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Mardy
Starting member
USA
8 Posts |
 Posted - 14/01/2004 : 07:56:12
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| I am in dire need of any assistance in locating family history and hopefully any connection to possible family (if any) in Norway. My grandfather's name was John M. Johansen as written on my father's birth certificate. My father knows that my grandfather came from Norway to Alaska. Sadly, my grandfather died when my father was but a young boy. I have asked help from a catholic priest who provided my father's baptism record in hopes of retrieving a birthdate of my grandfather with no avail. However, the priest listed also an M.C.Johansen. I do not know what this means whether this was my grandfathers original name but I have yet to personally talk with the priest. From the old 1930 Alaska census we found the same name as my grandfather at the age of 53 which helped us get a rough estimate of his date of birth date which is 1876. His occupation was listed as a laborer. Another source I found was the possibility of my grandfather coming to America on a boat called the "Manitoban" along with Sami reindeer herders in 1898. According to this information source, a man named Johan Johansen came with them and later changed his name to John M. Johansen. I have yet to get confirmed information from this source. As you can see this kind of information is pulling me in different directions but any information right now helps my search. In Alaska, there are only two of my grandfathers children that live, my father and one younger brother both in their 70's. My father found a half brother who lived in Nome Alaska but died just recently in September 2003 at the age of 90 yrs old. If there is anyone who is willing to help or direct me to information it will be greatly appreciated. |
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thelebrity
Senior member
Norway
234 Posts |
Posted - 14/01/2004 : 10:21:51
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| As you probably know the Manitoban left Alta (Bossekop) on february 4. and arrived in New York (according to the ship information on this site) on february 27. I haven't been able to trace any passenger list from this ship at the Ellis Island data base. On the other hand it doesn't seem plausible that a flock of reindeer bound for Alaska would have been taken to New York, so the info might be wrong. Maybe the site operator can verify if this is true or not. |
Per Helge Seglsten |
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thelebrity
Senior member
Norway
234 Posts |
Posted - 14/01/2004 : 10:34:11
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| By the way: Doesn't your grandfather's birth certificate have more info about when and where he was born? |
Per Helge Seglsten |
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2004 : 17:59:38
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Hi There is one site that lists the people on the Manitoban Click Here and a John M Johansen is listed. It's in Norwegian, maybe someone can translate and get you the sources
Since the ship sailed from Alta I looked in the 1875 census and there is one Johan Martin Johnson listed born 1875 Click Here probably a pretty slim possibilty but it seems most likely that he would have been from the Finnmark region.
Carla |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2004 : 18:28:01
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Hi,
the list of people on the Manitoban in 1898 is from a book by Ørnulv Vorren called "Samer, rein og gull i Alaska".
The book is also published in America, and is called "Saami, Reindeer, and Gold in Alaska: The Emigration of Saami from Norway to Alaska", by Ornulv Vorren.
I think you can find it at http://www.amazon.com/ ... 
It says that the men received a monthly salary of $22.33 - $40.20, while the women received $4.46. Contracts were written on January 24th, 1898.
Some of the people on the "Manitoba" photographed after the arrival in Seattle.
Jan |
Edited by - jwiborg on 15/01/2004 18:48:20 |
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Borge
Veteran Moderator
Norway
1293 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2004 : 19:08:17
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quote:
Originally posted by thelebrity
As you probably know the Manitoban left Alta (Bossekop) on february 4. and arrived in New York (according to the ship information on this site) on february 27. I haven't been able to trace any passenger list from this ship at the Ellis Island data base. On the other hand it doesn't seem plausible that a flock of reindeer bound for Alaska would have been taken to New York, so the info might be wrong. Maybe the site operator can verify if this is true or not.
