Emigration to the United States of America:

Elling Monsen was born July 20, 1874 in Vestnes, Norway, which is about 30 miles East of Ålesund. After finishing school, he drove horse-drawn carriages in Åndalsnes, bringing guests back and forth between the hotel and the ships. One particular guest was the King of Norway, possibly King Oscar II (he was the King of Sweden, who then governed Norway. He was king when Norway was recognized as a sovereign state in 1905, and he died in 1907. Read more about Norway's history). Elling also worked with the commercial fishing fleets.

On October 16, 1893, Elling married Anna Helene Gertine Sjøholt. She was from Molde, Norway, which is the capital of Møre og Romsdal (Molde is just to the north of Vestnes, across Moldefjorden).

Their first son, Michael Andreas, was born September 18, 1894. He married Julia, and then Anna. He died December 29, 1972 in Portland, Oregon.

The next year, on April 4, 1895, 21 year old Elling Monsen departed from Ålesund, Norway on the Hvide Stjerne Line (White Star Line). He was listed as Elling Monsen Remmen, a married farmer from Vestnæs, with the destination of "Amerika."

At that time, passengers bound for the US would take a feeder ship from Norway to Hull, England. Then they would ride on a train to Liverpool, where they would wait to board the White Star Line ship to America. You can read more about the voyages. Also read about the experiences travelling from Hull to Liverpool in England.

After arriving in the United States, Elling made his way to Menominee County, Michigan. On July 10, 1895 he applied to become a U.S. citizen at the county circuit court. Here is his Declaration of Intention.

Twenty year old Anna D. Remmen left Norway on the same shipping line as Elling. She would have been about 8 months into her pregnancy with their second son, Daniel, at the time. She was travelling with Elling's unmarried brother, Anton M. Remmen.

They left from Ålesund, Norway on October 10, 1895 on the Hvide Stjerne Line, destination Michigan. Anton was 18 years old at the time, from Ørskoug (Ørskog, the kommune just below Vestnes, in the Rypdal area), which is where Sjøholt is.

Their second son, Daniel, was born November 7, 1895, about 10 days after Anna, who did not speak English, arrived in the United States. Daniel married Olga. He died of blood poisoning in Tacoma, Washington in 1939.

Elling and Anna moved on to Inkster, North Dakota, where their first daughter, Sina, was born July 16, 1897. Elling worked driving livery (horse) teams and as a grain farmer. Sina married Joseph John Sladek. She died in Puyallup, Washington on February 1, 1984.

Second daughter, Kristianna (Christine), was born September 28, 1898 in South Dakota. She married Viggo "Vic" S. Rasmussen. Kristianna died in Tacoma, Washington on February 21, 1968.

Emil Barnaby Remmen (my grandfather) was born April 22, 1900 in Michigan City, North Dakota. He married Margaret "Alice" Moore. Emil died in Bremerton, Washington on July 22, 1975.

Elling (and, by default, Anna and the children) became United States citizens on November 3, 1900. This took place at the Nelson County, North Dakota District Court. Anna signed the record as one of the witnesses. Here is a copy of their Naturalization Record.

Margaret was born May 14, 1902 (probably in Michigan City, also). She suffered a massive heart attack at age 36 while swimming in the Hot Springs at Juneau, Alaska, and died in November, 1938.

Elling Mons, Jr. was born December 31, 1903 in Michigan City, North Dakota. He married Bernice Stevens, and died April 1, 1981 at the home of his daughter, Donna, just outside Belfair, Washington.

Elling Sr. received doctors' diagnosis of a bad heart, and, given only 6 months to live, took his family to Washington State, settling in Tacoma in 1904. He lived another 46 years.

Elling worked as a longshoreman (he was a charter member of the longshoreman's union in Tacoma, as was his brother, Sivert), as a blacksmith, was a practicing veterinarian, and helped in excavating Stadium Bowl, at Stadium High School, in Tacoma. He also excelled as a lumber grader, and traveled to California as a veterinarian.

Elling gave his life to the Lord and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles, California. He convinced Anna that he had "found the treasure her grandmother had." Anna joined him in 1917 and found the same experience. After vacationing in Long Beach, California, they returned to Tacoma.

Olaf was born June 4, 1905. He married Vera (Nyes?), later married Mary. He died in Chico, California on November 10, 1964.

Albert was born July 19, 1907, was not well, and died in the fall of 1913.

Sidney was born October 19, 1909, lived only about 3 months and died in January, 1910.

While living in Fern Hill (South Tacoma) at 84th & Asotin, Dorothea Helen was born on November 3, 1910. She married Clarence Lee Bulger. Dorothea died July 21, 1983 in Bremerton, Washington.

Verna Evelyn was born January 11, 1915 at 1831 East Morton Street in Tacoma, Washington. She Married Paul Garman.

In about 1919 the family moved to Lewis County, Washington, settling on a ranch in the hills above McCormick, near Pe Ell, where the children attended school. The road leading up to their home is still called Remmen Road. Today the road to the family farm is nothing more than a trail through the woods. The farm and all the buildings were abandoned and finally torn down years ago. Nothing remains, except for the overgrown orchards.

Alice Selma was born January 6, 1920 in McCormick, Washington. She married Anders Dahl.

Esther Leota, the 14th and final child of Elling and Anna, was born September 23, 1921 in McCormick, Washington. She married Haldor Dahl, Anders' brother.

Elling worked at lumber mills both in McCormick and in nearby Pe Ell as a lumber grader and as night foreman. He also farmed 30 acres (Olaf had another 30 acres, probably adjoining) with additional hundreds of acres of open rangeland, where he raised cattle (golden jerseys with a black sire). The combined 60 acres produced fruit and vegetables, which were canned "by the tens of thousands."

During this time, Elling rented a hall, paid all the expenses, and brought an evangelist from California, Malcom "Mac" Edmunson with his wife Mary and their daughter Eileen. This started the only full gospel church in the ocean-beach-highway area. "Only time will honor his efforts, where they cannot be ignored." (Dorothy Remmen-Bulger quote)

In 1935 the family moved back to Tacoma, living on a ranch in Midland, and then, in August 1937, at 3585 South G Street, where they lived until Elling died from a heart attack on February 7, 1950.

After Elling died, Anna lived alone until she fell with a broken hip and spent two years in a nursing home. Esther Dahl graciously paid her expenses during Anna's recuperation. Anna had a few months out of the nursing home, staying with her daughter Alice's family until she died of a heart attack on November 26, 1960.

Elling and Anna have adjoining plots at the New Tacoma Cemetery in Tacoma, Washington.

When Elling and Anna first arrived in the United States, they took the name Remmem, from Elling's home in Norway. After a time, they found that the name was difficult to pronounce in English, and so had it legally changed to Remmen.

~ Many thanks to Harry Bulger, who with his mother Dorothy Bulger, and aunts Alice Dahl, Esther Dahl, and Verna Garman provided many of the details for the preceding history of Elling and Anna's family. ~