The below information was gathered by Monte Wilson at the State Archives in Bergan, Norway during a summer visit in 1988. It starts over four hundred years ago with what was the four times great-grandfather of Lars Tveit and represents the male line. The direct ancestor in each family is highlighted.

Sjovat Sjurson @1600 – 1663
& Geirtrud Kjosaas
Married: 1638
Olav 1638 – 1722
Sjur 1638 – 1676
Jon 1648 – ????
Geirtrud 1651 – 1733
Torstein 1653 – 1706
Sigrid 1655 – 1695
Lars 1657 – 1713
Gunnhild 1659 – 1740
Brita 1661 – ????
Gyrid 1663 – 1742

Lars Sjovatson Kjosaas 1657 – 1713
& Anna Sjursdtr Steine ???? – 1688
Married: ??
Jon 1680 – 1766
Sjur 1682 – 1735
Olav 1684 – 1749
Sjovat 1688 – 1722
Anna 1692 – 1774
Lars 1695 – 1724
Asgaut 1699 – 1776

Sjur Larsson Fonnalaud 1682 – 1735
& Anna Johannesdtr Magkastad 1686 – 1763
Married: 1705
Johannes 1706 – 1781
Brita 1709 – 1786
Baard ???? – 1756
Initially inherited the farm?
Arne 1717 – 1787
Received all the farm in 1756.
Ingebjorg 1719 – 1781
Jon 1720 – 1758
Kristi 1723 – 1757
Ingegjerd 1726 – 1796
Lars 1730 – 1750

Arne Sjurson Tveit 1717 – 1787
& Marita Eiriksdtr Urheim 1733 – 1816
Married: 1757
Arne started farming with his brother (Baard?) and mother.
In 1756, he received a deed for all of the farm.
Kristi 1758 – 1829
Sigrid 1759 – 1841
Anna 1762 – 1821
Magnhild 1762 – 1764
Synneva 1762 – 1762
The three children above from 1762 likely had their birth years
registered that way in the records rather than as triplets.
Jon 1763 – 1765
Arne 1765 – ????
Oldest surviving son. Probably inherited the farm.
Sjur 1767 – 1823
Eirik 1769 – 1853
Got the farm upon the death(?) of his brother.
Magnhilld 1772 – 1825
Marita 1774 – 1851

Erik Arneson Tveit 1769 – 1853
& Kristi Olavsdtr Urheim 1781 – 1866
Married: 1811
Records show a deed to a farm passed to Erik in
July 7, 1828 from a brother (Arne?) who in turn
inherited it from their father, Arne Sjurson Tveit (above).
Marita 1815 – 1909(?)
Note: This is Hjordis Scharning’s great-grandmother.
She is one of the Tveit “Norway Cousins” who wrote to
Janice & Monte Wilson.
Arne 1816 – 1873
Kristi 1822 – ???? Emigrated to America
Sjur 1825 – ???? Bergan

Arne Eirikson Tveit 1816 – 1873
& Kari Larsdtr Lofthus 1823 – 1895
Married: 1843
Kristi 1844 – 1918
Marita 1846 – ????
Arne 1848 – 1909
Note: Arne Urheim’s grandfather.
Arne is another one of the Tveit “Norway Cousins”
Lars 1851 – 1938
Bea (Tveit) Nielsen’s grandfather. Emigrated to America.

Background

When Janice Wilson and her son Monte visited Norway in 1988, they attempted to locate their Tveit relatives. Bea Tveit (Nielsen) recalled that her grandfather Lars Tveit had corresponded with someone in Norway, but that was many, many years before and the contact had been lost.

Using the Tveit family information they brought as a starting point, Janice and Monte visited the Bergan State Archives. The family had split in Lars’s generation when he left for America, so it was necessary to start there and try to trace the Norway branch of the Tveits down to a living person. Unfortunately, that proved rather difficult. They did, however, get the address of the Tveit farm.

