THE GRIMLAND FAMILY

Every Grimland in the U.S. is believed to have descended from one of three brothers, Jørgen Gunstensen, Kittel Gunstensen, Gieruld Gunstensen, all of whom lived on the Grimeland farm in the Åmli parish of Norway. Gieruld, the youngest brother, emigrated in 1849 with his wife Gumborg Olsdatter and three children, settling in Portage County, Wisconsin. They had seven more children born in Wisconsin. Jørgen died in Norway, but his wife Liv Nielsdatter remarried to his younger brother Kittel. Kittel, Liv, and all of their children emigrated to Texas in 1850, settling first in Henderson County and later in Bosque County. The family took their surname from the farm they had lived on in Norway. The "e" in Grimeland was dropped when the family came to America.

Notice: The Grimland Family History and Family Tree book was printed and delivered in November 2003 to everyone who paid for one. Unpaid orders were cancelled. No more copies remain.. 

Questions about or corrections to this website should be directed to Bruce Wiland.

Grimland Family Reunion

The last Grimland Family Reunion was July 13, 2008 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall at Norse. There is currently no reunion date for the next reunion.

For more information, contact reunion chairperson Kathleen (Pouzar) Bronstad at  kathleen@bronstadconsulting.com or by phone at 817-594-9535. Other reunion committee members are Carol Grimland Couch, Joyce David, and Connie Houghlin.

An article concerning a Grimland family reunion held on the occasion of Liv Grimland's 90th birthday was written in the Sunday, July 1, 1900 issue of the Dallas Morning News. In the article, the family Bible was described as follows:

"She has a Bible which, if possessed by some museum, or religious organization, would be regarded as almost invalable. It is a large, quaint volume of the dimensions of 10x15 inches thick, bound in leather, covering thick board, (solid wood) sides, printed in the Danish language, with Martin Luther's commentaries, under the direction of King Christian IV, King of Denmark and Sweden in the year 1633, being now 267 years old. It has been handed down to the oldest son of each generation and is now in the possession of Squire Y. Grimland at Clifton."

Does anyone know what happened to this Bible?

Grimland Photographs

Click here to see photos of the Grimeland farm in Norway.

Help identify the people in the photo to the left taken on Liv's 90th birthday in 1900. Click on the photo to see a larger version in which you can actually identify the people (it may take up to 30 seconds to load at 54k bps). 
Help identify the people in the photo to the left taken on Yern & Inger's 50th wedding anniversary in 1912. Click on the photo to see a larger version in which you can actually identify the people (it may take up to 50 seconds to load at 54k bps). 
The photo to the left was taken on Nels & Marie's 50th wedding anniversary in 1917. Click on the photo to see a larger version in which you can actually identify the people. 

Do you have any pictures of Liv's children and their spouses?  If so, we would like to make arrangements to have them scanned and included in the Grimland book.

We have pictures of the following:

J. K. Grimland and wife Annie Olson
Ole Grimland and wife  Annie Eddy
Kerste Grimland and husband Ole Solberg

We need pictures of the following:

Yern Grimland and wife Guro Tergerson - not likely that a picture exists as she died in 1861
Yern Grimland and wife Inger Halverson
Gunsten Grimland and wife Sophia Brown
Gjeruld Grimland (no spouse) - not likely that a picture exists as he died in 1875
Nels Grimland and wife Mary Johnson
Reinert Grimland (no spouse)

Grimland Genealogy Project

The purpose of the Grimland Genealogy Project is to identify all descendants of Liv Nielsdatter Grimland and her two husbands, Jørgen Gunstensen and Kittel Gunstensen Grimland. As of October 23, 2003, we had identified 2076 Grimland descendants and 3299 total persons including spouses. A 285-page softcover comb-bound book containing all of this information was published on October 23, 2003. The book contains a family tree of all currently identified descendants (as of October 2003) along with a short biographical sketch of the original Grimland family and a number of maps and pictures. The number of  books printed was based on the number of people that ordered them and were sold for $25 each plus shipping.

