Individual Details

In July, 1898, at the age of 16, Olaf Peter Jenson, with his brother, Jens, came to America and to Hudson to the home of their parents who had preceded them to America. It had been eleven years since the boys had seen their father and over seven years since their mother, younger sister and younger brothers had come to Hudson. They earned their living by working as herd boys on large farms located across a small river from each other.
Olaf secured employment at the sawmill in Hudson, working there until it closed. Sometime after he went to Fernie, British Columbia where he worked for a logging company for a number of years until the great Fernie Fire destroyed
most of the city.
On October 26, 1909, he was married to a Hudson girl, Olga Louise Johnson, in Fernie. The following September their first child, a daughter, was born. All of their children were born in Fernie. They moved to Whitefish, Montana about 1918.
Olaf secured work with the Great Northern Railroad, retiring in 1952 at the age of 70. His wife, Olga, passed away in 1940. For several years prior to his death in 1964 he made his summer home with his son, Norman and family in Whitefish, and spent the winter months in the warmer climate of Guadalajhara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Letters
(Written in Norwegain and translated in 1988 by Else Bigton, Barronett, Wis)

6th August 1893, Hjertaas
Dear Sister Karen Marie,
Thank you for the letter. We live well. I know it was hard for you to leave us but so it is. I hope God will let us meet in happiness after a while.
We understand it was hard to say goodbye but it was worse for Aksel and Nils, they were so sad but Nils was the sadest. I will send an explanation to Aksel and Nils. Don't forget to read Norwegian.
Be lovingly greeted from all of us here and be you greeted from me.
Your brother, Olaf

Hjertaas, August 10th, 1893
Dear father,
I will now write to tell you how I am. I am well. I am now out with the animals. 5 cows, one bull calf, 11 sheep but they are not all ours. Four are others. We have one somewhere else to wean the lamb from nursing. My old herding friend have now finished his exam and he has put his two sisters in his place. The one is 14 and the other only twelve, they are out every other day. They are nice girls and their mother are nice too. She like to spoil me so I am an good guy. When we are all together we are 36 cows, sheep and herder.
The school is in Fryleng and our books are about nature. Geography, history, grammar and reading, math and Bible history and Norwegian history. I don't have a drawing book yet it costs all together 95 ore. Aron has geography. All the other books I have got costs 15 Kr. 158 ore. The nature book is not paid it cost 75 ore. I will take it along to America.
I didn't cry when I parted from Mom and uncle and Karen and Aksel. Jens and I hope to see you again with happiness when we get big.
If I hadn't known it was you I would not have known you. I remember I gave you ? and you said that I should eat, also I wanted you to make a ? and put a chair over by the lamp but you wanted to sit by the fire. I wanted to be with you but they said you had so good gliding that I couldn't keep up with you.
Live well all of you. Hjertrud greets you and thanks you for the ? you sent her. And I thank you for the horse you sent me.
I don't have more to write you. I started on the wrong side but I think you can figure it out.

31st December, 1893
Dear father,
It is New Years eve tonight, 1893. You shall not think I will forget you even if you were 1000 miles further away. I remember all from my childhood and all I have received from you-- and thank you for all you have sent. We don't talk so much about you but we think about you all the time. We think we can cheat you when we come for we think about coming unanounced. So when we tell you we are coming you are the only one who knows and Mamma and the others won't know. And when we get to the house we will stand outside and you will come out and you can tell them you were expecting us and then we could be together.
Be lovingly greeted from us in Norway 1894 I am ending this letter.
Peter Olaf Nilsen
Hjertaas
Mo i Rana 1894

6th May 1894
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for the letter I received the 30 of April. It made me happy. I live and have it good and have my daily bread. Many are hungry. It is summer soon and I can soon wear out the reins, it is what I want. I think Nils Olasen wants to keep me in Confirmant class. I would like to be here at Hjertaas. You can see that I don't have any good ink to write with. I want to show you that I can do my math. 12000:6=2000. I don't have anything to tell you except we have had Siversen for schoolmaster the last 5 weeks. He says he used to know you and you were good friends. It is his son taking this letter down toyou.
Live well dear Father till we meet in America in 1897 or 1898.
My mother I will write to you as to the others. I live well and have food and good drink in Jesus name. Greet Uncle Hans. I hear he got married and I wish him a good and faithful wife.
Live well in Gods protection my dear mother. I like it here and don't want to leave soon. Greet everybody in the home. Tell uncle to send me a portrait if it isn't too expensive.
Kajo greets you, Nils greets Nils, Hjertru greets Karen. Aksel my good friend I live well. You have to obey mother and Karen. Live well in Gods protection. Amen.
Olaf Petter Nilsen

