Funding for encoding this finding aid was
provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Biographical Note
Jonas Walfred Norberg, known as Walfred, was
born on March 10, 1899 in Nybyn, Sweden. Walfred's father, Nils Norberg, was a
farmer and owned a general store. Walfred was the oldest of four children in
his family. He attended school for six years until he was 13 years old. After
Maria Norberg, Walfred's mother, died in 1913, Nils Norberg remarried the mill
owner's daughter and moved to America in 1915. Walfred found a job at the mill
grinding seed, but in 1916, he decided to leave work and move to America. Most
of Walfred's family, including his father and uncles and two young half
siblings, lived in America. Walfred and his oldest sister Margreta left Sweden
and traveled to Tacoma, Washington. Immediately, Walfred began working in the
woods, as his father was doing. Logging was a dangerous job, though, and Nils
Norberg died in a logging accident in 1919; one of Walfred's brothers was
killed in the same manner. In 1925, Walfred met his Norwegian wife, Magda
Jerstad, at a Scandinavian picnic; they married one year later on the same
date. Walfred and Magda had one son named Jay in 1927. Walfred continued to
work in Tacoma in a variety of positions, such as a lumber piler, a car loader,
and a superintendent. The Norberg family lived in California from 1947 to 1952
while Walfred started a sawmill company. They returned to Tacoma, but Walfred
wanted out of the lumber business due to the dangerous conditions. Walfred is
involved in several organizations-Eagles, Valhalla, and Vasa. He returned to
Sweden in 1969 and 1974. Walfred is proud of his Swedish heritage and can still
speak the language. He maintains, though, that there are a lot of similarities
between Sweden and America.
Lineage
Full Name:
Jonas Walfred Norberg. Father: Nils Norberg. Mother: Maria Sundberg. Paternal
Grandfather: Jonas Olovson. Paternal Grandmother: Kristina Nilsdotter. Maternal
Grandfather: Olof Sundberg. Maternal Grandmother: Sara Sundberg. Brothers and
Sisters: Margreta Norberg, Christina Norberg, Erland Norberg, Annie Norberg,
Patrick Norberg. Spouse: Magda Jerstad. Children: Jay Norberg.
Content Description
The interview was conducted with Jonas Norberg on September 23, 1981 in
Tacoma, Washington. This interview contains information on personal background,
emigration, work, family, community life, and Swedish heritage. It also
contains photographs of Walfred, the Norberg family in Sweden, Nybyn, Sweden
(1899), the Norberg house/farm, the Norberg Brothers General Store in
Grindnäset, Sweden, the house built by Nils Norberg in Nybyn (1904), Walfred at
the Cascade Lumber Co. in Alder, Washington (1922), the Norberg family upon
their return to Sweden, Walfred and Roy Waller piling lumber in Washington, and
John Johnson and his family. The interview was conducted in English.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
The oral
history collection is open to all users.
Restrictions on Use :
There are no restrictions on use.
Administrative Information
Custodial History :
The Oral History collection
project was started during an experimental course on Scandinavian Women in the
Pacific Northwest. Students in the course were encouraged to interview women
and learn about their experiences as immigrants to the United States. The
project was continued and expanded with support from the president's office and
by grants from the L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, from the Joel E.
Ferris Foundation and the Norwegian Emigration Fund of the Royal Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project was directed by Dr. Janet E.
Rasmussen. The collection was transferred to the Archives and Special
Collections Department.
Acquisition Information :
Related Materials :
To search and view Pacific
Lutheran University's digitized images, visit our
Digital Assets
Website
Processing Note :
The interview was conducted by
Inger Nygaard Carr using a cassette recorder. A research copy was also prepared
from the original. To further preserve the content of the interview, it is now
being transferred to compact disc. We deliberately did not transcribe the
entire interview because we want the researchers to listen to the interviewee's
own voice. The transcription index highlights important aspects of the
interview and the tape counter numbers noted on the Partial Interview
Transcription are meant as approximate finding guides and refer to the location
of a subject on the cassette/CD. The recording quality is good
The
collection was transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky Husby.