The next step then was to rent a car and drive out to the Hardanger Fjord, which had been mentioned by Bea Tveit as having been the area Lars came from. Once there they visited a pastor, the old Tveit farm, and a Tveit Family Reunion. The general idea was to let as many people as possible find out about the strange Americans who were looking for their relatives!

Alas, no relations were found. A few people named Tveit were located, but it was not possible to connect them with Lars’s family. So, Janice and Monte went home with plenty of Tveit archive data, but no contacts. However, they did leave their U.S. address in case anyone wanted to get in touch. This proved to be the best thing they could have done.

Within the next 18 months, Janice received two letters from people in Norway who thought they might be related to Lars Tveit. They are described below.

Hjordis Sharning Runarveien 2D, 3200 Haukerod, Sandefjord, Norway

This woman wrote in November of 1988. She had an uncle named Lars Tveit who emigrated to America. Unfortunately, the brothers and sisters mentioned for this Lars did not match, and the dates were one generation later (1870s instead of 1850s). However, according to a letter from an Arne Urheim in 1989 (see below), Hjordis actually is related, just further back in the family tree than she thought. Her great-grandmother, Marita, was an older sister to Lars Tveit’s father Arne. The line goes like this: Marita > Brita > Marita > Hjordis. This makes Hjordis a third cousin to the generation of Bea Nielsen, Mildred Campbell and Leslie Tveit (Lar Tveit’s grandchildren).

Arne Urheim 5774 Lofthus, Norway

In his four page letter written in November of 1989, Mr. Urheim recalled his father talking about an “Uncle Lars” who went to the U.S. The date of birth and wife’s name (Martha Busteheim) of this uncle matched Janice’s information exactly, proving that Arne Urheim was a relative. Arne was also kind enough to show how Hjordis Sharing (above) is related.

Arne’s paternal grandfather was Arne Tveit, Lars Tveit’s older brother by three years. Mr. Urheim is therefore a second cousin to Bea, Mildred and Leslie Tveit. A picture he sent shows a pleasant man in his early seventies with a prominent nose.

Arne Urheim was born in 1920. He’s the youngest, and only son, of three children. His father was Jakob Arneson Urheim who worked in Madison, Wisconsin from 1904 – 1909. Jakob returned to Norway to take over the farm when his father Arne Tveit (Lars Tveit’s older brother) passed away.

Mr. Urheim’s wife died in 1988. He has one daughter, Audhild, who at the time of writing was married and living in Bergan with two young children, Veronica (b. 1984) and Andreas (b. 1985).

Regrettably, neither Monte or Janice replied to Mr. Urheim’s letter until 1997. Having visited Norway with no plans to return, perhaps the excitement of hunting for relatives had worn off. However, almost a decade later, a three year correspondence was begun, and all of the letters from him (1997, 1999, 2000) have been kept.

Arne Urheim’s branch of the Tveit family tree is listed below, starting with the oldest generation. His direct ancestors are highlighted.

Arne Eirikson Tveit 1816 – 1873
& Kari Larsdtr Lofthus 1823 – 1895
Married: 1843
Kristi 1844 – 1918
Marita 1846
Arne 1848 – 1909
Lars 1851 – 1938
Emigrated to America. Tveit family founder in Iowa.

Arne Arneson Tveit 1848 – 1909
& Brita Jakobdtr Urheim 1855 – ??
Married: 1874
Kari 1876 – 1950
Herborg 1879 – 1960
Emigrated to the U.S. Married Nils Wasley. Has relatives in Kent, Washington.
Anna 1881
Jakob 1884
Arne 1887

Jakob Arneson Urheim 1884 – ??
& Marta Eirikdtr Tveit 1889 – ??
Brita 1916
Helga 1918
Arne 1920
Second cousin of Bea (Tveit) Nielsen in Iowa.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Special Note
Over a period of ten years, beginning in 1928, five members of the
Tveit family passed away: a daughter, the father, grandmother, mother
and grandfather.
The surviving three children would live into the late 1990s.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE, EAGLE GROVE, IA
Thursday, June 14, 1928

Arlene Tveit Dies After Long Illness

Arlene Tveit, 17 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arne Tveit of Troy township, died at the home of her parents last Sunday morning. She had been troubled with heart trouble for several years.

