    
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
Aleph Thorwaldson Johannsson
A Guide to Her Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Johannsson, Aleph Thorwaldson
Collection Nr: t191
File Content:
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3 file folders
6 photographs
1 sound cassettes
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 Inger Nygaard Carr
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 Aleph Johannsson on October 12,
1982 in Seattle, Washington. It contains information on family
background, growing up in North Dakota, marriage and family,
settling in Seattle, community activities, and Icelandic heritage.
The interview also includes a photograph of Aleph's brothers
(taken in 1893), a photograph of Aleph on her wedding day, a
photograph of Cascade Drug Store, an article, which includes
a picture of Aleph meeting President Vigdis Finnbogadottur (September
1982), and two photographs of Aleph at the time of the interview.
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Aleph
Johannsson was born on November 9, 1882 in the Milton, North
Dakota, near Pemblina. Her parents, Stigur Thorwaldson and Thorun
Jornsdottir, were from Gislatordum, Iceland and Fljotsdalheradi,
Iceland, respectively. They had met each other in Iceland and
were married after they immigrated. Stigur and Thorun settled
in the Tongue River Valley in North Dakota and had ten children,
of which Aleph was the eldest. After Aleph finished grammar
school and one term at Grenwold Academy, which was affiliated
with the Lutheran Church, Aleph attended a dressmaking school.
She worked as a seamstress out of her family home. Aleph's husband,
Bjarni Johannsson, was from Framnesi, Iceland and had settled
in the same area with his family. He attended the University
of Washington in Seattle, WA to become a pharmacist and corresponded
with Aleph while he was gone. Aleph wanted to go to nursing
school and did not want a serious relationship, but after Bjarni
graduated, he proposed to Aleph. Neither Bjarni nor Aleph's
father wanted her to become a nurse, so Aleph married Bjarni
in 1906. They moved back to Seattle and had five children: Sigrid,
Thorun, Wilma, Alice, and Lincoln. In 1912, they built the house
that Aleph still lived in at the time of this interview, and
Bjarni also owned Cascade Drug Company until 1946. Through the
years, Aleph has been active in the Lutheran Church, has sung
in the Icelandic choir, and helped organize the Anning Society,
a charity society that helps those sick or in financial trouble.
She has also met Vigdis Finnbogadottur, the President of Iceland.
President Finnbogadottur told Aleph that she spoke Icelandic
as if she had been born there and send her a telegram on her
100th birthday.
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Full Name: |
Aleph Johannsson
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Maiden Name: |
Aleph Sigriour Thorwaldson
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Father: |
Stigur Thorwaldson
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Mother: |
Thorun Jornsdottir
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Paternal Grandfather: |
Thorvaldur Stigsson
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Paternal Grandmother: |
Vilborg Jonsdottir
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Maternal Grandfather: |
Bjorn Peterson
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Olafia Olafsdottir
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Valdi (Thorwald)
Bjorn
Olafia (Polly)
Wilmar Peter
Gudny (Gwen) Hjalmarson
Wilmar Thorwaldson
Olafur Thorwaldson
Jennie Thorwaldson
Anna Thorwaldson
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Spouse: |
Bjarni Johannsson
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Children: |
Sigrid Hastings
Thorun Robel
Wilma Vadnais
Alice Johannsson
Lincoln Johannsson
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Johannsson, Aleph
Thorwaldson, Stigur
Jornsdottir, Thorun
Johannsson, Bjarni
Hastings, Sigrid Johannsson
Robel, Thorun Johannsson
Vadnais, Wilma Johannsson
Johannsson, Alice
Johannsson, Lincoln
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Family Names |
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Johannsson family
Thorwaldson family
Hastings family
Robel family
Vadnais family
Stigsson family
Peterson family
Hjalmarsson family
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Geographical Names |
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Gislatordum (Iceland)
Fljotsdalheradi (Iceland)
Framnesi (Iceland)
Milton (N.D.)
Seattle (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Iceland
Emigration and immigration -- Iceland
Anning Society (Charitable organization)
Calvary Lutheran Church(Seattle, Wash.)
Grenwold Academy (N.D.)
Tongue River Valley (N.D>.