Bibliography :
Rasmussen, Janet Elaine. New Land
New Lives: Scandinavian Immigrants to the Pacific NorthwestTacoma, WashingtonUniversity of Washington
Press1993
Additional Reference Guides :
Detailed Description of the Collection
The partial interview transcription
highlights important aspects of the interview. Numbers may be used as guides to
important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate that the first
number is for cassette and the second for CD.
Cassette
88,side 1
008:
Jonas Walfred Norberg was born on March 10, 1899 in Nybyn,
Sweden. This is in northern Sweden.
88,side 1
013: PARENTS
Nils and Maria Norberg. Father was a farmer and owner of a
general store.
88,side 1
018:
Mother died in 1913 when Walfred was 14 years old. There were
4 children in the family. Father remarried and came to America in 1915.
88,side 1
028:
In 1916 Walfred and his oldest sister came to America.
Walfred had been working in a flour mill until he came.
88,side 1
031:
Father died from injuries in the woods. Walfred was the
oldest child.
88,side 1
035: GRANDPARENTS
Farmers. Maternal - Olof and Sara Sundberg. Paternal
- Jonas Olovson and Kristina Nilsdotter. Walfred explains about the name
Olovson and Norberg, how they changed.
88,side 1
046: GRANDPARENTS
FARMING:
They raised hay, beef, "little
of everything." They raised things to live on, support themselves.
88,side 1
055: FATHER'S STORE:
Sold sugar, fabric and other staples that
could not be grown on the farm.
88,side 1
066:
Norberg's home in Sweden was good sized. They first lived
with grandparents and then father built a house.
88,side 1
080:
Mother was sick. Her parents helped them out. Lived in the
store until they sold it when they came to America in 1913.
88,side 1
096
Walfred worked in the flour mill when his father immigrated,
grinded seed to flour.
88,side 1
106:
Father married daughter of the owner of the mill. Berglund
was her maiden name.
88,side 1
114:
On his trip to Sweden in 1969, the mill had been torn down.
88,side 1
116:
Christmas in Sweden no different from Christmas here.
Presents, trees, went to church.
88,side 1
136: CUSTOMS AND
BELIEFS:
Stories of trolls.
88,side 1
150:
Came to America in 1916.
88,side 1
153:
Reasons why his father had come to America. His brothers were
here. They went to business school in Sweden, then came to the U.S.
88,side 1
178:
Father died in 1919. Walfred was left with the family, six
younger brothers and sisters. All siblings were in the U.S. One brother killed
in the woods.
88,side 1
192:
Walfred came to the U.S. because his family was here. Left
the flour mill where he had been for 14 months.
88,side 1
197:
Went to the woods to work. Lived in a small cabin. Describes
this. Paid 10 cents a log. Describes working in the woods.
88,side 1
220:
Moving logs in the winter. Floating logs in the spring.
Sorting logs in the river.
88,side 1
240:
Trip over to America Aug. 9, 1916. Took a train to Trondheim,
then to Oslo. Took boat Hellig Olaf to the U.S.
88,side 1
251: BOAT TRIP:
Sick much of the time. Plenty of food available. It
was a nice passenger boat. Rough seas. Took 9 to 10 days.
88,side 1
263: ELLIS ISLAND:
They okayed the papers. Sister had trouble because she
was 15. Walfred was 17. Sent a telegram to their father in Alder, WA. Ellis
Island was crowded, plenty of accommodations. Some people stayed for months.
Some sent back to their country.
88,side 1
295: TRAIN TRIP:
Stopped twice to change trains. 5 days.
88,side 1
306: LANGUAGE
DIFFICULTIES:
Could not understand
English.
88,side 1
310:
Arrived in Tacoma very hungry. Had not eaten much on the
train. Met someone who spoke Swedish and did some translating.
88,side 1
338:
Nobody to meet them when they arrived in Tacoma. Looked at
the railway map to find out where Morton and Alder were. This is where their
father lived. Bought tickets at the train station.
88,side 1
367:
Met father and family. Went to work right away in the woods.
Began learning English.
88,side 1
375:
Comparing work between Sweden and the U.S.
88,side 1
383:
Dangers of working in the woods. Uncle and father were both
killed from logging accidents.
88,side 1
403: SCHOOLING:
6 years in Sweden. Finished at age 13.
