    
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Administrative
Information
Scope and Content Note
Biographical Information
Lineage
Selected Search Terms
Partial Interview Transcript
|
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
Ruth Lindberg Nelson
A Guide to Her Oral History Interview |
|
Administrative
Information
Creator:
Nelson, Ruth Lindberg
Collection Nr: t066
File Content:
|
|
3 file folders
1 photograph
1 sound cassette
0 compact discs
|
|
|
Processing Information:
|
|
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
|
Restrictions:
|
|
The
collection is available for research.
|
|
Preferred Citation:
|
|
[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
|
Go
to top |
The
interview was conducted with Ruth Nelson on July 1, 1981 in
Tacoma, Washington. This interview contains information on personal
background, life in Sweden, emigration, family, community life,
and Swedish heritage. Also available are a photograph of Ruth
and John Nelson on their 56th anniversary and a profile on them
from the Tacoma News Tribune in regards to their 60th anniversary.
Also see John Nelson. The interview was conducted in English
with some Swedish towards the end of the interview.
|
|
Ruth
Nelson was born Rut Otilla Lindberg on July 29, 1896 in Rofors,
Sweden. Her father, Anders Lindberg, worked as a blacksmith
to support Ruth's family, which included her mother, Ingeborg,
and her five brothers and sisters. As a young girl, Ruth attended
school to learn "the 3 R's" and to learn domestic skills like
crocheting and knitting. Her job for the family was to wash
their clothes. Ruth had an aunt who lived in America; when she
visited in 1914, Ruth decided to return to America with her.
Assuring her family that she would only be gone five years,
Ruth departed Sweden. She accompanied her aunt to Bozeman, Montana
and arrived there in July of 1914. Ruth found work as a babysitter
for a family in town. After living in Montana for a few years,
Ruth moved to Tacoma, Washington. In 1918, she began nurse's
training at Tacoma General Hospital. That year, she fell victim
to the flu epidemic. In 1919, Ruth met John Nelson, and they
married soon thereafter. Together, they had one daughter named
Nancy. Ruth became very involved in her Lutheran church and
in the Vasa Lodge, which she joined in 1921. She retains her
heritage by cooking traditional Swedish fare, collecting Swedish
plates, and occasionally speaking the language. Several times,
her Swedish relatives, with whom she has kept close contact,
have visited her. Ruth has returned to Sweden four times, but
she regards America as her home.
Go to top |
|
|
Full Name: |
Ruth Otilla Lindberg Nelson
|
|
Maiden Name: |
Rut Otilla Lindberg
|
|
Father: |
Anders Lindberg
|
|
Mother: |
Ingeborg Jonsson Lindberg
|
|
Brothers and Sisters: |
Elin Lindberg
Karl Gustav Lindberg
George Lindberg
Anna Lindberg
Ingeborg Lindberg
|
|
Spouse: |
John Edwin Nelson
|
|
Children: |
Nancy Nelson Stolz
|
Go to top |
This collection is indexed under the following headings
|
|
Personal Names |
|
Nelson, Ruth Otilla
Lindberg, Rut Otilla
Lindberg, Anders
Jonsson, Ingeborg
Nelson, John Edwin (Johan Nilsson)
Stolz, Nancy Nelson
|
|
Family Names |
|
Nelson family
Lindberg family
Jonsson family
|
|
Geographical Names |
|
Röfors (Sweden)
Värmland (Sweden)
Knäred (Sweden)
Bozeman (Mont.)
Tacoma (Wash.)
|
|
Subjects |
|
Family -- Sweden
School attendance -- Sweden
Sweden -- Emigration and immigration
Ocean travel
Vasa Lodge (Tacoma, Wash.)
First Lutheran Church (Tacoma, Wash.)
Swedish Heritage
Christmas -- Sweden
Sweden -- Social conditions -- 1945-
|
|
Occupations |
|
Blacksmith
Domestics
Nurses (Tacoma, Wash.)
|
|
Genre/Form |
|
Oral history
|
|
Institution |
|
Pacific Lutheran University. Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
Collection
|
Go
to top |
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.
009/05 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Born July 29, 1896, Rofors, Sweden.
031 PARENTS: Anders Lindberg, blacksmith and Ingeborg Jonsson.
042 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: (see attached).
