    
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
Ivar Alm
A Guide to His Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Alm, Ivar
Collection Nr: t076
File Content:
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2 file folders
1 photograph
1 sound cassette
0 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 Ivar Alm on August 6, 1981 in Tacoma,
Washington. The interview contains information on personal data,
life in Sweden, emigration, settling in, work in Tacoma, Swedish
heritage, and return trips to Sweden. A photograph of Ivar and
his wife Edith on their fiftieth anniversary (January 28, 1978)
is also available. The interview was conducted in English.
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Ivar
Gottfrid Alm (originally Ahlm) was born on June 15, 1897 in
Boxholm, Sweden to his parents Per Gottfrid Ahlm and Elin Sofia
Ahlm. Ivar grew up with his seven siblings in the industrial
town of Boxholm, but he occasionally lived with his grandparents,
Adolf and Christine Anderson, on a large farm. At the age of
14, Ivar began working in a steel mill; he was promoted to electrical
work. In December of 1917 the Army called him to serve in World
War I. After the war Ivar quit the steel mill and moved to Linköping.
He decided to seek work in America, so he traveled to Tacoma
aboard the "Stockholm" in 1921. Although he initially had a
difficult time finding a job because he lacked English skills,
Ivar was employed in a variety of places. These jobs included
working at St. Paul Lumber, at a boiler house, at the University
of Washington, and at Key's Place as a houseboy. Ivar studied
hard to learn the English language; he achieved his electrical
degree at the YMCA. To enhance his social life, Ivar joined
the Valhalla Lodge. There he met Edith Svensson, whom he married
in 1928. Ivar has taken five trips back to Sweden. He still
speaks Swedish with friends and participates in the Vasa Club
and the Valhalla Lodge to preserve his heritage.
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Full Name: |
Ivar Gottfrid Alm
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Father: |
Per Gottfrid Ahlm
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Mother: |
Elin Sofia Ahlm
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Maternal Grandfather: |
Adolf Fredrik Andersson
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Karolina Andersson
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Signe Teresia Larsson
John Gunnar Ahlm
Jenny Maria Nyberg
Karl Elis Valentin Ahlm
Carin Linnea Johannesson
Astrid Ida Viola Ahlm
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Spouse: |
Edith Mathilda Svensson Alm
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Children: |
There were no children
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Alm, Ivar Gottfrid
Ahlm, Per Gottfrid
Alm, Edith Matilda Svensson
Andersson, Adolf Fredrik
Andersson, Karolina
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Family Names |
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Alm family
Ahlm family
Andersson family
Larsson family
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Geographical Names |
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Boxholm (Sweden)
Linköping (Sweden)
Tacoma (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Sweden
Sweden -- Emigration and immigration
First Lutheran Church (Tacoma, Wash.)
Stockholm (Steamship)
Language difficulties
Swedish-Americans -- Ethnic identity Heritage
World War, 1914-1918
St. Paul Lumber Company (Tacoma, Wash.)
Vasa Lodge (Tacoma, Wash.)
Valhalla Lodge (Tacoma, Wash.)
Railroad travel
Soccer
Traveller's Society
Naturalization
Sweden -- Social conditions -- 1945-
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Occupations |
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Steel Mill Worker
Army
Lumber Worker
Electrician
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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.
010/15 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Born June 15, 1897. Boxholm, Sweden,
built on a river because of steel mill, an industrial town also
with sawmills.
026 Employed at age 14 making hinges at local steel mill.
031/079 PARENTS: Mother, Elin Andersson. Father, Per Gottfrid
Ahlm, prior spelled Ahlm, Alm means elm tree. Employed as steel
worker (sorted and weighed steel).
053/128 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Eight brothers and sisters. (See
attached).
060/144 MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Large self-supporting farm. Sold
milk and also charcoal to steel company. Lived with grandparents
when 7 or 8. Adolf and Christine Andersson.
086/195 GROWING UP: School was a long walk. Went six days a
week for six years. Quit at age 13 and lived with grandparents.
