Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Norwegian Bygdebok, my cousins and Neil




I was able to determine through 23andME that my previously unknown grandfather was in fact my stepgrandfather Sigurd Boe a Norwegian sailor from Bjarkoy Troms Norway.
Norwegian records being astonishingly wonderful I was able to find his family of origin and later his extended paternal family in another Norwegian county. My closest Scandinavian matches at 23and me are both Norwegian but both have an adoption. They both have names and locations.

A wonderful man whose passion is the Bygdebok for Laerdal Sogn og Fjordane Norway sent me his work of art..5 books for Laerdal in a genealogical database that goes back to the 1600s. In that I was able to find the families of my 23andMe cousins and it indicates I am related to their family although distantly. A small miracle.
A definition: " Bygdebøker are basically local history books that contain a wealth of genealogy information. A bygdebok will generally cover a small community, perhaps one or two parishes".

I am amazed, thankful. and grateful. My heartfelt thanks to Neil and whatever ancestors guided our efforts to find one another.

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