Anne was born in Hytebakken, near Trondheim, Norway, on March 19, 1835. She was the daughter of Frederick Harstadnegen and Anne Rossethaugen. On June 18, 1855, she married John Johnsen Lien in Norway, at the church in Selbu. John and Anne emigrated to America in 1857, just after the birth of their first child, Sophia. Norwegians had been coming to America for several years, but they were the first people from the Selbu area to make the voyage. They left Selbu on February 12, in the company of Thomas Larsen Krogstad. They traveled by horse and sleigh to Holtaalen, and then to Kristiania (Oslo), staying with relatives on the way. It took two weeks to get to Oslo, and seven more weeks to find passage aboard a ship bound for America. Once aboard, they spent eight weeks at sea, finally arriving in Quebec. They continued their journey by water up the St Lawrence River through Lakes Erie, Ontario, Huron and Michigan, all the way to Chicago. Land near Chicago was scarce, having been taken by earlier settlers, so they traveled further west. They reached Decorah, Iowa at the end of August, nearly five months after they had left Selbu. John and Anne's second child Anna, was born there in 1858.
John's older brother Thomas also came to America and settled in Dodge County, Minnesota, slightly to the north of Decorah. Thomas offered to sell some of his land to John & Anne. They then purchased more land until they had a farm of about 200 acres, some in Dodge County and some in neighboring Olmstead County. Many of the immigrants wrote letters to Norway, praising Minnesota, and more families from Selbu followed. The 1880 census for Canisteo Township, Dodge County lists J. Johnson, age 55, born Norway; wife Anna, age 44, born Norway; Anna, age 22, born Iowa; John, age 19, Betsey, age 18 and Frederick, age 15, the last three born in Minnesota.
Anne's daughter Sophie described their first home in Canisteo Township as an earthen cabin, sixteen feet square, dug into the south side of a hill. In front were two windows and a door, the roof was made of earth. They had a Norwegian chest for a table and an oven to make food on. Their first beds were of straw. They lived in the sod house until 1862, when her father built a real house. The family belonged to the South Zumbro Lutheran Church, just east of Canisteo Township in Olmstead County. Meetings were held in homes and the school while the church was being built. The church was completed in 1868 at a cost of $2200, including furnishings. At first, the name of the church was Norsk Lutheran Church in Salem. Anne's family took in several young men who were studying to be ministers over the years.
John died in 1900, Anne died in Dodge County on February, 1911. Both John and Anne are buried in the graveyard of the South Zumbro Lutheran Church.
John's older brother Thomas also came to America and settled in Dodge County, Minnesota, slightly to the north of Decorah. Thomas offered to sell some of his land to John & Anne. They then purchased more land until they had a farm of about 200 acres, some in Dodge County and some in neighboring Olmstead County. Many of the immigrants wrote letters to Norway, praising Minnesota, and more families from Selbu followed. The 1880 census for Canisteo Township, Dodge County lists J. Johnson, age 55, born Norway; wife Anna, age 44, born Norway; Anna, age 22, born Iowa; John, age 19, Betsey, age 18 and Frederick, age 15, the last three born in Minnesota.
Anne's daughter Sophie described their first home in Canisteo Township as an earthen cabin, sixteen feet square, dug into the south side of a hill. In front were two windows and a door, the roof was made of earth. They had a Norwegian chest for a table and an oven to make food on. Their first beds were of straw. They lived in the sod house until 1862, when her father built a real house. The family belonged to the South Zumbro Lutheran Church, just east of Canisteo Township in Olmstead County. Meetings were held in homes and the school while the church was being built. The church was completed in 1868 at a cost of $2200, including furnishings. At first, the name of the church was Norsk Lutheran Church in Salem. Anne's family took in several young men who were studying to be ministers over the years.
John died in 1900, Anne died in Dodge County on February, 1911. Both John and Anne are buried in the graveyard of the South Zumbro Lutheran Church.
