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1930 US Census - Perry Orlando Vallem

In 1930, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Perry Orlando Vallem was living in Milwaukee and employed as a salesman.    Perry and wife Ivy (Whiffin) were living at the home of his in-laws, Harry and Maria Whiffin as well as Ivy's brother and sister-in-law, George and Marian. Perry was the son of Lena (Travland) and Peter Vallem and the grandson of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

1920 US Cenus - Lucille Vallem

By the time of the 1920 US Census, Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Lucille Vallem had left Alto township in Lee County for Rochelle, Illinois and was employed as a live-in maid for the Kuelgen family. Lucille was the daughter of Lena (Travland) and Peter Vallem, the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

LuAnn (Sanderson) Baker - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great great granddaughter, LuAnn (Sanderson) Baker. LuAnn was the 5th (of 11) child born to Mildred (Lindaas) and Walter O Sanderson.  She was the granddaughter of Mary (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson.    LuAnn was also the great granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Gordon Sanderson - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Gordon Sanderson. Gordon was the 13th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 14th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody). Gordon's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem. I believe the marriage date is in error as the Winnebago county clerk's office has listed the marriage year of 1940.  They also have listed Gordon as being 24 and Genevieve as 19 at the time of their marriage, though Gordon would have actually been 23 and Genevieve would have been 18 by September of 1940.

Ester Eleanor and Lillian Ruth Sanderson - baptism

Here is the baptism record for two of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughters, Ester (Esther?) Eleanor and her sister, Lillian Ruth Sanderson. Ester seems to be a forgotten child of Mary (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, the 11th of their 14 children,  (Though Seward had a total of 15 children, one having been born to his first wife,  Martha Cody) because this is the only document I've come across with Ester's name. Ester was born February 17, 1914 and was baptized at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Lee County, Illinois on November 14, 1915 (listed 4th from the bottom).   She apparently died prior to the 1920 US census , since her name is not listed, nor has she been listed on any other record from the Calvary Lutheran Church. Ester's older brother, Charles LeRoy Sanderson was born May 13, 1913 so Mary (Vallem) Sanderson apparently didn't have any time off from having children.  Her younger sister would have been a couple of months premature

Marion Vallem (Sanderson) Mark - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Marion Vallem (Sanderson) Mark. Marion was the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.  Marion was the 8th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 10th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Anna Isabelle (Sanderson) Ferrias - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Anna Isabelle (Sanderson) Ferrias. Anna was the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.   Anna was the 8th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 9th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody).

Stanley Harland Sanderson - burial

Yesterday I posted the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's step-great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson. Here is a photo of Stanley and wife Myrtle's grave marker which is located at Rose Hill cemetery in Shabbona, Illinois. Stanley was born September 23, 1892 in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois and died April 18, 1971 in DeKalb, Illinois. Myrtle Edna (Colby) Sanderson was born September 9 1893 and died January 18, 1979. Stanley and Myrtle were married September 25, 1913 in Kane County, Illinois.

Stanley Harland Sanderson - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's step-great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson.  Stanley was born to Martha (Cody) and Seward Sanderson.   Stanley's step-mother was Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem following the death of Seward's first wife, Martha (Cody).   His step-grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

1930 US Census - Violet (Sanderson) McCabe

Here is the 1930 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Violet (Sanderson) McCabe. Violet was living with husband James and their son James Jr in DeKalb, Illinois. Violet was the daughter of Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson and the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

1930 US Census - Walter Sanderson

Here is the 1930 US Census for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Walter Sanderson.  By 1930, Walter had moved away from his parent's home in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois and was living with his wife Mildred (Lindaas) and their two daughters, Donna and Wilma in South Grove township in DeKalb County, Illinois.    The Sanderson family also had a hired hand, Clayton Verdeaux living at their home. Walter was the son of Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson and the grandson of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem. Walter and Mildred's first two children, Walter Orlando and Mildred Jean both passed away prior to the 1930 census.   Walter was born in 1925 and died the same year.  He was buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.   Mildred was born in 1926 and died the same year.

