The Aaker Paper

Personal Memoirs of Knud S. Aaker

"I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works.  I will be glad and rejoice in thee:  I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High." --PS. 9:1-2

    I have long intended to put into writing some data concerning our lives, which I hope may be of interest to our descendants when we are departed, and possibly to generations in the unseen future.
    I, Knud Saavesen Aaker, was born on the Moen farmstead in Brunkerberg, Jan. 27, 1797, the son of Saave Knudsen and Aslaug Halvorsdatter.  Of eight brothers and sisters, I am the oldest.  My wife, Mari Larsdatter, was born on the Haegtvedt farmstead in Laardal, Jan. 6, 1799, the daughter of Lars Knudsen and Asborg Halvorsdatter.  We were married in Brunkeberg Church Dec. 5, 1818; immigrated to America June 7, 1845, and settled in Dane County, Wisconsin; in 1857 we moved to Minnesota and took a homestead in Holden Township, Goodhue County.
    In the year 1819, on the 24th day of September, our son Saave was born on the Moen farmstead in Brunkeberg; he was confirmed in the Moland Church on All Saints' Sunday in 1835, and was married Oct. 2, 1844, to the maid Anne Christine Schodt of Kviteseid.  He immigrated to America in 1852, and died Aug. 13, 1862, and was buried at Holden Church in Goodhue County on the 16th of the same month.  He left a wife and nine children.
    On June 19, 1822, our daughter Asborg was born; was baptized the 22nd in the Brunkerberg Church; was confirmed in the Laardal Church on the 10th Sunday after Trinity in 1838; married in the West Koshkonong Church (Wisconsin) on Oct. 18, 1849, to Knud Olsen Gjerjord of Brnkeberg.
    On Sept. 19, 1825, ou son Lars was born, and ws baptized on the 24th of the same month.  He was confirmed May 29, 1842, in the Laardal Church; married to the maid Kathrine Helvig Westrem of Graven Parish in Hardanger, at the Eas Koshkonong Church, Feb. 13, 1853.
    Our daughter Aslaug was born May 25, 1828; baptized on the 22nd** of the same month; confirmed in the Laardal Church Aug. 11, 1844; married to Halvor Olsen Huset.
    Anne was born Apr. 6, 1831; confirmed in the West Koshkonong Church on the first Sunday after Easter, 1846; married in October, 1855, to Hans C. Aadnesen of Stavanger.
    Aaste was born Sept. 15, 1834; confirmed at Koshkonong the first Sunday after Easter, 1849; maried Apr., 5, 1858, to Ole Jörgensen Solberg.
    Our third son, Halvor, was born mar. 30, 1837, and died Mar. 1, 1843.
    Our fourth son, Nils, was born July 9, 1841, and was confirmed in the West Koshkonong church on Ascension day, 1855; married Feb. 26, 1863, to the maid Marthe Olsdatter Föllingstad.

The above memoirs were written July, 9 1864.

** Apparently an error as date of baptism is three days earlier than date of birth, but dates are given here as they appear in the original Norwegian edition of the Aaker family history.