    
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
Bersven (Ben) Grytnes
A Guide to His Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Grytnes, Bersven (Ben)
Collection Nr: t170
File Content:
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2 file folders
0 photographs
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 Donna Mallonee
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 Ben Grytnes on May 10, 1982 in
Poulsbo, Washington. It contains information about family background,
emigration, work, marriage and family, community activities,
and Norwegian heritage. The interview was conducted in English.
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Ben
Grytnes was born Bersven Grytnes on October 6, 1902 in Oksendal,
Norway. His parents were Endre and Brit (Aafar) Grytnes, and
he had four siblings: Nils, Gunnar, Brit, and Guro. Endre was
a farmer and also owned a lot of timber, which allowed him to
log during the winters. Ben attended school from age 6 to 15
and then began working for his father and hunting. He hunted
for grouse and ptarmigan, which he sold in the market. Ben's
father passed away in 1921, and a year later, Ben decided to
immigrate to America. He traveled to Hoquiam, WA, where his
sister and her family lived. Ben's sister had three children,
who helped him learn the English language. Ben caught on quickly
and had no difficulties getting accustomed to America. In Hoquiam,
he began working at a sawmill, which lasted for two months,
and joined the Sons of Norway. He then began logging, which
provided him with the opportunity to make a better living. In
1926, Ben returned to Norway and stayed for one year before
coming back to America. By that time, the Depression had begun,
and the American government was only allowing a certain number
of immigrants to come into America. Since he was not an American
citizen yet, Ben spent the summer in Alberta, Canada and then
logged and did carpentry work in Vancouver, British Columbia.
When he finally went back to America, he began logging near
Hoquiam again. In 1927, Ben married a woman named Mabel, whose
parents were from the same part of Norway as Ben. Mabel and
Ben had two daughters, Norma and Jean. In 1932, the logging
camps around Hoquiam began closing, and Ben went to Ketchikan,
Alaska, where he entered the fishing industry. After his second
year there, he bought and rebuilt an old fishing boat and continued
fishing until he retired. Ben has visited Norway once more since
returning in 1926 and still remains in contact with his relatives
there. Ben and Mabel never spoke Norwegian in their household,
but according to Ben, Mabel "cooks [Norwegian dishes] better
than they do in the old country."
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Full Name: |
Bersven (Ben) Grytnes
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Father: |
Endre Grytnes
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Mother: |
Brit (Aafar) Grytnes
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Paternal Grandfather: |
Nils Grytnes
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Paternal Grandmother: |
Guro Grytnes
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Nils Grytnes
Gunnar Grytnes
Oline Grytnes
Brit Grytnes Ansnes
Guro Grytnes Melkild
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Spouse: |
Mabel C. Grytnes
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Children: |
Norma Grytnes Lotsh
Jean Grytnes Cserepes
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Grytnes, Ben
Grytnes, Endre
Grytnes, Brit (Aafar)
Grytnes, Nils
Grytnes, Guro
Grytnes, Mabel
Lotsh, Norma (Grytnes)
Cserepes, Jean (Grytnes)
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Family Names |
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Grytnes family
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Geographical Names |
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Oksendal (Norway)
Hoquiam (Wash.)
Ketchikan (Alaska)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Norway
Norway -- Emigration and immigration
Oksendal (Norway) -- Emigration and immigration
Christmas -- Norway
Marriage service
Depressions -- 1929
Norwegian-Americans -- Ethnic identity
School attendance -- Norway
Sons of Norway (Hoquiam, Wash.)
Norway -- Social conditions -- 1945
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Occupations |
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Hunters -- Norway
Logging
Sawmill workers
Carpenters
Fishing -- Alaska
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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.
014 Bersven Grytnes. Changed it to Ben. Grytnes is the name
of the place where Ben was born. He was born in 1902. Oksendal
is the name of the community he was born in. Oksendal is in
Møre Fylke (County). Kristiansund was the nearest city. He grew
up in a farming area.
109 PARENTS: Endre and Brit Aafar. Ben's father had a farm.
He also had quite a lot of timber. He logged in the winter.
He did some fishing too. Salmon came into the fjord. They had
traps along the shore.
176 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Guro, Oline, Brit, Nils, and Gunnar.
Nils took over the family farm after their father passed away.
Gunnar is still living. He is a retired carpenter.
236 GRANDPARENTS: Knew his grandmother. She died in 1912. Her
name was Guro. His grandfathers were farmers.
