Selma Codding immigrated to the US from Sweden with her brother Tanny Olsen in 1886 with their father and mother Mr. and Mrs. John Olsen so now you know how the family connected but now it is time for "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say.
Tanny did marry Nannie Johnson so it was their real names, Tanny and Nannie Olsen. What you did not know is Nannie (Anna Nannie Olsen) was the daughter of August and Karlina (Olson) Johnson. Karolyn(same as Karlina but spelled different in different documents) was my Granddad Olson's sister as well as another sister Ingrid Mattson of Sanbeck, Sweden. Don't worry there is more complexity to this story. Nannie was born in Puliki, Sweden and came to America when she was 12. They came through Ellis Island. Her father had come three years earlier and settled in Skiddee, Kansas. Nannie is Jon Tanny's grandma, I told you that just because it rhymed but it is true. Nanny and Tanny moved to Cedar Vale, Kansas and I am sure it was because that is where a bunch of the Johnson's lived (family, get it). They later moved to Hardy, OK where they lived and built the ranch and had that mess of kids: Bill, Bob, Jim, Larry, Vea, Selma (died at an early age) and Melvin. I might as well tell you that Bill married Edna Mae Barton (my mom and Edna Mae were good friends) had a daughter named Nann that Married a guy called Chuck who had a son called Ladd that married a girl called Ree who you might know as The Pioneer Woman. Oh Ya.
OK, now here is the one thing that always has puzzled everyone in the family. We all have known that Tanny and Nannie were cousins but here is the kicker that may answer a family secret. I found in the 1900 US Census where John and Anna Olsen (parents of Tanny Olsen) were listed in the census documents as John Olson. I had always heard there was a name change and I don't know for sure if this proves it but I am looking at it as I write this. It also lists Oscar, Thomas and Selma (Codding) as children. We always called Oscar Uncle Oscar and Selma as Aunt Selma but I think that was more of what they wanted to be called and I don't believe they were really my aunt and uncle. That is like Helen Conner of Grainola was and always will be thought of as Aunt Helen. She was one of my all time favorite ladies and I have a painting she signed as she was a wonderful artist and she was not even a relative of ours. Hard to believe.
Another twist I have to add that I never knew was John and Susie Hobbs were relatives of ours as well. John's mother was Tillie Hobbs (Tanny's sister). This is complex! Susie Hobbs was probably one of the greatest cooks of all times. I use to love to work at their ranch because of the food. As far as I know John never sold a vehicle but parked it in a field after he bought a new one. Susie would go outside and kill a few chickens and bake a few pies and green beans faster than we could work cattle. Her pies are what I liked the best. If you would ever like a copy of her recipes find a Grainola/Foraker cookbook and she will have plenty of recipes in there. I would have to add that my wife, Shouna, tried a few and Susie may have not included all of her secrets.
This is getting way too long but just to mess with your head Jim Olsen, father of Jon Tanny, married Margurite Ganisjager (miss-spelled but that is what i found on the records). Her last name was a mouthful. I actually thought it was Gamsjager but found this spelling in an article as well. Another thing is Mark and Evelyn Johnson (yes, the same family as Nannie) are the parents of John Edward Gamsjager's wife Maralee who is Marguarite Olsen's grandparents. Should I mention that Jon is the brother to Jay and Jamie. Jamie was by far the prettiest of the three. And just to mess with you, did you know that Theresa Stradal of Edmond is a Price and her grandparents are Henry and Pauline Johnson.
Back to the story: My grandmother, Mary Forstrom Olson, was from Dalarne, Sweden and lived around Womega, Kansas. John Olson (Olsen) as listed on the death certificate of Karlina Johnson as her father is the same Johnson family where Nannie came from making them cousins. WOW, does this make your head spin? No one in the family has been able to explain all the connections but this is as close to the truth as I can find from government records.
Just for fun, I found a death certificate of Nels Olson, Womega, Kansas who died January 31, 1940 and he is listed as the son of John Olson (Olsen) and Hannah Olson born both in Sweden. Now you can guess that this is the real Nel Olson of "Little House on the Prairie" , just kidding.
In summary that makes me a relative to about everyone in Womega, Kansas, Cowley County, Kansas and Osage County, OK including the Witt, Weixelman and the Eberts, the Olsons and the Olsens and the Harris family.
But now you must ask how did they all get to the Osage. John Olsen was on a cattle drive from south Texas to Kansas and for helping he was given 100 head of cattle which he used to start his ranch which was originally the Jersey Ranch in the Osage. After that everyone followed over time. And I might tell you some more family secrets in the future.
So what do you learn in the Osage?
