The pictures of Jonas and Anne, the parents of Ole, Storker, Kristen and Bernt, were given to the Dravland Reunion at Lake Metigoshe by Anne Irene Myhr and Einar Sandlund and their son Lars.
Snasa, where Jonas came from, is at the north end of Snaasavatnet, Lake Snasa, and the City of Steinkjer is situated at the south end. This area is the site of the origin of the Dravlands, Utgaards, Bartnes, Holem, Strindmoens,and maybe a few others in the family. The Heggland, Jorstad, Heggesbekk, Beitstad, Strindmoen, Stod and Beitstad farms are in this area. What was called the Dravland farm when Jonas and his boys came to America is now called Heggland.
When you look at the map of this area you will find these names starting with Langvatn and Heggland at the north tip of Snaasavatnet and in the order I have listed them along the southeast shore of the lake,ending with Beitstad and Bardal on the south west. Steinkjer is about 130 KM north east of Trondheim on highway E6 and Snaasa is about 75 KM farther. Holum is across the lake from Jorstad
Jonas Nilsen Strindmo Dravland (b.February.4, 1824), called Gommel Jonas, i.e. Old Jonas, married Anne Storkerdatter Holem (b. October. 11, 1822) December 13,1844. They, with two of their four sons and their families, came to America via the customs and immigration port of Detroit, Michigan in May of 1889. They had come, some days before, by ship from Trondheim, Norway to the seaport of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Very likely they came via England.
The house that Old Jonas lived in on the Dravland farm in Norway was very similar to the first section of the one his son Ole built on his homestead in America.
To view the old Norwegian house click on House.
The names of the four sons were Ole Andreas (b. October 7,1857 d.1943), Storker (b. 1853), Bernt (b. February. 4, 1863) and Kristen. Their first son Storker Jonassen Dravland married Barret Maria Langvandet (b.1864)came to America in 1893. Bernt Johannes Jonassen Heggland (b.November 13,1863-d.August 31,1929) ,the fourth son of Gammel Jonas and Anne Holem, married Anne (An) Nilsdatter Vekset (b.August 17, 1867-d.April 15, 1959).
Bernt Johannes Jonassen Heggland (Ole's brother) married Anne (An) Nilsdatter Vekset and had a son Jonas Berntsen Heggland (b. June 14, 1889). They emigrated to Canada and Jonas Berntsen married Ida Lovise Godejord (b.February.18, 1902). They returned with his parents to Norway and took over part of the Dravland farms at Snaasa. It is now called the Heggland Farm and is now deemed to be more important than the Dravland farms.
Their second son was my grandfather Ole Andreas Dravland (b. October 7, 1857-d.1943) who was married to Anna Edrika Holum (b.November .22,1858 d.1926). Their oldest son was my father Jonas O. Dravland (b.August 26,1882-d.March 22,1963). As a youngster in Norway he was called the Norwegian equivalent of Little Jonas and was seven years old when he arrived in America. Three children of the family died in an influenza epidemic in Duluth, Minnesota. Their names were Albert (b.1891), Anna (b.August 26, 1882) and Arne (b.1890). Anna was a twin to Jonas. Three more children were born to them. They were Albert Benedick, named after his deceased brother, Olga and Mabel. Storkers son and Kristen's daughter married and had a son John S. Dravland.
