Janet Overgaard-Rutledge's Family.

The above picture is of Anna Tommerstool. She arrived in this county at the age of 16 from Nordfjordeid, in Nordfjord Norway, very early in the century through Elis Island New York. She was forced to leave home as a result of poverty in western Norway at the time. In her early years in this country she worked as a housemaid, but in WWI worked as a nurse, and continued to work as a nurse caring for the sick and the dying in the great flu pandemic of 1919-1920. The experience of taking care of the sick and the dying was something her daughter, Janet Rutledge, was to recall that she never forgot.

Anna Tommerstool here is in the middle of the picture in the back dressed in white with no black cape. It was taken in South Dakota during the First World War.

The picture below is of Carl Overgaard, whom Anna Tomerstool married shortly after the war. It was taken in Yosemite sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Carl Overgaard was born in 1886 in Hobro, Denmark, but was raised in Aarhus and did a stint in the Danish navy before arriving in this country via New Orleans. Anna and Carl settled eventually in Madiera, California, where he made a living in farming. They had six children, Pete, Avery, and Marion Overgaard, Gennie Pauline Overgaard-Jessen, and Janet Overgaard-Rutledge; one other child was born in the 1930s but died after three days. Carl Overgaard passed away of a heart-attack in 1961 at the age of 75 (he had had one at the age of 55 as well), and Anna passed away in 1969 after a brief illness.

This is an undated photo of Carl's father, Janet Rutledge's grand-father, Anders Overgaard; since he is older the picture may date to as late as the turn of the century.

Below is a photo of his wife, Jensine Overgaard, also undated, but presumably also dating to the turn of the century.

Below is a photo of Anna Overgaard, Carl's sister, with Carl's mother Jensine; it is undated, but Anna died sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s. I myself met Anna during my parents' 1972 visit to Scandinavia. At the time she was quite old but extremely spry and prepared some of the finest meals that I can still recollect them to this day - in particular a slew of herring dishes. Perhaps it was her work in their victory garden that kept her so vigorous.

Below is a picture of Carl Overgaard with his brothers, taken sometime between the (late) 1930s and early 1940s. From left to right are Chris, Niels, Holm, and Carl Overgaard.