The Lowe Family Tree

Ole Christensen Ruud

Ole Christensen Rudd was born in late spring/early summer of 1791 at Røråsen Farm on the island of Helgøya in Næs, Hedmark, Norway (now officially in Ringsaker commune).A His parents were Christen Olsen Ruud, a day laborer, and his wife Ingebor Amundsdatter Kjos.

Ole Olsen Kopervik

Born on Kjelsvik farm to the captain of a small sailing ship, Ole grew up in Jelsa, Rogaland, Norway. Much of his childhood was spent on the open seas with his father and brother. At 33, he married Andrine in Drammen, Buskerud on the opposite side of Norway. Together they lived in Kopervik and had 3 children before Ole's untimely death at 39.

Andreas Johnsen

Andreas was born to a sailor/carpenter father in northern Svelvik in 1830. He was 1 of 8 children, including a half-sister and only the second boy of the house. His younger sister died when he was 9, his father passed away at 11, and an older sister when he was 14. Andreas took to the sea as a sailor and while home married Anne Marie Ruud in 1855. The couple would have 6 children before Anne's untimely death in 1867. Andreas stopped sailing and took up carpentry at the shipyard full time when he remarried Laura Anderson. They had a son in 1873, but Laura also died the following year. Andreas died in Svelvik in 1888 at the age of 58.

Christoffer Christensen Orhus

Born on the Orhuus farm in 1828 in Sande, Vestfold, Norway to parents Christen Johnsen and Dorthe Olsdatter, Christoffer lost his father by age 5 and spent his childhood on Kvisle farm with his mother and step-father. After confirmation he relocated from Sande to Svelvik and traded a life on the farm for one at sea. Christoffer married Mathea Gulliksdatter Loe and had 3 children. He died at sea of yellow fever aboard the ship Chatham at the age of 50 and was buried at sea on the Atlantic.

Thorvald Haugen

Thorvald Haugen was born Torvald Hansen on 16 Dec 1864 in Sandsvær, Buskerud, Norway to parents Hans Jorgen Petersen Haugen and Anne Olsdatter.1 The family lived at the northern end of Hedenstad, Sandsvær on the Haugen farm in what was the Saggrænden and Medheien school district.2 Sandsvær has since been incorporated into the city of Kongsberg and is south of the city center.

Cornelius Christoffersen

Cornelius was born in Svelvik, Norway in 1860, son of a sailor. He took to the sea like his father by the age of 15. He married the girl he grew up down the street from named Birthe Marie Andreasen. The couple was wed in 1888 and 2 months later Cornelius received his official captain's certification. He captained his own ship for years and even captain a ship to China, but gave it up in 1907 to move his wife and 5 children to America. They settled in Cleveland, Ohio near his wife's twin sister and changed the family last name from Christoffersen to Christopher. Here Cornelius became a sexton for a local church where he worked the rest of his life. He died in 1927 at the age of 67.

Christoffer Christoffersen

Born in Svelvik, Norway, Christoffer immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio at the age of 17 with his parents and siblings. He was a third-generation sailor, son of a ship's captain, who had worked his way up to the rank of first mate (second in command under the captain). Christoffer sailed the Great Lakes aboard steamships moving goods like coal and ore from port to port and train to train aboard ships like William C. Atwater. Christoffer died young from complications due to cancer and left behind a wife and two children.