Help translating a death record

Rich Nordhagen

Help translating a death record

I found the death record of Johan Jensen Olstad on 24 Aug 1938. It is found at listed as number 14 on  SAH, Stange prestekontor, L/L0020: Parish register (copy) no. 20, 1936-1947, p. 164

or https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/22374/160. What are the labels under his name i believe the first is enkemann=widower, småbruker=small farm owner??? (not sure if that is correct but he had the title selveier by his name in other records), and I can't read the last label to even guess? Then I also am interested in what he died from and why there are numbers beneath it in column 10 Opgitt dødsårsak? Lastly, this record now has his farm name as his last name. In what year did Norwegians start taking on a formal standard last name? And is there any website information on this? Thank you so much for your help.

Liv Anderson2

You are correct about widower and small farm owner. He was also retired receiving a pension. He was born August 31st 1852 in Stange. I cannot make out his cause of death it is most likely Latin. You may want to contact the Digitalarkivet they should be able to tell you what the cause of death is an what the numbers means digitalarkivet@arkivverket.no

As for the last name. Prior to about 1923 a patronymic or a farm name may be used, but from 1923 and later there was a law put in place to use names like Hansen, Olsen, Andersen if that was a persons last name, and to use that name or take a farm name as the last name or surname from then on as the family name. You may see an established name used as early as the 1950s in the cities, but in the rural areas the patronymic naming system was used much later.

Gordon Collett

You will find this information about last names very complete and interesting regarding last names through the ages:

 

https://naha.stolaf.edu/genealogy/naming.htm#:~:text=Family names in Norway are,compulsory by law until 1925.

 

Some families, primarily urban dwellers, merchants, and upper class individuals were using fixed surnames very early, such as the Rustung family and the Hagerup family. I have run across several families in Bergen that were using fixed surnames shortly after 1800.

Gordon Collett

His cause of death is Ateriosleros which sounds so much like Atherosclerosis that that has to be the cause.