52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 2: My Grandma Olive's other Grandmother: Ragna Knutson Locken
My grandmother's maternal grandmother was
Ragna (Randi) Knutson Locken.
She was born right after Christmas on 28 Dec 1868 in Gulbrandsdalen, Norway, about 90 miles north of Lillehammer, the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics.
I don't know anything about her young life in Norway, nor about her parents.
At age 24, she married Ole Hansen Locken (age 22) on 11 Oct 1892 in Norway.
After about 10 years of marriage, he emigrated in 1902 and she came in 1903 (age 34) with 4 children in tow, ages 9, 7, 4 and 2, along with her 18 year old nephew.
The brand new ship, christened the Hellig Olav had made it's maiden voyage to New York just 1 month prior. On it's second voyage, it left Copenhagen with about 590 passengers and traveled north to Christiania (Oslo) and picked up 895 more. So the ship was carrying nearly 1500 passengers. The trip took 11 days.
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| Hellig Olav |
The manifest says that they traveled in steerage (which normally was pretty miserable), but "there was no steerage on the ship, as they operated with a third class."
"Meals were served by uniformed waiters in clean dining rooms at tables set
with clean linen and porcelain tableware, and the food was of good quality, cooked in the palatable Scandinavian style, served plentifully, and with a wide variety in the menus. Ample deck space for open air promenading and exercise was reserved for the third class passengers."
"Ladies' saloon, well furnished comfortable smoking rooms, barber shops and many baths were a few of the conveniences furnished to those traveling in third class. The services of a physician and nurse, and the facilities of a well equipped hospital and dispensary were at the service of passengers.
The same standards of courtesy and cleanliness that made traveling in the first and second cabins were also found in third class. Women and children traveling alone were in the care of a special matron and stewardesses." courtesy of: www.norwayheritage.com
They left Christiania on May 7 and arrived at Ellis Island, New York on May 18, with a final destination of Willmar, Minnesota.
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| Third Class 2 person Stateroom |
"The third class staterooms, all of which were spacious, and well ventilated, were comfortably furnished with iron beds, springs, mattresses, sheets, pillows and blankets, wash-stands, mirrors, towels, soap and water. They were also supplied with fresh drinking water, and kept in order by stewards and stewardesses. They could accommodate two, four and six passengers, enabling whole families to keep together."
"Meals were served by uniformed waiters in clean dining rooms at tables set
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| Third Class Dining Room |
"Ladies' saloon, well furnished comfortable smoking rooms, barber shops and many baths were a few of the conveniences furnished to those traveling in third class. The services of a physician and nurse, and the facilities of a well equipped hospital and dispensary were at the service of passengers.
The same standards of courtesy and cleanliness that made traveling in the first and second cabins were also found in third class. Women and children traveling alone were in the care of a special matron and stewardesses." courtesy of: www.norwayheritage.com
They left Christiania on May 7 and arrived at Ellis Island, New York on May 18, with a final destination of Willmar, Minnesota.
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| Ellis Island Certificate |
Randi had $26 dollars on her, (equivalent to about $700 today). Her passage had been paid for by her husband and she had a ticket for transportation to Willmar by train? or by boat? traveling 1300 miles inland.
The family shows up in the 1905 Minnesota State Census. Baby Oscar was born in 1904, in Willmar. Her husband was a tailor, and she was a housewife. Then she has her 6th baby Reynold in 1906.
And then so sadly, on 20 Oct 1907, Randi passes away at age 38 from typhoid fever, a bacterial disease resulting from contaminated food or water.
The family shows up in the 1905 Minnesota State Census. Baby Oscar was born in 1904, in Willmar. Her husband was a tailor, and she was a housewife. Then she has her 6th baby Reynold in 1906.
And then so sadly, on 20 Oct 1907, Randi passes away at age 38 from typhoid fever, a bacterial disease resulting from contaminated food or water.
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| click image to enlarge |
Sources:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=61664450&ref=acom
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