Matt Hemmingsen 1867-1976: Uncle’s photo – but for a decade?

Updated 16 Feb 2025 for clarity. No new data.

For sure, Benjamin Mikael Arntsberg, the son of Mathias Bentsen and Marith Johnsdtr was born on 16 Sept 1848 – so published in the Church Book of Vefsn Parish, Norway! ¹ He was great grandma Beret-Has’ brother. Poor her, gone so early, just one year into her American experience, but having no headstone around which to grieve. Now, should “Benjamin Matteson”, at Findagrave.com, reportedly born in 1858 and pictured to the right, actually be ours,  then, we at least have her sibling’s photo, for comfort.²

This same brother was the chosen subject of our post “Our Anecdotal Jewishness” because of a misspelled listing in the 1865 census. He out-migrated to America two years later, appropriately labeled Benjamin Mikael Arntsberg Mathiassen. Surely when sporting that much name, he would be searchable coming and going.

Still, we lost him after he made a safe landing in Quebec, in July of 1867. (See note A below.) We needed him to support our last post’s claim that Beret’s people were first in our family, to go to America. Here he is at last, perhaps.

He may have dismissed his interior nomen. The Mikael Arntsberg part did not surface in the US, while Findagrave profiles a vanilla Benjamin Matteson. He also came from Norway in 1867, but with dates 1858-1926, not 1848-1926. We could just walk away on such glaring disparity, but it is a splendid photograph attended by an interesting biography. Beret would want us to clear up uncertainty for a hint of her.

Stretching to Claim that Photo

Obit-Ben tracked within Iowa and Minnesota. We will compare his bio to knowns of Our-Ben.

Obit-Ben sailed with an unnamed uncle. Our-Ben came with his maternal uncle, Torger Johnsen, but also with his older brother, Hans-Matias. Hans was likely the more significant travel partner, but Obit-Ben made no mention of him. No mention was made of a large group of co-emigrants from Hatfjelldal. In fact, five or six of these were relatives who “disappeared-by-record” and are referenced at the end of this post.

Obit-Ben, a carpenter of Martin County, MN, married Jennie Anderson on 30 Mar 1881.² The venue was Cerro Gordo, IA. It was a first marriage at 29, for an 1851 birth. His mother was Mary Johnson, which worked for Our-Ben’s Marith Johnsdtr, but his father was Mattias Matteson, not Mathias Bentsen.

Obit-Ben first docked in Quebec, too. He then went to Postville IA; Cerro Gordo is to its west. His first Federal Census was not until 1900, but he and Jennie had appeared in Minnesota State Censuses 1885 and 1895.

The Cerro Gordo Vexation

Stretching the stretch, Cerro Gordo IA may cover his absence from Federal Census 1870, leaving 1880 still missing.  If so, it would be to the favor of Our-Ben. Obit-Ben claimed to be a carpenter until 1872, in later records.

A Norwegian carpenter, Benj. Hetland lived in Cerro Gordo in 1870, but 1843 was cited for his birth year. Our immigrant was in country for three years; his accent would still be heavy. The enumerator was surnamed Emsley, which is of English origin. A five-year age error within ones twenties, may have resulted.

Many Norwegians of the time discontinued traditional surnaming and instead, assumed the name of their home farm, such as Groli. Had Benjamin considered such? Hatfjelldal means hat mountain and Hatfjelddalen is not received by non-Norwegian ears easily. Emsley may have defaulted to Hetland. Research gave no other options for Benj. Hetland.   

Benj. Hetland, b.1843, Our-Ben b.1848 and Obit-Ben b.1858 are probably one. Naysayers please speak up in the reply box, after Notes and Sources.

Obit Benjamin Matteson and Family

Ben was a naturalized citizen at Jackson, Jackson MN. He and Jenny had one child, Mina O, in 1881. She married Frank G. Albertus.

