    
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Administrative
Information
Scope and Content Note
Biographical Information
Lineage
Selected Search Terms
Partial Interview Transcript
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Information
Resources
Robert A. L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific
Lutheran University
Tacoma, WASHINGTON 98447
Phone: (253) 535-7586 E-mail: archives@plu.edu
New Land
New Lives Oral History Collection
Arnfinn Bruflot
A Guide to His Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Bruflot, Arnfinn
Collection Nr: t064-065
File Content:
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3 file folders
0 photographs
2 sound cassettes
3 compact discs
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Processing Information:
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The
interview was conducted using a cassette recorder. A research
copy was also prepared from the original. To further preserve
the content of the interview, it is now being transferred
to compact disc. We deliberately did not transcribe the
entire interview because we want the researchers to listen
to the interviewee's own voice. The transcription index
highlights important aspects of the interview and the
tape counter numbers noted on the Partial Interview
Transcription are meant as approximate finding guides
and refer to the location of a subject on the cassette/CD.
Interviewed
by Morrene Nesvig
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky
Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality Good
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Restrictions:
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The
collection is available for research.
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Preferred Citation:
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[Collection
Number, Collection Title]
New Land New Lives Oral History Collection
Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection
Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
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This
interview was conducted with Arnfinn Bruflot on June 30, 1981
in Tacoma, Washington. It contains information on family background,
emigration, marriage and family, Arnfinn's writing career, and
Norwegian heritage. The interview also contains two articles
on Arnfinn and his writing career. The interview was conducted
in English.
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Arnfinn
Bruflot was born on October 19, 1904 in Naustdal, Sunnfjord,
Norway to Lars Henrik Bruflot, a dairy farmer, and Anna Maria
Gjengedal. Arnfinn had five older siblings: Nikolai, Jakob,
Reinhart, Andreas, and Albert. Arnfinn began school at the age
of six and went on to high school, middle school, and college.
In 1928, he decided to immigrate to America, where he settled
in Tacoma, WA. There, he was first employed at St. Paul Lumber
Mill and was later employed as a painter. In the 1930s, he obtained
an editing job at the Western Viking, a Norwegian newspaper.
In addition to editing, Arnfinn wrote editorials, did artwork,
and supervised. In 1948, Arnfinn married Ingrid Grolid and had
one son, Norris. Arnfinn had always had an interest in writing,
and after he retired, he began to write more seriously. He has
published four poetry books and a novel, including Juni-baten
- 1969, Det Storkna Havet - 1970, Praeriekveld - 1973, Dei Kom
til Amerika - 1975, and Inn I America - 1980. His writing is
aimed at social developments and has received good reviews.
Arnfinn believes that Norwegian heritage is very important and
a good influence, and he has participated in the Sons of Norway,
Nordlandslaget, and Northlight - Unique Light of Northern Norway.
He has also been a member of the First Presbyterian Church.
Arnfinn feels that America has given a lot to him, and he has
no regrets about immigrating.
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Full Name: |
Arnfinn Bruflot
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Father: |
Lars Henrik Bruflot
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Mother: |
Anna Maria Gjengedal
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Paternal Grandfather: |
Nels Vonen
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Paternal Grandmother: |
Rise Vonen
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Maternal Grandfather: |
Jakob Gjengedal
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Martha Gjengedal
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Nikolai Bruflot
Jakob Bruflot
Reinhart Bruflot
Andreas Bruflot
Albert Bruflot
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Spouse: |
Ingrid Grolid
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Children: |
Norris Bruflot
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Bruflot, Arnfinn
Bruflot, Lars Henrik
Gjengedal, Anna Maria
Grolid, Ingrid
Bruflot, Norris
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Family Names |
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Bruflot family
Gjengedal family
Grolid family
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Geographical Names |
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Naustdal, Sunnfjord (Norway)
Tacoma (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Norway
Norway -- Emigration and immigration
Naustdal (Norway) -- Emigration and immigration
Education -- Norway
Ocean travel
St. Paul &Tacoma Lumber Company
Nordlandslaget (Tacoma, Wash.)
Sons of Norway (Tacoma, Wash.)
Western Viking (Tacoma, Wash.)
Marriage
Authors
Norwegian-Americans -- Ethnic identity
Norwegian language
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Occupations |
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Dairy farming -- Norway
Authors
Newspaper editors
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Genre/Form |
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Oral history
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Institution |
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Pacific Lutheran University. Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
Collection
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The
partial interview transcription highlights important aspects
of the interview. Numbers on the left may be used as guides
to important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate
that the first number is for cassette and the second for CD.
TAPE 64
SIDE I
008/12 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Born October 19, 1904 in Naustdal,
Sunnfjord, Norway.
029 PARENTS: Lars and Anna Maria. Father, a farmer of mainly
cows, some sheep, goats, and horses. Sold dairy products.
067/13 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: (See family lineage)
074 PATERNAL GRANDPARENT: Risa, typical Norwegian grandmother.
083 MOTHER: Comes from the Gjengedal Valley (Norway).
095 NORWEGIAN SCHOOL DAYS: Started age 6, ended age 14. One
year later on to high school (Ungdomsskole or Folkehøgskole).
125/01 NORDLANDSLAGET: Getting money to send students to Norway's
high school.
138 MIDDLE SCHOOL: Worked hard, shorter period of time, on to
college. Depression came surplus of educators, etc. College
was in Nordfjord.
182 DECIDED TO COME TO AMERICA: Heard stories, had obligations
to meet.
209/02 FAMILY'S REACTION TO EMIGRATION: Mixed emotions.
