Near the coastal center of Western Norway lies the majestic Sognefjord: Norway’s largest and deepest fjord.
At the heart of the Sognefjord is the scenic region of Ytre Sogn – the ancestral homeland of my maternal great grandmother, Emma Eithun (1900 – 1974).
Ytre Sogn – the highlighted areas are the ancestral villages within my great grandmother’s ancestry
2018 visit to Balestrand on the Sognefjord
History of the Region
Sogn was once a petty kingdom with tremendous history of notable Vikings. Among them was King Bele of Sogn – A Viking chieftain who died in battle and was buried in the village of Balestrand (named in his honor).
Statue of King Bele atop of his burial mound
Ingeborg (King Bele’s daughter) married Fridtjof the Bold – A legendary Viking from Vangsnes, across the Sognefjord from Balestrand. Stories of Fridtjof and his family were written in the Icelandic Sagas.
Fridtjof and Ingeborg on the title page of Fridtjof’s Saga
Eithun Family Origins
Nils Johnson Eithun (Emma’s father) was born in Balestrand on April 9th, 1861 and was raised by his mother on the Eithun farm. Little is known about the life of Nils’ mother; Britha Nilsdatter Tenningen. She raised Nils as a single parent until her marriage in 1874. She passed away on the Eithun farm in 1885, at the age of 60.
The Eithun farm lies next to the Sognefjord. Nils Eithun was raised on this farm and it bears the namesake of his family
In 1883, Nils (age 22) married Marie Bjørnsdatter Bøyum(age 20) at Tjugum Church in Balestrand. Records indicate that Nils and Marie’s parents were baptized at Tjugum Church, along with ancestors dating back to the 1600’s.
Tjugum Church – Where Nils and Marie were baptized and married
Nils and Marie settled on the Rød farm, where Nils’ estranged father was raised. The Rød farm is nestled on the hillside above the Eithun farm, overlooking the Sognefjord. “A farm way up in the sky, said to be a bishop’s gaard. The view from this farm is magnificent, can see seven churches. Even though located on the face of a small mountain, the farm supported large families”. – Bertha Johannesdatter Sande (1888 – 1992). Emma’s cousin.
The Rød farm, overlooking the Sognefjord
From the Fjords to America
In the late 1800’s, stories began to spread throughout Balestrand about the rich crop fields in America, with opportunity to cultivate farmland of their own. On April 9th, 1891, Nils and Marie immigrated to America, along with their children; Maria (age 5) and Anders (age 2). Their destination was Southeast Minnesota, where several relatives began to settle.
1891 Balestrand emigration list: Nils, Marie, Maria and Anders.
The family moved to Winona County, MN, where most of Marie’s siblings had settled. In 1892, Nils and Marie had a son, Benjamin [Bennie] and in August of 1895, they had a daughter, Julia. Two months later, the family arranged to move back to Norway (for reasons unknown). It was during this second stay in Norway that the family suffered a horrific accident. The eldest son; Anders (age 7), picked up a dynamite cap which exploded in his hand, removing his fingers and also one eye. Soon afterwards, the family made a haste decision to relocate back to America, where Anders would receive more suitable healthcare. In May of 1896, the family traveled back to Minnesota, bringing with them Marie’s parents; Bjørn Olson Bøyum and Marie Friksdatter Fjærestad (both age 72).
The family traveled back to America aboard the steamboat ship: Luciana (above).
Setting Roots
Upon arrival in America (for the second time), the young Eithun family moved back to familiar land in Winona County. In 1898, Nils and Marie had a son, Martin, and in 1900, they welcomed a daughter (my great grandmother), Emma. Three years later, the family moved to the former Ensrud farm, just east of Lanesboro, in the southern adjacent county of Fillmore.
County line between Winona County and Fillmore County
On June 15th, 1912, Marie suddenly passed away from complications during surgery. Two years later, Nils sold the farm and purchased the Lanesboro Hotel property.
Emma Eithun on the family farm (abt. 1914)
In 1915, Nils fell sick and was diagnosed with cancer. On November 11th of the same year, Nils passed away peacefully and was buried next to his wife at Lanesboro Cemetery.
Headstones of Nils and Marie Eithun at Lanesboro Cemetery
The Next Generation
On April 25th, 1918, Emma Eithun (age 17) married Temmen Johnson (age 22) at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lanesboro. One month later, Temmen was deployed overseas during World War I and was stationed in France and in Spain.
1918 Wedding portrait of Temmen and Emma Johnson. The witnesses were Bennie Eithun (Emma’s brother) and Cora Johnson (Temmen’s sister). Four months later, Bennie and Cora were married.
While Temmen was serving overseas, Emma was tending to the property they owned in the village of Whalan, just east of Lanesboro. Emma was pregnant and on November 15th, 1918, she gave birth to their firstborn son, Loren (my mother’s father).
1919 – Emma holding Loren on the family farm in Whalan
In the summer of 1919, Temmen returned home safely from the war. Soon afterwards, he went back to work for Milwaukee Railroad as a section foremen.
The Johnson family expanded over the next several years, having Wesley in 1921 and Gene in 1927.
Temmen and Emma had a large strawberry field on their property. Emma would can the strawberries and sell them at the local market. It is worth noting that “Emma hated strawberries”.
1930’s photo of Temmen and Emma’s strawberry field. The boy on the front-left is their son, Gene.
Gene Johnson (Temmen and Emma’s youngest son) eventually took over the property, where he established a profitable mink farm and a baseball field, used for fastpitch softball tournaments. In 2017, the Whalan Baseball Field was inducted in the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame.
Cedar Valley Resort in Whalan, Minnesota
In 2001, the property was redesigned for the purpose of commercial lodging. Known as Ceder Valley Resort, the lodge is acclaimed as one of the top resorts in all of the Midwest, and remains family owned and operated by Temmen and Emma (Eithun) Johnson’s descendants.