Arlene was a student in the Eagle Grove high school and was forced to drop her studies last year because of ill health.

Obituary (June 28, 1928)
(By Rev. Severtson)

Arlene Tveit, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arne Tveit, was born in Troy township, Wright county, Iowa, on February 11, 1911, and died at her parents’ home Sunday morning, shortly after 6 o’clock, June 10, 1928, at the age of 17 years, 3 months and 30 days.

Arlene was baptised into Christ April 2, 1911. She was instructed in Christianity and witnessed the good confession May 9, 1926. She has been in somewhat poor health for some years and was confined to her bed for about seven months before her death. All possible medical aid was sought but it was of no avail. She bore her suffering patiently and found comfort in Jesus.

She is survived by her two parents, two sisters, Beatrice and Mildred, also by one brother, Leslie, together with a large number of friends and relatives.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the home and from the East Side Lutheran church. Burial was made in the Rose Hill cemetery.

________________________________________________________

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE, EAGLE GROVE, IA
February 14, 1929

ARNIE TVEIT PASSED AWAY AT IOWA CITY

Hospital Treatment At Iowa City Failed to Benefit Wright County Farmer.

Buried Monday.

Arne Tveit died in the university hospital at Iowa City Friday. He had been in poor health for the past two or three years and every effort possible was made to relieve his sufferings. He was a good neighbor and a good friend to all his acquaintances. There is universal regret over his passing among his acquaintances. The sympathy of all is extended the bereaved widow, children and relatives.

Obituary
(By the Rev T. J. Severtson)

Arne Tveit was born in Norway, Europe, August 5, 1882 and died at the hospital in Iowa City Feb 8, 1929, aged 46 years, six months, and three days.

He came with his parents to the U. S. A. to Etterick, Wis., in 1883, where they lived for six years, coming to Humboldt county, Iowa, to near Thor in 1889. It was there his mother and two sisters and two brothers passed away, leaving Arne and his father alone.

He was married to Miss Anne Larson in 1907 and farmed in Troy township until a few years ago, when they moved to the present home. Four children were born to this union, Beatrice, Mildred, Arlean and Leslie. Arlean died June 10, 1928, the three remain together with Mrs. Tveit, mourn the loss of a kind father and husband. He is also survived by his father Lars Tveit of Eagle Grove.

His health began to fail about five years ago. He has sought medical aid very diligently, but it seemed no permanent help could be found for him. During his long sickness though we believe he found the aid of the Savior Christ Jesus. That help shall not fail him.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock from the home and 2 o’clock from the East Side Lutheran church. Burial was made in the Rose Hill cemetery.

________________________________________________________

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE, EAGLE GROVE, IA
Thursday October 5, 1933

Obituary of Mrs. Lars Tveit
(By Rev. Severtson)

Bertha Hansen was born at Lete, Kvinnherad, Norway, October 6, 1852, and died at her home on North Wright Street, Eagle Grove, Iowa, October 2, 1933, at the age of 80 years, 11 months, and 26 days. She was baptized Into Christ, received instruction and confessed her Christian faith.

In 1876 she came to the U. S. A., to Story county, Iowa, where she was united in marriage to Jens Larson October 31, 1878. In 1884 Mr. and Mrs. Larson came to Wright county, to Troy township, where she lived until in 1909. Mr. Larson passed away from this life on January 4, 1892. To this union six children were born, viz: Chris Larson, Britt; Hans Larson, Clarion; Mrs. W. H. Spangler and Mrs. A. E. Spangler, Nels Larson and Mrs. Arne Tveit, all of Eagle Grove.

On June 10, 1910 she was married to Lars Tveit. Mr. and Mrs. Tveit lived at Thor for a number of years, coming to Eagle Grove in 1920, where they have since lived. She is now survived by her husband, Lars Tveit, and the six above named children, also by twenty-three grand children and 7 great grandchildren, together with a number of near relatives and a large circle of friends. As far as is known she still has a sister living in Norway.

