The Stephenson clan have a family reunion every year on the last day of July in Illinois. They now spell their name Stevenson.
Lars Fjaere Stephenson (1828-1921) and Anna Halvorsdatter Skjold (1832-1911) are the progenators of this clan. They were married back in Norway and did not emigrate to America until after the Civil War in 1867 with their three children, one a baby. From Stavanger to Quebec, then a steamship to Chicago. Then 60 more miles to Kendall county where Lars already had family. Initally Lars worked as a day laborer and eventually he bought an 80 acre farm in Grundy county.
Their children were Oliver Stevenson (1869 -1925, 10 children); Stephen Stephenson (1863-1929); Martha Stephenson (1865-1897); Guro Stephenson (1867-1960); Anna Carena Stephenson Anderson (1871-1945, 6 children); Henry Lewis Stephenson (1872-1893) and Iver Asmund Stephenson(1875-1900).
Anna is the oldest sibling of H.H.Lee and they remained close throughout their lives with HH occasionally visiting in Illinois.