Write your story....

The mowing machine's whirring sounded cheerfully from the old buffalo wallow south of the claim shanty, where bluestem grass stood thick and tall and Pa was cutting it for Hay."  Your sitting there in solitude curled up on the couch reading Laura Ingall's Wilder's  The Long Winter.

Think of your research as writing your families story  just like Laura Ingall's Wilder did.  Your research, gather and hunt for all this little bit of information here and there.  But in the end when you piece all that information you gathered together it starts to form their story.

Below is My Kinship (well a little bit of it).  As I work at becoming a Registered Genealogist or Certified one, I have to make my portfolio showing I am well educated and versed in research.  One of these Items I have to do is make a kinship report.  Showing I can write my family or A family story by all I have found.

First Generation

Ole Halvorsen Svang , was born on 13 Mar 1822 in Nes, Hallingdal, Buskerud, Norway.² He was christened on 2 Jun 1822 in Nes, Hallingdal, Buskerud, Norway.³ Ole and Birgit Nilsdatter Brekke were married on 11 Jun 1853 in Gol, Hallingdal, Buskerud, Norway.⁴ Birgit Nilsdatter Brekke was born 19 Feb 1832 in Gol, Hallingdal, Norway ⁵ and Christened on 15 Apr 1832 In Nes, Hallingdal, Norway. ⁶ They were sealed in marriage together on 19 Nov 2004 in the Chicago Illinois Temple of the LDS Church ⁷ He immigrated on The Ship Sirius with his Wife and 8 Children, arriving in the New World by means of Quebec on 11 Jun 1866.⁸ Travel on the Ships at this time where hard and many became sick and or died on board, Living below decks usually was cramped. The Sirius ¹⁵ was carrying 235 passengers in Steerage, records state that two passengers died of senile debility on the voyage and two children were sick with diarrhoea. The ship was so filthy that it was detained in quarantine till cleaned. They boarded another ship that took them down the St. Lawrence Seaway to lake Michigan and onto the Port of Chicago. Once arriving in Chicago they started to make their way west making home in The Montevideo, Minnesota area .

In the mid 1870's he was able to obtain land in Lisbon, Minnesota and at least three of his children had gotten married. He filed his Declaration of Intent for ¹¹ Citizenship on 20 April 1872⁹ in the District Court in Chippewa Cty, Minnesota. Moving around 1872, Ole, Birgit, and their unmarried children moved via covered wagon to the Area around Webster in Day County, South Dakota ¹⁰ to make their final home near Lynn Lake. Ole Finally was Naturalized In Day County, South Dakota on 12 Nov 1888.¹¹ Ole obtained a Homestead consisted of 200 acres of land ¹²next door to his Daughter Kari. He most likely was a farmer, turning his land over for food for his family and or pay. Farming wasn't as it is now, they did not have the power machines we have now. Farmers were continually clearing the land. Depending on where they lived. Grubbing out tree stumps and burning them, using an old fashioned plow, being pulled by an oxen, or horse. Building log barns to house the animals. Bringing in enough hay and grasses to supply the animals for the winter months. Hauling dried wood to heat the homes with an old wood burning stove. Chopping wood and hauling coal in from the Mississippi river area. Planning enough food for survival during the winter months. Hunting and then processing the hides properly . Maintaining a horse and buggy to get back and forth to shop and attend church. Baby's born at home. Having to go fetch the Doctor. Butchering their own meat. Preparation and storage. Washing clothes. Indian visits. Making their own ammunition for their guns. Keeping a good water supply for them and the animals. Grain storage. Home schooling the kids. Asking for visit is from the local Minister or Preacher. Fencing to keep the animals confined. and the list goes on.

Ole lost his farmstead in 1897 and his wife Birgit his wife passed away just two days later.¹³ He continued to live on the farmstead until 1905 when it was sold to another gentlemen, and he moved into the nearby town of Pierpont where he lived for the Next year until his death in 1907. ¹⁴

As you can see I stated the facts and labeled those facts with the Sources.  (Well I'm not listing the sources here but you can see the numbering for the sources in the Article.  This is still a work in progress.  But by this you can see the story of my Great Great Grandparent's Life.

 I can not stress enough how important it is to talk to OLDER  family members.  Why, well If I had talked and listened and taken notes from My grandfather he would be able to tell me more of His Grandparents as he most likely knew them and talked to them.  Log your information  Plus write their story in whatever form you choose.  Be a book format,  a Scrapbook using photograph's and words.