LANNY EVERETT RAGNVALD BAKKEN

General Comments

• August 6, 2008

  MY GRANDPARENTS, ANDERS RAGNVALD ANDERSEN AND RAGNHILD(E) INGVALD SATHER OR SAETHER, BOTH OF SAAMI PARENTAGE, WERE BOTH BORN IN TROMSO 1883 AND 1882, RESPECTIVELY. AFTER MARRYING, THE TWO OF THEM EMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1902, FINALLY SETTLING IN GLENDIVE, MONTANA. THE STORY GOES THAT ANDERS CHANGED THEIR LAST NAME TO "BAKKEN" BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY ANDERSENS, WHICH MANY IMMIGRANTS DID UPON ARRIVING IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY LEFT THEIR DAUGHTER HANNA(H) WITH THEIR PARENTS IN TROMSO WHEN THEY EMIGRATED. RAGNHILD EVENTUALLY GAVE BIRTH TO THREE BOYS: BERNARD BAKKEN-1913, PEDER BAKKEN-1917, RICTOR BAKKEN-1919. IN THE WINTER OF 1919, RAGNHILD AND RICTOR BOTH SUCCUMBED TO THE GREAT INFLUENZA AND PASSED AWAY, LEAVING HER HUSBAND AND TWO SONS REMAINING, AND WHO EVENTUALLY MOVED TO WASHINGTON STATE. THIS IS ALL I KNOW OF MY GRANDPARENTS, AND DEFINITELY NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THEIR ANCESTORS, OTHER THAN BEING RELATED TO FAMILIES BY THE NAME OF LARSEN AND OVERLIE. THE PICTURES I HAVE SEEN OF TROMSO ARE SO FANTASTIC AND BEAUTIFUL; THEY REALLY MAKE ME SAD BECAUSE I KNOW SO LITTLE OF MY FAMILY ANCESTORS AND DEFINITELY KNOW OF NO RELATIVES LIVING IN TROMSO TO ASK QUESTIONS!
  
  -- (August 6, 2008) on Tromsø