Mrs. Tveit was a quiet, unassuming character, very conscientious in her living. As we knew her, she was much devoted to her Christian faith, she loved her Savior, Jesus Christ, heartily. She enjoyed good health during her entire life, failing slightly during the last few years. Her final sickness was of a short duration.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon from the home at 1:30 o’clock and from the church at 2 o’clock. The remains were carried to the last resting place by six of her grandsons: Emory, Marvin and Bernard Spangler, Leslie Tveit and Norris and Harold Larson.

________________________________________________________

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE, EAGLE GROVE, IA
Thursday July 16, 1936

Mrs. Anna Tveit Died Thursday

Mrs. Anna Tveit, 45, well known Troy township woman, died Thursday afternoon at the Lutheran hospital, Ft. Dodge, after a short illness. Mrs. Tveit had submitted to a minor operation Thursday morning and died a few hours later. She is survived by three children, Leslie at home, Mrs. Morse Nielsen, residing in the Head Grove community, and Mrs. Ed Campbell of Clarion.

Obituary of Mrs. Arne Tveit.

Anna Christine Larsen was born October 27th, 1890, in Troy Township, Wright county, Iowa, to the parents Jens and Bertha Larsen, and passed away from this life at Fort Dodge, Iowa, Thursday July 9th, 1936, at the age of 45 years, 8 months and 12 days.

She was baptized into Christ, received instruction and confessed her christian faith in her youth. In 1907 she united in marriage to Arne Tveit, and lived on their farm in Troy Township for several years, later moving to the present home.

Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Tveit, viz-Beatrice, Mildred, Arlean and Leslie. Arlean passed away June 10th, 1928, and Mr. Tveit passed away February 8th, 1929. She is now survived by the three children viz-Mrs.Morse Nielsen, Mrs. Ed Campbell, and Leslie Tveit, by two grand-children and by her aged step father Mr. Lars Tveit, whom she cared for after her mother passed away, as long as she was able. She is also survived by three brothers, Chris Larsen of Britt, Iowa, Hans and Nels Larson of Eagle Grove and by two sisters, Mrs. Elias Spangler and Homer Spangler both of Eagle Grove.

Mrs. Tveit was a courageous honest and friendly lady. Her lot in life was not so easy. For a longer period her home had a goodly share of sickness, but Mr. Tveit and Arlean suffered for several years. A double responsibility was therefore placed on Mrs. Tveit, but she bore her lot heroically, she managed her home and farm successfully. She loved her God and her Savior tenderly, and was a faithful worshipper at the church services, she was at the worship last Sunday morning.

Funeral Services were held Saturday afternoon from the home and from the Eagle Grove Evangelical Lutheran church. Burial was made in the family lot at the Rose Hill Cemetery.

________________________________________________________

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE, EAGLE GROVE, IA
Thursday July 14, 1938

Obituary of Lars A. Tveit

Lars A. Tveit was born on the farm Tveit in Hardanger, Norway, Oct. 22, 1851, and passed away from this life at the home of Mrs. Chris Larson, near Britt, Iowa, July 7, 1938, at the age of 86 years, eight months and 15 days. He was baptlzed into Christ, received instruction and confessed his Christian faith in his youth.

He was united in marriage to Martha Busteheim and came to the United States. She died at Thor, Iowa, Feb 9, 1907. Five children were born to this union, three boys and two girls, three of these preceding their father. Carl died leaving a daughter now Mrs. Myrtle Walgren of Fort Dodge, and Arnie died leaving three children now Mrs. Mildred Campbell, Clarion, Mrs. Beatrice Nielsen, Eagle Grove and Leslie Tveit, Eagle Grove.

On June 10, 1911, Mr. Tveit was married to Mrs. Bertha Larson and lived at Thor for a number of years, coming to Eagle Grove in 1920 where Mrs. Tveit passed away Oct. 2, 1933. Since that time Mr. Tveit has lived with Mrs. Arne Tveit and then went on to live with Chris Larson near Britt where he died. There are four Larson children to mourn his departure, Nels and Hans Larson and Mrs. Homer and Mrs. Elias Spangler, all of Eagle Grove. He is also survived by 24 grandchildren and several great grandchildren. Mr. Tveit was a kind and friendly man, glad and thankful to God for his grace and salvation in Christ Jesus. He was satisfied with the lot which befell him in life. May God bless his memory.