The New York arrival is what we have, we also have information saying that the expedition traveled by train for 1 week to get to Seattle, where they were delayed for 2 weeks because they were waiting for a ship to take them north. The reindeer were brought to a park in Seattle where several of them died because they were eating plants that were not good for them. Then they went by ship up north, and more reindeer died on the voyage. They landed at Haines mission in Lynns Channel. From there they went across the mountains to get to the Yukon River, and arrived after 10 months, only 114 reindeer still alive. After a short while the animals were slaughtered. Many of the expedition members then went to dig for gold near Nome and made great fortunes, a company lead by a Swede named Jafet Lindberg (with Erik Lindblom and John Brynteson) was specially lucky and was well known. There was an account of this in the "Washington Post" (Washingtonposten) May 11, 1900. (Maybe someone could try getting a copy of that article?) Other interesting references are: "The Introduction of Domesticated Reindeer into Alaska", in Studies & Records 11 (98-113) 1940, "Driving Reindeer in Alaska" by Clarence L. Andrews, in The Washington Historical Quarterly Vol. XXVI. #2, April 1935. |
Børge Solem |
Edited by - Borge on 15/01/2004 19:11:19 |
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Mardy
Starting member
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2004 : 06:30:43
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| Sorry for mistakes but I am very new to this website and learning as I go along. I am so excited to have gotten all the replies. I thank each and everyone who has responded to my message. This has given me more energy to continue. For the question about my grandfathers birthdate on birth certificate?, if I didn't already mention this, forgive me but that is just it, we do not have any written records on my grandfather especially a birth certificate. I am searching blindly and using only bits and pieces of information. My father does have an old picture of him but I have yet to get a copy. Maybe then I can post it depending on whether I learn this website well enough. On my original message, with what little information we had, we were able to get a rough estimate of his birth year of 1876. We also know that his religion was Luthern. If he came from Norway, wouldn't the Luthern church have accurate records? I am not familiar with this country and I am sure there are many other states within. I am totally lost in this arena. Does anyone have any suggestions and directions to getting information about my grandfather from there in Norway. |
Edited by - Mardy on 17/01/2004 06:47:17 |
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Borge
Veteran Moderator
Norway
1293 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2004 : 10:14:59
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Have you tried getting the death certificate? It should also give the date of birth.
Another thing, it is probably best if we keep this discussion to one topic, right now we have two topics going. I suggest that any further postings regarding this subject continues in this topic. I will lock the other topic and post a link to this topic. |
Børge Solem |
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Brining
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 20/01/2004 : 02:56:34
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Hi In addition to the death certificate that Borge mentioned you should see if there are any obituaries. Also try and get his naturalization papers and wedding certificate. The Alaska gen web has a list of WWI registration cards and it was required for males between the ages of 18 and 45 in 1918 to register so he could be in that list. Click Here
Another thing to check is if there are any local history books in the area he lived. They can be a gold mine of information. Any of these items can give you more clues to where he came from.
All of Norway's church records are on film at the LDS history center and available for rental but you need to know the parish that you want to search.
You should go to John Føllesdal's site and read some of the articles, they are very helpful
Click Here |
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dagoj
New on board
Norway
1 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2006 : 23:46:29
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I am the writer of SJAMANENS RIKE, inspired by the book of Vorren's "Saami, reindeer and gold in Alaska". The series was published in 2002-2003 in Norwegian. The series is now being translated into the Saami language. The first book in the series is also translated into English and we hope it will be publishe din the US in the near future. I am tellign the story about the two Saami emigration waves in 1894 and 1898. The first is called the Kjellmann Expedition, named after William Kjellmann (from Talvik in Alta, Northern Norway) who reverent Sheldon Jackson, the leader of the Saami project in Alaska, choosed as the learder of the Saami expedition of 1894. Six families and a bachelor went over to Alaska on April 10. 1894 and arrived Teller Reindeer Station on July 29 the same year. These Saami families then started to teach the Inupiat people of Seward Peninsula reindeer herding for three years. It was a sucess. In 1898 Sheldon jackson himself went to Bossekop, Finnmark county, Norway, to hire more of the Saami people for a new expedition. 78 Saamis, 25 Norwegians and around 12 Finns took The Manitoban from Bossekop to New York in 1898. From there they went by train to Seattle and then steamboat to Haines Mission and also Eaton Reindeer Station near Unanakleet.
During the summer of 2000 I visited Alaska and Canada, mainly the areas where the Saami people hade been din the 1890'es. A fantastic month of travel and research.
