My second great grandfather was born in Norway. He came to America in the 1800’s looking for a better life. Sometime after he arrived, he decided to change his name from Andreas Ostrud to Andrew Hanson. It was common for people who came to America to “Americanize” their name. If we didn’t know the story about him changing his name, we might not know where he came from or where to start looking for more family. The information and stories that are passed down from one generation to another, is one way that helps us know where to research next. Andrew came from a farm in Norway, named Ostrud. His father’s name was Hans.