Oceana County, Michigan

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegian settler in Oceana County was Hendrik Hendriksen from Fossum, Bratsberg amt (Telemark). He settled in the vicinity of Shelby in 1856. Several single Norwegian laborers also took up land in the area at about the same time. They included Christian Brensøter from Gjerpen, as well as Tollef Torgrimsen, Halvor Beedy, Anes Beedy, Tollef Beedy, Andrew Beedy, and Martin Frodesen. Martin Frodesen belonged to one of the oldest groups of Norwegian immigrants still living when this account was written. He had come to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his parents in 1844 and, as noted above, settled in Michigan in 1856. The first Norwegian settlers had Indians as their nearest neighbors.

Churches and Congregations

Clebank and Benona Congregation was established in 1862 by Pastor O. J. Hatlestad of the Augustana Synod. It was the first, and by 1905 the only, Norwegian congregation in Oceana County. The congregation built a church in 1884. This was also the first Norwegian congregation established in the state of Michigan.

Sources:

[Ulvestad, Martin. Nordmændene i Amerika. Utg. History Book Company's Forlag. Minneapolis, Minn. 1907.]