates in the formation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America along with the Missouri, Wisconsin, and Ohio Synods.
History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Here are more links and resources on the history and records of the Norwegian and Missouri Lutheran Church.
- Algonkian Church History: 1900 Census: Menominee and Shawano Counties (Wisconsin)
- Church of Norway – Wikipedia
- Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America – Wikipedia
- Evangelical Lutheran Church (United States)
- Norwegian American – Wikipedia
- Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Wikipedia
- United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America – Wikipedia
- Lutheran Historical Conference
- Rural Sociology – Religion: Wisconsin Agriculture and Rural Life Bibliography – Steenbock Library, UW-Madison
- Pictures of Shawano Area Churches & Parishes – WIGenWeb
- History of Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Lunds – WIGenWeb
- St. James Lutheran Church & School, Shawano, Wisconsin – WIGenWeb
- Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Genealogy : Church Histories St. John’s
- Christ Luther and Deforest Norweigan Lutheran History in Wisconsin
- Church Histories from Norwegian Lutheran Pastors in America – Concordian News
- Archives of the Evangelical Luthern Church in America
- Roots of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Family Tree of ELCA Predecessor Bodies – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Regional Archives – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Lutheran Roots in America – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- History of Emmaus Lutheran Church, Racine WI USA
- Lutheran Genealogy — Wisconsin Lutheran Church Records and Histories
- Wisconsin Genealogy — Ethnic Groups
- Google Timeline results for Norwegian Lutheran Church Wisconsin History
- Project Wittenberg – Works by and about Martin Luther and History of the Lutheran Church
- NAHA – Norwegian – American Studies
- Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, History – Menomonie, Wisconsin
- Marinette County Churches – Rootsweb
- Atlas of Norwegian-American History
- St. Olaf College – Northfield, Minnesota, USA
- The Association of Religion Data Archives – Denominations
- Lutherans in Wisconsin – Wisconsin in History
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Area Research Center of the Wisconsin Historical Society
- Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles – Wisconsin in History
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