Tanny did marry Nannie Johnson so it was their real names, Tanny and Nannie Olsen. What you did not know is Nannie (Anna Nannie Olsen) was the daughter of August and Karlina (Olson) Johnson. Karolyn(same as Karlina but spelled different in different documents) was my Granddad Olson's sister as well as another sister Ingrid Mattson of Sanbeck, Sweden. Don't worry there is more complexity to this story. Nannie was born in Puliki, Sweden and came to America when she was 12. They came through Ellis Island. Her father had come three years earlier and settled in Skiddee, Kansas. Nannie is Jon Tanny's grandma, I told you that just because it rhymed but it is true. Nanny and Tanny moved to Cedar Vale, Kansas and I am sure it was because that is where a bunch of the Johnson's lived (family, get it). They later moved to Hardy, OK where they lived and built the ranch and had that mess of kids: Bill, Bob, Jim, Larry, Vea, Selma (died at an early age) and Melvin. I might as well tell you that Bill married Edna Mae Barton (my mom and Edna Mae were good friends) had a daughter named Nann that Married a guy called Chuck who had a son called Ladd that married a girl called Ree who you might know as The Pioneer Woman. Oh Ya.
OK, now here is the one thing that always has puzzled everyone in the family. We all have known that Tanny and Nannie were cousins but here is the kicker that may answer a family secret. I found in the 1900 US Census where John and Anna Olsen (parents of Tanny Olsen) were listed in the census documents as John Olson. I had always heard there was a name change and I don't know for sure if this proves it but I am looking at it as I write this. It also lists Oscar, Thomas and Selma (Codding) as children. We always called Oscar Uncle Oscar and Selma as Aunt Selma but I think that was more of what they wanted to be called and I don't believe they were really my aunt and uncle. That is like Helen Conner of Grainola was and always will be thought of as Aunt Helen. She was one of my all time favorite ladies and I have a painting she signed as she was a wonderful artist and she was not even a relative of ours. Hard to believe.
Another twist I have to add that I never knew was John and Susie Hobbs were relatives of ours as well. John's mother was Tillie Hobbs (Tanny's sister). This is complex! Susie Hobbs was probably one of the greatest cooks of all times. I use to love to work at their ranch because of the food. As far as I know John never sold a vehicle but parked it in a field after he bought a new one. Susie would go outside and kill a few chickens and bake a few pies and green beans faster than we could work cattle. Her pies are what I liked the best. If you would ever like a copy of her recipes find a Grainola/Foraker cookbook and she will have plenty of recipes in there. I would have to add that my wife, Shouna, tried a few and Susie may have not included all of her secrets.
This is getting way too long but just to mess with your head Jim Olsen, father of Jon Tanny, married Margurite Ganisjager (miss-spelled but that is what i found on the records). Her last name was a mouthful. I actually thought it was Gamsjager but found this spelling in an article as well. Another thing is Mark and Evelyn Johnson (yes, the same family as Nannie) are the parents of John Edward Gamsjager's wife Maralee who is Marguarite Olsen's grandparents. Should I mention that Jon is the brother to Jay and Jamie. Jamie was by far the prettiest of the three. And just to mess with you, did you know that Theresa Stradal of Edmond is a Price and her grandparents are Henry and Pauline Johnson.
Back to the story: My grandmother, Mary Forstrom Olson, was from Dalarne, Sweden and lived around Womega, Kansas. John Olson (Olsen) as listed on the death certificate of Karlina Johnson as her father is the same Johnson family where Nannie came from making them cousins. WOW, does this make your head spin? No one in the family has been able to explain all the connections but this is as close to the truth as I can find from government records.
Just for fun, I found a death certificate of Nels Olson, Womega, Kansas who died January 31, 1940 and he is listed as the son of John Olson (Olsen) and Hannah Olson born both in Sweden. Now you can guess that this is the real Nel Olson of "Little House on the Prairie" , just kidding.
In summary that makes me a relative to about everyone in Womega, Kansas, Cowley County, Kansas and Osage County, OK including the Witt, Weixelman and the Eberts, the Olsons and the Olsens and the Harris family.
But now you must ask how did they all get to the Osage. John Olsen was on a cattle drive from south Texas to Kansas and for helping he was given 100 head of cattle which he used to start his ranch which was originally the Jersey Ranch in the Osage. After that everyone followed over time. And I might tell you some more family secrets in the future.
So what do you learn in the Osage?
- be careful who you marry it might be your cousin
- kissing cousins is not a joke
- great families grow up in the Osage
- I now have proof that the Olson, Olsen, Johnson and Codding families are at a minimum DOUBLE cousins
Have a great day.
Thanks for your time,
gary@thepioneerman.com
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