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862, Hans and Margit came from Quebec, where their ocean voyage ended, by boat and train to Wisconsin, where Hans’ brother Eivend met them. Eivend had come to America back in 1846, worked as a hired man a few years, married Marken Knutsdatter Holtan, and when the treaty with native people was signed that opened up SE Minnesota, they moved to Rock Dell in Olmstead County where their family still lives many generations later.
Hans worked for Eivend for 4 years and then he and Margit and their two boys, Halvor and Thomas, made their way to the new frontier of Winnebago County, Iowa.
Eivend and Marken Holtan met in Wisconsin and married in 1851. Marken had come with her family, Knut Oleson Holtan and Ragnild Knudsdatter Bjaaland, in 1843, very early in the history of Norwegian immigration. Knut was well respected in that Wisconsin community and we invite you to read more about his life.
One reason they are important to all Holtans is that Eivend and then Hans took the Holtan name from Marken’s family from Kviteseid, even though they never had anything to do with that farm.
It probably had to do with the fact that the Holtans had no farm name of their own because they had been husmenn, cottars or renters on a larger farm. It may also have been that Knut Holtan, Marken’s father was a very well-respected man.
We know that in the American scene, even the post office and the church were encouraging people not to use their patronymic names because there were too many Ole Olsons, and they suggested they take their farm names, or even, their wife’s farm name.
