Name/Title
Overmoe family: Torger and Agnette (Anderson) Overmoe, 1875 homesteaders in Norway Township, Traill County, Dakota TerritoryEntry/Object ID
2025.214.1Description
This family history folder briefly describes the lives of Torger and Agnethe (Anderson) Overmoe (photo). As described in a family history item on page 157 in Vol. I. of Traill County History, Torger Overmoe came to America from Norway in 1875 and came to Traill County where he first worked for Christian Kaldor before claiming his own land in Norway Township. Torger Jensson Overmoe was born on 5 November 1853 to parents Jens Larson and Johanne (Torgersdr. Botterud) Overmoe in Norway. In 1877, his parents and siblings, Anton, John, Lars and Lena Overmoe joined him in Traill County. Note, some records report their family name as Overmoen. The 'n' was dropped later when the family came to Traill County, North Dakota.
In 1881, Torger J. Overmoe married Agnette (or Agnetha) Anderson, who was born on 24 July 1858 in Albert Lea, Minnesota, the daughter of Jens and Kari (Stenersdatter Langseth) Anderson (earlier family name: Aasletten). Jens Anderson was born on 3 January 1830 in Norway, one of twelve children born to Anders and Anna (Jensdatter Kielgaard) Aasletten (later Anderson). Jens and Kari came to America in 1857 and first settled by Decorah, IA, then by Silver Lake, IA, and then in 1860 to Freeborn County, MN. Jens and Kari Anderson came to Traill County in 1899 where their daughter Agnetha (Mrs. Torger Overmoe) already lived. A Anders and Anna (Jensdatter Kielgaard) Aasletten (later Anderson) family history document (see photo of cover page) is available for view in this family history folder at the Plummer House Museum in Hillsboro.
Torger and Agnette Overmoe farmed land in Norway Township. The 1892 Traill and Steele Counties Atlas map for Norway Township shows that Torger J. Overmoe had land in Sections 27, 28, and 33 (see 1892 map).
The Traill County History item states that Torger and Agnette had twelve children. A studio photograph by C. E. Fuller shows Clara, Julia and Alfred Overmoe as children (also see Catalogit Photograph entry 2025.213.1 for their brief life histories). US and ND census records only document eleven children because a daughter Julia was born and died in about 1893, with the next daughter born in 1894 being given the same name, Julia. The twelve children of Torger J. and Agnethe (Anderson) Overmoe, in order of oldest to youngest, included: John (born-died, 1882), Johan (1883-1891), Theodore (b-d, 1885), Carl (b-d, 1886), Clara (1887-1948), Julius (b-d, 1892), Julia (1893-1893), Julia (1894-1972), Alfred (1897-1987), Tilda (b-d, 1899), Josephine (1899-1993), and Della (1906-1997).
In 1891 Torger, Agnette and children moved to Hillsboro, where Torger was a businessman for a while, but in 1907 they returned to their Norway Township farm until returning to Hillsboro in 1917, where they lived until their deaths.
Torger J. Overmoe lived to the age of 73, passing away on 25 May 1927, and was interred in the AAL Lutheran Church cemetery in Norway Township, Traill County [US FaG grave-marker, below].
Agnethe (Anderson) Overmoe lived to the age of 95, passing away on 11 September 1953 in Fargo, ND. Agnethe was buried next to Torger in the AAL Lutheran Cemetery in Norway Township [US FaG grave-marker, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.214Source or Donor
Traill County "Yesteryears"Location
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
