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Searches that have lasted for 60 years.

Hans Pedersen Holt - Bernt Kristoffersen - Anker Ljungren

The family history says he lived in Saskatchewan and we have found them.
But then i 1933 Anker is off again, he my have left the Regina region 
so the search is still on.

Holten page | Canada |Marriage in Saskatchewan |

Breakthrough in Canada, keeps the search going, do you have any info to
the legendary Canadian Royal Mounted Police?
Click here...NOW.

Does anybody know these persons?

Ankers father was Johan Johannesson Ljungren,
drawing by my grandfather 1933

Anker painted 1920- 1925 by my grandfather.

johan.jpg (8388 bytes)

Innvandring fra Sverige:

anker.jpg (7833 bytes)

Breakthrough in Canada, marriage found...

January 7th 2004 I did find the marriage record, yes, that was nice..

New breakthrough in July 2002.

Anker married Beret Holten (also from Norway) in Weyburn, Saskatchewan Canada 10 of july 1929. They got 4 children from 1929 to 1933 Muriel, Doris, Della and Alfred.

But in 1933 he walks of again an is lost for us. Anker is then at the age of 28 years, and his Canadian family has never heard of him again.

So the mystery still goes on, where can he be?
I have sendt an order and money to the
Saskatchewan archives, so lets hope they have info about him.

Vidar Holum 13 july 2002.

But at last we have found our Canadian family, hurra..... 

Happy new year 2000.
I did discover at  a funeral in January, that this search do celebrate 50 year anniversary. Helvine Amalie Hansdatter Kolvesen did in 1949 start to look for her long lost son,   ANKER (Johannesson) Ljungren.

ankerbapt.jpg (48528 bytes)

Anker Ljungren (Johannessen), born 27.03.1906 from, Østre Toten Norway,
immigrated to Arcola, Saskatchewan, Canada 22 or 23 /3-1927 with the ship Bordewick (or travel agent).
Canadian Pacific Railway Company did the transportation to Canada.
The route was Oslo, Bergen, Liverpool, and Quebec. The last leg on the ship Montcalm (owned by CPR).
Ankers parents was Johan Johannesson Ljungren and Helvine Amalie Kolvsen Sørensen.
Østre Toten County board had a meeting 26 Jan 1927. They did give nok 30.000 to 56 persons (nok. 600 per per. person)
that went on the long trip. A letter dated 14 June 1927 from Mr. W. F. Youngblud give a record of the arrival.

He there worked for ca. 2 years en farm at Mr. Olsen, and my problem is that he most certainly changed name.

Rumor 1:
Recent discovered that he may have lived in in San Jose or San Pedro in California, married to a teacher an had 2 or 3 daughters.
Rumors also say that he was killed in a gangster war, if he was a police, innocent bystander or a gangster himself I don't know.

Rumor 2:
He joined the US Forces in WW 2, and returned alive and that he have a family in USA. What my mother have heard was that he work on an
airstrip. USAF?

Rumor 3:
He was an math genius, was in WWII as a pilot or in a bomber crew. And was shot after the war. And that he had 6 daughters. Finally we got an answer that said (death certificate for his mother and father) he went to USA not Canada as we always believed. (But you newer know).

We have tried Salvation Army, in 60's, but what they did com up with is lost, and archive are destroyed after 10 years. I think the rumors in the family originated from their findings. (But the uncle that paid for this died in 1965)

Anker did travel with Arthur Granerud to the farm in Arcola, so I started to look for him, but answer came today, he died in 1990 unmarried in Winnipeg 1990. No papers or letters left. So that was that.

We my cousin Bjørn-Arild Woll and me have written some hundred letter's to:
FBI, Army, Ljungren's USA and Canada, Registrar of Canadian Citizenship big fee search negative, Saskatchewan Archives Board, Arcola Museum, Alliance Church Arcola, Arcola Public Library, Government Records Branch National Archives of Canada, Vital Statistics Branch Regina, etc.

But I think it have failed, and the clue is to find the name or match on events.

Or find his border passing from Canada to USA, was that reg. as emigration?

Hope 1:
I got help from Norway list and Sask list, and we hope to have found, the correct archive for border passing from Canada to USA:

St. Albans, Vermont, District Soundex Index to Entries into the St. Albans, VT, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports 1924-1952. M1463. 98 rolls. 16mm.

48 K-565 Ernestina--L-100 Richard C.49 L-100 Robert--L-145 Omer
50 L-145 Omer--L-200 Jan51 L-200 Jane--L-260 Anna
52 L-260 Anna--L-416 Gemma53 L-416 Gerard--L-524 John W.
54 L-524 Joseph--L-600 Yvonne

  I keep my fingers crossed.