257 FAMILY HOUSE IN NORWAY: Pretty big houses. Divided into
three apartments. One end was built for the older generation
to move into when they retired. They had milk cows. Raised quite
a few sheep. Had a whole mountainside for them. The third apartment
was for guests. A typical Norwegian farmhouse. Family lived
in the center apartment. Two-story house.
349 CHRISTMAS: Started celebrating Christmas Eve. Lasted two
weeks. Had public gatherings, Christmas trees, and open houses.
They'd have pork, beef, and lamb.
424 SCHOOL: Long walk to school. Went to school from age 6 to
15. Went to a district school for one winter. Boarded at the
school.
497 WORK: Worked for his dad after he was done with school.
Did some hunting. Hunted grouse and ptarmigan. Sold them at
the market. When his older brother took over the farm, he was
out of a job. No future there. Came to the U.S. in 1922, a year
after his father died.
537 TRIP TO AMERICA: Came with a neighbor who'd been home for
a visit. Landed in Nova Scotia. Took nine days to get to Vancouver,
B.C. Came in the fall. Came to Hoquiam, Washington where his
sister was.
590 FEELINGS ABOUT LEAVING NORWAY: Didn't feel much about leaving
but got homesick after he got to the U.S. Had to work in Hoquiam
on New Years Day, 1923. Big holiday at home.
608 WORK IN HOQUIAM: Was working at a sawmill. Brother-in-law
knew the foreman. His brother-in-law and sister had both been
in America. Bother came home for a visit. Got engaged. Brother-in-law
worked in logging camps near Hoquiam. They got married in 1913.
644 Lived with his sister and her family. She had three kids.
They were good teachers. He picked up English pretty fast. Had
no difficulties in America.
688 WORK IN LOGGIN CAMPS: Stayed at the sawmill for about two
months. Earned more money in the woods. Lots of Norwegians in
the logging camps. The first crew he worked with were Finns.
Learned some Finnish words.
716 TRIP HOME IN 1926: Had the old country on his mind. Worked
in logging camps until 1929. Stayed home for a year. Stayed
away too long.
726 RETURNS TO CANADA: Ben wasn't a U.S. citizen yet. The Depression
was coming. The U.S. quota law only allowed for a certain amount
of immigrants. Ben went to Canada. Spent the summer in Alberta.
No future there. Went to Vancouver, B.C. Got a job logging.
Hard to find steady work. Started doing carpentry work.
756 Got back in the U.S. Worked in the woods near Hoquiam, Washington.
764 LOGGING CAMPS: (See also I-688) Mess hall, bunkhouses. Way
out in the woods. No highways into the camps. Traveled by train.
Worked six days a week. Received different wages for different
jobs. $3.60 per day was the lowest. Got $5.60 per day for falling
trees. The highest wages he got was $8.00 per day. Camps around
Hoquiam were closing. Little work. Ben went to Alaska in 1932.
825 FISHING IN KETCHIKAN, ALASKA: Had a friend from the old
country there. Trolled for salmon. Got an old boat after his
second year there. Rebuilt it. One could easily live off of
the country there. Lots of good hunting. Fished until he retired.
861 UNIONS: There were no unions yet in either Alaska or in
the logging camps near Hoquiam, Washington. (See also I-764,
and I-688)
867 MARRIAGE: Met his wife in Alaska. She was Norwegian. Her
parents were from the same part of Norway as Ben. Got married
in 1927.
876 Many Norwegians fishing in Alaska at that time. Scandinavians
there weren't too clannish. Some groups stuck together.
888 NORWEGIAN ORGANIZATIONS: Sons of Norway, joined when he
first came to Hoquiam, Washington in 1923.
895 CHURCH: Lutheran to begin with. Never joined a church here.
897 TRIPS TO NORWAY: 1926 and 15 years ago. A lot changed after
the war. Met a lot of relatives he didn't know about. He keeps
in touch with his relatives. One of his nieces is coming to
visit.
913 DESCRIPTION OF NORWEGIANS: Nothing extraordinary. Their
outlook on life had changed. They're more aggressive. They had
to be during the Occupation of WWII. His family was left alone
for the most part. Their location wasn't important to the military
throughout the German Occupation. Their firearms were confiscated.
Had to sell some of their food to the soldiers.
942 COMING TO AMERICA: He would have been just as well off in
Norway, but at that time he saw no future for himself in Norway.
965 CHILDREN: They have two daughters. They have grandchildren
and great-grandchildren.
975 NORWEGIAN TRADITIONS: His wife, Mabel, is for Scandinavian
cooking. She cooks better than they do in the old country.
981 THE NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE: They don't speak it at home. Mabel
understands quite well but she can't carry on a conversation.
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