Here is an excerpt from the Yggdrassil article published several years ago that answered who was married to whom. This was written by a genealogist who researched the two Johannes' and their two wives. If you have any questions or need help on this, feel free to contact me by email, as my Geni account will become an ":non" Pro (free) account as of tomorrow.
I hope this helps! Cordially, Rosalie Sundin (3x-greatgranddaughter of Rev. Johannes Andreas Johannessen Bomstad)
Using simply the military name Johan Ørn as a starting point, applications have been made over the years to various archives in Sweden to get information on this soldier.
With assistance from everyone who had a part of the information, we can summarize as follows: (the following paragraphs will explain the mistaken identity and how the correct person was found)
Johan Josephsson Örn, was a croft (torp) soldier in Muonioniska, and was born in Pello in 1728 to the parents Joseph Josephsson Eero or Keksi (the farm in Pello) and his wife Brita Mickelsdotter. Johan was married in Muonio in 1755 to Brita Ersdotter (= Eriksdotter). Brita died without leaving any children, and Johan Örn married again in 1762 to Susanna Larsdotter from Muonio. Subsequently the children: Johan 1761, Lars 1763 and Abraham 1764.There are two things one must attend to here. It is impossible to determine when Brita died, and at the time Johan married Susanna, he was not identified as a widower.
For many reasons it is not easy for us to do family research in Tornedalen and which in this case is in a foreign country. None of us has had the time or the necessary finances to travel to Sweden and use the archives there.
Yggdrasil - Bomstad page 3 Jan. 2000 A.A.
Rolf Hellem in Narvik is one of many who are descended from the Bomstad couple. Hellem has some contacts in Norrbotten and traveled there to visit and to look close to some of the known places. During the sojourn he had contact with people who had considerable knowledge of the families in Tornedalen, and especially about the ancestors of our Johan Ørn på Bomstad.
Given the background of information from these sources we shall render what we know today about the ancestors of Johan and Susanna. We retain the Swedish names of the people, and in addition referring to that which was said previously about the various places.
In the first place: Brita Ersdotter did not die (prior to our Johan’s second marriage-RAH), but so did on the other hand have a husband named Johan Örn. He is not named Josephsson, but Nilsson. He was born in 1731 and was a soldier from 1750. He and Brita were married in 1755. As a widow, Brita married Henrik Jönsson Bäck from Ala-Muonio (lower Muonio) and these were settlers in Jerisjärvi in Ala-Muonio. Henrik’s parents were Jöns Henriksson Bäck and Valborg Henriksdotter Käthäsuanto. Valborg’s niece was Susanna Larsdotter!
The soldier Johan Josephsson Örn was married in Muonioniska (Muonio) 1 January 1762 to Susanna Larsdotter Muonio, which lies on the Finnish side of the border, was in earlier times called Muonioniska.
In the General muster roll of 20 April 1763 it was stated that the soldier Johan Josephsson Örn was 22 years old and had been in the service for 3 years. It can be mentioned that a general review was usually held every 3-4 years, but as a rule, not in time of war. Susanna and Johan’s children, Johan 1761, Lars 1763 and Abraham 14 December 1764 were all born in Muonioniska. Not so long after 1765 have Johan and Susanna started on their journey over to Norway. And considering all things, it can’t have been so long after 1765 since he still decided to keep his old military name Örn. The Örn-roter changed its name to Triumf in 1763. Johan had obviously not become accustomed to the new name! Page 21
You will find his funeral here: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=9698&idx_id=9...
Left page, line 13, date: 4de Sønd. efter Paaske (4th Sunday after Easter) which correctly is the April 24th in 1785.
The text is: Johannes Josephsen Nordkios - 50 - sot død. His lastname here is Nordkios which show where he lives, he is said to be 50 years old, and "sot død" just meen that he died of an illness, without stating which illness it was.
Rosalie, it make sense, the info about Brita as Johannes J first wife must be a misunderstanding. I always wonder about Johannes and Susanna`s firstborn in 1761 , same year as reportedly Bita died.
About Johannes age if he was born in 1728 he was 57 when he died, but the records says 50. As I know the story from other cases they were not as careful to provide accurate information about birth to the authorities at these times. It could have different causes.
In the military report it said he had a problem with his hips, but gave no other details as to whether this was a congenital issue, an inherited disease or something like rheumatism, or even an injury. Since he was so young when he was released from the military, it must have been awfully severe. I cannot imagine they would have released him otherwise.
I am not sure how much discussion there has been in Norway about healthy issues in the Bomstad family, but here in the US a history of Huntington's Disease (which I have heard was called Larsen's Disease in Norway many years ago when it was identified in Setesdal.) It has symptoms which include affecting how the person walks. I have often wondered if perhaps his disablitiy was because of symptoms of this disorder, which would not have been "identified" for another 200 years back then.
I have no other information up to this point about family members in Norway who inherited it, but many of Rev. Bomstad's children inherited it, as did at least one of his brothers who immigrated to Minnesota.