*Movement of 500 Norwegian families to settle in colonies in Canada under the Canadian Pacific Railway (lists photos)1926-28*.
It is listed as RG 76,Vol.297, File 273271 and is on Microfilm C-7846. I
looked at the film and I found a list with all the names of immigrants, where they were being located and on whose farm they were being located. There were 6 names for Arcola, Sask. and

Anker Ljungren and Arthur Granerud were sent to a farmer by the name of N.J. Olsen.

There were a number of vessels involved in the transfer of Norwegians to Canada.
I saw mentioned the S.S. Montclair and the Minnedosa. I saw a letter dated Sept. 12, 1927 mentioning the S.S. Montcalm,
which arrived at Quebec April 3, 1927. It was on CPR letterhead and stated

*Dear Sir,

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 1st instant, File 297101 addressed to
Colonel Dennis relative to the thirteen municipally aided immigrants on the S.S. Montcalm April 3.

You will be advised in due course of the names and addresses of the farmer with whom the Norwegians
referred to in your letter were placed.*
I believe the letter was to a Canadian Government Department.

Arcola is a town in southern Saskatchewan, about 15 km west of Carlyle.
It is on highway 13 which runs due east from Weyburn to the Manitoba border.
It is also just south of Moose Mountain Provincial Park, one of the highest spots of land in this prairie province.
Arcola has approx. 600 (year 1968) inhabitants.

Anker traveled together with these people from Toten, Norway:
Ole Skogstad?
Gunnar Hannestad?

Personer som undertegnet gjeldsbrev til Ø. Toten kommune m/selvskyldnerkausjonist (foreldre)
Persons that signed an IOU to Toten County, Norway with a surety from their parents. parents marked () )

Johan Markus Johansen (Antonette Johansen Finsand)
Einar Sundbakken (Even S.)
Mads Solheim (Brede S.)
Lorentz Gulbrandsen (Berte Lauritsen)
Henrik Andersen (Helmer A.)
Arthur Granerud (Bernt G.)
Nils P. Almshagen (Peder O. Almshagen)
Oskar Nerby (Martin N.)
Maurits Aspelund (Anton Nilsen Aspelund)
Gunnar D. Bøe (David G. Bøe)
Arne M. Dahl (M. J. Dahl)
Alfred Grønvold (E. Grønvold)
Oskar Faråsengen (Petter P. Faråsengen)
Harald Majersveen (Martin Majersveen)
Reidar Dulsrud (Harald Dulsrud)
A. Amundsen (H. Amundsen)
Adolf Walheim (Kristian Hvalstad)
Jens Ødegaard (Kristian Ødegaard)
Kristian Evensen Kapp (Karl Evensen)
Kristian Martinsen (Martin Nordviken) NB!
Mads Olsen (Ole H. Olsen)
Johan Veiberg Kapp (Chr. Veiberg)
Einar Gihle (E. Chr. Gihle)
Markus Sørli (Martin Sørli)
Hans Rise (Petter Rise)
Ole Oppegaard Skreia (A. K. Oppegaard)
Helge Rolijordet (Ole Chr. Rolijordet)
Arthur Sælver (Peder P. Sælver)
Nicolai Haugli (Ole Jacob Haugli)
Jul Wold (Julius Wold Stolpestad) NB!
Hans Solvang (Even Solvang)
Kasper Linnerud (Anton M. Linnerud)
Arne J. dahl (J. Frodalen)
Helge H. Sigstad (Hans Sigstad)
Markus Willerud (Kasper Frodalen)
Aksel Børresen (Børre Martinsen)
Kristian Brodal (Nils Brodal)
Bjarne Stenberg (Martin Stenberg)
Peter Nordeng (Ole A. Buskum)
Johan Engh (Julius Engh)
Anton Ljunggren (John Ljunggren)
Alf Bjørnstad (Hans Bjørnstad)
Trygve Helgestad (B. Helgestad)
Fredrik Senstad (E. O. Senstad)
John Rognli (Martin Rognli)
Thor Moe Tjernholm (Chr. Tjenrholm)
Gunnar Fossli (Martin Fossli)
Hans Oluf Hansen Haakenstad (?)
Markus Hansen (Mads O. Bøkkedal)
Fredrik Dahl (M. J. Dahl)
Aksel Sletten (Otilie Sletten)
Hans Andersen (Helmer A.)
Oskar Sandvik (Thomas S.)
Magnus Mathisen (Harald Mathisen)
Kr. Gullerud (?)

Who is this?

canada.jpg (28850 bytes)

I did get this pictyre today from Del Olson in

Can this be Anker Ljungren and travelmates Arthur Granerud,
Markus Hansen, Hans Rise, and Helge Rolijordet in Arcola,
1927 or in USA later.
I have started to look for them to try to solve my mystery.

Send me a letter if you know, please.

Immigrant list 1
Immigrant list 2
Immigrant list 3

NB Jul Wold retunerte til Norge like før andre verdenskrig og han har gitt en beskrivelse av overreisen til Canada og tiden der borte.
Jul Wold returned to Norway before WW 2, and have written about the voyage and his time in Canada.

