By Ruell Solberg, Jr.
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Wanda Mobley called a meeting of Grimland family members on March 24, 2001 at the Civic Center in Clifton, Texas.
The purpose of the meeting was to explore the possibilities of working together to generate a Grimland family
tree and a Grimland family book.
People began arriving before 11:00 am with each person bringing their own lunch. After some informal visiting
and information sharing about families, Wanda Mobley led the meeting.
Each person gave some information about themselves, some of the work that they had done previously on the Grimland
family, and their interests about future activities. After discussions about various aspects of the large Grimland
family, it was decided that the initial focus would be to publish a Grimland family tree and then a Grimland family
book with narratives about the people. Bruce Wiland will be the lead person for the family tree, and Wanda Mobley
will be the lead person for the book.
Jorgen Gunsteinsen Grimeland married Liv Nilsdatter Ufsvatn in Norway in 1832. Jorgen died before his son Jorgen
Jorgensen Grimeland was born. Then, Liv married Kittel Gunsteinsen Grimeland, brother of Jorgen, and they had
six children before immigrating to Henderson County in East Texas in 1850. They had one additional child after
arriving in Texas and moved to Bosque County in 1868.
The names of the children of Liv and Kittel Grimland (the e was dropped after they arrived in Texas) were Gunsten,
Niels, Ole, Gjeruld, Jorgen (J. K.), Kerste, and Reinert. Kerste married Ole Solberg.
More than 2,000 people in the Grimland family have been identified so far, and many probably are yet to be identified.
The family was divided into groups with specific individuals to take the lead for obtaining missing information
for their group. There is expected to be significant sharing of information across the groups.
Family groups and the lead person for them for the Jorgen Grimland (first child of Liv) family include the following:
1) Jorgen Christian Grimland, Bruce Wiland; 2) Tellef William Grimland, Janey Ivey; 3) Andrew Carl (A. C.) Grimland,
John Reesing; 4) Benjamin Sinclair (Beno) Grimland, Kevin Couch.
Family groups and the lead person for descendants of Kittel and Liv Grimland include: 1) Peter Andrew (Pete) Grimland,
Floyd Grimland and Lorean Davis; 2) Tom Cornelius Grimland, Tom L. Grimland; 3) William Yearl (Will) Grimlan, Wanda
Mobley; 4) Lillie Pearl Grimland Watson, John Warren; 5) Maud Grimland Hodge, Betty Poe; 6) Rachel Liv Grimland
Lockhart, Annie Louise Gavares; 7) Gena Antonette Grimland Tergerson, Cecil (Tergy) Tergerson; and 8) Kerste Grimland
Solberg, Ruell Solberg, Jr.
Some of the family groups do not yet have a lead person. Under Jorgen Grimland, these and their spouse include
1) Annette Gurine Gimland and Arnt E. Bye, 2) Emma Bertha Lizabeth Grimland and Axel Arneson 3) James Edward Grimland
and Lucy Wallace, 4) John Alexander Grimland and Camilla Maud Martin, 5) Harry Nicholas Grimland and Mary Louise
Burrows, 6) Laura Katherine Grimland and Nels Olaus Nelson, 7) Gustaf David Grimland and Leah Townsend, 8) Jennie
Emelia Grimland and George Seborn Wallace, 9) Olena Aleda Grimland and Conrad Gulbrand Bronstad, and 10) Flora
Bedina Grimland and Peter O. Bruland.
Under Kittle and Liv Grimland, lead persons are needed for 1) Karen Louisa Grimland and Anton L. Peterson, 2)
William Cornelius Grimland and Mollie Belle Fort and Flora Bell Loper, 3) Jim Nikola Grimland and Maude Elenore
Olson, 4) Amalia Berdine (Mollie) Grimland and Otto Anderson Stanhiser, 5) John Martin (Jerold John) Grimland and
Mayme Golihar, 6) Neal Gideon Grimland and Alma Rogstad, 7) Nora Malinda Grimland and Clarence F. Freeland, 8)
Della Grimland and Penn Monroe Snell, 9) Eddy Grimland and Vera Ethel, 10) Lorence Gelinde (Lou) Grimland and Medo
John Johnson, 11) Oscar Christian Grimland and Palma Christine Carlson, Annie Christine Buswold, and Henrietta
Louise Weise Lassiter, and 12) Julian Ardin Grimland and Anna Marie Lahlum.
People who have information about the Grimland family or are interested in helping with the family tree or book
are urged to contact a lead person for a family group or Bruce Wiland, Wanda Mobley, or Ruell Solberg, Jr. Their
e-mail addresses are Wiland@att.net, mouse5@pgrb.com, and SolbergR@asme.org , respectively. Their telephone numbers
are (512) 443-2918, (915) 784-6589, and (210) 684-1326, respectively. Also, people can take the leads for smaller
family groups than what is implied here.
A website has been set up for the Grimland family at http://www.grimland.org .
The meeting was adjourned about 1:30 so that people could attend the genealogical workshop at Norse by the Bosque
County Chapter of the Norwegian Society of Texas.
Attending were Bonnie Grimland and Janey Ivey of Clifton; Lorean Davis of Meridian; Evelyn Smith and LaDawn Garland
of Cranfills Gap; Jerry and Joyce David of Whitney; John Reesing and Bruce Wiland of Austin; and Bobby Dale and
Betty Poe of Lometa.
Also Wanda Mobley of Brownwood; Jo Ann Davidson of Lampasas; Cecil Tergerson of Fort Worth; Pat Thornal of Bryan;
A. Dell and Matthew Aldinger of Huntsville; Carol Couch of Euless; Kevin and Brandon Couch of Grapevine; and Ruell
and Jane Solberg, Jr. of San Antonio.
The next Grimland family meeting will be scheduled by Wanda Mobley in approximately six months. People who are
interested in attending should contact Wanda or one of the other persons listed here.
* * *
April 5, 2001
Ruell Solberg, Jr.
5906 Forest Cove
San Antonio, TX 78249-3429
Ph. (210) 684-1326
E-mail SolbergR@asme.org or RSolberg@ev1.net
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