I cannot seem to find the town that is the birthtown on my gggFather's headstone. It is transcribed as Arnoal, Norway, but I tried all of the spellings that I can think of (even with the norwegian characters!) and so far have come up empty-handed. Anyone have an idea?

Omen Swensen
Born 28 Aug 1845 in Arnoal, Norway
Died in West Valders Cemetary, Liberty, Manitowoc, WI on 24 Mar 1914

Some ideas... did you see the headstone yourself and make sure that spelling is accurate?
The name of the cemetery includes 'Valders' a spelling variation for Valdres area of Oppland, Norway. Perhaps your guy was one of a group of Norwegians from that original area? (Within Valdres region are two parishes by the name of Aurdal...)
The 1900 and 1910 US censuses would give you information as to what year he emigrated from Norway - that would help in searching databases of emigrants from various Norwegian ports and knowing which Norwegian census databases would be appropriate to search.
Old church records where he settled in WI may still survive. A Lutheran minister often recorded the names of the parishes in Norway where a new member of the congregation had originally been baptised and confirmed.
Checked for all obituaries published when he died? Small town US newspapers were sometimes quite informative about the deceased.
"Arnoal" may not be a town name at all. It could be the name of a farm in Norway.

Hi PR,

He's from Barboe in Tromøy according to The Manitowoc Norwegians. I posted to her on the Manitowoc board which she will likely see but in the meantime, I didn't want you to be spinning your wheels too much. Hmmm Arnoal???

Regards,
Steph

Then it is obvious: Arnoal = Arndal = Arendal.

Omen is probably a variety of the name Ommund.

Is this the family in 1880? http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...

The names on the 1880 census work with the names and dates in this book. There is also a Aanund Svendsen Storheia b. 1832 who was in Manitowoc County. Storheia is attached to Omen's father. Perhaps Aanund is the older son...pure speculation.

Stephanie

Thanks Steph... you know so well I hate spinning my wheels, especially in unfamiliar ground. (But I'd still like to see that tombstone...) Hope the originator of the query finds the right area, that's the key. PR

Harald is right, it is Arendal.

http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...

From Familysearch, LDS IGI:

OLE SVENDSEN Spouse: BIRTHE CHRISTENSDR
Marriage: 24 OCT 1820 Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway

Svend <OLESEN> Birth: 08 Nov 1821 Place: Kristiansand, Vest-Agder
Father: Ole SVENSEN Mother: Birthe CHRISTIANSDR

SITZEL OLSEN Birth: 12 JAN 1824 Ostre Moland, Aust-Agder
Father: OLE SVENDSEN Mother: BIRTE CHRISTENSDR

Gunnild Marie Christening: 07 JUN 1829 Tromoy, Aust-Agder
Father: Ole Svendsen Barboe Mother: Birthe Christensdatter

Birthe - 23 JUN 1833 Tromoy, Aust-Agder

Ingeborg - 14 AUG 1836 Tromoy, Aust-Agder

Petter - 16 APR 1838 Tromoy, Aust-Agder

Fredrik - 15 SEP 1839 Tromoy, Aust-Agder

Ommund - 09 JAN 1842 Tromoy, Aust-Agder
Cathrine - 09 JAN 1842 Tromoy, Aust-Agder

Ommund Christening: 14 SEP 1845 Tromoy, Aust-Agder
Father: Ole Svendsen Barboe Mother: Birthe Christensdr

There is a Storhei farm in Øvrebø parish, north of Kristiansand.

Birte was probably from Tromøya, an island east of Arendal. Tromøya was a part of Østre Moland parish.

http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/webcens.exe?slag=visbas...

http://www.aust-agder.museum.no/bilder/Kart%20Arendal.JPG

Argh! Just got the internet back after a few days. This is the info that I have from the census, cemetary, etc. I still need to read the Manitowoc board reply...I was investigating the Arnoal=Arendal connection too, so i am glad that someone else thought of that too.

ZORN'S RURAL ROUTES DIRECTORY
1905 MANITOWOC COUNTY
Swensen Omen,* Valders R 1
Swensen Alfred, Valders R 1
Swensen Elmer, Valders R 1
Swensen Etta, Valders R 1
Swensen Nels, Valders R 1
Swensen Olin, Valders R 1
Swensen Oscar, Valders R 1 <-my great-grandpa

1860 Manitowoc census, Eaton township
page line dwelling family Persons living in family on the 1st day of June 1860 age sex occupation r.e. value pers.prop. birthplace
162 1 1266 1155 Ole Swenson 65 M Farmer 600 300 Norway
162 2 1266 1155 Betsey Swenson 62 F -- -- -- Norway
162 3 1266 1155 Peter Swenson 22 M Farm Laborer -- -- Norway
162 4 1266 1155 Catherine Swenson 18 F -- -- -- Norway
162 5 1266 1155 Owen Swenson 15 M -- -- -- Norway

WEST VALDERS CEMETERY
Liberty Township, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin
SWENSEN: Emma/1893-1955, ossw: Elmer/1885-1952
Ole/Died Sept. 27, 1866/Age 70 yrs., ossw: His wife/Berthe/Died June 8, 1877, Age 80 yrs.
Omen/Born Aug. 28, 1845/in Arnoal Norway, Died Mar. 24, 1914, ossw: Inger M./Mar. 17, 1854/Jan. 7, 1927

So I am right in assuming that the entry in the digitalarkivet right below Ole is his wife, Berthe?

6044 Ole Swenson 50 m f Norway 354 Manitowoc Rapid Manitowoc Wisconsin Ole Svendsen Storheia, utv. 1850 fra Arendal
6045 Bealt Swenson 53 f Norway 354 Manitowoc Rapid Manitowoc Wisconsin Berthe Christensdtr, utv. 1850 fra Arendal