MySource:Sharonlemley51/Letter (both writer recipient unknown). written after 1940 (Original letter was in possession of Louis Stuve's

Brackets [ ] indicate my own additions. Clues in the letter indicate that it was likely written by either Edward or Mattie Stuve (probably Mattie). He/she refers to Louis and a letter that was received from Louis in 1940 (so the letter wasn't written by Louis). He/she writes "Father got the place after him" when referring to Hovel Stuve getting the farm in Norway after Lars. He/she writes about visiting Wisconsin, thus eliminating Martin, Hans & John, who lived in Wisconsin. Gilbert died in 1918, eliminating him. Ed and Louis had visited Wisconsin together in 1936. Mattie lived in St. Paul, so was most likely to subscribe to the Decorah Posten. The writer states that "Grandfather died before my time but Louis remembered him..." The following birth and death data indicate that either Ed (1862-1940) or Mattie (1858-1953) was the likely writer of the letter: Lars Hovelsen Stuve (1794-1862); Louis (1854-1942) death dates show that Lars did, indeed, die before Ed's or Mattie's time. The only other possibility for the writer would be their sister, Hattie (1868-1958). The letter was probably written to Louis Stuve's daughter, Lilly Peterson some time after Louis' death in 1942, but if it was written by Ed, then it must have been written before his death in 1940 (between 1936-1940). The letter was in the possession of Lilly in about 1972 when she provided her first cousin, Lillian (Stuve) Mullock, a copy while Lillian was out there (Idaho) for a visit.

Copy of Louis Stuve's Letter: "It is interesting to hear that we have relatives in Valders [Valdres] in different parts. The starting point is Lunde, the big farm in the Elre River valley a few miles upstream from Oibakken [Øybbakken] and Eemoen [Øymoen]. But if we put two and two together we find that several of the members of the Lunde family settled a Larskogen an upland community on th hi-land facing upstream from the main river valley of Etna. Grandpa [Lars Hovelsen Stuve] had the farm Neregarden at Larskogen [Nerøydegarden at Lierskogen]. I don't know if Louis told you that he entered the military academy at Christiania, now Oslo, Norway when he was 18 years old and remained in the service 10 years. When he left he had the rank of sargent; another thing I will explain he was christaned Lars like his two Grandfathers and it being a foreign name he adopted the name Louis when he came here, or I guess we started to call him that when he arrived as we had learned the language and it was customary to change his name. The Lunde family used to have clan gatherings in different parts of the States, they used to publish about them in the paper. I have been taking Decorah Posten. The other day I ran across one of Louis'es letters written in 1940. It was after that I had visited in Wisconsin [1936] and I had written to him that while there I had met several people that claimed relation-ship to us, through father's family, as he was related to the Lunde family. Will explain that in Norway each farm has a name and it is usual that those owning it take the name from the farm. Will also explain the name of Valders [Valdres] which he mentioned in the letter which I will copy is the township where our grandfather Lars Stuve was born and Nordre Lund is the township adjoining where our Grandmother came from. Grandfather died before my time but Louis remembered him and knew the locality he came from. Grandfather bought the farm Stuve, likely shortly after being married and all their children was born there. Father [Hovel Stuve] got the place after him and his family were all born there. Grandmother lived with us until we emigrated to America. Grandfather was evidently born a Lunde but changed his name when he bought Stuve. Louis Stuve in June 1882 arrived from Oslo, Norway to America. Lars Stuve married Marit Oibakken [Øybakken] born April 4, 1793. These are Louis Stuve's Grandparents. Parents of Louis Stuve are Howell Stuve born April 20, 1820 and Margaret Martha Lerrisudt [Sirirud), born Feb. 2, 1828. Their children's names are: Martin Stuve, Louis Stuve, Hans Stuve, Mattie Stuve, Edward Stuve, Hattie Stuve, Gilbert Stuve and John Stuve."