| Husband's Name | Wife's Name | |
| OLSON, James | (LSU) Martha T. | |
| Birth Date | 12 Apr 1842 | 1849 | Christened | Bergen Norway | Bergen Norway | Death Date | 1913 age 70y | 1921 age 72y | Burial Data | South St. Paul Cemetery | Union County South Dakota | Marriage Date | 1864 | Father | OLESON, | unknown |
| Mother | unknown | unknown |
| M F |
Children-Surname-Given | Birth--Date | Birth Place Town-County |
State | Death Data | Location | Married To, Date, Place |
| M | OLSON, Ole James | 1868 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | LSU, Emma | ||
| F | OLSON, Alethe | 1869 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| F | OLSON, Betsy | 1870 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | ANDERSON, Albert Julius |
| OLSON, | 1871-1872 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown | |
| M | OLSON, Thedore | Mar 1873 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | m Annie of Denmark 1881- Child: Julius/Jewlins 1903- |
| OLSON, Albert Oscar Jameson | 01 Jan 1874 | Bloomfield | Minnesota | 01 Jan 1874 | Bloomfield, Minnesota | unknown | |
| M | OLSON, Johnyr | 1877 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| F | OLSON, Emma | Mar 1879 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| F | OLSON, Anna | Feb 1881 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| F | OLSON, Mary | Feb 1883 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| M | OLSON, Henry | May 1885 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| F | OLSON, Minnie | Nov 1887 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| F | OLSON, Millie | Apr 1889 | Brule, Union | South Dakota | unknown | unknown | unknown |
Sources:
1880 Census Brule, Union, Dakota Territory
James Olson 37 Farmer b 1843 Norway Father's Birthplace: Norway Mother's Birthplace: Norway
Martha Olson 30 b 1850 Norway Father's Birthplace: Norway Mother's Birthplace: Norway
Ole Olson 12 b 1868 Dakota Territory
Alethe Olson 11 b 1869 Dakota Territory
Betsy Olson 10 b 1870 Dakota Territory
Teodor Olson 7 b 1873 Dakota Territory
John Olson 3 b 1877 Dakota Territory
Emma Olson 1 b 1879 Dakota Territory
1890 Veterans Schedules:
James Oleson
Home in 1890 Brule, Union, South Dakota
Enlisted: 1862
Discharged: 15 Nov 1865
Rank: Private
Company B 1sst Dakota Cavalry
Disability Incurred - Rheumatism
1900 Census Brule, Union, South Dakota:
James Oleson 58 b Apr 1842 Immigration Year: 1862
Martha Oleson 51 b May 1849 Immigration Year: 1861 Marriage Year: 1864
Theodore Oleson 27 b Mar 1873 Son
Emma Severson 21 b Mar 1879 Daughter Widowed
Allice Severson 2 b Mar 1898 Granddaughter
Anna Oleson 19 b Feb 1881 Daughter
Mary Oleson 17 b Feb 1883 Daughter
Henry Oleson 15 b May 1885 Son
Minnie Oleson 12 b Nov 1887 Daughter
Millie Oleson 11 b Apr 1889 Daughter
1905 Census:
James Olson Age: 63 Birth Year 1842 Birthplace: Norway
Marital Status: Married
Years in State: 43
Arrival Year in State (Estimated): 1862
Event Place: South Dakota, United States
Father's Birthplace: Norway
Mother's Birthplace: Norway
GS Film number: 2281797
Digital Folder Number: 4245264
Image Number: 1047
Card Number: 316
1910 Census Richland, Union, South Dakota
James Olson 68
Martha O Olson 60
Mary Olson 26
Henry Olson 24
Minnie Olson 21
1910 Census Civil Bend, Union, South Dakota
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Ole J Olson M 42 South Dakota
Wife Emma Olson F 38 Wisconsin
Daughter Mable A Olson F 14 South Dakota
Son Carlyle M Olson M 12 South Dakota
Daughter Eva A Olson F 10 South Dakota
Daughter Pearl J Olson F 8 South Dakota
Son Melvin P Olson M 5 South Dakota
1920 Census:
Henry Olson 34 Head of household b 1886 South Dakota
Martha Olson 70 Widowed Mother b 1850 Norway
Earl Jacobson 09 Nephew b 1911 South Dakota
Alice Severson-Scanlon 21 Widowed Niece b 1899 South Dakota
Dorothy Scanlon 03 Daughter of Alice b 1917
Census of Norwiegans in the Dakotas 1880 lists our Olson's in Brule Township, Union County Dakota Territory page 399
Complete transcript from A. T. Andreas' "Historical Atlas of Dakota", 1884.
"JAMES OLSEN, farmer, Section 8, Town 92, Range 49, P. O. Richland, was born in Bergen, Norway, April 12, 1842. He immigrated to America in 1862 and located in Union County. October 15, 1862, he enlisted in Company B, First Dakota Cavalry. In company with twenty-two others he was detailed to assist in laying out a Government road from Newberry, to Virginia City, Nevada. While in this service they were corralled by a large band of Arapahoes at Tongue River. They held out for fourteen days, until reinforcements arrived from Fort Laramie, Wyoming. He was mustered out October 15, 1865, and returned to Union County. He owns 170 acres in Section 8, the northwest corner of Town 92, Range 49. Seventy acres are under cultivation, the balance hay and timberland. Mr. Olsen is treasurer of School District No. 24. He is a member of the Lutheran Church."
A Rootsweb link with less detailed information on James Olson's service in the Civil War. Martha T Oleson filed for his pension when his health failed. On the form it has Invalid ( as in unable NOT in-valid) and the date 3 March 1886 Roll Number: T288_355
BLM Land Records list further land holding of James and Martha Olson:
OLSON JAMES 05 092 N 049 W 018 40 251101 PA 1516 04/20/1882
OLSON JAMES 05 092 N 049 W 018 61.06 251101 PA 1516 04/20/1882
OLSON JAMES 05 092 N 049 W 018 62.45 251101 PA 1516 04/20/1882
Family records also state James and Martha Olson were from Norway. They homesteaded 9 miles north of Elk Point, Union County South Dakota.
James and Martha Olson are buried in the South St. Paul Cemetery, Union County South Dakota Following is the detail from the South St. Paul Cemetery, WPA Graves Registration Project conducted during the Great Depression. The list is dated Aug. 1940. The South St. Paul Cemetery is located in Brule Township, Union County, South Dakota T92N R50W Sec. 25.
| Surname | First Name | Grave # | Lot # | Block # | Section | Date of Death | Age | Sex | Veteran Marker |
| OLSON | James | 4 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 1913 | 70 | M | Civil War |
| OLSON | Martha | 5 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 1921 | 72 | F | Civil War Widow rec'd Pension |
