Inger Helene Andersdatter was the wife of Hans Emahus Isakson. They emigrated from Norway to the United States (Hans in 1903, Inger Helene in 1904) and settled in North Dakota. Inger Helene was committed to the State Hospital for the Insane in Jamestown on August 13, 1915 (See Inger Helene Andersdatter for the full story). She remained there until her death on February 23, 1929. She is buried in the “Single Graves” section of the Riverside Cemetery in in Fargo, ND.
But who paid for the burial?
According to the Funeral Home Records (Hanson Funeral Home in Fargo):
- Informant: Hans Isakson, West Fargo
- Answer to “Have you suitable clothing?” – Answer: “No”
- Have you a Cemetery Lot? “No”
The burial information in the Riverside Cemetery book lists “Mrs. L. Hanson” as her closest relative/friend.
The plots in this section of the cemetery were sold individually and the burials are chronological – except for the plots next to Integer Helene. She was buried in 1929. The plot next to her has two burials that share a single head stone:
- Ragnvold Hanson (b. 1880, d. 1937)
- Lena Hanson (b. 1883, d. 1977)
Was this the “Mrs. L. Hanson” listed as the closest friend of Inger Helene in 1929?
In an email message sent on August 8, 2005 a great granddaughter of Inger Helene had this to say:
“I talked with Patsy [probably Patricia Rae Ness, daughter of Petra Necholena Hanson, daughter of Inger Helene] this morning about Inger. She also said how sad Grandma [Petra Necholena Hanson] was about her mother, Inger. Petra used to say that she would pray to forgive and understand Lena [Olina Johanna Hansdatter, her sister] for what she did with their mother. Patsy said that Petra was apprehensive when Lena came around. Petra told her that Lena misrepresented Inger and was not truthful about her, I’m assuming when she committed her [she did]. She also said that a woman came to Grandma when her mother was in the state hospital. Said she was either a patient there herself, or worked there. She came because she thought so much of Inger and wanted to help, said she was being mistreated. After hearing this, I began to think that maybe this woman’s name was Lena. The Lena that is buried by her.”
In an email message sent on August 10, 2005 the same great granddaughter said:
“In an interview with Leatrice Voss [Leatrice Mae Hegardt Voss, daughter of Olina Johanna Hansdatter and a granddaughter of Inger Helene] said “She does not remember anything about Inger… Said that both Dena and Petra believed that she didn’t belong in the hospital.”
Hans Ingvald Ragnvald Carlsen Hanson was born in Oslo, Norway on 29 Dec 1880. He was enumerated there on the 1900 Norwegian Census. He had three children with Ragna Petra Pedersen (b. 1880):
- Ragvar Hugo Norman Hanson, b. 14 May 1902 in Oslo, Norway
- Ragnhild Hilda Hanson, b. 7 September 1904 in Oslo, Norway
- Ruth Ingred Inger Hanson, b. 17 September in Oslo, Norway
The family traveled together to the United States, arriving in New York on 8 April 1908. It does not appear that they stayed together for very long:
Ragna is enumerated on the 1910 Census living in Flowing Township, Clay County Minnesota with the three children working as a servant. [Year: 1910; Census Place: Flowing, Clay, Minnesota; Roll: T624_693; Page: 3b; Enumeration District: 0051; FHL microfilm: 1374706].
One of the other servants working at the house was Sigurd Berg. It appears that they were married in 1912 and emigrated to Canada. They are seen entering the United States in 8 September 1942 to visit his brother in law [John Lee living in Ashby Minnesota] for 29 days. [The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Manifests of Alien Arrivals At Havre, Loring, Opheim, Raymond, Turner, Westby, and White Tail, Montana, 1924-1956; NAI: 4526571; Record Group: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 – 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: A3448; Roll Number: 007]
Ragnvald is enumerated on the 1910 Census living as a Roomer in Fargo. [Year: 1910; Census Place: Fargo Ward 5, Cass, North Dakota; Roll: T624_1140; Page: 7b; Enumeration District: 0043; FHL microfilm: 1375153]
According to his WWI Registration card he was living at 109 10th Street South Fargo North Dakota on 12 September 1918.
Ragnvald married Lena Hanson on 6 July 1912 in Cass County, North Dakota. [Ancestry.com. Web: Cass County, North Dakota, U.S., Marriage License Index, 1873-1944 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.]
They lived in Fargo and had six children together:
- Ragnar Norman Hanson (b. 12 January 1913)
- Ruth Lillian Hanson (b. 6 August 1914)
- Marie E Hanson (b. 4 September 1916)
- Edna J Hanson (b. 9 September 1918)
- Helen Florence Hanson (b. 6 March 1920)
- Norma Carol Hanson (b. 18 December 1923)
The family was enumerated in the 1920 census living at 109 10th Street in Fargo. [Enumeration District: 0015; Description: Fargo City, Ward 4 (part), Precinct 1 including North Dakota Childrens Home Society 804-10th S and Cass County Jail bounded by Northern Pacific Railroad, 6th S, 1st Ave S, 8th S, City limits, 11th S]
Ragnvald died on 16 October 1937 from a “Neck Fracture” and was buried next to Inter Helene at the Riverside Cemetery in Fargo.
