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When utilizing these materials, including content available digitally, you may encounter offensive, oppressive, and/or outdated references and representations.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 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 Ott, Tove Pedersen, Jenny
Petersen, Greta Rasmussen, Martin

Finland

Benson, Alli Christenson, Lydia Forman, Lempi Suaminen Heikkala, Eric
Johnson, Anna 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 Alvestad, Martha Amundsen, Ingrid
Andersen, Aletta Anderson, Inga Daughters of Norway (Apalseth, Ida) 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) Dahl, Louise (Malla) Danielsen, Peter
Davidson, Bertha Davidson, Inga Davidson, Odin Davidson, Ole
DeRosa, Bergliot Drage, Turi Duus, Ella Dyrhaug, Agnes
Eide, John Ekrem, Anna Emerson, Christine Daughters of Norway (Erickson, Alice & Shervherm, Dagny)
Erickson, Selma Farestrand, Gerda Fet, Peter and Åsta Flones, Edward
Frederickson, Frederick Garberg, Brynhild Garberg, Peder Gilje, Bertel
Gjelstad, Thora Greene, Clara Gregersen, Inger Grytnes, Bersven
Gulhaugen, Theodore Hale, Henny Halseth, Otto Halvorsen, Sverre
Handeland, Martha Handeland, Torvald Hanson, Sylvia Haram, Henry
Haug, Olga Haugen, Anna Hemmestad, Olga Hendrickson, Arne
Hjortedal, Gjertine Hjortedal, Osten Holmes, Anna Gudrun Holmes, Elias
Hopen, Anna Hopen, Anton Hoset, Ole Hytmo, Guri
Isaksen, Anton Isaksen, Hulda Isaksen, Olive Jacobsen, Hanna
Johnsen, Magnhild Johnson, Hilma Johnson, John Johnson, Margit
Johnson, Olga Johnson, Thelma Jorgenson, Jorgen Kirkemo, Randi
Kjersem, Ole Klakegg, Kristian and Alfhild Kneeland, Signe Krag, Dagny
Krokenes, Magdalena Langland, Karina Langvad, Andreas Larsen, Elias
Larson, Anna Leif Erikson League Lien, Carl Lien, Tom
Lindhe, Tilla Loe, Otto Calvin Løvoll, Alf Løvoll, Astrid
Lovrak, Anna Lund, Pearl Magnussen, Clara Malmin, Gunnar
Mattson, Emma Mattson, Matt Mjøen, Knute Mork, Ola
Myklebust, Elise Nakkerud, Amanda Nakkerud, Trygve Nelson, Hilma
Nelson, Ruth Nerland, Einar Nilsen, Arvid Nilsen, Esther
Nilsen, Ingolf Nilsen, Martha Norwick, Goodman Notø, Karl and Borghild
Nygaard, Dagny Nygaard, Lars Ohrt, Sigfrid Oliver, Kole
Olsen, Hilda Olsen, Irving Olsen, Jonhaga Opsal, Torvald
Otheim, Olav Pederson, Therese Peterson, Hans Petersen, Olivia
Ramstad, Anders Ranney, Freda Riebe, Dagmar Rygmyr, Odlaug
Sandback, George Sather, Gunhild Saure, Sivert Silver, Lena
Simonseth, Gertrude Simonseth, Nels Simonson, Gustav Sivertson, Olaf
Solheim, Aagot Solvik, Jens Sortland, Erling Sortland, Svanhild
Stakset, Lina Steiro, Norwall Stenersen, Sigvald 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
Tveter, John Howard Tweiten, Carl Tynes, Jens Underle, Magdalene
Vanderbilt, Sara Varney, Emma Watney, Helga Westby, Herman
Wick, Harold

Sweden

Alm, Edith Alm, Ivar Anderson, Gunnar & Ingebord; Pearson, Alva Berg, Carl Albin
Berg, Emmy Buorklund, Frank Carlson, Ed Carlson, Jennie
Carlson, Signe Ekloff, Emil Fahl, Hans Fredrickson, Hans
Fredrickson, Sven Häggström, Nels Johansson, Anders Johnson, Bertil
Johnson, Ellen Larson, Hildur Loman, Anna Lovestrand, Astrid
Lundbeck, Emil Lundbeck, Linnea Molund, Elsa Molund, Erik
Mork, Helen Nelson, Amanda Nelson, John Norberg, Jonas Walfred
Odmark, Elsie Silverberg, Ina Steel, Signe Strom, Ralph
Sundberg, Mattias Turnquist, Oscar Whitman, Nannie Yost, Gretchen