Here’s a family story told to me by my grandfather's sister (Astrid Leiseth (Miller), aka "Austie") about her great grandmother Johanna (or Johanne), who was my mother's father's mother's mother's mother, Johanne Sofie Jensdatter Steen. My great aunt Astrid (we always called her "Austie") was my grandfather’s older sister. Incidentally, Austie was born 20 May 1904 in Moorhead, MN, and this story about her great grandmother's death happened on 22 May 1925, which means it happened just two days after Austie turned 21 years old.
More details under the delicious orange cronut
Here's the story: My great great great grandmother, Johanne (or Johanna) Sofie Jensdatter (Adsero/Aserøya) Steen was born 7 January 1830 in Norway with a caul -- a skin membrane -- covering her head, indicating that she would have "second sight," sort of like ESP or whatever. This was a local superstition. In England, cauls were considered a good luck symbol to prevent drowning and in the first couple of pages of the novel "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens, David Copperfield’s caul is offered for sale to the highest bidder. So apparently there's a superstition in England, too.
During her life, in Norway, Johanna was considered a "wise woman" and strangers would ask her for advice or for answers to their problems.
Johanna’s husband died and then she decided to come to America to join some of her children who had moved here. So she moved to Minnesota. When Johanna was on her deathbed, at the age of 95, she kept saying, “Jeg maa vente paa det smaa barn” (translated: "I must wait for that small baby.") Nobody knew what she was talking about, but she was really old and she was dying, so who could know what she was babbling about? What small baby?
Then Dina (I'm pretty sure Dina is Oldine, Johanna's granddaughter, who would have been 37 years old in 1925) appeared at the house in Moorhead, MN, with her husband, John. They lived on a nearby farm. Dina was pregnant and she gave birth to a premature baby who didn't survive the night. The baby died within hours. Nobody told Johanna that Dina’s baby died. But a a short time later, Johanna died. She was waiting for the small baby. According to my great aunt Austie, Johanna was waiting to escort her great granddaughter to heaven. Somehow she knew she had to wait for the small baby.
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If you're interested in the specific family tree details of Johanne (who waited for the small baby), here they are: #15 Johanne Sofie Jensdatter Steen. Born 7 Jan 1830 (at Aserøya, also spelled Adsero). Died 22 May 1925 (Moorhead, MN) at age 95. Married 15 Sept 1852 to Mortinus Mortensen (born in Raaken, died in Øra) Johanne emigrated to U.S.: 29 Jun 1887 to Fargo, ND (at age 57).
The Øra farm was deeded to Johanne by her father #30 Jens Johansen Steen Aserøya on 20 September 1878. She is listed as owner of Øren in the 1886 land records. A year after her husband died, Johanne sold the farm on 12 March 1887 to Elias Torgersen Kverngjerdet for 3200 Kroner.
Three months later, on 29 June 1887, she left for Fargo, North Dakota (but ended up in Moorhead, MN, which is across the river) with her children: Jens, age 34 (and his wife Lovise, 21); Magnus, 31; Jørgen, 29; Ingeborg, 23; and Methe, 15. Johanne went back to visit Norway sometime later with her son Jens and his wife, and their two children. They returned to Moorhead, Minnesota on 17 July 1895.
In the 1920 U.S. census, Johanna was 90 years old, living with her son, Jens, at 102 Eighth Avenue South, Moorhead, Minnesota.
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And here's a bit of advice. My grandfather's sister Austie told this story to me probably around 1970 and I wrote it down. And it's a story about her great grandmother (who was born in 1830). It's fine to search the internet for records of your ancestors (I've done that a lot). But it's also very important to talk to your older relatives and find out the stories they can tell you about their parents and grandparents and great grandparents. Use a tape recorder or some sort of recorder. So you get the records before they die.