But who was Lena Hanson and what was her connection to Inger Helene?
Lena Hanson married Ragnvald in Cass County, North Dakota: the marriage license was issued on 6 July 1912. [Ancestry.com. Web: Cass County, North Dakota, U.S., Marriage License Index, 1873-1944 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.]
When Ragnvald registered for the WWI Draft on September 12, 1918 he indicated that Lena Hanson was his wife and they resided at 109 10th street in Fargo.
She was enumerated on the 1920 US Census (January 9) living with Ragnvald, a son, 3 daughters and a lodger at 109 10th street in Fargo City, Cass County, North Dakota.
- Her stated age (37) indicates that she was born about 1883 in Norway.
- The record indicates that she emigrated in 1907.
Year: 1920; Census Place: Fargo Ward 4, Cass, North Dakota; Roll: T625_1332; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 15
There is a Lena Hanson enumerated on the 1910 US Census who could possibly be the Lena Hanson of interest. She was working as a servant in the A. J. Craig household at 402 4th Street in Fargo.
- Her stated age (27) indicates that she was born about 1883 in Norway.
- The record indicates that she emigrated in 1907.
Year: 1910; Census Place: Fargo Ward 1, Cass, North Dakota; Roll: T624_1140; Page: 5b; Enumeration District: 0038; FHL microfilm: 1375153
Lena is enumerated in the 1925 North Dakota state census:
- Her age was reported to be 41, and her birth year was reported as “abt 1884”.
North Dakota. 1915 North Dakota State Census and 1925 North Dakota State Census. State Archives and Historical Research Library, State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota.
Lena is enumerated in the 1930 census (April 3rd) living at 923 1st Avenue South in Fargo with Ragnvald, 6 children and 2 lodgers.
- Her stated age (47) indicates that she was born about 1883 in Norway.
- The record indicates that she emigrated in 1903.
- Her recorded age at first marriage (29) is consistent with an 1883 birth date.
Year: 1930; Census Place: Fargo, Cass, North Dakota; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0037; FHL microfilm: 2341467
Ragnvald filed his declaration for U.S. citizenship on February 29th 1936. According to information provided on the form:
- He and Lena were married in Fargo on July 30th, 1912.
- Lena was born in Molde, Norway on January 7th 188?.
- The last character was typed over other information on the form and is nearly illegible. It could be a 3, 6 or 8. Comparing it to other typed numbers on the form it most closely resembles a 3 to me.
- Molde is town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway.
- Lena entered the United States in New York on October 1906.
Application for Ragnvald Hansen – The State Historical Society of North Dakota; Bismarck, North Dakota; North Dakota, Naturalizations, 1873-1952
As mentioned above, Ragnvald died in Fargo on October 16 1937.
To summarize the information about Lena that can be obtained from the available records:
- She was born in Molde, Møre og Romsdal, Vestlandet, Norway on January 7th 1883.
- She emigrated to the United States and entered in New York in the month of October.
- Probably in 1907 (as stated in the 1910 and 1920 census).
- Possible in 1906 (as stated in 1936 in Ragnvold’s naturalization application).
- Possibly in 1903 (as stated in the 1930 census).
- She married Ragnvald on July 30th, 1912 in Fargo.
Lena died 15 August 1977 in Kirkland, King, Washington and was buried with Ragnvald and Inter Helene at the Riverside Cemetery in Fargo. I believe that this is true because, according to the death certificate:
- The name is Lena Hanson.
- The stated date of birth matches (January 7, 1883).
- The informant on her death certificate was Norma Odegard, daughter.
Of note: Lena’s country of birth was reported to be the United States.
What was the connection?
I may never know.
Inger Helene was living in Verona (~100 miles to the Southwest of Fargo) according to the 1910 census, and that was where she was living at the time of her commitment in 1915.
Lena appears to have lived in Fargo from 1910 through (at least) 1936. She does not appear to have been committed to the State Hospital at any point in her life.
Jamestown (where the state hospital was located) is about 100 miles to the West of Fargo, so it is not likely that Lena worked there.
Hans was living with his son Ludvig Martin in Barnes (located on the Western outskirts of Fargo) at the time of the 1920 Census. This would have been about 7 miles from where Lena was living at the time. They were still living in Barnes at the time of the 1930 census, so that is why Inter Helene’s body was transferred to Fargo when she died in 1929.
I contacted the Riverside Cemetery in 2016 to see if they had records indicating who purchased the plot for Inger Helene. They indicated that the area of the cemetery where she is buried was purchased one lot at a time and, consequently, no plot deeds were issued.