Even though a book has been printed, we are still gathering additional information to fill in the blanks and add to what we currently know in case it is reprinted. Those participating in this project should continue to send in additions and corrections to Bruce Wiland at wiland@att.net or by phone at 512-443-2918 or by regular mail to 1510 Oxford Avenue, Austin TX 78704.

Four meetings were held concerning this project.  Ruell Solberg, now deceased, prepared summaries of these meetings:

    March 24, 2001 genealogy meeting
    September 29,2001 genealogy meeting
    February 9, 2002 genealogy meeting
    June 22, 2002 genealogy meeting

During the project, a contact person for each branch was established to help gather information. Contact persons for each branch of the family are given below with an email link, postal address, or telephone number. The branches shown in red below had no contact person. The email addresses are those that were current as of October 2003 and may no longer me valid. Please report any invalid email addresses so that they may be removed.

Liv Nilsdatter Ufsvatn m1. Jørgen Gunstensen Grimeland

A1. Yern "Squire" Grimland (Jørgen Jørgensen Grimeland) m1. Guro "Gurine" Tergerson
       B1. Jorgen Christian "Chris" Grimland m. Clara Anne Swenson - Bruce Wiland (wiland@att.net)
       B2. Tellef William "Telly" Grimland m. Maren Nelson - Janey Ivey (comprint@htcomp)
       B3. Annette Gurine "Annie" Grimland m1. Arnt E. Bye m2. J. G. Butler - Glenna Stoecker (jimgle@att.net)
       Yern "Squire" Grimland ( Jørgen Jørgensen Grimeland) m2. Inger Halverson
       B4. Emma Bertha Lizabeth Grimland m. Axel Arneson - Ruell Solberg (deceased)
       B5. James Edward Grimland m. Lucy Wallace - Clayton Friend (clayto@wcc.net)
       B6. Andrew Carl "A.C." Grimland m. Theresa Jenson - John Reesing (jwreesing@aol.com)
       B7. John Alexander Grimland m. Camilla Maud Martin - Martha Nelson Swenson (mswenson@htcomp.net)
       B8. Harry Nicholas Grimland m. Mary Louise Burrows - Travis Lewis Williams (tlwjaw@earthlink.net)
       B9. Laura Katherine Grimland m. Nils Olaus Nelson  - Tom Tucker (ttucker56@earthlink.net)
       B10. Gustaf David Grimland m. Leah Townsend (volunteer needed)
       B11. Anna Helena Grimland - no descendants
       B12. Ida Grimland - no descendants
       B13. Jennie Emilia Grimland m. George Seborn Wallace - Wallace Hughes (5314 Nottingham Drive, Katy TX 77493)
       B14. Robert Imanuel Grimland - no descendants
       B15. Benjamin Sinclair "Beno" Grimland m. Constance Jeanette Linberg - Kevin Couch (couchk@sbcglobal.net)
       B16. Olena Aleda Grimland m. Conrad Gulbrand Bronstad  (volunteer needed)
       B17. Flora Bedina Grimland m. Peter Olsen Bruland - Ruth Bruland Korn (7785 SW Village Green Circle, Wilsonville, OR 97070)

Liv Nilsdatter Ufsvatn m2. Kittel Gunstensen Grimeland (Grimland)

