Charlotte Emilie Gustava Larsen: Faith, Family, and Resilience in 19th-Century Norway
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2025-30)
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of July 21 is "Religious Tradtions". Let me introduce you to my 2X great-grandmother Charlotte Emilie Gustava Larsen.When tracing the life of Charlotte Emilie Gustava Larsen, we uncover a story of strength, faith, and enduring family legacy. Born on March 15, 1857 to Jens Kristian Larsen and Patronelli Aleksanderdatter, in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, Charlotte was raised in a deeply rooted Lutheran tradition that shaped her values and sustained her through hardship. Her life's path—through marriage, widowhood, motherhood, and work—offers a powerful glimpse into the experience of Norwegian women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Early Life and Faith Formation
Charlotte was baptized on August 2, 1857, in Kristiania, Norway. This ceremony marked her entrance into the Christian faith and the Lutheran community. She was confirmed in Østre Aker parish on October 1, 1872, affirming her faith and moral maturity before the congregation.
Charlotte's Confirmation Church:
Østre Aker Church, Oslo – site of Charlotte’s confirmation in 1872. (Source: I, Chell Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Home and Family Life
By 1875, Charlotte was living with her father, Jens Kristian Larsen, in her brother Aleksander’s apartment building on Brogade Street in Kongsvinger, Norway. She was unmarried at the time and dependent on her family. On June 20, 1880, she married Karl Anton Gulbrandsen, a bricklayer born on September 2, 1857, on Graeslien Farm in Eidsvold, Akershus County. The couple’s marriage banns were published on May 9, 17, and 23 of 1880 in Østre Aker.
Marriage banns were formal public announcements of an upcoming marriage, giving the community an opportunity to raise any legal or moral objections—such as existing marriages or close kinship—that could prevent the wedding. In Norway at the time, it was customary and legally required to publish these banns on three consecutive Sundays or holy days before the wedding. This ensured transparency and allowed sufficient time for any concerns to be voiced. These announcements were recorded in the church books as part of both church law and civil regulation.
Karl was confirmed on April 7, 1872, in Eidsvold and worked as a mason in Kristiania. He died young—on January 27, 1892, at the age of 34—and was buried on July 1, 1892. After his death, Charlotte raised their children while working as a washerwoman, listed as the head of household in the 1900 census, living at Langgaden 20, a building with ten flats in Kristiania.
The Gulbrandsen Children
- ➔ Ragnhild Petrine – Born August 20, 1880; baptized October 17, 1880.
- ➔ Arthur Emanuel – Born September 22, 1882; baptized February 4, 1883.
- ➔ Borghild Marie – Born March 11, 1885; baptized June 14, 1885.
- ➔ Karl Eugen – Born November 1, 1888; baptized December 26, 1888.
- ➔ Gulborg Kristine – Born October 17, 1890; baptized December 14, 1890 at St. Peter’s Church in Kristiania. Married Ludvig A. Olsen on September 9, 1911, in Brooklyn, New York, and died January 11, 1968, in East Meadow, New York. ⟵ my great-grandmother
- ➔ Karoline Antonette – Born September 5, 1892; baptized October 30, 1892.
Later Years and Second Marriage
Charlotte later (between 1900 and 1910) married Lars Syvers Hagen, born June 20, 1853, in Eidskogen. Charlotte's resilience as a mother, widow, and worker in a challenging era reflects the quiet strength of many Norwegian women whose stories are often hidden behind the names in genealogical charts. At this time, I do not have any records of her death.
Charlotte’s story invites us to remember not only the dates and locations recorded in documents but the humanity, faith, and perseverance they represent. Her baptisms, confirmations, marriage, and daily labors weave a rich tapestry that binds past generations to the present—especially as her daughter Gulborg would later marry and settle in Brooklyn, continuing the family’s story in a new land.
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