Kamilla's Trip to the USA
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Kamilla's sister Anna sailed to
the USA in 1904. While there she met and married
Alf Hansen (also from Norway) and were living in
Chicago. Perhaps with Anna's financial assistance, Kamilla
decided to visit her sister, Anna. Many Norwegians had sent
glowing reports about America telling about the freedoms,
economic opportunities and
affordable land. She may have wanted to see if she, too,
could find a good job. (Kamilla also had an aunt and uncle,
the Martinson's, in Chicago but it is unclear when they came
to the USA.) Kamilla migrated in 1909 at the age of 18 and
made a trip similar to Martin's, again without English
fluency .
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Anna sent a picture postcard from Chicago of herself,
husband, and first child, Anne, as part of a picnicing group
in 1908.
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Kamilla's sister, Karoline may have travelled with her to
visit Anna. There are pictures of her in Chicago and later
back in Oslo, and then again in the USA. The number of trips
that she made is not known.
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Other
images
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See other images of Kamilla, her parents and siblings,
and the Oslo area. Larger printable images are available
from this location.
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Kamilla's
Story:
Woldhagen Family
Site
This page was last updated by Carolynne White
January 22, 2003
Anna's trip
Anna Kristine Hansen came to the USA on the Oscar II in 1904. On
the ship's manifest, she is listed as being 18 years of age,
unmarried, from Vaaler, Solor. Her destination was Chicago and her
fare was prepaid. There is another listing of 40.00 which is
described as "medbragten penge". The Martin's (Petra's brother and
sister-in-law) were living in Chicago.
Anna's Marriage
Anna met Alf Henry Hansen in Chicago. They married on 6 September
1907 when Alf was 28 and Anna, 22. The official notice of the
marriage was filed in the Cook County records on 10 September
1907.
Lack of opportunities led to Emigration:
In Norway, the late 1800's and early 1900's were a time and place
when farming did not offer a promising future and emigration to the
USA was a popular alternative for both religious freedom and economic
opportunity. The population was expanding and Norway had been chafing
under Sweden's dominance. Politically, the conflict with Sweden was
finally coming to a resolution. A Norwegian referendum in August1905
ended the "union".
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English
Mildred remembers Kamilla's ability to speak English and feels
that she must have had some knowledge of English before she left
Norway. Certainly, Kamilla would have had more opportunity to be
exposed to English because she lived in Oslo
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