Andrew Ness

To date I have found 1865 (MN), 1870, 1880, 1885 (MN) and 1895 (MN) census records for my great-grandfather Andrew A. Ness (1852-1900) and his family. Andrew was born in Norway and came to the U.S. as an infant when his parents emigrated in 1853. His 1865 and 1870 census records are on the page of his father Anders Ness. That page explains some of the many difficulties presented by Norwegian names. He is Andrew Anderson on the 1865/1870/1880 census forms, but Andrew Ness (with creative spelling variations) on 1885/1895.

I ran futile census searches for Andrew Ness many times before I realized I should try Andrew Anderson (doh!). Once I found the earlier records, I realized that Andrew's family never left Fillmore County MN (Arendahl, Rushford, Lanesboro) after they arrived in the early 1860s, so a relatively simple search through Arendahl Township census pages found records missed by automated searches (Nesh, Nisse, Nesse). Live and learn.

Per family history documents, Andrew and his wife Ingborg had ten children: Anton, Brita, Anna, Carl, Inger, Alice, Arthur, Lina, Elmer (1), Elmer (2). Arthur and first Elmer died in infancy; the 1895 MN census lists the other eight. I knew my grandfather Anton and his sister Lina, and met his sister Alice at least once, but I don't recall any of the others. Andrew's wife Ingeborg was Ingeborg Larson, so the "servant girl" Gunild Larson in 1880 could be a relative; she is not Ingeborg's younger sister, as Ingeborg was born in WI and Gunild in Norway.

A cautionary note: An 1880 census record (Minnesota Lac Qui Parle Providence, lines 24-27) lists husband Andrew A. Ness 30, wife Ingeborg 26, son Olaf 5, and son Oscar 2. That is a different family, though quite likely related; the husband and wife's names match, but their birthdates do not and the children's names do not.

1880:

Ness_Andrew_1880.png
US Census 1880 >> MN >> Fillmore >> Arendahl >> ED 69, image 2 of 28, lines 30-36:
 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB2-9ZXG?i=1&cc=1417683
 [Ingebor should read Ingeborg; Anthon Anderson is Anton Ness, Betsey is Brita.
  Three kids, servant and laborer living on farm; servant Gunild could be Ingeborg's relative.]
Andrew A Anderson Male   28 Married White Farming       Self     1852 Norway    Norway Norway B 206 0 1
Ingebor Anderson  Female 23 Married White Keeping House Wife     1857 Wisconsin Norway Norway B 206 1 1
Anthon Anderson   Male    5 Single  White               Son      1875 Minnesota Norway Norway B 206 2 1
Betsey Anderson   Female  3 Single  White               Daughter 1877 Minnesota Norway Norway B 206 3 1
Anna Anderson     Female  1 Single  White               Daughter 1879 Minnesota Norway Norway B 206 4 1
Gunild Larson     Female 17 Single  White Servant       Other    1863 Minnesota Norway Norway B 206 5 1
Johan Elingson    Male   17 Single  White Laborer       Other    1863 Norway    Norway Norway B 206 6 1
			

1885:

Ness_Andrew_1885.png
Minnesota State Census, 1885  Fillmore Arendahl 
 Image 3 of 14, lines 27 ff.
 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DT49-JV?i=2&wc=M8S1-S6G%3A66189201%2C66204401&cc=1503044
 [Nesh should read Ness; Ingebor/Authim/Brithe/Kare should read Ingeborg/Anton/Brita/Karl.]
 [census page shows Syverthson and Mundahl as part of same household]
Andrew A Nesh    Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota 33 years 1852 Norway     White Male   Fillmore
Ingebor A Nesh   Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota 28 years 1857 Wisconsin  White Female Fillmore
Authim A Nesh    Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota  9 years 1876 Minnesota  White Male   Fillmore
Brithe A Nesh    Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota  8 years 1877 Minnesota  White Female Fillmore
Anne A Nesh      Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota  6 years 1879 Minnesota  White Female Fillmore
Kare A Nesh      Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota  4 years 1881 Minnesota  White Male   Fillmore
T H Syverthson   Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota 20 years 1865 Norway     White Male   Fillmore
Syneva K Mundahl Arendahl, Fillmore, Minnesota 21 years 1864 Norway     White Female Fillmore
			

1895:

Ness_Andrew_1895.png
MN State Census, 1895 >> Fillmore County >> Rushford Township
 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZD7-83X?i=4&cc=1503031
[N.B. Ness transcribed as Nisse on p. 4, Nesse on p. 5.;
 Betsy/Kurdis/Enga/Allis/Lena should read Brita/Carl/Inger/Alice/Lina.]
[image 4 of 25, last two lines:]
Andrw Nisse         Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota 43y 1852 Norway    W Male
Mrs. Ingeborg Nisse Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota 36y 1859 Wisconsin W Female
[image 5 of 25, first 8 lines:]
Anton S Nesse       Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota 19y 1876 Minnesota W Male
Betsy Nesse         Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota 18y 1877 Minnesota W Female
Anna Nesse          Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota 16y 1879 Minnesota W Female
Kurdis Nesse        Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota 14y 1881 Minnesota W Male
Enga Nesse          Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota 10y 1885 Minnesota W Female
Allis Nesse         Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota  8y 1887 Minnesota W Female
Lena Nesse          Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota  5y 1890 Minnesota W Female
Elmer Nesse         Rushford township, Fillmore, Minnesota  4m 1895 Minnesota W Male
			

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