This information is from an article in a souvenir edition of the Jackson Republic, Jackson County MN of 1895. The Mattesons were respected in town. Jenny maintained a beautiful home, while Ben was sole proprietor of a thriving jewelry store that evolved from a partnership of 1888. He had farmed in Postville IA upon arrival. Next came a wagon shop, and a year or so later, bridge building and teaming for Iowa railroads. He then bought a farm, and combined that work with carpentry. In fact, he sequentially bought two farms, in different locales. He married in 1881, and enjoyed his lovely family of three.

With the account of Benjamin concluded, here is a synopsis of failed research on other relatives that were companion emigrants.

Hatfjelldal 1867: Companion Emigrants

If we have not found “Our-Ben” he may have met early death in America, for he was not obvious in 19th Century Federal Censuses.

His uncle, Torger Johnson b.1810, with Thomine Jorgensdtr b.1812, brought three children: Marit-Dorothea b.1851, Hans-Andreas b.1854 and Oline-Jorgine b. 1857, plus, Ben’s brother, Hans Mathisen b.1846. No data were found in America for these six, with the possible exception of Hans-Andreas Johnson (born Torgerson). He may have been Hans Johnson, a farm laborer, reportedly born in 1852, Norway, at Paint Creek, Allamakee County, IA. The Postville reference would support this.

On the other hand, two families, probably uncle-nephew, who may have held in-law relationship to Ben’s sister, Beret, also accompanied them. They settled in Little Sauk, MN by 1870 and may hold the key to the lost. This in-law relationship is unproven, but suspected for coincidence, as explained in their story, given in Note B, below.

The younger couple provided an interesting insight; they had arrived in Hatfjelldal in June of 1865 from Meraker, some 400 kilometers to the south, only to move off to America a couple of years later. They were surely on a mission to change their circumstance. Now we know their shipmate, Benjamin Mikael Arntsberg Mathiassen, found the American dream.

Please leave comments, corrections and/or questions in the reply box below.

Notes and Sources

NOTE A: Their emigration – leaving Hattfjelldal; at Digitalarkivet.no “Utflyttar” for Benjamin Mikael Arntsberg Mathiassen, Hattfjelldal Parish 1867, 23 Mar 1867// Norway to Canada; www.norwayheritage.com Passenger Lists 1867 for Benjamin A?? Mathiasen aboard the St. Lawrence departed Namsos on May 22, arrived Quebec on July 16.

NOTE B: Ole Pedersen b. 1816 and Marit Johnsdtr b. 1821, as well as Ingvald Johannessen b. 1837 and Ingeborg Johnsdtr b. 1837 emigrated with this group in 1867. To be clear, neither woman was related to Our-Ben’s mother, Marit Jonsdtr. Rather, the suspected in-law situation would have been through our great grandmother, Beret Mathisdtr, who married Ole Hemmingsen. Hemmingsens had migrated in the 1840s from Stjordal-Meraker to Hatfjelldal, as had these two families, in 1865. Ole Hemmingsen, grandfather to Beret’s Ole, was their neighbor in Susendalen in 1865, and here now, the common emigration. // Children of the older couple: Sivert and John, John’s wife Sigrid and their son Ole Martinus b 1866, as well as, of the younger couple: Johannes, Berit and John Mathias travelled too, and were accounted for at Little Sauk MN. Bendict Mathis Johanssen born 1846 was also aboard, but we did not follow him.

1 SOURCES: Reference post for Norwegian data in this present piece was published June 4, 2022: hyperlinked above, “In The Beginning Again” with Digitalarkivet.no the prime source. // Note: The scan in Church Books from Vefsn Parish 1846-1854, Births and Baptisms for Benjamin Mikael Arntsberg, so spelled, is located at 1849-07-14 reflecting when he was baptized. // Church book from Hattfjelldal parish 1860-1878 (1826P) Innflytar 1865 and Utflyttar 1867.

2 SOURCES: US Data, accessed through Ancestry.com: NARA’s US Censuses 1870-1920/ Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 for Benjamin Matteson (and variants)/Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1945 for Benjamin Matteson, 30 Mar 1881, in Dickinson IA. //Findagrave.com, Benjamin Matteson died USA, born 1848 ±10. Picture of Benjamin Matteson, Memorial ID 177020391 kindly posted by volunteer Matthew Aleshire.