Does anybody have a tip how to research for these people in Canada?

Here are some info about the names:
Anker father Johan was a Swedish feltjeger = field soldier that came to Norway 1890 from Bohuslen, Sweden.
According to some military tradition they where given new surnames, and he was given Ljungren.
At birth Johan's father again was Johannes. So Anker's father birth name was Johan Johannesson.
Ljungren is being used in the family in Norway to this day.

So to Norway naming tradition, Anker correct surname would be Anker Johanssøn (o/slash) (Johansson).

Johan now living at Gjøvik, in Oppland, Norway had a small soap factory, he and Helvine divorced later. Johan was not a kind father for his son's according to stories told by my now died grandfather. And I think that was why Anker left Norway 21 years old.

I think Anker's memories of his father was so bad that he did not want to use his name.
I have been asked the meaning of Anker:
Anker in Latin = archeries.

The most common use of Anker in Norway is: Anchor, as in a boat anchor to keep the bout moored at sea. I can also be used as to have something to hold on to, like have an anchor in life to keep you at your goals or believes.

Other meanings:
Old small barrel used for measure (barrel, keg, cask) or as anker = armature in electric dynamo or generator.

To Canada:

I have had contact with the granddaughter of  Mr. Olsen the farm owner in Arcola, they remembered Anker as Anker Ljungren. He was a kind and workroom man that stay for ca. 2 years and then left.

As I said in my letter Ankers mother Helvine and brother Arthur, consulted The Salvation Army to find Anker. I contacted Salvation Army 1997 to learn that they destroyed their files after 10 years. No help there, strange practice, what if it came a lead on an old case????

But after reading in Missing Link about old archive recoveries, maybe I should go and talk to them in person, not just phone. Never give up! Because they found some thing.

At the funeral I told about, one of Anker's cousins did remember he had seen a name on Anker in 1950 to 1960. All he did remember was that the name was not Scandinavian.

My theory is that he passed border to USA in 1929 to 30, from Arcola near Regina in Saskatchewan, to Williston or Minot in North Dakota or to Havre or Gledive in Montana. I have learned form a source that the Canadians did not keep records of border passing to USA in 1930.

So my task is to find the courthouse for name change or the immigration to USA in this region. But is it on microfilm????
Oh, this would be a nice trip from Norway to take the dust of the old archives. But it is to fare away at the time being.

Thanks to G. David Thayer [] I learned that: here was no USAF during WW II. Air forces were contained within each branch of the military: Army, Navy, Marine Corps. Most aircraft action was done within the US Army Air Corps during the war.
The Navy and Marines had much less significant aircraft capabilities (with the exception of carrier-based fighters and torpedo bombers, which were part of the US Naval Air Corps). Airstrips were the province of the Army Air Corps. In particular, the heavy bombings in Europe were carried out by Army Air Corps aircraft.

Sorry about my poor spelling an bad English

Hope 2:

Today I found letter from Østre Toten County telling they where pleased, that the immigrants where repaying their
loan to travel, I Anker only behaved an repayed his NOK 75.- per. year. If I get lucky the county archive have the transactions after all  these years. I have some dusting to do. My hop I to find where the money came from:

trans1.jpg (31284 bytes) trans2.jpg (21517 bytes)

So what else can I do?

Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships Past and Present by Eugene W. Smith.
There were apparently two vessels by that name. It stated:

Montcalm (1872) Canadian Pacific Line

Built by Palmer's Shipbuilding and Iron Co., Jarrow-on-Tyne, England. Tonnage 5,505. Dimensions: 445'x52'. Single-screw, 13 knots.
Four masts and one funnel. Sister ship: Monterey. Note: The Montcalm was sold to Norwegian whalers in 1923 and renamed Rey Alfonso.

Montcalm (1921) Canadian Pacific Line

Built by John Brown & Co.Ltd., Clydebank, Glasgow. Tonnage 16,418. Dimensions: 549'x70'. Twin-screw, 17 knots.
Two masts and two funnels. Note: Commenced maiden voyage from Liverpool to Canada in January, 1922.
Sister ship: Montclair and Montrose.

Thanks to Gordon Lindsay, Canada and Ole Granum, Gjøvik, Norway for their help putting this together.

Table of Contents:
Relatives wanted!!! Norge
Relatives wanted!!! Sverige
Relatives wanted!!! Danmark
Relatives wanted!!! Germany
Relatives wanted!!! England
Relatives wanted!!! USA
Relatives wanted!!! Canada
Relatives wanted!!! Australia
Relatives wanted!!! New Zealand
Relatives wanted!!! Scotland

Searches that have lasted for 50 years.
Hans Pedersen Holt
Bernt Kristoffersen
Anker Ljungren

Help for others, searching in Norway.

Literature and books about genealogy and Scandinavians in:
Australia and New Zealand, Canada,Denmark, England, Norway
and The Royal Air Force


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