Hudson
April 1, 1898
Dear sons Jens and Olaf,
Since it won't be long till Jens will be back from Lofoten I will write this letter and hope it will reach you before you leave Mo i Rana. I sent your tickets a while ago to Mr. Ole Loe from Mo. He will give them to you when you are ready to go. You have to ask Ole to take out 50 krones from the bank. You will use it for tickets to Trondheim and to buy food and also for the trip here to America. If you have extra money you can exchange it with the agent in Christiania before you leave.
I have written to a friend in Christinia. His name is Olaf Kringen. He might possibly meet you and show you around Norway's capital for the last time. The agent in Trondheim and the one in Christiania will tell you where you will stop and who will drive your things from the steam ship to the railroad. It is possible you have to pay the bill yourself in Trondheim, but in Christinia you shouldn't have to pay either the hotel or the driving. What you don't need of food and clothing on the trip you can pack in the big box. You will have to get a four cornered box made either at Bjellands or Hjartaasen or in Mo. Mama had a big box made for 4 krones, but I don't think you need it that big. In the box you can put your clothes and your writing desks and things. If Jens have any money it would be nice to have a new fur cover (like a feather tic) for you to use in the winter. A new good one. But if not, don't think about it. I don't know if Jens are getting paid for his work in Lofoten.
All your expenses that I know about are: (1) tickets from Mo to Trondheim; (2) possibly a couple of krowns to drive your things from the steamship to the railstation in Trondheim; (3) for food on the trip from Mo to Trondheim and later for food going up the country here in America, and in Christinia you have to buy tin goods to keep your food in for the trip over the Atlantic.
I don't know how it is on the Tingvalla Line but on the English ships the emigrants got a little dry bread and some cold meat during the trip. They got so much they saved some for the trip up the country. When you come here you have to keep yourself with food on the train ride which lasts for about four days. You should bring this from Mo otherwise it will be too expensive. It is a shame what they get from the emigrants both in New York and Chicago. Do NOT listen to any other than the agent himself or you might get totally lost. There are thousands of crooks who try to trick the new emigrants.
I have written a lot and I hope you will understand it all.
After the schedule I have here for the Tingvalla Line you can leave Christinia 21st of April, 5th of May, 19th of May, or 2nd of June. I suppose you won't get done early enough for the 5th of May but maybe the 19th. But this I can't decide for you.
When Jens come home and he is rested you can write to Trondheim and find out when you can leave from Trondheim. And when the Agent writes you back you can decide when to leave after his orders.
You need a bag to pack your bed clothes in on the trip and a long pillow for you both and a blanket to sleep under. You can put some straw in both your pillow and your mattress and when you come to New York you can take it out.
You need a food box big enough for food and also for a change of clothes on the trip. A pocket mirror and a comb are good to have.
In Mo you can stop at Marie Olson or Hans Mikhalson. You have to greet them from us.
And you have to greet all on Hjartaas and Bjellamo from us and thank them for being so good to you when you had your home there.
If you have time, go to Grandfather in Vatna and bid him goodbye and greet him from us.
Don't forget to thank Ole Loe from me for all the trouble he had had from me for different things.
We live in the hope we will see you both well and chipper soon. I don't think I will be writing any more letters to you while you are still in Norway.
Live well and be lovingly greeted from your Papa.

HST, 18 Jul 1898, p5
Jens and Olof Jenson, sons of N. J. Jenson arrived here from Norway on the 5th, and will make Hudson their home. They are 18 and 16 years of age respectively. It is twelve years since Mr. Jenson had seen them.


