    
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
Jennie Josefine Brehm Carlson
A Guide to Her Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Carlson, Jennie Josefine Brehm
Collection Nr: t222
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 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 Jennie Carlson on January 17, 1983
in Seattle, Washington. She had a bit of difficulty remembering
names, so some specific details are missing. This interview
contains information on personal background, emigration, settling
in, work, marriage, church, family, and heritage. The interview
was conducted in English.
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Jennie
Carlson was born Jennie Josefine Brehm on September 19, 1895
in Strömstad, Bohuslän, Sweden. She moved to Fredrikstad, Norway
as a young girl and was educated and confirmed there. Jennie
moved to America with her grandmother and her uncle in 1910,
her father had come first, and her mother and siblings came
later. Jennie learned English quickly, taking night classes
in Mt. Vernon, Washington. She worked as a housekeeper for Norwegian
and American families. Jennie moved to Seattle and married in
1919; she bore two children, a boy and a girl. Jennie returned
to Norway for a visit in 1959 and can still speak the language,
but she has not retained many Norwegian or Swedish traditions
in America.
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Full Name: |
Jennie Josefine Carlson
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Maiden Name: |
Jennie Josefine Brehm
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Father: |
Hilmer Brehm
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Mother: |
Anna Carlson Brehm
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Gustave Carlson
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Brothers and Sisters: |
There were seven children in all, but two died.
Håkan Brehm
Ester Brehm
Ile Brehm
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Spouse: |
(?) Carlson
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Children: |
Håkan (?) Brehm Carlson
Esther (?) Pickering Carlson
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Carlson, Jennie Josefine
Brehm, Jennie Josefine
Brehm, Hilmer
Brehm, Anna Carlson
Carlson, Gustav
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Family Names |
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Carlson family
Brehm family
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Geographical Names |
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Strömstad, Bohuslän (Sweden)
Fredrikstad (Norway)
Mt. Vernon (Wash.)
Seattle (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Norway
Norway -- Emigration and Immigration
Norway -- Social conditions -- 1945-
Norwegian-Americans -- Ethnic identity
Christmas -- Norway
Marriage service
Family farms -- United States
Marriage service
Swedish Methodist Church -- Seattle, Wash.
Family Heritage
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Occupations |
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Domestics
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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.
005 FAMILY BACKGROUND: Born Jennie Josefine Brehm on September
19, 1895 in Strömstad, Bohuslän, Sweden. Strömstad is south
of the Norwegian-Swedish border and south of Fredrikstad, Norway.
076 PARENTS: Anna and Hilmer Brehm lived in the country and
worked at whatever; father worked in a quarry and mother raised
a big family of seven.
089 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Ester, Håkan, Ile (?), two died -
Jennie can't remember the rest. Dad emigrated to US first; then
sent for mother and the family.
110 GRANDPARENTS: She doesn't remember any grandparents except
her maternal grandmother, Gustav Carlson.
124 HOME IN NORWAY: Lived and attended school in Fredrikstad.
Was confirmed in Norway; church was close.
145 CHRISTMAS IN NORWAY: Christmas was real nice - real joyful.
Had a Sunday school celebration and program with a big Christmas
tree.On Christmas Eve they had lutefisk, more so in Sweden than
in Norway. Had sort of a smörgåsbord, good things to eat.
190 (The interviewer is confused here, thinking that Jennie
was born in Strömstad, Norway. Jennie repeats that she was born
in Stromstad -Bohus len (Sweden) - and moved to Fredrikstad
(Norway) where her father received employment.)
230 EMIGRATION: Father came first; Jennie can't remember the
exact location. Jennie came in 1910 with her grandmother and
uncle who had been home to visit. Grandma stayed with her son,
Aksel (Axel) Carlson in Mt. Vernon, WA. Jennie stayed for a
while working for families.
271 TRIP OVER: Went on a big steamer from Oslo; very lovely
trip. Mother and other children came later in 190? she can't
remember. Her father went to Bremerton and had a job in the
navy yard.
312 SETTLING IN AND WORK: Jennie started evening school right
away in Mt. Vernon, so learning English wasn't too hard. From
there she went to work for both Norwegian and American families.
Then she moved to Seattle.
345 She thought America was beautiful when she arrived; also
her uncle's farm which had vegetables and fruits. Her cousins
had children so Jennie had playmates; she wasn't too lonesome.
The food was better here because their supply was better.
368 She was working for families so did not live with her parents
and siblings who had a one-acre place in Bremerton. The kids
went to school in Bremerton. She worked a few years and then
married in 1919.
384 MEETING SPOUSE AND MARRIAGE: Met him in Seattle where she
was employed as a domestic and baby sitter.
397 Belonged to church in Seattle. Doesn't remember much about
receiving her citizenship.
418 Met her husband at Swedish Methodist Church. Both were Lutheran
from childhood. Her husband had joined the Methodist church,
so she did also. He worked at many things; came from Sweden
but didn't have a trade. Later he went into mechanics and machinery.
442 WEDDING: They had a plain wedding at Uncle Conrad Carlson's
in Seattle. (The Carlson's were mother's relatives.) Had a nice,
blue dress which a friend helped her make. Had dinner at her
uncle's and moved to a rented home in Seattle, close to downtown.
Her husband worked, and she kept on babysitting.
472 CHURCH AND HERITAGE: Her husband was very intelligent and
was superintendent of the Sunday school. She taught Sunday school
also and was active in the women's group.
478 SCANDINAVIAN ORGANIZATIONS: They belonged to none, but went
occasionally with friends.
483 SCANDINAVIAN FOODS: Jennie cooked what was available. Her
mom made lefse over here, but not Jennie. Back in Scandinavia
they had lutefisk, but not here. Jennie says "we just got away
from that tradition - what we use to do". But they continued
to open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve and bake cookies.
511 FAMILY: They had two children: boy and girl. She can't remember
names. Her son, Håkan Brehm (?), lives in Mt. Vernon; is now
retired. Her daughter, Esther Pickering (?), is married and
has a family. She lives in Issaquah where her husband is a farmer.
563 HERITAGE: She returned home in 1959 - a wonderful trip.
They went back to where they came from. The country hadn't changed
much, but the old house was gone.
581 SPEAKING NORWEGIAN: "Jeg kan snakke norsk...", but suggests
she would do better in a conversation, so Inger asks about "familien
din". Jennie responds that "de har det bra. Soester er gift..."
Her brother is married also.
"Jeg har sju barnebarn. De besøker meg." She has many relatives
around in Bremerton and Mt. Vernon.
628 "Takk for i dag." (End of tape.)
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