Allen Family History

Patriarchal Blessing given to Bolette Johnson:

(volume 76, page 480) Hyrum Cache Co. Sept 15th 1871

A blessing given by Charles W. Hyde on the head Bolletta Allen daughter of Hans & Inger C Johanisen. Born December 19th 1844 Aale Norway.

Bolletta, I place my hands & seal on you a patriarchal for the eye of the Lord has been upon thee from everlasting. For thou has desired many things of the Father. He has given his angels charge over you that you may never fall, for you shall have the gift of discernment & thou shalt know good from evil, & it shall be a Lamp to your feet, visions & revelation of God, shall comfort you. Thou art of Joseph, & a lawful heir to the fullness of the priesthood with thy companion & a kingdom on the earth for ever forever. Thou shall see the day when the Lion & the Lamb shall lie down together, when the Messiah shall take hold of your hand & call you blessed. These blessings I seal on your head with Eternal life to God & the Lamb. For ever & ever. Amen & Amen.

Source of Information: Onsøy, Østfold, Norway Parish Registers, page 33, number 5 (FHL #255782)

Research Report

[hansdatter073004 / 0346] 2 August 2004

Research focused on verification and extension of the ancestry of Buleta Maria Hansdatter or Johnson. Among the sources consulted were parish registers, bygdeboks, LDS records, and computerized indexes. Results were highly successful in locating numerous direct-line documents.

Buleta Maria Hansdatter or Johnson A search in the original records of Onsoy, Ostfold, Norway verified the 16 December 1844 birth of the ancestral Buleta. She was actually known as Bolette Maria Hansdatter Johnson and was christened on 19 January 1845, the daughter of Hans Jorgen Johanesen and Kristine Nielsdatter [document #1]. Two of Bolette's maternal relatives were witnesses to the event, Maria Nielsdatter and Halvor Nielsen.

Hans Jorgen Johannesen and Inger Kristine Nielsdatter Family The christenings of Bolette's younger siblings Julius Hansen Johnson, Nicoline Emilie Hansdatter Johnson, and Johan Hansen Johnson were also examined. Additional family members were witnesses to Nicoline's christening: Ellen Malene Johnsdatter, paternal grandfather Johannes Haagensen, Inger Marie Neilsdatter, and Hans Jacob Nielsen.

The marriage record of Bolette's parents, Hans Jorgen Johannesen and Inger Kristine Nielsdatter, confirmed they married on 11 November 1844. Johannes Haagensen and Niels Halvorsen were identified as the fathers of the groom and the bride, respectively [document #2]. Both Hans and Kristine were found in the Fredrikstad LDS Branch Records. This branch encompassed Onsoy and the entire area was actually a part of the larger Oslo LDS District.

Hans Jorgen Johannesen was baptized 7 May 1853 by Elder Christian Larsen and excommunicated for drunkenness on 3 May 1854 [document #3]. Inger Kristine Nilsdatter was baptized on 16 July 1853 and was recorded as moving to Zion on 11 November 1854, presumably the date the entire family left this area [document #4].

Parish registers of Onsoy documented the birth and christenings of both Hans Jorgen Johannesen and Inger Kristine Nielsdatter. These records also confirmed the names of their parents [document #5-6].

Johannes Haagensen and Margarethe Jorgensdatter The marriage of Hans Jorgen Johannesen's parents, Johannes Haagensen and Margarethe Jorgensdatter, was located at Glemmen, Ostfold, Norway. The couple wed on 21 June 1815 [document #7].

The birth of Johannes Haagensen was recorded at Onsoy, indicating he was born at Huuslof, the son of Haagen Arnesen and Marthe Andersdatter [document #8]. Margarethe Jorgensdatter was born at Sondre (South) Veum in the parish of Glemmen. Thus, Johannes and Margarethe married in her ancestral parish. Margarethe's parents were listed as Jorgen Andersen and Ragnild Evensdatter [document #9].

Haagen Arnesen and Marthe Andersdatter Haagen Arnesen, the father of Johannes Haagensen, was born at Sundet in Onsoy. His 1757 birth record listed his parents as Arne Haagensen and Idde Andersdatter [document #10]. Marthe Andersdatter, the mother of Johannes Haagensen, was born at Huuslof in Onsoy in 1751 [document #11].

Jorgen Andersen and Ragnild Evensen As there was a gap in the birth records of Glemmen for the years 1752-1770, the Glemmen Bygdebok was utilized in verifying the family of Jorgen Andersen and Ragnild Evensen, the parents of Margarethe Jorgensdatter. This publication listed Ragnild as the daughter of Even Gundersen [document #12].

