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.
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
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
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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