Richard O. Olson Jr, MD 388 Portsmouth Dr. St. Charles, MO 63303 636-926-8205 Phone and Fax but call first E- mail vrae16@aol.com # INTRODUCTION: When I was seventeen, I became interested in my family history. I never knew three of my four grand parents and my parents were not very forthcoming with the details of their families. In 1958, I wrote a letter to my great Aunt Linnea and asked her to tell me what she remembered. She wrote me back the letter you see in the early pages of this document. Unfortunately, I did not ask for more details of where she and my grandfather came from. Now all of those with recollection have passed on, and it has been much more difficult to put their lives back together. An example has been the problem of finding my grandmother, “Maria” who came to this country as Emelia Marie Hammar and died Emily M. Olson. I was totally frustrated until I found Valentine Brent was William S. V. Brent for several decades, and that Irvin Moreland was later in life known as Urby Morlan. As I gathered information I discovered there are many out there who have undertaken the same tasks with the same roadblocks. They have been very helpful and sharing, and suddenly the tree has grown to two five-inch books with over 3200 souls and over 28,000 facts and eight five inch books of documents, maps, and photographs and many pages of individual notes. My Aunt Rita had done much work on the Scannell and O’Grady families. Bob Brent had collected much information on the Brent and Clauss families. I have also received much help from other researchers. The families we descend from have had books written about them and many excellent non-professional researchers have contributed information. -1- I have attempted to give credit to each as demonstrated by the extensive bibliography. I have not personally verified every fact in these documents, but I have records of enough of the documentation of others plus much that I have added myself that I am secure that it is as accurate to this point as I can make it. I am sure that each time I review it changes will be made. When you organize a work such as this it is clear that each family would do it differently. The copies of the record I have prepared for each member of the family are different. The entire work is so extensive and so detailed that I did not believe any one would read it. If you wish a disc of the entire record, just ask. I have tried to make this a starting point for research into this truly American family. One of the things that I have tried to do is to find and include as many facts, stories and rumors as possible so that it is not just a list of names and dates of birth and death, but that the people come alive. I have also supplied a number of documents that support some of the data to give the reader a feeling of where the information originated. I have included information on immigration from the countries from which our ancestors emigrated in order to help us understand why they left their homeland and came to America. I have included where appropriate information on naming customs. Maps played an important role in helping me understand our roots. The Olson family came from Södråkra, Kristianopel and Tryserum Parishes in southeastern Sweden in Kalmar, Östergottland and Blekinge Counties. We come from small towns or large farms close to or on the coast. The Clauss family like the Olsons came to America in the mid 1800 and settled in Indiana. The Brent, Morlan, Kendall, Crume, Crist and Marshall families -2- -3- have strong roots in Virginia going back to 1650. The history of the times had a great effect on our family both positively and negatively. If you feel you are reading a history book in a way you are. The Brent, Kendall, Haley and Marshall families were important to early American History. Family members brought new immigrants to America through the Head Right system. The family was part of the great migration to settle first the Midwest then the far West. Others fought in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Members of the family fought on both sides in the Civil War and fought in both World Wars bring honor to themselves and our family. Sometimes they paid the ultimate price. In the process, I have discovered and made contact with branches of the Olson, Crist, Brent, Kendall, Crume and Morlan families that have been lost to each other for decades in one case for seventy years on the Olson side and for over 100 years on the Brent. I know there are others out there to be discovered. I have discovered and included many pictures and hand written documents from people who were previously only rumors and are now flesh and blood and who felt the need to record their roots. Lastly I need to give SPECIAL THANKS to the many members of the family who have allowed me to invade their privacy. The list is long and the only way I know to thank every one is to share what I have found. The process of trailing our ancestors is a slow one. Occasionally you may receive an up-date to put in your books. If you have new or better data send it to me, and I will put it in the proper format and send it back and share it. I wish you all good hunting for our ancestors both near and far. Love, Rick Olson(roo)