053 GRANDPARENTS: Doesn't remember them.
061 BACKGROUND FAMILY NAME: Aunt from America comes to visit.
071 SCHOOL DAYS (SWEDEN): Learned to crochet, knit, the 3 R's.
120/06 CHORES (SWEDEN): Appointment to wash clothes. How it
was done.
155 WHY SHE DECIDED TO COME TO AMERICA: Came with aunt, brother
was supposed to have gone, but didn't. Was taking care of boy
in Roefors.
202 FAMILY'S FEELINGS AT DEPARTURE: She was only staying five
years. Went to Vaermland to Goteborg to Oslo, Norway and then
to the U.S.
206 BOAT TRIP: During WWI (see counter, I-226 and I-277)
222 FEELINGS LEAVING SWEDEN: Sad, too young to think.
226/07 BOAT TRIP: Second class. WWI and German U-boats. Stormy
crossing North Sea (see counter I-206 and I-277)
256 ARRIVAL U.S.: July 1914. Destination Bozeman, Montana. Stopped
in Livingston, Minnesota, and St. Paul, Minnesota.
277 ENGLAND TO U.S.: Nine days. Going to go on Lusitania but
missed ship. Departed from Liverpool, England.
297 LANDED BOSTON: Depended upon aunt at all times.
322 IMMIGRATION: Showing papers, etc. Did not go through Ellis
Island.
336 SWEDISH KEEPSAKES: Bible and trunk. The Bible she got for
confirmation.
350 TRAIN TRIP: Boston to Minneapolis to Livingston, Montana.
Sister lived in Bozeman, Montana.
375/08 ON TO BOZEMAN: Stayed and helped sisters. Learning English.
Norwegian Immigrants n Bozeman and Norwegian Church. (see counter
I-390)
390 LEARNING ENGLISH: Getting a teacher. Classes in evening.
(see counter I-375)
412/09 ON TO TACOMA: Employed at a banker's home babysitting
in Montana, the family's name was Baker.
457 TACOMA 1918: Training as nurse, Tacoma General Hospital.
Flu epidemic, she became ill. (See counter I-647)
488/10 MEETING HUSBAND: Married 1919. Cousin lived in Tacoma
and associating with Swedish people.
513 IMPRESSIONS OF TACOMA: Much bigger than Bozeman.
525 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH: Recreation and social doings. (see
counter II-067).
536 VASA LODGE: Joined 1921. About Sweden and Swedes. Describes
community activities. (see counter II-077)
578 CHILDREN: (see lineage)
589 KEEPING HOUSE (EARLY DAYS): Hard to get things during WWI
and WWII, rationing and prices high.
616/11 PRACTICAL NURSING: Supplement to family income.
647 MEDICAL CARE: Differences from today. Bad flu epidemic 1918
(see counter I-457)
TAPE ABRUPTLY ENDS
SIDE II
014/12 CHRISTMAS: Big dinners, making pickled herring (she giver
her recipe), learning to make lutefisk and white sauce from
mother.
045 SWEDISH COOKING: Pepparkaka, spritz, rice pudding.
058 SWEDISH RELATIVES VISIT: Still speak Swedish. English used
when U.S. relatives visit. (See counter II-157 and II-175)
067 FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH: Important part of community. Member
ladies society. (See counter I-525)
077 VASA LODGE: Member for 50 years (see counter I-536). Valhalla
was for men.
081/13 HOBBIES: Needlework, knitting, and crochet. Collecting
Swedish plates.
099 FOUR TRIPS BACK TO SWEDEN: Correspondence back and forth.
Rofors changes a lot.
138/01,02 IMPRESSIONS OF SWEDEN TODAY: Like Sweden, this home
now, life better in U.S.
155 SPEAKING SWEDISH: hardly ever unless husband gets mad. (See
counter II-58)
160 IMPORTANCE OF SWEDISH HERITAGE: Good feeling, means a lot.
175 RELATIVES VISITING FROM SWEDEN: Kept up link. (See counter
II-058)
183 Closes with Swedish inscription from her book.
Go to top
|
Maintained
by archives@plu.edu
© 2002-2003 Pacific Lutheran University
|