From: LHatlen@aol.com
Message-ID: <73.10554054.288e050c@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 18:54:04 EDT
Subject: Helsem
To: cleav@erols.com

To answer your questions. There probably is no place in Norway with the name
'Strandon'. Strand by itself is the same as English, a beach. An '-on'
suffix does not make sense. However there is a Stranda in Sunnmøre(near
Aalesund) and in the records for Standa I have found the following:
Petter Bastian Rasmusson Helsem born in 1828 and in 1861 married Karen
Marie Pedersdatter Sletvoll (born in 1833). They had four children:
Ane Pernille born 1857
Nikoline born 1865
Lars Andreas born 1868
Peder Johan born 1870

It appears that the family immigrated to the USA, but no date is given and no
further information is given on the family.
There is no mention of a Robert Olaus Helsem; there is a Rasmus Olaus born in
1860 who would be a distant relation and for whom no information is given.

The family of Petter Bastian can be traced back to Ridder Erik på Overå
(translated Erik knight of Overå) who was born about 1460.

If Petter Bastian is related to you, then you and I are distantly related
also.

Petter Bastian came from a large family; 12 children, 10 of which surrived
infancy. He had a brother Karl Johan (born 1841) who also immigrated to the
USA and married Christofine Meyer from Bergen. The other children remained
in Stranda.

For more detailed information, I have found that the microfilm records
available through the Family History Centers (LDS or Mormon Church) are the
best. These would be the census records and the church records which many
times record the families moved out of the parish. On the Norwegian
Geneaology site there are links to a Norwegian-English dictionary that is
quite helpful as well as descriptions of the information contained in the
Norwegian Church records and Census records.

I hope this was helpful. If you need more information or if I can help you
further just send an e mail. If you want I could make copies of the pages in
the Bygdebok and send to you. (I don't have a scanner so I would send by
regular mail). Let me know what you find out about Robert Olaus.

Leif C. Hatlen

The information that I have comes from the Stranda Bygdebok.