Lillian Rachel Sanderson - burial

Here is a photo of the grave marker of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Lillian Rachel Sanderson. Lillian was born September 12, 1906 and died July 26, 1912.  She is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. Lillian was the 8th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 9th child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody). Lillian's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Anna May Sanderson - burial

Here is a photo of the grave marker of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Anna May Sanderson. Anna was born July 21, 1900 and died February 24, 1902.  She is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. Anna was the 4th child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the 5th  child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody). Anna's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem. Anna's older brother preceded her in death, which I posted yesterday.

Leonard August Sanderson - burial

Here is a photo of the grave marker of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Leonard August Sanderson. Leonard was born August 4, 1895 and died February 3, 1896.   He is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. Leonard was the first child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson, (though the second child born to Seward Sanderson who had previously been married to Martha Cody). Leonard's grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Stanley Harland Sanderson - WW II draft registration

Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson was around to register for two wars.  Here is his WW II draft registration. By 1942, Stanley had moved from Shabbona to Malta, Illinois.

Stanley Harland Sanderson - WW I draft registration

Here is the World War I draft registration for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Stanley Harland Sanderson. Stanley was the first child born to Ellen Marie (Vallem) and Seward Sanderson.   His grandparents were Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem. Stanley was living in Shabbona, Illinois and employed as a farmer when he completed his draft registration on June 5, 1917.

Sanderson family history

Here is partial biography relating to the Sanderson family, mentioned in my last post.  Unfortunately, I do not have the pages that preceded this one. Seward Sanderson, who married Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter, Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem, the daughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem is shown in the upper left photo as a child.  Seward is sitting in a chair, located at the bottom right of the photo. Also from yesterday's post, Charles Sanderson, the grandfather of Mildred (Sanderson) Finnestad is depicted in the same photo, upper left hand corner.

Mildred (Sanderson) and Ingmond Finnestad - burial

 Another Finnestad family that attended Calvary Lutheran Church in Lee County was Mildred (Sanderson) and Ingmond Finnestad decades after my great great great grandparents, Ole and Mari Finnestad. Because of the same last name, there was an assumption we were related, but knowing how Norwegian family names come into play, I could easily dispel those rumors, though I found out several months ago that there is a marriage connection - through Mildred's grandparents.  Mildred was the third child born to Mable Eunice (Sanderson) and Charles M Knutson*.  Mable was the daughter of Caroline (Berg) and Charles Oliver Sanderson.  Charles Oliver Sanderson was the fifth child born to Anna (Maland) and Sondre Helyesen Sanderson. Seward O Sanderson was the 10th child of Anna (Maland) and Sondre Helyesen Sanderson.  Seward O Sanderson was married to Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem, who was the daughter of Rachel (Finnestad) who was married to Lewis Vallem.   Rachel was the daughter of Ole and Mari

Lena Verdelle (Vallem) Dover - burial

Here is the grave marker for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Lena Verdelle (Vallem) Dover.   The marker indicates "Doner" but according to Winnebago County, Illinois marriage records, Lena's husband was Francis William Dover.    I haven't found additional records to verify which spelling is correct. Lena was born July 30, 1907 in Lee County, Illinois and died January 3, 1955 in Phoenix, Arizona.  She is buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. Lena was the daughter of Lena Josephine (Travland) and Peter Vallem, the granddaughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.

Sarah (Anderson) Vallem - burial

Here is the grave marker for Sarah (Anderson) Vallem, the second wife of Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandson, Peter Vallem . Sarah married Peter Vallem on February 27, 1913, two years after the death of Peter's first wife, Lena Josephine (Travland). Sarah was born August 23, 1884 and died July 16, 1934; she is buried at Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois. (Peter Vallem was the son of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem.)

Robert Ludwig - burial

Here is a photo of the marker for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson Robert Ludwig. Robert was the grandson of Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson and the second child born to  Edith (Knutson) and Charles Edward Ludwig. Robert was born March 5, 1924 in Rochelle, Illinois and died April 21, 1992 in Sycamore, Illinois.   He is buried at the Lawnridge Cemetery in Rochelle, Illinois.

Mary Ellen (Vallem) Sanderson and Seward Oscar Sanderson - burial

Here is the grave marker for Mary Ellen (Vallem) Sanderson and husband Seward Oscar Sanderson. Mary Ellen (Vallem) Sanderson was the 4th child born to Rachel (Finnestad) Vallem and Lewis Vallem.    She was born April 29, 1879 in Alto township, Lee County, Illinois.   Mary Ellen died May 24, 1968 in Rockford Illinois and was buried at Union Cemetery, Lee County, Illinois. Seward Oscar Sanderson was born April 15, 1873 and died March 12, 1942. Mary Ellen was the granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.

