Overview of the Collection
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Repository Name:
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Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library
Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
Collection
Archives and Special
Collections Department
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA, 98447
253-535-7586
Email:archives@plu.edu
http://www.plu.edu/archives
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Collection Number:
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t041
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Creator:
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Dahl, Louise
(Malla) Amilia Sinland
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Title:
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Louise (Malla) Amilia
Sinland Dahl Oral History Interview
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Dates:
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1980 (inclusive)
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Quantity:
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3 file folders
2 photographs
1 sound cassette
1 compact disc
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Languages:
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English
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Summary:
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An oral history interview with Louise (Malla)
Amilia Sinland Dahl, a Norwegian immigrant.
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Biographical Note
Malla Dahl was born Louise Amilia Sinland
Dahl in 1888 in Harmony, Minnesota. Her parents, Samuel and Ingeborg Dahl, were
of Norwegian descent, and there were four other children in the family: Anne,
Teddy, Inez, and Alma. The Dahls left Minnesota when Malla was young and moved
to Stanwood, Washington. Samuel was a carpenter and helped construct Harstad
Hall, Pacific Lutheran University's first building. Malla later attended PLU,
and her extracurricular activities included golf and basketball. In 1907, she
was the captain of the women's basketball team. Dr. Anders Ramstad and Dr.
Daniel Tingelstad were also at PLU while Malla was, and she later became
friends with Agnes and Ole Stuen as well.
In addition, Malla met her
husband, Hans Dahl, at PLU. Hans was also of Norwegian descent and was born in
North Dakota. Malla and Hans were the first couple to be married in Trinity
Lutheran Church, which is located on the corner of 121st and Park near PLU and
was still under construction at the time. Hans owned Dahl's Peanut Butter
Factory, and after it burned down, he and Malla opened Dahl's Grocery. In 1977,
sixty-nine years after she completed her studies at PLU, Malla went through the
actual graduation ceremonies. At the time of this interview, Malla was PLU's
oldest living alumni.
Lineage
Full Name: Malla
Dahl. Maiden Name: Louise Amilia Sinland Dahl. Father: Samuel Dahl. Mother:
Ingeborg Dahl. Brothers and Sisters: Anne Dahl, Teddy Dahl, Inez Dahl, Alma
Dahl. Spouse: Hans Dahl
Content Description
This interview was conducted with Malla Dahl on May 6, 1980 in Stanwood,
Washington. It contains information about family background, attending PLU,
Dahl's Grocery, and Norwegian heritage. The interview also contains a
photograph from the Dahl wedding, an article on Malla receiving her PLU
diploma, and a photograph of Malla in 1978. The interview was conducted in
English.
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.
Processing Note The interview was conducted by
Donna Mallonee 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.
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.
Related Information
Bibliography
Rasmussen, Janet Elaine. New Land
New Lives: Scandinavian Immigrants to the Pacific NorthwestTacoma, WashingtonUniversity of Washington
Press1993
Additional Reference Guides
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.
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Dahl, Hans |
| Dahl, Ingeborg |
| Dahl, Louise
Malla--Interviews (creator) |
| Dahl, Samuel |
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Ramstad, Anders |
| Stuen, Agnes |
| Stuen, Ole |
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Tingelstad, Daniel |
| Dahl
family |
| Stuen
family |
| Dahl's Grocery store (Parkland Wash.) |
| Dahl's Peanut Butter Factory (Tacoma, Wash.) |
| Flyer Dock boat (Tacoma, Wash.) |
| Harstad Hall -- Pacific Lutheran University (Parkland,
Wash.) |
| Old
Main -- Pacific Lutheran University (Parkland, Wash.) |
| Trinity Lutheran Church (Parkland, Wash.) |
| Harmony (Minn.) |
| Stanwood (Wash.)
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| Tacoma
(Wash.) |
| Basketball--Pacific
Lutheran University |
| Depressions--1929 |
| Family--United
States |
| Golf--Pacific Lutheran
University |
| Norwegian-Americans--Northwest, Pacific--Interviews |
| Norwegian-Americans--Social life and customs |
| Oral
histories |
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.
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Cassette Counter
013/12:
Louise Amilia Sinland Dahl born in Harmony, Minnesota.
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Cassette Counter
032:
PARENTS
Samuel and Ingeborg Dahl.
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Cassette Counter
036:
BROTHERS AND
SISTERS
Anne, Teddy, Inez, and Alma.
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Cassette Counter
061:
Parents were born in Norway. Settled in Harmony. They had
some animals, but they weren't farmers.
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Cassette Counter
100:
CHILDHOOD
Left Minnesota when quite young. Went to school in
Stanwood, Washington. Malla remembers that she and her little brother had to
walk a couple of miles to school.
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Cassette Counter
139:
Malla's father was a carpenter. He helped build Harstad Hall,
the first building on the PLU campus.
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Cassette Counter
171:
Malla went to school at PLU. She came to PLU in 1894. There
was only one building. There was a board fence going across the campus.
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Cassette Counter
208:
Lived with her father and mother.
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Cassette Counter
253/13:
Ramstad was there while Malla was. So was Dr. Oscar
Tingelstad.
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Cassette Counter
274:
HUSBAND
Met her husband at PLU. Hans Dahl. He was also a student.
Trinity Lutheran Church was still being built. They wanted to get married in a
church so they used fir boughs to cover the construction. Rev. Heimdahl married
them. Had a nice wedding dress
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Cassette Counter
335:
HUSBAND
Met her husband at PLU. Hans Dahl. He was also a student.
Trinity Lutheran Church was still being built. They wanted to get married in a
church so they used fir boughs to cover the construction. Rev. Heimdahl married
them. Had a nice wedding dress
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Cassette Counter
389:
DAHL GROCERY
Walter French worked for them. The building where the
store was is still standing. During the Depression, they gave credit to
teachers at PLU. The wholesaler they bought their goods from gave them credit
so they could give teachers credit.
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Cassette Counter
474/14:
Learned to speak Norwegian from her parents. She used to go
to a Norwegian club, but she got tired of it. Her husband was of Norwegian
background too. He was born in North Dakota.
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Cassette Counter
511:
Indians came up to her house once when she was little. She
closed the doors and they all went upstairs.
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Cassette Counter
548:
Malla used to have some students live with her. The Stuens'
are good friends. Mrs. Stuen was a housemother at PLU to begin with. Malla's
sister, who worked in the dining room then, invited Mrs. Stuen over coffee
quite often.
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Cassette Counter
581:
BUILDING THE
SCHOOL
Her father helped. They built two
stories first. Then it got bigger and bigger.
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Cassette Counter
600:
Graduated from PLU in 1977, 69 years after she completed her
studies. In 1977, she went through the graduation ceremonies.
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Cassette Counter
636:
Played golf when she was a student at PLU. Was captain of the
basketball team in 1907.
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Cassette Counter
672:
TRANSPORTATION
Took the Flyer Dock boat to Seattle in those days.
Trolleys were used for transportation.
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Cassette Counter
713/15:
NORWEGIAN
TRADITIONS
They used to have rommegrøt,
rice pudding, and lefse.
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Cassette Counter
747:
VISITING PLU
She comes here quite a bit. Tells about an alumni
dinner. She had a pretty pink dress. She is the oldest alumni.
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Cassette Counter
766:
Talks about the river that goes through Stanwood. There were
a lot of Norwegian people in Stanwood.
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Cassette Counter
795:
The Dahl's closed their store in the 1940s.
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