John Olson Wraalstad
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| Name at Enlist | John Olson Wraalstad |
| Birth Name | John Olsen Vraalstad |
| Other Names | John Olsen Jomfruland |
| Lived | 8 Apr 1839 – 13 Dec 1907 |
| Birth Place | Tørdal, Drangedal Parish, Telemark |
| Birth Country | Norway |
| Resident of Muster-In | New Hope, Portage County, WI |
| Company at Enlistment | I |
| Rank at Enlistment | Private |
| Muster Date | 20 Dec 1861 |
| Death Location | Northland, Waupaca County, WI |
| Burial Location | New Hope Lutheran Cemetery, Iola, Waupaca County,WI |
| Mother | Aasild Jonsdatter Sneeaas |
| Mother Lived | 30 Mar 1814-7 Aug 1886 |
| Father | Ole Olsen Wraalstad |
| Father Lived | 6 Mar 1810-27 Jun 1884 |
| Immigration | 1843 |
| Spouse | Mathea Johannesdatter |
| Spouse Lived | 20 Jun 1849-9 Dec 1909 |
| Married On | 23 Nov 1867 |
| Marriage Location | New Hope, Portage County, WI |
John Olson Wraalstad was born in Tørdal parish, Drangedal, and arrived in New York August 28, 1843 on the Aeolus with his parents and two brothers. He joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company I. The men of the company called themselves the “Scandinavian Mountaineers” but were also known as the “Waupaca Company” because so many of them were living in that Wisconsin county when they enlisted.
At age 21, he enlisted for three years on November 5, 1861, at Scandinavia, WI, and mustered at Madison, WI, December 20, 1861. His residence was listed as New Hope, Portage County, WI. He is listed as unmarried and as a Private (Menig). He was appointed Sergeant (Sersjant) on February 1, 1862. He was with the provisions transport from Stevenson, AL, in October 1873. He mustered out with Company I on February 10, 1865, at Chattanooga, TN.
After the war, he married Mathea Johannesdatter on November 23, 1867. They had twelve children, including: Osine Amalia (1868-1946), James Olaves/Lewis (1870-1998), Serina M. (1872-1881), Alfred J. (1874-1946), Martin (1875-1942), John Lorin (1878-1937), Johanne (1880-1880), Henry J.(1882-1903), Josephine Mathilde (1883-1907), Edmund (1885-1885), Serene (1886-1886), and Mabel Serene (1887-1969). In 1894, he was living in Scandinavia, Waupaca Co, WI, where he ran a lumber business. He died in Northland, Waupaca Co, WI, on December 13, 1907, and buried at North New Hope Lutheran Cemetery, New Hope, Portage Co, WI.
Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, box 76-11; Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol. 20, p. 126; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett, 1894, B. Anundsen, Decorah, IA, p. 612 photo; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Publ. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p. 121 photo, p. 316, e.50; Martin Ulvestad, Nordmændene i Amerika, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p. 261-262; Marwin Wrolstad, Scandinavia, Wisconsin; Lars Gjertveit, Bodo, Norway; Wisconsin Cemetery Records; Norwegian Immigrants to the United States. A Biographical Directory, 1825-1850. Volume One 1825-1843, Gerhard B. Naeseth, 2008, Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, IA, p. 290, ID 1637; 1900 Census, Roll: 1823, Page: 11A, Enumeration District: 0137, FHL microfilm: 1241823; digitalarkivet.no; ancestry.com; findagrave.com.