Carshon (Richardson) Johnson - 1962

Here is a photo* of Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Carshon (Richardson) Johnson, the daughter of Carrie Evelyn (Finnestad) and Charles Richardson.   Carshon was the granddaughter of Caroline (Quitno) and Ole Finnestad Jr.    This photo was taken in 1962, apparently at Christmastime. * Photo provided by Ole and Mari Finnestad's great great granddaughter, Jill (McKay) Clinton.

Finnestad family: Ole, Mari and children death certificate recap

Here is a summary of the death certificate information for Ole and Mari Finnestad and their 11 children: Ole Finnestad Sr Mari (Iversdatter Nord Skaar) Finnestad Elizabeth (Finnestad) Knutson Sarah Finnestad Maria Olsdatter Iverdine (Finnestad) Travland Bertha (Finnestad) Haaland Rachel (Finnestad) Vallem Ole Finnestad Mary (Finnestad) Bell Bert Finnestad Rasmus Finnestad Barnel Finnestad Their burials can be found here .  The family trees can be found here.

Barnel Finnestad death

Barnel Oluf Finnestad, the 11th and final child born to Ole and Mari Finnestad was born July 8, 1866 in Norway.    He died February 18, 1868, also in Norway, so I do not have a death certificate. Barnel was the second child of Ole and Mari to have been born while they lived on the Finnestad farm.

Rasmus Finnestad death

Here is the death certificate information for Rasmus Finnestad, the 10th child born to Ole and Mari Finnestad. Rasmus was the first child born to Ole and Mari while they were living on the Finnestad farm, unlike his preceding siblings who were born in a different parish, northeast of Stavanger. Rasmus was born November 20, 1863 in Norway and died September 5, 1945 in Everett, Washington. Ole Finnestad is misspelled as Olief and Mari Skaar is misspelled as "Skaire".

Bert Finnestad death

Berthel Finnestad, the ninth child of Ole and Mari Finnestad died in Saskatchewan so I do not have the death certificate information. Bert was the last of their 11 children to be born prior to moving north of Stavanger  in Norway where Ole bought a plot of land on the Finnestad farm. Bert was born  July 18, 1861 and died May 22, 1914 in Outook, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Mary (Finnestad) Bell death

Here is the death certificate information for the 8th child born to Ole and Mari Finnestad, Mary (Finnestad) Bell. After moving to the United States from Norway, Mary married someone with the last name Bell, but I've not yet been able to locate their marriage information.   I do know that Mary and her husband had one child, and both the child and husband died prior to the 1900 US census. Mary spent most of her time in Lee County, Illinois after moving to America and sometime after 1930 moved to Washington, where her brother Rasmus and his family resided. No misspelling with Mary's father, but her mother, Mary Skaar was spelled as "Mary S Karre".

Ole Finnestad (Jr) death

Here is the death certificate information for the 7th (and first son) of Ole and Mari Finnestad's children, my great great grandfather, Ole Finnestad.  No spelling errors in my great great great grandparent's names, though they did misspell Stavanger as "Slavanger" and Ole's wife was Caroline Quitno, not "Caroline Irut". Below is his death certificate with a misspelling of Mari Skaai, rather than the correct spelling of Mari Skaar.    The informant was his daughter, Clara Risetter.  

Rachel (Finnestad) Vallem death

Here is the death certificate information for Ole and Mari Finnestad's 6th child, Rachel (Finnestad) Vallem.  Rachel's name was Americanized from "Rakkel" after leaving Norway.    Another interesting fact is that Rachel was born on December 2, the same month and day as her twin sisters, Iverdine and Bertha. Note the misspelling of and Mari Skaar as "Mary Scorr."

Bertha (Finnestad) Haaland death

Here is the death certificate for Ole and Mari's 5th child, Bertha (Finnestad) Haaland, the twin of Iverdine. Bertha's married name was spelled incorrectly as Holland and her father's last name of Finnestad was misspelled as "Finnisted".    They also spelled the city of Stavanger incorrectly as Staevanger, though Bertha wasn't actually born there but in a much smaller community approximately an hour northwest of Stavanger.

