GENEALOGY

My favorite diversion is genealogy, especially that pertaining to the Low German Mennonites and the South Norwegian fylker of Vest Agder and Aust Agder. 

My father's ancestry derives from that ethnic strain which originated in 16th Century Holland, then lived for the next two and a half centuries in the German State of Prussia, then moved to south Russia until the 1870s, and then immigrated to America.  I currently serve as secretary of the Genealogy Project Committee of the California Mennonite Historical Society.  The committee is currently building a computer database, known as GRANDMA, which is a repository for the vital statistics about every person, past and present, whose ancestry comes from that ethnic group.  GRANDMA has an excellent home page, which will tell you much more about the project, and how you can participate if you are interested.  Click on ____________

My mother's ancestry divides neatly into three parts.  Her father came from the south Norwegian county (fylke) known as Aust Agder, with a couple of lines going into southern Telemark.  Her mother came from the fylke of Vest Agder.  One line of my mother's ancestors traces back to the Viking kings, and so I have an extensive royal and noble ancestry through that connection.  I maintain an extensive history and genealogy library that includes 26 bygdebøker from Vest Agder and Aust Agder.  If your ancestry can be traced to either of those areas, and you require assistance with your family research, please e-mail me.