Today’s Treasure Chest Thursday is going to be quick but meaningful – my Norwegian great-grandparents’ Loe-Moe marriage license (above). I vividly recall the day years ago that I found it online and was (a) quietly appalled on behalf of poor Anna Moe-Loe and (b) confused because I was told her name was Annie Anderson. Who was this Anna Moe-Loe? A first wife? Second? Not my great-grandmother at all?

Although I did not realize it at the time, ahead of me lay a great adventure into Norwegian records, and ultimately, solving the origins of both the Loe and the Moe names. But that’s a more complicated story than today’s Treasure Chest post.

So for now I will just say that this simple marriage license is a treasure to me because of the genealogical research skills it unlocked.

And the short answer is that my great-grandparents used habitational names instead of the traditional patronymics.

My great-grandfather, Hans Christensen, was born on 1 Aug 1854 on the family farm Loesmoen (Loe’s heath or meadow), Eiker, Buskerud, Norway.

And his future wife, my great-grandmother, Ahne Andersdatter, was born on 10 Feb 1856 on the family farm Flatmoen (flat heath or meadow), Ringebu, Oppland, Norway.

And I’m very glad they each decided to emigrate to Chicago, so they could meet, fall in love, get married, and have six boys, one of whom became my grandfather.

Well done, Hans Christensen Loe and Anna Moe (née Ahne Andersdatter Flatmoen). I’ve found you in Chicago via that Loe-Moe marriage license.