Information
| Home | What is Totenlag? |
| Genealogical Resources | How to join |
| Where is Toten? | Officers |
| What is Toten like? | Members (password required, case sensitive) |
| A brief History of Toten | Fellesraad Annual Meeting |
| The Churches of Toten | Stevne Plans |
The Toten area is located about 55 miles or 88 Km north of Oslo. However if one is going by car, plan on a two hour drive. Pushing a cart over the mountains might have taken our ancestors several weeks.
Toten is in Oppland Fylke, a larger administrative unit with functions of both a county and a state.
Toten is in the eastern, or flatter part of Norway. It has a lot farm land and higher up on the low mountains (1500 meters), much timber is grown and harvested. Toten's climate is much like southern Minnesota. Rainfall is less than on the west coast of Norway.
Viking roots go back about 4000 years and there may even have been people living there soon after the glacier melted. The Pilgrim Way, a route taken by medieval pilgrims travelling from Oslo to Nideros Cathedral in Trondheim where St. Olav's remains were preserved, goes through Østre Toten past the Balke Church and to Gjøvik.
The people of Toten may seem reserved at first, but soon warm to visitors just as you would do. They prefer to know someone is coming rather than be surprised when they see guests at the door. Most of the younger people speak some English. If only we spoke as much Norwegian.
A Brief History of Toten, Norway
A Little From Toten's Saga
(Link to an article from the 1921 Totenlag Yearbook translated by L. Opsahl)
It is an organization of people who came from or are descended from people who came from the Toten area of Norway. While originally conceived of as a way to get together for people from the same area in Norway, (it was formed in 1910) the lag has evolved into a group with family ties to Toten and the main emphasis is on genealogy and fellowship. Totenlag is one of seven Lags that have a yearly grand meeting (stevne). Quite naturally it is called the 7-Lag Stevne. All together, there are more than 30 Lags representing the people who come from many areas in Norway. There is an over encompassing organization called the Bygdelagenes Fellesraad
{Click for printable membership application}
Membership entitles you to:
One hour of the Lag Genealogy research time with Millie Andorfer (she has over 110 Microfilms of area records plus a library that fills a van!),
Four (or more) newsletters a year,
A three day annual Stevne (See Stevne Plans) with other people who came from or are descended from people who came from the Toten area. The Stevne includes fellowship, an opportunity to use the Lag's genealogy materials, programs and entertainment with a Norwegian flair and lots of time to make new friends. As an added bonus you may learn about cousins both in Norway and elsewhere and get valuable tips for visiting Norway from people who have been there.
Officers:
[NOTE: Remove space before and after @ symbol to use the following
e-mail addresses or just click on the link]
George Olson, Jr., President
12262 3rd Street, P. O. Box 225
Northome, MN 56661
Ph. # 218-897-5780
E-mail: president @ totenlag.org
Peter Christianson, Vice President
5300 Ann Street #103
Larsen, WI 54947
Ph # 920-224-4097
E-mail: vp @ totenlag.org
Judy Evenson, Secretary
2727 5th St East
Menomonie, WI 54751
Ph. # 715-309-9499
E-mail: secretary @ totenlag.org
Sheila Andorfer, Treasurer
2639 N 114th St
Wauwatosa, WI 53226
Ph. # 414-530-4880
E-mail: treasurer @ totenlag.org
Millie Andorfer, Genealogist
810 Kirkland Ct
Pewaukee, WI 53072
Ph. # 262-695-5975
E-mail: genealogist @ totenlag.org
Marilyn Klinge, Membership
2116 Simbrah Drive
Cedar Park, TX 78613
E-mail: membership @ totenlag.org
Bill Christianson, Toten Bulletin Editor
15823 W. Kino Dr.
Surprise, AZ 85374
Ph. # 623-214-3200
E-mail: newsletter @ totenlag.org
Kathi Fluck, Toten Bulletin Editor
938 Kadel Court
Geneseo, IL 61254
E-mail: assistant_editor @ totenlag.org
Sheila Andorfer, Webmaster
2639 N 114th St
Wauwatosa, WI 53226
Ph. # 414-530-4880
E-mail: webmaster @ totenlag.org
and
Board Members:
Odd Martin Hesjadalen
Gjøvik, Norway
martin1948@gmail.com
7 Lag Stevne
The next 7-Lag Stevne - July 10-13, 2019 in Fargo, North Dakota
The theme of the stevne this year is "Get Koselig with your Heritage!".
General information Website Note: Send registration forms to:
Totenlag is in charge of organizing the 2019 Stevne.
PLEASE consider helping out with planning or during the event.
More information on how you can help can be found on this form.
Click here for 2019 Registration form
Sheila Andorfer, Treasurer
2639 N 114th St
Wauwatosa, WI 53226
May 4-5, 2018 at Mindekirken, the Norwegian Memorial Church in Minneapolis, MN
Further information is available at the Fellesraad Website - click here
Click here for downloadable schedule for the Fellesraad 2018 Annual meeting Click here for downloadable Registration Form for the Fellesraad Meeting
Because Norway has a state church, it has been charged with collecting information (even for members of other religions) for centuries. This information includes some of the same subjects one can find in American Church records-baptisms, confirmations, marriages and deaths. Other information collected only in Norway includes: Small pox vaccination dates, area comings and goings. There are privacy laws in Norway that protect recent information. All older information is transferred to the regional archives and can be viewed there.
By the way, grave and grave stones are only allowed to be used for a given number of years. There is not enough land to give each person a permanent resting place so the grave is reused and the stone may be reused unless the remaining family members rent the space longer.
Because the Churches are so central to life in Norway, pictures of as many if them as we have are included:
{Click on links to see pictures, Click on the BACK button of your browser to return here!}
Links to other sites of interest:
Gjøvik og Toten slektshistorielag
Rolf Steinar Bergli's Homepage
Last updated 9/7/2014