Hans and Anne Start A Family

Hans O. Alm

and

Anne I. Kanten

were married May 31, 1890

in Zion Lutheran Church

rural Watson, MN

After their marriage and the births of Iver and Oscar, Hans and Anne moved/spent an extended period of time in Ashland Wisconsin where Hans' sister Oline and husband John Olson, and Hans' uncle lived.

1895 Wisconsin Census

Anne was unhappy there. She would recall that there were too many trees, and "the only way to see the sky was to look straight up." Based on census and church records, the couple returned to Watson between 1895 and 1898. Hans continued to work as a painter and paperhanger.

Iver Herman* Alm was born in Watson October 18, 1890.

Oscar Alfred Alm was born in Watson January 12, 1893.

Alvin Alm was born in 1894 and died in 1894 or 1895.

Julia Alm was born and died in 1895.

Alvin Gerhardt Alm was born in Watson December 26, 1898.

Julia Emile Alm was born in Watson January 29, 1901.

Alice Elnora Alm was born in Watson March 6, 1903.

*As an adult, when asked for his full name, Iver used Iver H. Alm. No birth certificate or baptismal record has yet been found. Old church records list Iver's middle name as "Hanson," the traditional Norwegian patronymic. However, in the 1921 yearbook for the Hadeland Lag and Iver's WWI draft registration, Iver's middle name is listed as Herman.

The 1900 Census offers some interesting facts about the Alm family:

It reports that Hans was not yet naturalized, although he received his citizenship in 1898.
Hans lists his occupation as painter and was unemployed for 4 months during that year.
The census lists Iver's birth year as 1890 and that he had completed 8 years of school.
Anne reports having 5 children of whom 3 are still living. This supports the otherwise undocumented births/deaths of the first Alvin and the first Julia.
Hans & Anne owned their home and did not have a mortgage.

Hans' Naturalization Document

Entry	Name	Relationship	Sex	Birth Mo/Yr	Birth Place
24-25	Alm, Hans	Head	M	Sep 1864	Norway
	Anna	Wife	F	May 1872	Minnesota
	Iver	Son	M	Oct 1890	Minnesota
	Oscar	Son	M	Jan 1893	Minnesota
	Alvin	Son	M	Dec 1898	Minnesota

Privacy Statement