Letter to Mr. N.J. Jenson, 1129-7th St., Hudson, Wis.
Whitefish, Mont.
July 18, 1919
Dear daddy,
Yours of the 13th inst. received yesterday and contents carefully noted. And I’ll say right here that my nerves are in very good shape so if you can find $250 and ship to me why I’ll just say that that investment I made 20 years ago was a damn good one. Yes, with that amount I can put up fit to live in for this climate a place about 14 by 26. I will have to do all the work myself and buy the lumber right. The work I can do myself just as good as the next man and I also have the time to do so. So don’t hesitate but just send it along. I can use it and use it right. As far as the balance sheet I’ll say I don’t know a damn thing about it. I sold my records of that account at a fire sale held at Fernie, B.C. August 1, 1908.
I have neither a demand note nor a promissory note. Neither have I a mortgage on my Father’s house so that balance sheet I guess will look pretty much as you may fix it up. Wouldn’t mind seeing what it does look like.
The housing proposition in this town is one I don’t understand. Last fall when I came here it took me two weeks to find anything at all. This spring the dry land farmers went out on their homesteads and everybody looked for plenty houses but visible relief could I see. And during April and May there was 250 houses built. Andy they have been building steady all summer. Yet even now I don’t know of any vacant houses in this man’s town.
Allright Dad, send it along. Jens told me he had bought Bailey’s north 40 acres so I am sure he needs every cent he earns even tho he has a naack of saving twice as much as he earns.
Say dad, tell me what do they pay at the shops now. We are under the impression that we are not getting hat we were supposed to have. We are getting from 48 ½ to 58 per hour according to the length of experience but we expect to get 58 all of us. Is that the rate they are paying back there?
Well we are all well and will be twice as happy if you send that money so we can get a roof and walls of our own.
Greet mother and all the rest from us.
As ever, your son, Olaf P. Jenson

HSO, 1 Oct 1964
Olaf. P. Jenson, died after six weeks illness at Whitefish, Montana hospital, September 15, age 82. Olaf Jenson, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Nels J. Jenson, Sr., of 7th St., Hudson, was born in Mo Ranen, Helgeland, Norway on April 12, 1882. He came from Norway directly to Hudson, with his brother, the late J. H. Jenson, July 30, 1898, to the home of his parents and family, who had preceded them to America.
He worked at the saw mill until that closed down, and went to Fernie, B.C., where he worked until the great Fernie Fire destroyed most of that city.
He was married to Olga Johnson, daughter of late Olavus and Mrs. Johnson of 5th St., Hudson, in October of 1909. To them were born three children, a daughter Hendrietta Jenson of Golden, Colorado, and two sons, Owen and Norman C. Jenson of Whitefish.
They moved to Whitefish in 1918 where the family have since made their home. Besides his three children, he is survived by two grandsons, Michael and David Jenson, Whitefish.
Mr. Jenson worked for Great Northern Railway until his retirement in 1952. His wife died in August of 1940 at Whitefish. Since his retirement he has spent most of his winters in Guadalajara, Mexico and parts of his summer vacations have for many years been to Hudson, to visit relatives and friends. He generally timed his trips to Wisconsin to attend the Natinal Norwegian American Nordlands conventions of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Dakotas, and was generally a house guest at the Col. and Mrs. C. P. Erickson home.
Three brothers preceded him in death, Jens of Hudson, Nels J. Jr. of North Hudson and Axel of Superior.
Besides his children he is survived by his sister, Mrs. John A. Stayberg and three neices in Hudson, Mrs. C. P. Erickson, Mrs. Emmett Kinney and Mrs. John Lund and Mrs. Robert Gartmann formerly of Hudson; one nephew, Herbert Stayberg of Hudson and many neices.
Burial was at Whitefish, Mont., Sept. 19.

Birth	12 Apr 1882	Mo, Nordland, Norway
Christen	21 May 1882	Mo, Nordland, Norway
Confirmation	20 Jun 1897	Mo i Rana, Nordland, Norway
Emigration	Jun 1898	Ranen to Hudson, Wisconsin
Marriage	26 Oct 1909	Fernie, British Columbia, Canada - Olga Louise Johnson
Death	15 Sep 1964	Whitefish, Montana
Burial	19 Sep 1964	Whitefish, Montana, Whitefish Cemetery

Spouse	Olga Louise Johnson (1883 - )
Child	Hendrietta Olga Jenson (1910 - 1984)
Child	Owen Ferdinand Jenson (1915 - 1975)
Child	Norman Christian Jenson (1917 - 2002)

Father	Nils Johan Jenson (1858 - 1934)
Mother	Jensine Cathrine Petrusdatter (1848 - )
Sibling	Jens Herman Jenson (1879 - )
Sibling	Karine Marie Jenson (1883 - 1973)
Sibling	Axel Zahl Jenson (1885 - 1945)
Sibling	Nels Johan Jenson (1886 - 1947)