Abel’s parents were Håkon Hanson Gilje (1843-1928) and Brita Olsdotter Thormodsæter (1843-1919). Read More Here:

This article may not be for hard-core genealogists, for you have often used this source. However, some people may be curious about how...

A few articles back, I introduced the subject of DNA testing, indicating that there were four types of tests. In the article, I talked...

Norwegians have been known for their shipbuilding skills since Viking times when they terrorized Europe. While many were designed...

Several have asked about our trip to Norway, and instead of responding individually, I thought I would write an article about it. I need...

The first four things I think of Norway are Vikings, stave churches, the midnight sun, and fjords. A friend of mine recently asked me,...

Recently my cousin, Jakob Thormodsater, surprised me by sending a picture of my Grandfather Abel Haakinson's house where he grew up on...

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” or so the saying goes. However, with all the beauty in Norway, there must be those who have...

This story begins with a Norwegian immigrant family. When the mother passed away, the father took his American-born son, Olaf, back to...

I grew up in Whittier, California, near two wonderful Norwegian-American families - the Sevolds and the Gundersens/Thorseims. I always...

With fear and trepidation, I venture into talking about Deoxyribonucleic Acid or simply DNA. Just the word sends shivers down my back, as...

When I talked with my mother about her Lutheran church heritage, it was much different from mine and what I found in Norway. Her changed...

Abel Haakinson (Thormodsæter) was born on October 1, 1874, on Bømlo Island, near the town of Finnas, Norway. He was the third child of...