I have copies of Sheldon Jacksons Annual Reports from the reindeer stations in Teller and Eaton. In the report of 1899 i fpund the name John M. Johansen. He is on a list of men who on April 1. 1899 went to the mines at Golovin Bay and Cape Nome. John M. Johansen was from Tverrelv in Alta, Finnmark county in Northern Norway. I can try to find out more about his life in Alta. My name is Dag Ove Johansen, and I am a writer and a teacher. My emailadress iss dagoj@online.no. Please don't hesitate to take contact with me concerning the Manitoban-expedition or the Kjellmann Expedition. |
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Mardy
Starting member
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 24/07/2006 : 09:34:33
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Hello again. It has been a while since I have written in this forum. I have updated information thanks to help from other geneologists. My grandfather John M. Johansen born April 1877 in Norway emigrated to U.S. 1898. Wife-Bertha Johansen born December 1872 from Norway. In the 1910 census, they had 5 children all born in Alaska. I am still searching for more information and any help will be appreciated. This is just a beginning of my missing heritage. Still need help locating exact record of my grandfather's birthplace, hometown, parents and any living relatives. Thank you so very much for all your help. May God bless all the wonderful work you all do in helping families connect with their heritage.
Sincerely,
Mardy |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 24/07/2006 : 14:35:11
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Dag gave you information in January that Johan was from Alta, Finnmark. Have you checked in the parish baptimal/birth records of Alta? Always 'give or take a year or so' when looking for such events in the actual records.
If you've never used the Norwegian church parish records before you can study a good article on 'how-to' in the collection linked below -
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/articles.html
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Mardy
Starting member
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 28/07/2006 : 09:03:32
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| Yes, Dag Ove has been wonderful and is still helping me. The closest information found has yet to be confirmed with the church records. Several U.S. census found have the last name spelled several ways. Johansen, Johanson, & Hanson. The children that ended up in orphange homes have Johanson. My father's last name starting from the Catholic Mission was shortened to Hanson from Johanson. My father did not get his birth certificate till he was much older and they had to research for his father and mother's history in order to put this together. So these are spellings that have yet to be checked out yet. Anyway, just in case someone else has more information or connection to other information more accurate, all the help is greatly appreciated. I just wanted to let you all know where I was with my search. Thanks again. |
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crymisty
Medium member
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2008 : 08:41:58
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Although your posting is quite old, I believe that you are the party I was asked to help assist. But, I was given an email address that no longer worked.
If you still searching it would be helpful to know which orphanage your father was left at. If his placement was thru the mission in Bethel, Alaska, then I would refer you to their local museum and historical archive; which is quite extensive on this subject .
Many of the Sami, who no longer could continue reindeer herding, due to mandates on the ownership of the same, moved to Bethel and became business men and commercial Salmon fisherman. Because of this, the museum there had a lot of information, back in the '80s, and I am sure they still do on the people arriving with the reindeer, who went on to become leading citizens in this community. It usually is operated with a a curator. Have you contacted it?
In addition to the local museum, as a source of information, I have a very dear friend, whose father also descended from the Sami in this migration. She has a lot of personal knowledge & has returned several times to Norway, to visit with relatives she has located.
I would need to know that Bethel, was where your father was placed, before trying to put you in touch with her? She is still living, but does not use computers. Unanakleet is very close to Bethel. |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2008 : 14:04:31
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I think John M. Johansen actually was Jan Mikael Johansen, born April 18 and bapt June 17 1877, see #20
His parents were "Handelsmand" = shopkeeper Johan Suhr, Elvebakken and Anna Grethe Mikkelsdatter, Losvar.
John = Jan was born out of wedlock.
His father Johan Fredrik Suhr in 1875
His mother Anna Grethe Mikkelsdatter Harnisk in 1875
Jan Mikal was confirmed April 24 1892, see #22
there it is stated that he was living at Tverelven and that his father was a married man when he was born. His wife, Bergithe Olsdatter = Brita Marie Suhr died Febr 24 1893. See #7
His father married Ana Kathrine Hansen in 1896.
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 28/11/2008 11:27:12 |
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eibache
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
6495 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2008 : 20:52:25
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Johan Fredrik Suhr was actually baptized Fredrik Johannes, see #39
he was born out of wedlock Febr 8 1843, his father was widower Fredrik Suhr at Elvebakken and his mother was the widow Berit Stina Johannesdatter.
Anna Grethe Mikkelsdatter Harnisk, her parents and siblings in 1865
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Einar |
Edited by - eibache on 28/11/2008 11:40:06 |
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Search for John M. Johansen relatives and family h
