Ragnvald Olai Olson Vik

     Ragnvald Olai Olson Vik was born on 14 June 1886 at Tonning, Nedstryn, Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway^B,G.^1,2 He was the son of Ola Olai Martin Pederson Vik and Synnøve Kristiania Eriksdatter Vik.¹ Ragnvald Olai Olson Vik was christened on 16 July 1886 at Nedstryn, Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway^B,G.³

     Ragnvald Olai Olson Vik married Ida Augusta Scheer on 10 October 1916 at Wood Lake, Yellow Medicine, Minnesota, USA^B,G, at age 30.¹
     Ragnvald Olai Olson Vik died on 16 August 1969 at Madison, Lac qui Parle, Minnesota, USA^B,G, at age 83.¹ He was buried on 19 August 1969 at Trinity Cemetery, Boyd, Lac qui Parle, Minnesota, USA^B,G.^1,4
     He was a railroad section foreman on 10 April 1940 at Boyd, Lac qui Parle, Minnesota, USA^B,G.⁵

THE FOLLOWING FROM A DOCUMENT HANDWRITTEN BY DAD (Reggie) IN 1965:
"Ragnvald Olai Vik was born 6-14-1886 in Stryn, Nordfjord, of parents Ola Olai Vik and Synnove Eriksdottir. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and attended public school in Norway. In 1903 he emigrated to the USA arriving at Clarkfield, MN. The following year he started working on the M&StL section at Clarkfield. After two years, he moved to Mpls where he worked at various jobs, mostly on the railroad. In 1909 he returned to Clarkfield. In 1910 he was appointed section foreman at Boyd. In 1911 he was transferred to Wood Lake, MN, where he remained until 1934, when the section was abolished at Wood Lake. He then returned to Boyd where he served as section foreman until his retirement in 1952. In retirement in Boyd since then. The rest you know."

THE FOLLOWING WRITTEN BY DAD IN 1965:"HISTORY OF MY MOTHER'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY":
"I was brought up by my grandparents and though they were hard up, I never went hungry. Most of the girls had left home when I came along, but I know they had to scratch to feed that big family. My grandmother's right arm was paralyzed so she could only use her left arm. We lived on the inner bay in Nordfjord and you could always go out and catch a few flounders when there was nothing else to eat. We ate a lot of salt pork and herring in the wintertime. My mother, aunts and uncles have all passed away."

COMMENTS: When Ragnvald was born, his mother, Synnove was 21 years old, lived with her parents and 3 (?) of her sisters in a small, one room peasant's log cabin on the Vik estate. Her father worked for Valborg Vik, a widow and very wealthy, and her son, also 21 years old, who lived in the Vik mansion just a stone's throw from Erik and Brita's log cabin. Ola and Synnøve fell in love and wanted to marry, but Valborg would not allow her son to marry a peasant. Thus Synnøve and Ola never married, Ragnvald was born as a "bastard" child and was raised by his mother and her parents for the first 6 years of his life. In 1892 Synnøve married Anders Jonson Overset, who refused to be a stepfather to a bastard child so Ragnvald lived with his grandparents from age 6 to age 17 when he emigrated to America. During the time Dad lived with his grandparents, Synnøve gave birth to 3 children: Julius Øvresæt, Edwin Øvresæt, and Karen Øvresæt. Edwin ("Uncle Ed") emigrated to America (Clarkfield, Dawson, Madison MN) worked on the railroad as Ragnvald did. Julius (father of Arne) remained in Stryn his entire life, becoming a well-known educator. Karen also remained in Stryn, married, but never had any children. Karen corresponded regularly with her half-brother, Ragnvald, as did Synnove, his mother. Dad never returned to Norway, insisting he had "already been there" and would rather travel to see the United States. -- Orien Vick.^6,7



"Ragnvald, or 'Reggie' (pronounced with a soft [sic] 'g') as we called him, emigrated from Norway to USA, arriving at Clarkfield, MN (Yellow Medicine County) where his aunts (his mother's sisters from Norway) Johanna, Nelle and Oline had settled. He later lived in Minneapolis where his aunt, Oline, had moved. Reggie moved back to Clarkfield where he started work for the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad, for whom he worked until his retirement. He lived in Wood Lake for a time, then moved to Boyd, where he retired. He was a gentle person, always having a smile for us." Grønevik (Alma Stewart.)⁶