Biography

Christian Olsen was born on 27 Feb 1858 at the farm Snippen (Gnr. 254, Bnr. 1) in Romedal, Norway and baptized on 16 May 1858. He was the first child and first son born to Ole Knudsen Bjørkholen and Johanne Pedersdatter Malerløkken. Christian would have been known as Christian Olsen Snippen while living at Snippen.

Christian moved with his parents and younger brother Petter from Snippen in Romedal to Stenberg østre in Løten sometime between January 1861 and March 1863. He is listed in the 1865 census (age 8) living on Stenberg østre and would have been known as Christian Olsen Stenberg while living there. After his father lost the family farm in a poker game around 1873, Christian (then 13 years old) and his younger brother Petter went to live with their paternal grandparents (Knud Larsen and Anne Olsdatter) at Bjørkholen in Romedal. He then became known as Christian Olsen Bjørkholen.

Baptismal Record of Christian Olsen (Romedal Ministerialbok nr.4, p.197, #70)
Baptismal Record of Christian Olsen (Romedal Klokkerbok nr.9, p.100, #100)
1865 Census for Løten, Steenberg østre
1875 Census for Romedal, Bjerkhølen nordre, p.564

Christian was the first of Ole and Johanne's children to emigrate to the United States. He emigrated in 1877 at the age of 19 with his first cousin Peder Christensen Tusti, son of his mother's sister Evina. They left from Christianna (Oslo) on 01 Jun 1877 aboard the feeder ship Hero. Christian married Anne Sophie Kristensdatter Bryhn on 30 Apr 1884 in Texas. They lived in Norse, Texas. Anne had one child by a previous marriage, and they became foster parents to two others, but they had no children of their own.