My Kolbeinsvik Great great grandparents

Kristi Andersdatter Blænes 1830-1913 wife of Jakob Baarsen Kolbeinsvik

Jakob Baardsen Kolbeinsvik 1830-1882

Jakob Baardsen Kolbeinsvik was born in 1830 in Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy, Norway. He was the fourth child in a family of eleven children, born to Baar Knudsen Kolbeinsvik and his wife Marthe Jacobsdatter Haevroen. He grew up on the home farm of Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy, Austevoll, Norway. Like his father he became a fisherman. Most of the farms had their own docks capable of handling quite large vessels. One of the best harbors was at the farm of Blænes at the southern end of Huftarøy. It was in Blænes he met his wife Kristi Andersdatter Blænes. They were married in 1855 in the Fitjar Church. Eight children were born to them:1) Kari Jacobsdatter Kolbeinsvik b.1856, Blænes, Huftarøy.2) Anders Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b.May 31,1857 Blænestræ, Huftarøy.3) Baar (Burt) Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. May 1,1859, Blænes, Huftarøy.4) Marthines Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. Feb.25,1863 Blænes, Huftarøy.5) Thorbjorn Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. Nov. 27,1865 Blænes, Huftarøy.6) Martha Larsine Jacobsdatter Kolbeinsvik b. May 31,1868, Trollholmen, Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy.7) Jacob Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b.Aug. 6,1869, Trollholmen, Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy.8) Sjur Olai (Severt) Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. Oct.1,1871, Trollholmen, Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy.It appears that the family stayed at Blænes for the first years of their marriage since the first four children were baptized at the Fitjar Church. In 1865 they are listed as living at Trodholmen, a part of Kolbeinsvik, in the Austevoll Parish near Storeboe. The last four children were baptized there and all of them were confirmed there. On July 7, 1882 Jacob went out to chop wood in the woods on Trollholmen. Unfortunately he chopped himself badly. He bled very badly but was alert enough to head for his house. He died on the doorstep July 7 1882 where his wife Kristi found him. He was buried July 14,1882 in the Austevoll Church Cemetery on Huftarøy. After Jakob's death the whole family decided to move to join other relatives and move to Iowa and North Dakota.

Kristi Andersdatter Blænes 1830-1913

Kristi Andersdatter Blænes was born May 9, 1830 to Anders Knutson Raunholm, Fitjar (1786-1876) and his wife Martha Jacobsdatter. Blænes (1808-1879). Kristi was the first of nine children (seven girls, two boys). She grew up on the farm Blænestræt. She was baptized and confirmed in Fitjar Church, Norway. They had to travel by boat from the island of Huflarøy to Fitjar. Kristi met and married Jacob Baarsen Kolbeinsvik,, who came from the Kolbeinsvik farm further up the Island north of Blænes. They had eight children:1) Kari Jacobsdatter Kolbeinsvik b.1856, Blænes, Huftarøy.2) Anders Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b.May 31,1857 Blænestræ, Huftarøy.3) Baar (Burt) Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. May 1,1859, Blænes, Huftarøy.4) Marthines Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. Feb.25,1863 Blænes, Huftarøy.5) Thorbjorn Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. Nov. 27,1865 Blænes, Huftarøy.6) Martha Larsine Jacobsdatter Kolbeinsvik b. May 31,1868, Trollholmen, Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy.7) Jacob Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b.Aug. 6,1869, Trollholmen, Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy.8) Sjur Olai (Severt) Jacobson Kolbeinsvik b. Oct.1,1871, Trollholmen, Kolbeinsvik, Huftarøy.After Kristi and Jacob were married they remained at Blænes for some years, moving to Vik and later to Kolbeinsvik. Their portion of the Kolbeinsvik farm was called Trollholmen. Jacob continued as a fisherman and as a leaseholder on the farm. When Jacob bled to death from chopping himself with an axe, the family emigrated to the USA. Kristi with five of the children left Norway on May 7, 1885. Kari had married and so stayed in Norway one more year. The other two had immigrated earlier. Kristi settled in Finley, North Dakota where many of the family also chose to homestead. Many of her descendants still live in the area. Kristi died on January 30, 1913, and is buried in Ostervold Cemetery, Finley, North Dakota. In the summer of 2005 I visited the Ostervold Lutheran Church, a country church just out of Finley, North Dakota and saw her grave and the graves of many of her family.