Esther Almira Torgerson

  Research Notes:

1. US Census

- with parents, Louis Torgerson, in 1920 & 1930 US Census

2. Obit, The Star Tribune, Minneapolis; Nov 2004

- born 17 Apr 1914 in Fosston
- married in 1947 to Harold Petsch
- as a lyric soprano on the radio, known as Gail Daniels "Norwegian Songbird", and sang her whole life in church choirs, vocal groups [ 15 Dec 2011 - google search does not provide additional information ]
- predeceaded by husband Harold and brother Orrin
- survived by Connie (Cal) Dinham and Linda (Ron) Solheim

[ Note: no obit for Harold found, 15 Dec 2011 (birth/date dates from US SSDI assumed to be the correct person ]

3. from Linda Solheim Petsch database and images; article "My Autobiography, Esther Torgerson, age, 19, 1933"
[ note that there appears to be some errors or questionable information in this autobiography, noted by double question marks, 15 Dec 2011 ]

- my grandmother [ Kirsti Movold ] bore him [Torger Olson] six children, Oline, Julia, Albert, Louis [my father], Anton [ ?? likely, Arthur ], and another brother who died young, but who had most talent in music [ ?? Olaus 2, born and died in 1880; it is not clear who this - Louis's brothers or half-brothers did not die young ]
- my grandfather [ Torger ] did not appreciate music
- my grandmother [ Kirsti - Movold ] loved music and as a young girl she sang in a large Norwegian Choir at Lilliehammer, Norway; she sang solos and accompanied herself on the guitar; she had a clear "bell" like voice; she would often sing to me songs that she had sang in her youth; she saved all the money she could so she could pay the fare to America
[ ?? as of 11 Dec 2011 I have not been able to find the Tobias Movold family in the 1865 Norway census, nor could I find Kirsti in Lillehammer in the 1865 Census; Kirsti is with the family the family in 1868 emigration, at age 15 - in 1865 she would have been age 12 or 13, which may be a bit young to have left the family to go to Lilliehammer by herself, although, at that time it was not uncommon for "older" children to work away from the family home ]
- my father [Louis] was the "third to the youngest, but not the oldest" [ ?? Louis was actually the 5 th child born - Albert, Gurine (Julia), Oline, Olaus (2) and then Louis - Arthur was the 6th child, the youngest of the family ]
- Louis learned to play the violin - since Louis' father [Torger] didn't care for music and didn't want to see or hear a violin being played in the hous, Louis had to save his money and buy a violin on his own, stored the violin in the barn and play in the in barn
- Louis' sister, Julia left home and went out west - but learned music and taught piano
- Louis' youngest brother Anton [ ?? likely Arthur ] went to homestead in Canada; also he learned to play violin
- Louis was 28 yrs went he met and then later married Olga who was 17
- Esther was 6 years old when her grandmother died in 1920 [ ?? Kirsti died in 1917 and so Esther would have been 3 years and 3 months old ] and "I remember the last thing she said to mother and father was to give us a chance in music and turning to me she said, 'Be a good girl and remember, make me proud of you in my heaven'" [ ?? ]
- I only learned Norwegian and when I went to school I was teased a lot
- my father had said that if I was to be confirmed in Norwegian, he would buy me a piano for confirmation and he did
- I started 7th grade in Fosston and boarded in town
- that year, 1927 (8th grade ?), my brother Orrin went to Agricultural College (music and carpentry) and later went to McFhail School of Music in Minneapolis
- later I went to Northwest School
- I liked my freshman year [ ?? at Northwest School or Agricultural College or were they one and same ? ] and my roomate was Beatrice Eggum, a cousin from Dalton; I spent 4 years here - AC
- I learned enough about music and I'm playing with my brother Orrin Fair programs and other programs; Orrin also has an orchestra and we play at more than one dance and celebrations - money earned has helped us with school and music lessons

--- Linda Solheim Petsch has added:
- Orrin attended AD 1927-1928
- Esther followed in his footsteps in 1929 and stayed 4 years and then went to MacFail College of Music in Minneapolis
- Orrin returned to the farm
- Esther stayed in Minneapolis and married Harold Petsch
- she continued to entertain us on her grand piano and passed on her music to her daughters and grand children

Esther married Harold Albert Petsch on 11 Jun 1937 in Hennepin Co, Minnesota, United States ^{3537,3539,3540}.^,3541 (Harold Albert Petsch was born on 28 Oct 1911 ³⁵⁴² and died on 26 Nov 1996 in Excelsior, Hennepin Co, Minnesota, United States ³⁵⁴².)