Niels Halvorsen and Birthe Michelsdatter As discussed earlier in this report, the birth and christening of Inger Kristine Nielsdatter was found at Onsoy. This record verified her parents as Niels Halvorsen and Birthe Michelsdatter [document #6].

The parish records of Onsoy further produced the birth record of Niels Halvorsen, the son of Halvor Nielsen of Ovre Aale (Upper Aale) and Gunvor Pedersdatter [document #13]. The Ancestral File has mistakenly duplicated Niels Halvorsen and his wife Birthe as Niels parents. However, the original records have confirmed Niels was born in 1789, the son of Halvor Nielsen and wife Gunvor.

Birthe Michelsdatter, the mother of Inger Kristine Nielsdatter and wife of Niels Halvorsen, was born in 1793 on a different farm at Aale, Onsoy. Her parents were Michel Sorensen and Inger Kristine Joensdatter [document #14].

Halvor Nielsen and Gunvor Pedersdatter Birth records were located at Onsoy for both of Niels Halvorsen's parents. Halvor Nielsen was of Ovre Aale (Upper Aale), the son of Niels Halvorsen and Siri Nielsdatter [document #15].

Gunvor Pedersdatter was born on another farm withing the larger farm area of Aale. She was the daughter of Peder Tonnessen and Anne Hansdatter [document #16].

Michel Sorensen and Inger Kristine Joensdatter The birth record of Michel Sorensen at Onsoy documented his parents as Soren Baardsen and Ellen Baardsdatter [document #17]. Michel Sorensen of Aale married Inger Kristine Joensdatter in the parish of Glemmen, Ostfold, Norway. Inger Kristine was of Guldbergplassen in Glemmen [document #19].

Prospects for continued success in documenting the ancestors of Bolette Maria Hansdatter Johnson remain excellent. It has been a pleasure to assist you in researching your family history. We look forward to continuing according to your instructions.

2004 Price & Associates Incorporated LA/mh

Life sketch of Boletta Maria Hansdatter Johnson

Boletta Johnson was born December 19, 1844 at Ale, Norway to Hans and Inger Kristine Johnson. When she was six years old, her parents became member of the LDS Church and a few years later they began making preparations to come to America and join the Saints. They sold their possessions and said tearful goodbyes to Boletta's grandparents, whom they never saw again.

In November of 1854, when Boletta was almost ten years old, the family sailed from Norway to Copenhagen, Denmark. From there, they sailed across the North Sea to England. They then left Liverpool on the Charles Buck on January 17, 1855 with almost 400 other persons. The trip was difficult because through carelessness on the part of the crew a quantity of food was not put aboard and the passengers were put on rations for the duration of the journey; many also suffered from seasickness. However, they enjoyed good testimony meetings and for the most part everyone had a cheerful attitude during the trip. They were eleven weeks in crossing and arrived in New Orleans in March of 1855. The company continued their journey up the Mississippi River on the steamer Michigan. They arrived in St. Louis, Missouri and then traveled to Mormon Grove, Kansas. Here the Johnson family rested a bit and obtained oxen and a wagon for crossing the plains. They traveled to Salt Lake City and arrived in the valley October 24, 1855. Boletta was very sick for part of the journey and had to lay in the wagon. Soon after their arrival they settled in South Weber.

Eight years later, on December 5, 1863, Boletta married Simeon Franklin Allen in the Salt Lake Endowment House. She had prepared a trousseau of two quilts, two pillows, two cotton sheets and an empty straw tick (mattress). Her father gave the couple a heavy woolen blanket.

Boletta spent the majority of her adult life in Hyrum, Utah and had eight children. She passed away February 26, 1927 at the age of 92 years. She was the oldest woman in Utah at that time.

Sources: 1. ElGeva Allen. Treasures of Pioneer History. Vol. 5, p. 64. FHL: CD-ROM no. 205. 2. Mormon Immigration Index.

Conversion and testimony of Boletta Johnson

Boletta M. Allen was born December 19, 1844 at Aala Onca County, Norway. Her parents were Hans L. and Inger Christena Johnson. In 1850 they were baptized into the Latter-day Saint Church and shortly after sold their possessions and made preparations to come to America. When taking leave of her home Boletta often spoke of the touching scene while passing the homes of her grandparents. Coming to the Halverson home first as they went toward the pier she saw both grandparents standing at the gate with tears in their eyes to bid them farewell. One remarked that through her parents going to Zion it would put them both in their graves long before their time. . . . A little farther down the road Boletta saw her Grandfather Johnson, who was blind and feeble, being led by a small boy toward them. His wife had died a few years before. These sad farewells made a lasting impression upon the child.

Source: LDS Family Suite: Boletta Johnson