LEE Family

Lee Family: ?, Norway - Trempealeau Co, WI - La Crosse Co., WI

Lars Larson LEE Family

Lars Larson LEE, b. 12 OCT 1852/3 at Norway, d. 19 AUG 1909 at Halfway Creek, La Crosse, WI

Father: Lars Nelson Varleen, b. ca. 1822 at Norway
Mother: Betsy, b. ca. 1823 at Norway

(Source: Lee Family History)
(Source: from family book, Marge Lee notes, 1999, and 1900 US Federal Census, Onalaska Twp, La Crosse Co, WI)

It has been said, that the family name Lee is shortened from the name of a Norwegian farm that sounds like VARLIEN or VARLIE. This farm has yet to be tracked down or the name confirmed. The parents of Lars Larson LEE went by this last name, though their children, including Lars, wanted a more Americanized last name, so shortened it to "Lee".

One family story says the Lee's came from the Lofoten Islands of Northern Norway, though this has yet to be confirmed. They emigrated to the U.S. between 1872 (the year Lars Larson LEE's youngest known sibling was born) and 1880 when they appeared in the U.S. Census at the Town of Burnside, Trempealeau County, WI. A family resembling this one appears in the 1865 and 1875 Norwegian censuses near Vardal, Oppland, Norway. Similarly, in the book "Utvandringen til Amerika" by Halvard Oudenstad, the same Norwegian family is shown to have immigrated to the U.S. in 1872 (Lars) and 1876 (the rest of the family).

More information is desired for this family. Some information that may help include the Naturalization records of Lars and Betsy NELSON, which may name their farm of origin or at least the ship they emigrated on. The Passenger list of this ship may also shed some light on it. The 1865 Norwegian Census may give more detail, but the family's home farm needs to be pinpointed first. - SWW, JAN 2006

Spouse: Aslaug "Ida " Turene SVENINGSON (or SVENUNGSON), b. APR 1856 at Wisconsin, d. 1921

Father: Bjorn SVENINGSON, b. 30 APR 1826 in Norway, d. 12 DEC 1902 in Long Coulee, Holmen, La Crosse, WI
Mother: Bergit (Sveningson), b. 20 MAR 1822 in Norway, d. 14 JAN 1910 at home of Mrs. Lars Lee, La Crosse, WI

Name: "Aslaug Turene"(Source: Lee Family History)
Name: "Aslaug Swenunzeson" (Source: Ludwig T. Lee SS appl., 1/27/1953)

Married.

Children and grandchildren:

1. Laura Bertina LEE, b. 19 SEP 1880, m. Anton EVENSON, aft. 1900, d. 5 NOV 1964 in La Crosse, La Crosse, WI; 6 grandchildren
2. Bernt N. LEE, b. JAN 1882 at Wisconsin, m. Aurelia BRATBERG, 26 JUN 1907 at Halfway Lutheran Church, La Crosse, WI, d. 1957; 4 grandchildren
3. Ludwig Theodore LEE, b. 25 MAR 1884 at Whitehall, Trempealeau, WI, m. Delilah Honora BRATBERG, 26 JUN 1907 at Halfway Lutheran Church, La Crosse, WI, d. 5 NOV 1963; 7 grandchildren
4. Oscar S. LEE, b. 1 JAN 1887 at Wisconsin, m. Mathilda M.H. (LEE), ca. 1908, d. 15 OCT 1978 at Onalaska, La Crosse, WI; at least 4 grandchildren
5. Selma G. LEE, b. 15 SEP 1891 in Wisconsin, m. John E. ANDERSON, d. JUL 1982 in Galesville, Trempealeau, WI; 2 grandchildren

Ludwig Theodore LEE, b. 25 MAR 1884 at Whitehall, Trempealeau, WI, d. 5 NOV 1963

Father: Lars Larson LEE, b. 12 OCT 1852 at Norway, d. 1909
Mother: Aslaug SVENINGSON, b. 1856, d. 1921

Picture of L.T. and Oscar S. Lee at Livery Barn

 Picture of L.T. Lee on Holmen baseball team, 1904, from Holmen Area Centennial, 1862-1962
(Source: Arlan H. Lee's US SSA application, 1936)
SS#: 399-32-3062 (Source: Genealogy.com, SSDI,1999)
(Source: Lee Family History, 1991)
(Source: Ludwig T. Lee SS appl., 1/27/1953)

Spouse: Delila Honora BRATBERG, b. 28 MAY 1886 at Long Coulee, Holmen, La Crosse, WI, d. 14 FEB 1972

Father: Andrew H. BRATBERG, b. 1 SEP 1856 at Ringsaker, Norway, d. 1941
Mother: Amelia S. SANDMAN, b. 1 APR 1862 at Bostwick Valley, La Crosse, WI, d. 1962

(Source: Arlan H. Lee's US SSA application, 1936)
(Source: Sylvan B. Lee, 1999)
Birthdate - (Source: Article, "L.T. Lees Marking Golden Day", 23 JUN 1957)

Married 26 JUN 1907 at Halfway Lutheran Church, La Crosse, WI.

Children and grandchildren:

1. Elvira Milissa LEE, b. 13 JUN 1908 at Long Coulee, Holmen, La Crosse, WI, m. Norman B. HANSON, 23 MAR 1932 in Illinois, d. 10 JAN 1990 at Beaver Dam, Dodge, WI; 2 grandchildren
2. Doris Lucille LEE, b. 26 FEB 1910 at La Crosse, WI, m. Manley HENDRICKSON on 26 MARCH 1927, m. Carl C. WIFF, 9 FEB 1967, d. 19 JAN 2002 at La Crosse, La Crosse, WI; 5 grandchildren
3. Lloyd Thadeus LEE, b. 28 FEB 1912 at Long Coulee, Holmen, La Crosse, WI, m. Evelyn M. HOUGOM, JAN 1935, div. 1939, d. 13 DEC 1979 at Lancaster, Grant, WI; 4 grandchildren
4. Arlan Harris LEE, b. 31 MAR 1914 at Bangor, La Crosse, WI, m. Marjorie Sacia THORESON, 8 APR 1941 at Holmen Lutheran Church, Holmen, La Crosse, WI, d. 23 DEC 1994 at Holmen, La Crosse, WI, buried at Long Coulee Cemetery, rural Holmen, La Crosse, WI; 5 grandchildren
5. Sylvan Burton LEE, b. 5 JAN 1915 at Holmen, La Crosse, WI, m. Eunice CARLETON, DEC 1943, m. Katherine STITH, OCT 1967, d. 20 OCT 2010 at Illinois; 1 grandchild
6. Russell Theodore LEE, b. 1 JAN 1918 at Village View farm, Holmen, La Crosse, WI, m. Lillian Elverne THORESON, d. 24 APR 1999 at Holmen, La Crosse, WI; 6 grandchildren
7. Lurene "Dottie" Honore LEE, b. 18 JAN 1920 at Village View farm, Holmen, La Crosse, WI, m. Orville Norman HANSON on 28 MAY 1941 in Holmen, La Crosse, WI, d. 6 MARCH 2004 in Holmen, La Crosse, WI, bur. in Long Coulee Cemetery, rural Holmen, WI; 3 grandchildren.

Family group report created by Gene 4.2.1, Fri, Feb 2, 2007; updated Mon, Feb 28, 2011

Lee Family News items - as found in past newspapers

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Please direct any comments or questions to Scott White - scottwwhite@sbcglobal.net.
Last modified: Date: 1 June 2012