Guide to the New Land, New Lives Oral History Collection


The New Land, New Lives Oral History collection contains the recorded interviews of men and women who emigrated from Scandinavia and settled in the Pacific Northwest. The project was started during an experimental course on Scandinavian Women in the Pacific Northwest. Students in the course were encouraged to interview women and learn about their experiences as immigrants to the United States. The project was continued and expanded with support from the president’s office and by grants from the L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, from the Joel E. Ferris Foundation and the Norwegian Emigration Fund of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The project was directed by Dr. Janet E. Rasmussen. Upon completion, the collection was transferred to the Archives and Special Collections Department.
The oral history collection is open for personal and scholarly work. For commercial use, please contact archives@plu.edu.

Materials held by the Archives and Special Collections may include content that is inconsistent with the mission and values of Pacific Lutheran University. When utilizing these materials, including content available digitally, you may encounter offensive, oppressive, and/or outdated references and representations. This content is made available for transparency, accountability, and education. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Lauren Loftis at loftis@plu.edu.

Click a name from the lists below in order to access the materials for that individual or country.

Denmark

Andersen, Ellen Andersen, Sigrid Andersen, Aage Davidson, Bertha
Duus, Ella Enwall, Ogie Foss, Hjarne Foss, Laura
Fredricksen, Sam Goodwin, Else Hansen, Anne Hansen, Hans
Johnson, Phiea Knudsen, Johanne Kofoed, Ted Larsen, Clara
Laursen, Anna Madsen, Fred Nielsen, Einer Nissen, Ole
Nygaard, Dagny Ott, Tove Pedersen, Jenny Petersen, Greta
Rasmussen, Martin

Finland

Benson, Alli Christenson, Lydia Forman, Lempi Suaminen Heikkala, Eric
Johnson, Anna Johnson, Ellen Kasen, Sigrid Kuivala, John
Michelson, Hilma Miller, Hilma Rinne, Esther Rinne, Sulo
Salvon, Hilma Sippala, Hanna Sundvik, Ester

Iceland

Johannsson, Aleph Magnusson, Jon and Gudrun

Norway

Aamot, Sigurda Akre, Elvin Alm, Edith Alvestad, Martha
Amundsen, Ingrid Andersen, Aletta Anderson, Gunnar & Ingeborg; Pearson, Alva Anderson, Inga
Apalseth, Ida Daughters of Norway (Apalseth, Ida) Beck, Harold Berglund, Marie
Blindheim, Ole Blomelie, Nellie Blomquist, Grace Borresen, Mina
Brattain, Gudrun Breiwick, Thomas Bruflot, Arnfinn Daughters of Norway (Buck, Florence)
Carlson, Ed Dahl, Louise (Malla) Danielsen, Peter Davidson, Inga
DeRosa, Bergliot Dyrhaug, Agnes Ekrem, Anna Daughters of Norway (Erickson, Alice & Shervherm, Dagny)
Farestrand, Gerda Flones, Edward Frederickson, Frederick Fredrickson, Hans
Garberg, Brynhild Gilje, Bertel Greene, Clara Gregersen, Inger
Grytnes, Bersven Häggström, Nels Hale, Henny Handeland, Martha
Hanson, Sylvia Haug, Olga Haugen, Anna Holmes, Elias
Hopen, Anna Hopen, Anton Hytmo, Guri Isaksen, Hulda
Jacobsen, Hanna Johnson, Margit Johnson, Bertil Krag, Dagny
Langland, Karina Langvad, Andreas Larsen, Elias Larson, Hildur
Lien, Carl Loman, Anna Løvoll, Alf Lovrak, Anna
Lund, Pearl Lundbeck, Emil Lundbeck, Linnea Magnussen, Clara
Malmin, Gunnar Mattson, Emma Molund, Elsa Nakkerud, Amanda
Nelson, Amanda Nelson, John Nelson, Ruth Nerland, Einar
Nilsen, Arvid Nilsen, Esther Odmark, Elsie Olsen, Hilda
Olsen, Irving Peterson, Hans Ramstad, Anders Ranney, Freda
Riebe, Dagmar Sandback, George Silverberg, Ina Simonseth, Gertrude
Simonson, Gustav Sivertson, Olaf Solheim, Aagot Sortland, Erling
Stakset, Lina Storwick, Henny Strom, Alfred Strom, Anne
Stuen, Agnes Sylliaasen, Bertha Thompson, Kjell Tjugum, Andrew
Tobiason, Anna Tollefson, Judith Tollefson, Julius Tomsli, Astrid
Tranum, Gunnar Tveter, Hans Jacobson Tweiten, Carl Tynes, Jens
Underle, Magdalene Vanderbilt, Sara Varney, Emma Watney, Helga
Westby, Herman Wick, Harold Yost, Gretchen

Sweden

Alm, Ivar Berg, Carl Albin Berg, Emmy Buorklund, Frank
Carlson, Jennie Carlson, Signe Davidson, Odin Davidson, Ole
Drage, Turi Eide, John Ekloff, Emil Emerson, Christine
Erickson, Selma Fahl, Hans Fet, Peter and Åsta Fredrickson, Sven
Garberg, Peder Gjelstad, Thora Gulhaugen, Theodore Halseth, Otto
Halvorsen, Sverre Handeland, Torvald Haram, Henry Hemmestad, Olga
Hendrickson, Arne Hjortedal, Gjertine Hjortedal, Osten Holmes, Anna Gudrun
Hoset, Ole Isaksen, Anton Isaksen, Olive Johansson, Anders
Johnson, Hilma Johnson, John Johnsen, Magnhild Johnson, Olga
Johnson, Thelma Jorgenson, Jorgen Kirkemo, Randi Kjersem, Ole
Klakegg, Kristian and Alfhild Kneeland, Signe Krokenes, Magdalena Larson, Anna
Leif Erikson League Lien, Tom Lindhe, Tilla Loe, Otto Calvin
Lovestrand, Astrid Løvoll, Astrid Mattson, Matt Mjøen, Knute
Molund, Erik Mork, Helen Mork, Ola Myklebust, Elise
Nakkerud, Trygve Nelson, Hilma Nilsen, Ingolf Nilsen, Martha
Norberg, Jonas Walfred Norwick, Goodman Notø, Karl and Borghild Nygaard, Lars
Ohrt, Sigfrid Oliver, Kole Olsen, Jonhaga Opsal, Torvald
Otheim, Olav Pearson, Alva Pederson, Therese Petersen, Olivia
Rygmyr, Odlaug Sather, Gunhild Saure, Sivert Silver, Lena
Simonseth, Nels Solvik, Jens Sortland, Svanhild Steel, Signe
Steiro, Norwall Stenersen, Sigvald Strom, Ralph Sundberg, Mattias
Turnquist, Oscar Tveter, John Howard Whitman, Nannie