Cascade Drug Company (Seattle, Wash.)
Homestead law -- North Dakota
Icelandic choir -- Seattle, Wash.
Cookery -- Icelandic
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Occupations |
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Seamstress
Pharmacist
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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.
22 Aleph Sigriour Thorwaldson Johannsson. Born on November 9,
1882 in the Dakota Territory. Born near Pembina, which was established
as a military post during the Creole Rebellion.
115 PARENTS: Thorun Jornsdottir and Stigur Thorwaldson. Both
born in Iceland. Stigur came to America with his mother, five
brothers, and three sisters. His father died of stomach cancer
after he went to Copenhagen, Denmark for treatment. They came
to America after his death. Aleph's parents were well acquainted
before they left Iceland. They had plans to get married after
leaving Iceland. Her mother's family came with them as well.
175 Her mother's father, Bjorn Peterson wanted to leave Iceland
and find something to do. There wasn't anything for them here.
193 GRANDPARENTS: Paternal - Thorvaldur Stigsson and Vilborg
Jonsdottir. Thorvaldur was the oldest of six brothers. He had
four older sisters. Vilborg lived in her parent's old home in
Keldaskoar. (This is the name of the farm in Iceland.) Maternal
- Bjorn Peterson (see I-175).
276 PARENTS TRIP FROM ICELAND TO AMERICA: 1876-9 Petersons on
boat. Aleph's mother ended up coming before her father. Thorun
was ready for marriage when Stigur came in 1881. She had worked
and learned the language by then. Stigur's mother wanted to
stay in Iceland and take care of the farm. Stigur had a man
who could help her on the farm, but after he was ready to go,
she backed out and wouldn't let. She decided that if he was
going, they were all going. They had to get rid of the farm
and animals before they left and that took time.
332 SETTLING IN AMERICA: When they came to America, Aleph's
mother had staked a claim on a homestead on the Red River, Dakota
Territory. Not satisfied with the farm. It flooded every year.
She found a young fellow who wanted a good fishing place. Fishing
was marvelous on the Red River. They exchanged farm lots. Aleph's
parents got married and settled in the Pembina Mountains, North
Dakota. Her father wanted a wheat farm. An Irishman had jumped
their claim and didn't want to give it up. He'd built a house
there. He paid them. They settled in the Tongue River Valley
and had a nice home and farm there in North Dakota.
414 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: 10 children in the family. Oldest
brother, Thorwald stayed on the farm. Bjorn had an automobile
agency in Cavalier, North Dakota. Pauline became Mrs. Shaeld
(sp?). Wilmar died as a small boy. The next sister was Gwen
Hjalmarson born in 1890. Ole was the youngest brother. There
was another brother named Wilmar. He was a policeman and died
in California. Her youngest sister was Jennie Elizabeth.
493 SCHOOL: She attended school and then Grenwold Academy, which
was affiliated with the Lutheran Church. Aleph and one brother
attended this academy for one season. It was a good addition
to their general education. They had some business courses.
Aleph attended a dressmaking school in Pembina County, North
Dakota.
510 WORK: She was a seamstress. Always worked at home because
her mother was not healthy. Her mother had just lost her youngest
child.
532 MEETING SPOUSE: Her husband came from Iceland in 1886. His
father settled a claim in the area. Her husband, Bjarni Johannsson,
had two brothers who also came. Bjarni became a schoolteacher
and taught at Aleph's school. They usually had school in the
winter. He didn't get paid well as a teacher so he decided to
attend the University of Washington. He became a pharmacist.
Aleph met him while he was teaching. He was writing to her after
he went to Seattle. Aleph didn't really want to correspond with
him - she wasn't interested in a serious relationship.
587 She wanted to become a nurse. Bjarni talked her out of going
to school to become a nurse. He didn't want to wait for 4 years.
After he graduated, he visited her in North Dakota. He proposed
so she had to decide between getting married and becoming a
nurse. Her father didn't want her to become a nurse. Bjarni
waited for a year and then they got married.
640 THEIR WEDDING: Very nice. It was in the summer when Bjarni
had his vacation. He had only one week off. Two of Aleph's friends
came. They made the wedding dress and the other dresses. One
was a good cook and made the dinner for the wedding.