106/230 Employed at steel mill at age 14. Promoted to electrical
work.
115 Called to Army in December 1917 (WWI). Received orders from
Russia for submarines.
125/264 CONDITIONS IN MILLS: Worked 10 hours a day. Low wages
but not overly dangerous.
139 ARMY EXPERIENCE: Some electrical work. Worked on airplanes.
163 Quit steel mill and moved to Linköping until 1921. Unemployment
great in 1921, after no war no jobs many went to U.S.
193 ARRIVAL U.S.: Age 23 in 1921. Trip took one month to get
to Tacoma.
214/399 FEELINGS LEAVING SWEDEN: Father was dead. Brother was
supporter of family. He mailed home money to family in Sweden.
Nothing to lose by going to America, everything to gain.
228/418 BOAT TRIP: Rough hard storm. Third class passage. Played
chess with a champion. Ship called "Stockholm." Ticket cost
about $300.
261/467 ARRIVAL NEW YORK: Took train to Chicago on to Tacoma.
ELLIS ISLAND: Sorted people out, check for sickness and lice.
281 TRAVELERS' SOCIETY: Volunteers that helped immigrants to
get around.
291 TRAIN TRIP: Lightning around Minneapolis. Didn't speak English.
Ate apple pie and milk on trip. Learned to use American money.
313/519 ARRIVAL TACOMA: Came in on Milwaukee Line. Met by family.
Aunt in Tacoma named Henna Alm married a Johnson. Only brought
one little suitcase with him.
358 CITIZENSHIP: Applied one month after arrival. Describes
prose. Citizen January, 1927. Took courses to prepare for citizenship.
380 FIRST IMPRESSIONS TACOMA: Nice city. Many ships coming in
from around the world. Employed for a while at St. Paul Lumber.
407 EMPLOYED VARIOUS PLACES: Boiler house for a while. Drove
boats around Puget Sound. Describes job as a houseboy at Key's
place where Roosevelt's history was recently filmed in Lakewood.
Edison Foster owned it.
456 LEARNING TO DRIVE A CAR: Taught himself. Didn't need a license
in those days. License policy began in late 1920s.
494 Employed scrapping floors. Also at University of Washington.
Attended school at Broadway High School in Seattle.
517 LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES: Did much reading. Had a hard time
talking and writing.
539 TACOMA CITY COLLEGE: Got electrical degree at YMCA.
562 EMPLOYED ST. PAUL LUMBER: Sorted lumber. Worked on roads
for a month, hard work, no tractors, used horses.
SIDE II
011 CONDITIONS AT ST. PAUL: Nice company. Fair wages. Good to
workers. Eight hours shifts.
021 Handicap not being able to speak English. Difficulty getting
a job. "No friendlier people than the American people."
26 SOCIAL LIFE: Member Valhalla Lodge. Always something going
on. Spoke Swedish when they got together. Joined in 1923. Paid
sick benefits to those who were sick.
60 Met Norwegians. Two boarding houses in Tacoma with many immigrants.
learned to understand Norwegian well.
72 MEETING WIFE: Met at Valhalla Lodge. Married January 28,
1928. Worked at St. Paul Lumber.
88 CHURCH LIFE: Not involved much because of school and playing
soccer.
115 DEPRESSION: No work, no money. People getting food in garbage
cans. Wife did housework to help out. Worked six hours a day
at St. Paul during this time. St. Paul didn't sell much.
147 Attended First Lutheran on holidays.
152 TRIPS TO SWEDEN: Five trips back. Many changes in Sweden.
Visited with family and friends. Still speaks and writes Swedish.
Living prices are higher-care for old people better. Sweden's
social conditions are changing.
270 SWEDISH HERITAGE: Very important, not ashamed to be a Swede.
Talks of grandparents and dancing in Sweden and Tacoma at Vasa
and Valhalla.
302 Describes Scandinavian Days in Tacoma.
304 Still speaks Swedish and says something in Swedish.
323 CLOSING REMARKS: Glad he came to Tacoma, been very happy
here, good climate, good people.
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