Funeral services were held Saturday, July 9th and burial was made in the Rose Hill Cemetary.

Personal Info____________________________________________
Father: Jens Larsen
Born: June 10, 1847         Norway
Died: January 4, 1892      Near Thor, Iowa   Age  44
Parents: Unknown

Mother: Bertha Hansen
Born: October 6, 1852     Lete Kvinnherad  Norway
Died: October 2, 1933     Eagle Grove, Iowa   Age  80
Parents: Unknown

Married: October 31, 1878 for 13 years

Buried:
Jens Larsen: East Ullensvang Cemetery southeast of Thor, Iowa.
Single plot in the very back row, next to the fence.
Bertha Hansen: Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove, Iowa.
In the Homer & Julia Spangler plot.
The name on the tombstone is “Bertha Larson”.
________________________________________________________

Next to nothing is know about Jens Larsen. He most likely came to America as a young man, settling near Story City, Iowa. It was there that he met Bertha.

Bertha left Norway in 1876 through the seaport of Bergen on her way to the U.S. Since she had several cousins in the Story City area, she moved there and two years later was married to Jens.

In 1884 the couple bought eighty acres of land near Eagle Grove. At the time, the family consisted of two sons and two daughters. Another boy and girl came along later. Since farming in those days required a large amount of manual labor, the children were kept busy.

Seven years after purchasing the farm, Jens became ill and finally passed away in early 1892 after being sick for about a year. Since the family could not afford a coffin, the neighbors built one for them while Jens’s body was left outside in a shed to freeze. A bobsled was used to transport the remains to the cemetery for burial. Heated stones were taken on the journey to keep warm in the frigid January cold.

Jen’s death left Bertha with six children to raise, the oldest being around twelve and the youngest barely a year. In addition, there was the farm to attend to. It must have been tempting to simply sell the acreage and/or quickly find another husband. It is a tribute to Bertha’s determination that she chose to continue the farming and family raising and that she did it almost entirely on her own.

While farming, Bertha received assistance from the neighbors in return for the work the Larsen children did for them. The boys would help out in the fields while the girls would earn money by babysitting, milking cows and feeding the pigs. All of this no doubt promoted a tighter community amongst these transplanted Scandinavians.

But there could be challenges. At one time Bertha had to take a neighbor to court because his tiled ditch was draining onto the Larsen land. This was not easy. Money was tight, and laws in those days were often stacked against a single working mother, a fact the neighbor was probably well aware of. Imagine his surprise when the judge ruled in Bertha’s favor!

In 1910, after the children were all raised, Bertha sold the farm, married Lars Tveit and the two moved to the tiny town of Thor, Iowa. It must have been a close knit family since Bertha’s daughter had three years earlier married Lars’s son. Bertha in fact had been living with the young couple and had delighted in spoiling her grandchildren.

Even though she was no longer involved with farming, Bertha continued her hard working ways by raising a garden. Vegetables were kept in the cellar under the house. A stern woman, Bertha would use the Norwegian phrase “chus cotton” when things went awry. In English this means “kiss the cat”.

The two moved again, to Eagle Grove in 1920, to be closer to the children. Later in the decade Bertha began to experience “heart spells” which would trouble her at times for the remainder of her life.

Almost all of the couple’s money was lost when their bank failed during the Depression. Ironically, Bertha’s son-in-law Homer Spangler sat on the bank’s board of directors and could hardly have been unaware of the institution’s distress. His failure to warn Bertha did not endear him to the rest of the family.

After experiencing increasing problems with her “spells”, Bertha finally died a few days short of her eight-first birthday. A better example of immigrant persistence and resolve would be hard to find.

Children of Jens & Bertha Larsen

Chris Larsen – Farmer
Born: ??Died: ??

