Tollefson, Judith

3 file folders
1 photographs
1 sound cassette
1 compact discs

This interview was conducted with Judith Tollefson on May 7, 1981 in Tacoma, Washington. It contains information on family background, emigration, employment, marriage and family, community activities, and the importance of Norwegian heritage. The interview also contains a photograph of Judith at the time of the interview. The interview was conducted in English.

Also see Julius Tollefson.

Folder Contents

Box 2, File 17 Personal and Family History
Tape Archive Sheet, Family Background, and Tape Index

Box 2, File 17A Correspondence and Forms
Release Form
Letter from Janet Rasmussen thanking Mrs. Tollefson for her participation.
Handwritten Tape Archive Sheet and Family Background

Box 2, File 17B Photograph
One photograph

Interviewed by Unknown
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality: Good

Julius Tollefson (husband) oral history interview

Biographical Note

Judith Tollefson was born Judith Christine Edwardson on June 25, 1900 in Traena, Helgeland, Norway. Her parents were Edward and Cornelia Johanson, and Judith had five younger siblings: Christian, Alfred, Emilius, Alfa, and another brother who died in the flu epidemic. Judith's father was a fisherman and her mother a homemaker.

In September 1928, Judith immigrated to America with her two children, Mary and Per. Her husband, Lars Mikkelson, had left in 1925 and had settled in Seattle, Washington. Lars was a fisherman, and he was in Alaska when Judith and the children arrived. In 1931, the family bought a house in Bothell, Washington, which they later lost during the Depression. At this time, Bothell had a large Scandinavian population, and all of the women helped one another while their husbands were out fishing. Social life revolved around church, and Judith became a member of Bothell First Lutheran. She learned much of her English from Sunday school papers.

In Bothell, Judith also did housekeeping and worked in a restaurant to earn extra money. She and Lars also had another daughter. Lars passed away in 1962, and Judith remarried Julius Tollefson six years later. Julius is originally from Rognan, Norway. Judith's Norwegian heritage is very important to her, and she has kept this heritage alive while living in the United States. She continues to cook traditional Norwegian dishes, has returned to Norway five times, and is a member of the Daughters of Norway, and Nordlandslaget.

Lineage

Full Name: Judith Christine Edwardson Mikkelson Tollefson
Maiden Name: Judith Christine Edwardson
Father: Edward Johanson
Mother: Cornelia Johanson
Maternal Grandfather: Johan (?)
Brothers and Sisters: Christian Edwardson, Alfred Edwardson, Emilius Edwardson, Alfa Edwardson
Spouse: Lars Mikkelson, Julius Sjønning Tollefson
Children: Mary Mikkelson, Per Mikkelson, a younger daughter

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.

Interviewed by Unknown
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality: Good

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.

Interviewed by Unknown
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality: Good