698 THE TRIP TO SEATTLE: They took the train. Automobiles weren't
in use yet. When they got to Seattle; Bjarni wanted to let his
boss, Mr. Preston,
710 know he was back. They met 3 men at Mr. Preston's door.
Bjarni was acquainted with them and greeted them. The boss was
mad that Bjarni had talked with his customers on such familiar
terms and Bjarni lost his job. Bjarni hadn't even had a chance
to introduce his wife. Bjarni got a job at another drug store
in Ballard. This store was owned by a Norwegian man, H. Hourn.
He wanted someone who could run the store because he wanted
to start a chicken farm in Sumner. The name of the store was
Cascade Drug Company. Eventually, Bjarni bought the store. He
owned it until 1946. The other store was Preston's Pharmacy.
Preston sold out to a larger company because he was losing his
trade.
820 HOUSING: Mr. Preston allowed them to live on the 2nd floor
of his drug store until they could find new lodgings. Then they
rented a house on 62nd Street and lived there quite a while.
In 1912, they bought the house that Aleph now lives in.
864 CHILDREN: Lincoln worked for Washington State Employment
Service. Sigrid got married to Don Hastings. He was a teamster.
They have two boys, Phillip and Neil. Phillip is a manager for
Shasta. Neil works for Texaco. Thorun married Eugene Robel.
He is an electrician. Wilma married Cleo Vadnaia (sp?). He worked
for Pioneer Sand and Gravel. They have a boy, James, and a girl,
Janis. James is a treefarm manager in Pysht, Washington. Janis
is married to Gordon Prutt (sp?) and lives in Port Angeles,
Washington. He drives a log truck. Alice, the youngest daughter,
became ill while in school. Heart trouble. They didn't know
she had diabetes. She died in a coma in 1937.
982 CHURCH: Helped prepare dinners. Was in the choir. Also sang
in the Ballard High Choir. They had concerts at high school
and got instruction from the teacher, Harriet Charlton. All
of Aleph's children were confirmed in the Lutheran Church.
1024 ICELANDIC CLUBS: These organizations were mostly for men.
She did sing in the Icelandic choir.
1035 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Helped organize the Anning Society.
This is a charity society originally for the women in the church.
Since not all women belonged to the church, they decided not
to bind it to the church. They helped sick people and people
with financial troubles. She tells about an old couple who had
moved to the west part of Ballard from Alberta. They had nothing
to live on. They lived in a tent. They helped these people.
The Anning Society is still active.
1089 TRIPS BACK TO NORTH DAKOTA: She and her husband went back
while her sister was still there. Her parents moved to California
because of her mother's rheumatism. Her father had a brother,
Horris, in Fresno, California. In 1919, Aleph, Bjarni, and the
five kids all went back to North Dakota. Aleph's parents and
brothers and sisters were still there. They stayed there for
a month. Traveled by train. She tells about the trip back. They
could only get sets in the tourist section of the train.
SIDE II
009/006 He went to Canada to see his brother and then went back
to Seattle. His brother was a storekeeper in Saskatchewan at
that time. His youngest brother had died of tuberculosis. Their
mother had died in Iceland.
054/040 GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: 1956 - They had a big party
at the Calvary Lutheran Church. It was an open-house. Some of
her brothers and sisters came. Ole and Dilla came and Gwen and
Jessie came. Her husband died in 1970. He was born in Framnese,
Iceland.
173/175 MEETING THE PRESIDENT OF ICELAND: Vigdis Finnbogadottur.
They had a nice visit. Aleph spoke Icelandic to her. Vigdis
said she spoke Icelandic as if she were born in Iceland. Aleph
received a telegram from the president wishing her well for
her 100th birthday.
285/198 Icelandic food: Aleph sometimes fixed sausages made
of liver. She also liked blood sausage. She also made a type
of Icelandic doughnut called kojna (kleinur?). She made wienerkeppa
(vieterta?), a cake with many layers. She also makes rullpoelser,
a kind of sausage. She speaks a little Icelandic.
283 End of Tape.
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