88,side 1
409: WORKING:
Began at age 12, hauling freight for his father's
store.
88,side
1
414:
Describes hauling by horse and wagon. The
difficulties, loading the wagon, what was hauled.
88,side 1
454:
Women did not work as early as the men in Sweden. They began
working at the age of 16 or 17. Helped around the house, hired out to others.
88,side 1
474:
Life is comfortable in America. Think more of memories when
you get older.
88,side 1
485:
Contact with many minorities in the woods. Many Austrians and
Scandinavians.
88,side 1
500: AMERICAN
CITIZENSHIP:
Age 30 or so. Took a test.
Two witnesses testified. Did not get citizenship the first time he tried. Got
his citizenship the second time he tried.
88,side 1
537:
Met his wife at a Scandinavian picnic in 1925. They were
married a year later on the same date.
88,side 1
581:
Walfred and wife have one son, born 1927 named Jay. He works
for the government and has 2 children. Talks about great grandchildren.
88,side 1
632: WORK IN
TACOMA:
Several different jobs. Lumber
piler, car loader and a Superintendent.
88,side 1
645:
Went to California from 1947 to '52. Others were also going.
Started a saw mill company.
88,side 1
673:
Working for St. Paul and St. Regis in Tacoma. Working days
about 10 hours, 2 dollars a day. The same as in Sweden.
88,side 2
001:
Life in the lumber camps, bunkhouses and other conditions.
88, side 2
015:
Quit lumber work because it was too dangerous, rough
conditions.
88,side 2
019: CHANGES IN THE LUMBER
BUSINESS:
Safety conditions improved.
Less dangerous now than it was before. New ways to transport logs.
88, side2
044: CHANGES IN TACOMA:
More crime. Children have idle time, are
running around.
88,side 2
064: CHURCH
ACTIVITY:
None in Tacoma. In Sweden went
to church on Sundays only. Bible was at home to read.
88,side 2
075: ORGANIZATIONS:
Eagles and Swedish Order of Valhalla and
Vasa. He was on the Eagles drill team and attended meetings.
88,side 2
116:
Trip back to Sweden 1969 and 1974. Changes about the same as
in the U.S. wages higher and good living. Farming changes in Sweden are as they
are in the U.S. Can't make a living on the farm. Big machinery.
88,side 2
150: FEELINGS ABOUT BEING
SWEDISH:
Proud of Swedish heritage.
88,side 2
162:
Much family here, they gather for family reunions. Over 100
used to get together. Now about 60.
88,side 2
180: SPEAKING SWEDISH:
Still speaks it.
88,side 2
197:
I mentioned before that while working in the woods, I guess I
did everything there was to do in the woods, except cook and donkey locomotive
engineer, reason being, when not donkey engineer, I had a job called "handy
man." When a worker quit, was fired, or got injured, the handy man was put in
his place until a new man was hired through an employment office in the city.
This took a matter of 2 or 3 days.
88,side 2
205:
1924: When I quit the woods
and came in to the city, I got a job on the then being built Washington
Building. I got a job as loadman on the concrete crew. I mixed all concrete for
the Washington Building from the 4th to the 17th floor.
88, side 2
211:
1932: Hart Construction. Got a job building the river road to
Puyallup on the south side of the river. My job then was shift foreman. We used
material for the road dug from the river bottom.
88, side 2
215:
After this job was finished, I went back to the sawmills
again, having worked there a few years, before the depression struck, as a
lumber piler, car loader, carpenter, leadman, and two times as superintendent.
Subjects
This collection is indexed under
the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials
about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these
headings.
Personal Names :
Jerstad, Magda
Nilsdotter, Kristina
Norberg, Jay
Norberg, Jonas Walfred--Interviews
(
creator)
Norberg, Magda
Norberg, Nils
Olovson, Jonas
Sundberg, Maria
Sundberg, Olof
Sundberg, Sara
Family Names :
Jerstad
family
Norberg
family
Olovson
family
Sundberg family
Corporate Names :
Hellig Olaf (Steamship)
St. Regis Paper
Company
Swedish Order of
Valhalla (Tacoma, Wash.)
Vasa Order of
America. Lodge Number 233 (Tacoma, Wash.)
