DeRosa, Bergliot (Bella) Moxness Oliver

Bergliot DeRosa was born on August 11, 1902 in Trondheim, Norway to Olav Johannes Moxness and Sara Petrine Kristensen. Olav was a sea captain of the English Freighter and spent a great deal of time away from the family. In 1918, en route to Australia, the boat he was on disappeared and was never heard of again. In addition to Bergliot, there were five other children in the Moxness family: Gunvor, Ruth, Johan, Sara, and Olav. Bergliot had a very active childhood, which including a lot of skiing and hiking. She was confirmed in the Cathedral in Trondheim and was then sent to Humerskole for four years to learn how to bake, cook, and care for children. In 1914, Bergliot's sister Gunvor immigrated to Tacoma, Washington, and Bergliot joined her in 1922. Eventually, the entire family came.

When Bergliot arrived in Tacoma, she already had a housekeeping job, which paid $50 a month. Following that job, Bergliot worked for Everybody's Candy Factory and then as a housekeeper for Dr. Whitaker. In addition to work, Bergliot also went to school to become a citizen and learn the English language, which did not take her very long.

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