Name/Title
Figenskau family: Jens and Louisa (Grimsrud) Figenskau of Grand Forks, friends of Ostina (Halvorson) Hovet of Hillsboro, NDEntry/Object ID
2025.7.1Description
This Figenskau family history folder contains a number of photographs from the Hovet Collection for Jens and Louisa (Grimsrud) Figenskau who were friends of Ostina (Halvorson) Hovet of Hillsboro, ND. Jens Figenskau (b. 1868) and Ostina Halvorson (b. 1866) grew up as close neighbors on family farms by Colfax, Wisconsin. Jens Figenskau was the fourth of six children born to Knud G. and Anna Figenskau (see Catalogit entry 2025.8.1]. The Hovet collection was donated to the TCHS by George Olson, husband of Thelma (Hovet) Olson, who was Ostina's only daughter.
The first photograph at left is very likely a wedding photo of Jens Figenskau and Louisa Grimsrud. Louisa (or Louise) was born in July 1867 in Coon Valley, Vernon County, WI, to parents John L. and Kari (Aronsveen) Grimsrud (photo, below), who farmed near Colfax, WI [1880 US Census].
As shown in Jens and Louisa Figenskau's family tree (below), they had two children, a daughter Alpha Lorinda and a son Alvin Lloyd Figenskau.
A photograph of Louisa (Grimsrud) Figenskau with her daughter Alpha Lorinda Figenskau was taken at A. P. Holland Studio of Grand Forks in about 1898 (below). Another photograph of Alpha Figenskau (below, smaller girl at right) was taken in about 1900 at the Skrivseth Studio in Mayville, ND. The older girl at right is unknown. Sadly, Alpha Figenskau passed away at the age of only 5 on 18 October 1901. Alpha Figenskau was interred in Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Forks.
Jens and Louisa Figenskau's son, Alvin Lloyd, was born on 17 Mar 1904 in Grand Forks, ND, where his father was employed as a "Collector" [1900 US Census]. By 1910, Alvin Lloyd, age 6, had moved with his parents to Oslo in Marshall County, MN, where his father now worked as a "Banker" in a "Bank" [US 1910 Census]. Ag age 16, Alvin Lloyd Figenskau continued to reside with his parents in Oslo where his father continued to be employed as a "Cashier" in a "Bank" [1920 US Census]. At age 30, Alvin Lloyd Figenskau married Gladys V. Stavig in Sisseton, SD. Alvin Lloyd and Gladys resided in Burnsville by Minneapolis, and had two children, son Robert and daughter Terry Figenskau. At age 50, Alvin Lloyd Figenskau passed away on 4 March 1955 in Burnsville, and was buried in the local Pleasant View Memorial Gardens [US Find-a-grave info]. At age 57, Gladys (Stavig) Figenskau died on 7 March 1965, and was buried next to Alvin Lloyd in Burnsville's Pleasant View Memorial Gardens.
On 6 August 1926, Jens and Louisa Figenskau attended a picnic in Hillsboro City Park hosted by their friend Ostina (Halvorson) Hovet [news, Hillsboro Banner]. In photo taken at the picnic (below), Jens and Louisa are at right.
By age 61, Jens Figenskau had retired from banking, and in 1930 was employed as an "Enumerator" for the 1930 US Census. At age 71 in the 1940 US Census, Jens and Louisa had moved to a rented house in Underwood, ND, where Jens was working as a "Bookkeeper" for a "Coal mine". Early the next year, on 21 January 1941, Jens C. Figenskau, age 72, passed away in the hospital in Bismarck [ND Death Certif.]. Jens was interred in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Forks, ND [US Find-a-grave marker].
After her husband's passing in 1941, Louisa (Grimsrud) Figenskau went to live with her son, Alvin Lloyd Figensaku, and family, in Minneapolis, MN. Louisa lived to the age of 80, passing away on 30 March 1948 in Minneapolis, but was interred next to Jens in Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Forks, ND [US Find-a-grave info].Acquisition
Accession
2025.7Source or Donor
Thelma HovetLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
