Rock County Wisconsin
The Norwegian settlements in Rock County Wisconsin date back to 1839. The original settlers first arrived in the Fox River Settlement west of Chicago, and crossed into Wisconsin in search of good farmland.
John, his wife Maria and daughter Oline immigrated to Wisconsin in 1850. They are reported to have lived in the Jefferson Prairie settlement south of Clinton WI. Within a year of their arrival, Maria was lost to an epidemic.
Just west of this settlement, the Luther Valley settlement was home to many Hadelanders. We don't know which settlement Kari, her husband Halvor and infant daughter Randi came to when they immigrated. We do know that an even greater tragedy befell Kari, who lost both her husband and their daughter to "the fevers" within about 6 months of their arrival.
John and Kari married and, along with John's daughter Oline, moved to Spring Grove in Minnesota in 1853.
To read an interesting story about the development of the Luther Valley settlement (no information about John or Kari), click here.
