This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Odden Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/wdB.2ACE/18.1 Message Board Post: Our Oddens immigrated in 1849 in Wisconsin. Our immigrant, Thorsten Thorstenson Odden and son , Tollef Thorstenson, age 11 came in to Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. They were known to have gold mined in Colorado and Tollef fought four years in the Civil War in the Cavalry of Colorado under the name of Thomas Thompson. He applied for his pension from Brown County, Kansas and explained his use of the name. Thorsten is buried in Kansas along with Tollef's wife, Ingabrod. They went to Kansas in the 1880s. Tidwell, Joesph, Otis Walton (killed age 16) were born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. John, Ira, Otis Walton ( second Otis) were born Brown county, Robinson, Kansas. Members of Upperwolf Lutheran Church. They adopted Anna M Odden as an infant. After Thorsten and Ingrabrod died, in 1905, the Oddens set out for Boonesteel, South Dakota, Gregory county. Joe is registered as owning two small pieces of land. Joe and Ted immigrated to Canada in 1906, Joe returned and he immigrated! again in 1912. They settled at Nut Mt, Sask. Ted didn't marry and is buried in Kelvington. Joe married Elsie Billiter and they had one son, Duane, my husband. John disappeared. Ira married in Kansas and died shortly after. Don't know if there was a child. Second Otis stayed with Tollef for a time on the Rosebud reservation and supposedly married a woman with two kids. I just found Otis in 1920 census in Cook County, Illinois, and I think died in California at in 1961. Joe emmigrated to the US in 1945 and died in Dallas, Oregon, Polk county in 1953, Tollef is buried in Hennepin county, dying in 1918. I wonder if he is related to Ole T. Odden of Mower, Minnesota. We have never believed he had no sibs. It seems likelly that he went to family to die. Odden is a place name, (mountains, fiords, in Norway) and our Oddens didn't add the name until after the Civil War possibly. There are a lot of Oddens around Brainard, Minnesota, and I've always thought that someday! some would connect to us. Our hope is that Tollef was not an only ch ild, and that Thorsten had more sons.