A2. Gunsten Grimland (Gunsten Kittelsen Grimeland) m. Sophia Brown
       B1. Karen Louisa Grimland m. Anton L____ Peterson  (volunteer needed)
       B2. Peter Andrew "Pete" Grimland m. Annie Hanson - Floyd Grimland (fgrimland@aol.com)
       B3. Marie Christine "Mollie" Grimland - no descendants
       B4. Carl John Grimland - no descendants
       B5. Cora Elise Grimland - no descendants
       B6. William Kornelius Grimland m. Flora Bell Loper - Floyd Grimland (fgrimland@aol.com)
       B7. Jim Nikolai Grimland m. Maude Elnora Olson - Virgil Tindall (vtindall@starband.net)
A3. Nels Grimland (Niels Kittelsen Grimeland) m. Jensine Marie "Mary" Johnson
       B1. Karl Louis "Charles" Grimland - no descendants
       B2. Amalia Berdine "Mollie" Grimland m. Otto Anderson Stanhiser - Diane Vogt (ernvogt@peoplescom.net)
       B3. Kesti Lovise Grimland - no descendants
       B4. John Martin "Jerold" Grimland m. Mayme Gollihar - Neal Grimland Jr (ng4land@aol.com)
       B5. Neal Gideon Grimland m. Alma Rogstad - Neal Grimland Jr (ng4land@aol.com)
       B6. Martin Nicoli Grimland - no descendants
       B7. Nora Malinda Grimland m. Clarence F. Freeland - no descendants
       B8. Tom Cornelius Grimland m. Clara Grace Fort - Joe Grimland (joegrimland@comcast.net)
       B9. Inez Adelia Grimland m1. Edmond Alexander Tweedy Jr  m2. Durie Clinton Holverson - Tom Clark (tomaclark2000@yahoo.com)
A4. Ole Grimland (Ole Kittelsen Grimeland) m. Annary Utisha "Annie" Eddy
       B1. William Yearl "Will" Grimlan m. Mary Ellen Clementine Gray - Wanda Mobley (mouse5@pgrb.com)
       B2. Lillie Pearl Grimland m1. Will Watson m2. Oscar Wheeler- John Warren (jwarren@moment.net)
       B3. Della Grimland m. Penn Monroe Snell - Betty Poe (dingbat@dashlink.com)
       B4. Maud Grimland m. Oscar Parker Hodge - Betty Poe (dingbat@dashlink.com)
       B5. Rachael Liv Grimland m. John Edward Lockhart - Jo Ann Davidson (jdavidson@thegateway.net)
       B6. Eddy Grimland m. Vera Ethel Johnson - Joy Grimland Teague (HC 60, Box 158, Graham TX 76450)
A5. Gjeruld Kittelsen Grimland - no descendants
A6. J. K. Grimland (Jørgen Kittelsen Grimland) m. Annie Olson
       B1. Kalmar Nekoloe Grimland - no descendants
       B2. Lurense Galenda "Lou" Grimland m. Medo John Johnson - Wanda Mobley (mouse5@pgrb.com)
       B3. Oscar Christian Grimland m1. Palma Carlson m2. Annie Buswold m3. Henrietta Weise - Tergy Tergerson (3537 Ruth Rd, Ft.Worth TX 76118)
       B4. Cornel Guerius Grimland - no descendants
       B5. Gena Antonette Grimland m. Jeff Conley "Coin" Tergerson - Tergy Tergerson (3537 Ruth Rd, Ft.Worth TX 76118)
       B6. Julian Ardin Grimland m. Anna Marie Lahlum -  Bill Bryan (602 Taylor Rd, Edna TX 77957)
A7. Kerste Grimland (Kjærste Kittelsdatter Grimland) m. Ole O. Solberg 
       B1. Ole Solberg Jr m. Josephine "Josie" Johnson - Ruell Solberg (deceased)
       B2. Lorence "Lou" Solberg m. George Ellis Fussell - Ruell Solberg (deceased)
       B3. Christian Gunerius "Chris" Solberg m. Anna Helen "Hallie" Canuteson - Ruell Solberg Ruell Solberg (deceased)
       B4. Lisse "Lizze" Solberg - no descendants
       B5. John Solberg m. Millie Sophie Jenson - Ruell Solberg Ruell Solberg (deceased)
       B6. Isaac Monroe Solberg m. Alice Odearie Anderson - Ruell Solberg Ruell Solberg (deceased)
       B7. Otto Cornelius Solberg m. Elsie Jeanette Olsen- no descendants
       B8. Selma Marie Solberg - no descendants
       B9. Selmer Marinus Solberg m1. Selma Lillian Olsen m2. Pauline Prescher- Ruell Solberg (deceased)
A8. Reinert Wilhelm Grimland - no descendants

 

Grimland Family Newsletters

     November 10, 2001 newsletter
     November 25, 2001 newsletter
     May 10, 2002 newsletter
     June 17, 2002 newsletter
     August 8, 2002 newsletter
     September 8, 2002 newsletter
     October 5, 2002 newsletter (Reunion edition)
     January 26, 2003 newsletter