Iverdine (Finnestad) Travland death

Locating vital records in the 1800's can be hit or miss, but the United States used to have a mortality census, so I was able to locate the 4th child (or 5th as I do not know who was born first) born to Ole and Mari Finnestad, their daughter, Iverdine (twin of Bertha). This record lists Iverdine's name as "Dinah Travlin".    Dina or Dena is short for Iverdine and this is the first I've seen of the use "Dinah".    "Travlin" is spelled incorrectly; her married name was Travland. Iverdine was born December 2, 1850 in Norway and died November 3, 1879 in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois.     She succumbed to "the consumption" which we know today as tuberculosis.

Maria Olsdatter death

The third child of Ole and Mari Finnestad was Maria Olsdatter who died as an infant before my great great great grandparents bought a plot at the Finnestad farm, so Maria never had the last name Finnestad. Because she died in Norway, I do not know whether they had kept death certificates in the 1850's. Maria was born March 7, 1948 and died May 15, 1851.

Sarah Finnestad death

Here is the death certificate information for the second child born to Ole and Mari Finnestad, Sarah. This is one of the rare documents I've seen where Ole and Mari's names are spelled correctly (though Mari was also spelled Mary once they arrived in America).   The one error I see is that Sarah's birthday was actually July 5, 1846 and not July 8th.    Sarah was the only adult child of Ole and Mari that never married.

Elizabeth (Finnestad) Knutson death

I posted a summary of Ole and Mari Finnestad's gravesite along with their 11 children. The next few posts will be of the information available of their death certificates. First up is their eldest child, Elizabeth (Finnestad) Knutson. Note the misspelling of Ole Finnestad as "Ole Flinnestead" and Mari Skaar as "Mary S...Aar".    Elizabeth's husband, Ole Andreas Knutson was spelled was "O.O. Knutson". Another error is Elizabeth's date of birth , which was April 10, 1844, not the April 17, 1843 listed.  Elizabeth's obituary can be found here .    I have not ordered the death certificate, but if anyone has a copy, please let me know.

Oliver Finnestad Sr - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandson, Oliver Finnestad, my great grandfather. Oliver was born October 28, 1887 in Lee County to Caroline (Quitno) and Ole Finnestad Jr.    He died September 29, 1952 in Creston, Illinois. Last year I posted photographs of his grave marker.

Clara (Finnestad) Risetter death

Here is the death certificate information for Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter, Clara Risetter. Clara was the third child born to my great great grandparents, Caroline (Quitno) and Ole Finnestad Jr. Clara was buried at the First Lutheran Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois, which I posted about a year earlier.

Ole Knutson death

Here is the information available for the death of Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandson,  Ole Alfred Knutson.      Ole was the second son born to Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson, (unless the 10th child that I'm missing was a male). I don't know why Ole was sent to the the Watertown State Hospital, but he spent the majority of his life there until his death in 1934. Note the misspelling of Elizabeth Finnestad, which is listed as "Finnester".   Otto's father's first name, Ole Andreas is spelled incorrectly as "Oleander".

Otto Knutson newspaper articles

In July I had posted a newspaper article about the death of Mari and Ole Finnestad's grandson, Otto Bert Knutson who died at a very young age due to a bizarre accident when he was struck in the head by a baseball. This article appeared July 24, 1895 in the Rochelle Herald. The second article appeared July 31, 1895, also in the Rochelle Herald, after Otto succumbed to his injuries. The Norweigan cemetery near Lee that is mentioned is the Union Cemetery where many of our ancestors are buried, though I have not found any records to indicate that is where he was buried. The Flagg Rochelle Public Library provided me a couple of more articles; unfortunately neither mentioned his siblings so I'm still missing one of Elizabeth (Finnestad) and Ole Andreas Knutson's children.

Iverdine (Finnestad) Travland and daughter Ane Maria

Another post by Trish Hodgens about Iverdine Finnestad Travland and daughter Ane Maria who were buried at the Union Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois.

Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland

More on Iverdine Finnestad's husband, Lewis Travland from Trish Hodgens.

Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland

More history of the Travland family provided by Trish Hodgens. The top photo I posted earlier along with the names of those depicted in the photograph. The bottom photo is Iverdine Finnestad's husband, Lewis Travland.     Growing up, we often used the shortened version of Finnestad as "Finn" when referring to our grandparents, but unfortunately as the years go by, people may not understand the name was Finnestad.

Taletta (Larsdatter) and Peder Pederson Travland

Here are a couple of photos of Iverdine (Finnestad) Travland's in-laws, along with some history provided by Trish Hodgens.    Trish has an informative website about the Travland family that I posted about previously .

Clayton Travland - obituary

Here is the obituary for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great great grandson, Clayton Arno Travland. This obituary contains minimal information but he was the son of Mary Pearl (Hanchett) and Willard Winfield Travland.   Clayton was also the grandson of Hannah (Arno) and Peter Andrew Travland. His great grandparents were Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland.

Gladys Travland - death certificate

Here is the death certificate for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great granddaughter, Gladys Travland. Gladys May Travland was the 7th and youngest child born to Stella Adline (Berkeland) and Thomas Tobias Travland and granddaughter of Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland. Gladys was born March 30, 1919 in Bee County, Texas and died June 14, 1971 in Corpus Christi, Texas.  She is buried at Seaside Memorial Park Cemetery in Corpus Christi.

Clarence Travland - death certificate

Here is the death certificate for Louis Joseph Travland's younger brother, Clarence. Clarence Fulton Travland was born June 8, 1913 in Bee County Texas and died December 29, 1968 in Corpus Christi, Texas.   He is buried at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Corpus Christi.

Louis Travland - death certificate

Here is the death certificate for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Louis Joseph Travland. Louis was born September 23, 1906 in Normanna, Texas and died November 26, 1969 in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He is buried at the Seaside Memorial Park Cemetery in Corpus Christi. Louis was the third child born to Stella Adline (Berkeland) and Thomas Tobias Travland, the son of Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland.

Lawrence Travland - death certificate

Here is the death certificate for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Lawrence Wade Travland. Lawrence was the only son of Susan Eola (Sikes) and Ole John Travland.   (Ole John was the first born child of Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland). Lawrence was born April 20, 1908 in Bee County, Texas and died November 13, 1945 in Temple Texas.    Lawrence died due to a severed spinal cord as the result of an automobile accident.    He is buried at the Killeen City Cemetery in Texas.

Willard Travland - death certificate

Here is the death certificate for Ole and Mari Finnestad's great grandson, Willard Winfield Travland. As far as I know, Willard was the only child of Hannah (Arno) and Peter Andrew Travland.  (Peter Andrew was the third child born to Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland.) Willard was born January 18, 1901 in Colony, Texas and died March 25, 1966 in Port Arthur, Texas.

Thomas Travland - death certificate

Here is the death certificate for Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandson, Thomas Tobias Travland. Thomas was the 4th and youngest child born to Iverdine (Finnestad) and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland. Thomas was born May 18, 1879 in Illinois.  The death certificate indicates "Decator" (Decatur), but I highly doubt he was born in Decatur.      Decatur is about 3 hours south of DeKalb county and considering travel was via train or horse back then, it's more likely he was born in DeKalb County since the family lived in Milan township in the 1870's and 1880's. Thomas died in Corpus Christi, Texas on December 5, 1964 and is buried at the Colony cemetery in Normanna, Texas. I haven't seen the death certificate for Iverdine and  Lewis'  second child, Anne Maria who died as an infant in 1873, but this certificate is the closest to getting Iverdine's name correct.    Growing up, we used "Finn" as shorthand when refe

Peter Travland - death certificate

Here is the death certificate for Ole and Mari Finnestad's grandson, Peter Travland who died at the Kerrville State Hospital in Texas. This death certificate has a little more information than yesterday's post about Peter's older brother, Ole John Travland.     The mother's name is listed simply as "Dinah", but her full name was Iverdine (Finnestad) Travland. The birth date lists May 28, 1878, but he was actually born a year earlier, May 28, 1877 in Illinois, probably in Milan township, DeKalb County, Illinois.   Peter died January 15, 1960.    The cemetery location is unknown, but it's possible he was buried at the Colony Cemetery in Normanna, Texas, the same cemetery as his brother, Ole John Travland. Peter was the third child born to Iverdine and Lewis Joseph Peterson Travland.