Nilsen, Martha

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Martha Nilsen was born on December 15, 1894 in Kvalnes, Tjoetta, Norway. Her parents were Sverdrup Dagsvik and Rebecca Ericksen, and there were at least thirteen children in the family: Edvin, Nilsine, Signe, Einar, Lucie, Agny, Line, Marte, Sverre, Georg, Aslaug, Johan, and Anne. Anne had a twin who was a stillborn. The family lived on a farm, where they raised a few crops and various animals. Martha's father was a schoolteacher who traveled from place to place, and her mother and the children tended to the farm while he was away. Martha raked hay during the hay season and fed and milked the cows. When Martha was fourteen, she was confirmed and began to work in town. She worked in a cafe and then did housework for various families. Martha met her husband Nils Nilsen when he came to Kvalnes to visit his family. He had been in America for many years, and Martha later immigrated to Tacoma, Washington to marry him. Martha and Nils had two children, Viola and Noble, and Nils was a fisherman, which kept him away from his family often. Martha returned to Norway three times, once in 1937 with Viola, in 1962 with Nils, and in the late 1960s with two of Nilsine's children. In Tacoma, she remained active in the community, belonging to the Ladies Aid at Emmanuel Lutheran Church and the Daughters of Norway. She also continued to make Norwegian foods, including rice mush, broed, morlefse, krinalefse, goro, fattigmann, krumkake, and berlinerkranser.

Lineage

Full Name: Marta Johanne Nilsen. Maiden Name: Marta Johanne Dagsvik. Father: Sverdrup Nikolai Dagsvik. Mother: Rebecca Elisabeth Ericksen. Paternal Grandfather: Nikolai. Maternal Grandmother: Marte Ericksen. Brothers and Sisters: Edvin Mork Dagsvik, Nilsine Tanke Dagsvik, Signe Dagsvik, Einar Angal Skroeper Dagsvik, Lucie Falk Dagsvik, Agny Julliete Sol Dagsvik, Nikoline Dagsvik, Sverre Reinhart Dagsvik, Georg Dagsvik, Aslaug Dagsvik, Johan Dagsvik, Anne Dagsvik twin with Marte, Marte Johanne Dagsvik (deadborn). Spouse: Nils M. Nilsen. Children: Viola M. Woods, Noble R. Nilsen.

From the guide to the Martha Dagsvik Nilsen Oral History Interview, 1983, (Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection Archives and Special Collections Department)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Martha Dagsvik Nilsen Oral History Interview, 1983 Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection Archives and Special Collections Department
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Dagsvik, Anne person
associatedWith Dagsvik, Aslaug person
associatedWith Dagsvik, Edvin Mork person
associatedWith Dagsvik family family
associatedWith Dagsvik, Georg person
associatedWith Dagsvik, Johan person
associatedWith Dagsvik, Nikoline person
associatedWith Dagsvik, Signe person
associatedWith Dagsvik, Sverdrup person
associatedWith Daughters of Norway (U.S.) Embla Lodge #2 (Tacoma, Wash.) corporateBody
associatedWith Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Tacoma, Wash.) corporateBody
associatedWith Ericksen family family
associatedWith Ericksen, Rebecca person
associatedWith Falk, Lucie person
associatedWith Nilsen family family
associatedWith Nilsen, Nils person
associatedWith Nilsen, Noble R. person
associatedWith Reinhart, Sverre person
associatedWith Skroeper, Einar Angal person
associatedWith Sol, Agny Julliete person
associatedWith Tanke, Nilsine person
associatedWith Woods family family
associatedWith Woods, Viola M. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Tjøtta herad (Norway)
Tacoma (Wash.)
Leirfjord herad (Norway)
Subject
Norwegian
Occupation
Waitresses
Activity

Person

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SNAC ID: 46855945