Anne was born in Hytebakken, near Trondheim, Norway, on March 19, 1835. She was the daughter of Frederick Harstadnegen and Anne Rossethaugen. On June 18, 1855, she married John Johnsen Lien in Norway, at the church in Selbu. John and Anne emigrated to America in 1857, just after the birth of their first child, Sophia. Norwegians had been coming to America for several years, but they were the first people from the Selbu area to make the voyage. They left Selbu on February 12, in the company of Thomas Larsen Krogstad. They traveled by horse and sleigh to Holtaalen, and then to Kristiania (Oslo), staying with relatives on the way. It took two weeks to get to Oslo, and seven more weeks to find passage aboard a ship bound for America. Once aboard, they spent eight weeks at sea, finally arriving in Quebec. They continued their journey by water up the St Lawrence River through Lakes Erie, Ontario, Huron and Michigan, all the way to Chicago. Land near Chicago was scarce, having been taken by earlier settlers, so they traveled further west. They reached Decorah, Iowa at the end of August, nearly five months after they had left Selbu. John and Anne's second child Anna, was born there in 1858.
John's older brother Thomas also came to America and settled in Dodge County, Minnesota, slightly to the north of Decorah. Thomas offered to sell some of his land to John & Anne. They then purchased more land until they had a farm of about 200 acres, some in Dodge County and some in neighboring Olmstead County. Many of the immigrants wrote letters to Norway, praising Minnesota, and more families from Selbu followed. The 1880 census for Canisteo Township, Dodge County lists J. Johnson, age 55, born Norway; wife Anna, age 44, born Norway; Anna, age 22, born Iowa; John, age 19, Betsey, age 18 and Frederick, age 15, the last three born in Minnesota.
Anne's daughter Sophie described their first home in Canisteo Township as an earthen cabin, sixteen feet square, dug into the south side of a hill. In front were two windows and a door, the roof was made of earth. They had a Norwegian chest for a table and an oven to make food on. Their first beds were of straw. They lived in the sod house until 1862, when her father built a real house. The family belonged to the South Zumbro Lutheran Church, just east of Canisteo Township in Olmstead County. Meetings were held in homes and the school while the church was being built. The church was completed in 1868 at a cost of $2200, including furnishings. At first, the name of the church was Norsk Lutheran Church in Salem. Anne's family took in several young men who were studying to be ministers over the years.
John died in 1900, Anne died in Dodge County on February, 1911. Both John and Anne are buried in the graveyard of the South Zumbro Lutheran Church.
John's older brother Thomas also came to America and settled in Dodge County, Minnesota, slightly to the north of Decorah. Thomas offered to sell some of his land to John & Anne. They then purchased more land until they had a farm of about 200 acres, some in Dodge County and some in neighboring Olmstead County. Many of the immigrants wrote letters to Norway, praising Minnesota, and more families from Selbu followed. The 1880 census for Canisteo Township, Dodge County lists J. Johnson, age 55, born Norway; wife Anna, age 44, born Norway; Anna, age 22, born Iowa; John, age 19, Betsey, age 18 and Frederick, age 15, the last three born in Minnesota.
Anne's daughter Sophie described their first home in Canisteo Township as an earthen cabin, sixteen feet square, dug into the south side of a hill. In front were two windows and a door, the roof was made of earth. They had a Norwegian chest for a table and an oven to make food on. Their first beds were of straw. They lived in the sod house until 1862, when her father built a real house. The family belonged to the South Zumbro Lutheran Church, just east of Canisteo Township in Olmstead County. Meetings were held in homes and the school while the church was being built. The church was completed in 1868 at a cost of $2200, including furnishings. At first, the name of the church was Norsk Lutheran Church in Salem. Anne's family took in several young men who were studying to be ministers over the years.
John died in 1900, Anne died in Dodge County on February, 1911. Both John and Anne are buried in the graveyard of the South Zumbro Lutheran Church.
Inscription
"GUD VAERE TAK SOM GIVER OS SEIER VED VOR HERRE JESUS CHRISTUS, I COR. 15:57", which translates to: "THANKS BE TO GOD WHICH GIVITH US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST".
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