217 INTEREST IN WRITING: Started as a hobby. Wrote for local
paper. Serious after retirement.
225 JAKOB SANDE: Great inspiration to him.
242 POETRY: Wrote poems, made first page on National newspaper.
249 FEELINGS ABOUT COMING TO AMERICA: Mixed, open options. August
10, 1928 landed in Quebec, Canada (see counter I-290).
268/03 BOAT TRIP: Passengers from same valley. Went from Bergen
to Southampton, England and then to Canada (nine days).
290 LANDED QUEBEC: Able to talk a little French, knew German
better (See counter I-249).
299 BLAINE: Immigration station (U.S./Canada border).
314 JEFFERSON HOTEL (TACOMA): Stayed upon arrival knew person
from valley living now in Kent.
323 LANGAUGE DIFFICULTIES: Knew a little English, didn't like
it in school, knew Latin better.
344 IMPRESSIONS OF TACOMA: Very nice, good feeling, different
from now.
359/04 SCANDINAVIAN ORGANIZATIONS: Member of Nordlandslaget,
Sons of Norway (see counter I-627, II-523, and II-576).
388 SETTLING IN TACOMA: Employed at St. Paul Lumber Mill. Talks
of recently published book dealing with mill. Job descriptions
at mill.
459 Kept journal recollections during life.
466/05 WAGE LUMBER MILL: Fairly well satisfied. Lumber camps
were fine, fresh air, and hard work.
489 EMPLOYED PAINTER: St. Regis. Fit well into occupation. Howard
Johnsen as artist worked there too.
522 HAWAII: Hired as a painter during the war. Largest convalescent
hospital.
547/06 CITIZENSHIP: Right after he got married (1948).
583 SCANDINAVIAN ORGANIZATIONS TODAY: Not real active (see counter
I-359, II-523, and II-576). Visits to Norway.
600 EMIGRATION DIFFICULTIES: No real difficulties. Best part
getting married. Met wife at a dance. Son attended Pacific Lutheran
University.
627 SCANDINAVIAN TRADITIONS: Wife was young when her mother
died so she missed out on learning the traditions.
SIDE II
011/07 WESTERN VIKING: Employed in the 1930s. Employed also
at St. Regis at the same time. History of the Western Viking
(see counter II-253) Andrew Bjerkeseth (?) was the editor. Hans
Lavik bought the Western Viking later. It was first located
in Tacoma and then in Seattle where it was purchased…
/08 by Washington Posten, but retained the Western Viking name.
Decorah Posten was the largest paper in the U.S. and Norway
in 1920.
72 Paper served the Norwegian community. Wrote an editorial
against Weyerhaeuser.
107 Employed as editor at Western Viking. Writing editorials,
art work, supervising.
125 POETRY: Published in Riksmaal - Bokmaal. Goes into detail
regarding the Norwegian languages including Nynorsk.
253/09 WESTERN VIKING: One of the three Norwegian newspaper
today. Most have merged (see counter I-011). Scandinavian papers
are The Western Viking of Seattle; Nordisk Tidende of Brooklyn,
New York; Vinland of Chicago, and Nyverd which was started by
Norman Black in New York.
286 PURPOSE OF ETHNIC NEWSPAPERS: Kept up ethnic culture. Losing
cause since people from the "Old Country" are dying out.
345/10 ETHNIC INTEREST: Fine, beautiful, always take pride.
Language unifies a nation.
359 PUBLISHED WRITER IN NORWAY: Four poetry books, one novel.
Receives good reviews.
402/11 PHILOSOPHY OF WRITING: Aimed at social developments.
438 RETURN VISITS TO NORWAY: Lots of changes. Industrial country
(lots of pollution).
455 KEEPING CORRESPONDENCE: At least every Christmas.
479 RELATIVES VISIT: Cousins, not immediate family.
482 IMPORTANCE OF NORWEGIAN HERITAGE: Very important, good influence.
496/12 CHURCH LIFE: Member of First Presbyterian Church (19
years).
523 Active in Nordlandslaget, Northlight - unique light of Northern
Norway (see counter I-359).
576 SONS OF NORWAY: Not as active today, busy writing (see counter
I-359).
590/13 WRITING CONTACTS: U.S. and Norway. Member of Tacoma Writers
Club.
605/01 DESCRIBES HIS POETRY BOOKS: 1969 - "Juni-baaten", 1970
- "Det Storkna Havet", 1973 - "Praeriekveld", 1975 - "Dei Kom
til Amerika", 1980 - "Inn I Amerika".
645 Recites Norwegian poem from "Dei Kom til Amerika." Reads
a second poem called "Bygdefolket."
TAPE 65
SIDE I
005/02 TRANSLATES FROM TAPE 64: Whoever was able to cope made
it. Dreams in their hearts.
040/03 Recites a poem on the social scene regarding smog and
pollution.
073 FAVORITE NORWEGIAN AUTHORS: Current and past. Fire and Flame
by Kjartan Floegtas who won the Nordic prize in literature.
Tarjei Vesaas, Halldis Moren Vesaas.
109 PUBLISHING HOUSE: Third largest in Norway. Had to be persistent.
Name is Norge Samlaget.
125 His work describes what it means to be an immigrant. People
in Norway read his work and that gives him a good feeling. Another
successful American-Norwegian author is Ole Roelvagg who wrote
"Giants of the Earth."
143/04 No further trips to Norway, would like to travel in the
USA.
157 CLOSING STATEMENT: Immigration - beautiful experience, no
regrets. The "Old Country" is fine too. New country has given
him a lot. Many have given some and gotten some.
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