Comments on: How Norwegian Emigration to America Shaped Two Nations

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 08:19:23 +0000

We have recently learned that our great grandfather and grandmother immigrated from Norway to NY in 1920. Soon after, my grandfather was born.
I cant piece together how he got to Oklahoma and married my grandmother there. She had some Cherokee heritage, we were told.
As someone else mentioned, we never talked about our heritage, just proud to be American. I do want to say that it would have been nice to have known some of it.
We inherited a few, mostly unmarked, photos when my dad passed away.
Eventually, my grandparents moved to Kansas and grandpa worked on an oil rig-hardly home, the story goes. My mom and dad met and married in Kansas. Grandfather passed b4 any of us grandchildren arrived. So always a mystery. Somehow along the way, someone said he was from Argentina. Records show he did have darker skin tone. Maybe they had come from Argentina before that?
Looks like all of that family was from Norway until someone in the 1700s from Sweden. Never know!
But I woukd like to learn more about each of my grandparents- we just didnt talk about all that.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 22:56:06 +0000

Interesting article. My paternal grandparents emigrated 1877 and 1884 and my father was born in 1899. I am 79 so my parents had us late in life. I do know my mother’s father was from Norway and her mother was born in Wisconsin from Norwegian emigrants. She is the only one I knew. This excites me to look into their history a little more. No one shared the past – they were so proud to be Americans. I have books, old photo albums, etc, from the 1880’s in Norwegian but nobody wants them. What a pity as they will die with me I’m afraid.

By: greg

greg — Tue, 20 May 2025 12:34:04 +0000

Six of my eight great-grandparents came from Norway between 1864 and 1891. One came from Oppland, three came from Hedmark, one came from Akershus, and one from Nord-Trøndelag. The other two great-grandparents were born here to Norwegian parents who had arrived in the mid-1850s. All lived in Minnesota, and all but one died and are buried in Minnesota. Some homesteaded, but most gravitated towards Minneapolis and St. Paul.

By: harold hommeland

harold hommeland — Tue, 20 May 2025 09:52:05 +0000

* DON’T FOR FORGET THE SAILORS AND SEAPORTS!
My family came to pensacola, florida about 1890ish from Stravanger-
as merchant mariners, they hauled southern longleaf yellow pine back to the motherland. If you research some of the buildings you will find many were made with what was called ‘yellow gold’, for the southern U.S. was known yellow pine that was strong and the resin was of great value.
also for
NAVAL LIVE OAK THAT WAS EXCELLANT FOR SHAPING THE HULLS OF MANY ships.
850 206 7696
HAROLD HOMMELAND