Hans Larsen – Farmer
Born: 1881Died: 1965

Julia Larsen (Spangler) – Housewife
Born: January 5, 1883Died: March 6, 1953

Martha Larsen (Spangler) – Housewife
Born: 1884Died: 1967
Martha & Julia married the Spangler brothers Elias & Homer.

Nels Larsen – Farmer
Born: ??Died: ??

Anna Christine Larsen (Tveit) – Housewife
Born: October 27, 1890Died: July 9, 1936

Personal Info____________________________________________
Father: Lars A. Tveit
Born: October 22, 1851      Tveit Farm, Hardanger District  Norway
Died: July 7, 1938              Britt, Iowa   Age  86
Parents: Arne & Kari Tveit

Mother: Martha Busteheim
Born: July 10, 1866            Odda  Norway
Died: February 5, 1907      Near Thor, Iowa   Age  40
Parents: Unknown

Married: In 1882 for 25 years

Buried:
Lars A. Tveit: Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove, Iowa.
Tveit Family Plot.
Martha Busteheim: West Ullensvang Cemetery south of Thor, Iowa.
Exact location of the grave is unknown.
________________________________________________________

Lars Tveit was a farmer and probably worked on the Tveit farm in Norway through much of his early life. The farm had the usual cows and sheep with small fields of corn and potatoes. There also was haymaking, especially hard work. In addition, the records in Bergen mention that he was a coastal sailor in the north part of the country.

Martha’s background is unknown. She was barely sixteen when her first son was born, and was about half Lars’s age when the two were married.

In 1883 the family moved to America, most likely because Lars was the second oldest, instead of the oldest son and would therefore not inherit any land. They entered America through Ellis island. While they were being processed, a Negro held the baby son Arne. This scared Martha who had never seen a black man before. She was no doubt quite relieved when her boy was returned to her and the family was safely on their way west.

The Tveits lived in Wisconsin for six years, then moved near Thor, Iowa, in Humboldt County. Since much of the nearby farmland at the time was laced with sloughs, Lars was able to make a living putting in tile. Later in life his shoulders would become rounded from the hard work.

After suffering from poor health, Martha passed away at what would be considered a young age by modern standards. In those days, the coffin was taken to the house after the church service. While watching over the remains, her son Carl used a rusty pin to remove a sliver. Blood poisoning ensued and he ended up dying just four days after his mother.

But there was good news as well. Later in the summer of that same year, the oldest son, Arne, got married. The romance proved to be a blessing in disguise as Arne’s wife happened to have a widowed mother, Bertha Larsen. Like Lars, she was a hard working Norwegian and had just seen the last of her six children leave home. The two ended up tying the knot on June 10, 1910. (To put this another way, Lars married his daughter-in-law’s mother.)

Lars and Bertha were together for twenty-three years, living in Thor and later Eagle Grove. Since Lars was a quiet man, Bertha did most of the talking and made many of the decisions.

Lars enjoyed good health his entire life and rarely had to see a doctor. This proved to be a mixed blessing as he lived to see his last son Arne die in 1929. Four years later, his second wife Bertha was dead. These events coupled with the Great Depression saddened him. During family gatherings, the adults would have one of the children give him a dollar bill. Tears would form in his eyes as he took the money from his great-granddaughter. Tears, perhaps, of a man displaced.

Following Bertha’s death, Lars went to live with his daughter-in-law, Arne’s widow Anna. After Anna passed away unexpectedly in 1936, Lars was moved to Britt, Iowa to be cared for by Bertha’s oldest son Chris and his family. Two years later, the ancient immigrant finally breathed his last.

Children of Lars & Martha Tveit

Arne Tveit – Farmer
Born: August 5, 1882Died: February 8, 1929

Carl Tveit – Farmer
Born: November 17, 1884Died: February 9, 1907

John Tveit "Johnny" 
Born: UnknownDied: Unknown
Only lived to be fourteen, dying soon after being confirmed.

Two daughters passed away in early childhood, possibly 
from scarlet fever. Nothing more is known about them.