Tobias Johnsen Moen

  Research Notes:

1. Source: Bygebok for Os: bygda og folket [Moen-Sara Torgersdtr Movold PDF file, page 218-219]

- left for America in 1881
- teacher from the Hammer seminary or teacher's college (seminar) in 1879*; theologian in USA [teolog]
- twin sister (Lisbet) died 1859

* the record from the Luther College Archives notes that Tobias graduated from Hamar Normal School [see point 21]

1. b.

Passenger List

** NOTE: on line 1288, same image: 569
Tobias J Moen, age 24 born in Norway - going to Fergus Falls, MN

- just above Tobias is:
Germund Olsen and family arrives at Baltimore, 28 May 1881; departure from Bremen, Germany
Ship: SS Kronprinz Fredrick Wilhelm; image 569, line 1282-1286
- handwriting isn't clear, but maybe their desgnation is Alexandria ?? Minnesota
* this shows another daughter, Kari, age 10


Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., Passenger Lists, 1820-1964 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
Original data: Selected Passenger and Crew Lists and Manifests. National Archives in Washington, D.C.



2. 1865 Norway Census

- with his parents, John Johnsen and Sarah Torgersdatter, Moen nordre

3. Norway Parish Records

- birth, baptism
- confirmation: 25 June 1876; Tolga-Narbuvall Ministerialbok, 1864-1894
- leaving parish: Utfluttede: date of "certificate" 15 Mar 1881; listed in 1881 "siminarie" leaving for N. America; Tolga-Nabruvall Ministerialbok 1877-1900, p 94

[ 8 July 2010 ]
+++ However, he is not listed on the Emigrants from Trondheim database; nor indexed on Canadian Passenger Records


4. MN State Census; 1885 Tordensjkold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN

- listed with family # 60 - difficult to read family, but looks like Ole Ilseng, his wife and daughter
++ history of Tordensjold Lutheran Church - pastor - T Moen, temporarly in 1885 [but again it is not clear if this is referring to Tobias J Moen

5. Ancestry - [ 30 Aug 2009 ] Whatcom Co, WA

- 2 Public Member trees -- descendants and ancestors, although nothing more on Sara Torgersdtr Movold

-- sources include Ancestry - census, birth, death

6. 1900 US, Whatcom Co, WA

- Tobias, Bergit (Bergith), Sarah born Jan 1893, Orley, Torah (all children born in WA)
- occupation for Tobias is Minister
- emigration 1881; Bergit 1880

7. 1910 US; Bellingham, Whatcom Co, WA

- Tobias, Bergeth, Sarah, Orley, Torah, John, Einar B, Phillip
- Tobias - Preacher - church
- Orley - newspaper carrier
- house - 1521 Grant St

8. 1920 US; Bellingham

- added, Reubin, Chester; note Torah died in 1915
- Tobias - Minister, Lutheran Church
- Sarah - Teacher, Public School
- both Tobias and Bergit, natuarlized in 1896
- house - 1521 Grant St

9. 1930 US; Bellingham

- Sarah not listed with the family
- Tobias - Paster, Lutheran Church
- Orley - Salesman, Building Material
- John - Iron Work, Construction
- Einar - Musician, Orchestra
- Philip - Lumber Piler, Saw Mill
- Rueben - Deck Hand, Pile Driver

- house - 1521 Grant St; value $4600; owns home

10. Washington State Death Records

- location for both Tobias and Bergith - Bellingham, Whatcom Co
- Tobias' mother is listed as Sarah Ferguson


11. City Directories

Pacific Coast Directory, Co, New Whatcom
- 1899, 1900-1901 - Fairhaven City, Rev T J Moen, pastor United Evangelical Lutheran Church, residence, 20th and Douglas

Polk Directories

- 1905-1930 - residence as 1521 Grant St
- 1905, p 245
- 1910, p 244, Rev T J Moen, pastor Lutheran Free Church at 1446 Franklin; Sarah - student
- 1915, p 278
- 1919, p 294, John - Labor; Sarah, Teacher, Franklin School, Tobias - $300 property value
- 1920, p 323, Lutheran Free Church, Galdstone & Potter, John - lab WRF Co, Einar, Sarah
- 1929, p 321, John, cement worker, Gus, Mill worker, Philip, Mill worker, Reuben, student
- 1930, p 291, Reuben, student, Philip, lab BCCO, Gus, Deckhand, PAF, Einar, Music
- 1933, p 268, Einar, 1351 King, music teacher; Bergith, wid, 1521 Grant
- 1936-1938 - 1521 Grant St - mother and Philip T; 1938 - Chester is listed as a student
- 1939 - mother and Philip T are listed at 1401 E Victor (same as Einar B)
- 1950 - p 378, Einar and Mary Sue at 2720 Sunset Drive; music teacher at 1224 Cornwell Ave

12. From Whatcom Co Genealogy, Church Histories - www.wagenweb.org/whatcom

- first service at Bellingham Bay Lutheran Church, 31 July 1892
- financial trouble by 1900; church building and land lost; Paster Moen rented a chapel on the cornor of Franklin and Gladstone Streets; shortly thereafter (prior to or some time in 1901) he "...resigned the parish and left town."


13. From: Scandinavians on the Pacific, Pugent Sound, 1900

- preface: "The author is indebted to the following gentleman for willing advice and information: ...Rev. T. J. Moen.....
pages 197-198
- "In Fairhaven we find many popular Scandinavians, men who are held in high esteem by the people. Rev. T. J. Moen is one who enjoys the respect and love of the community. He was born in Talgen, Norway, where he received his early education. In 1879 he graduated from Hamar Seminarium, among the highest in scholarship, and two years later emigrated to America, where he secured a position as teacher of religion. His amibtion was to be a minister of the gospel, and in 1889 entered Augsburg Seminarium [at that time Augsburg was 'deeply' influenced by the Lutheran Free Church] , spent one year in the academic department, then step into the theological college and graduated with honor after three years of diligent study [1892]. He came to New Whatcom seven years ago as paster of the United Lutheran church, and has met with success in his responsibilities."
- "Mrs. T. J. Moen, a lady of intelligence and fine training, was born in Rollag, Numedal, Norway and came to America while a loass of six years. At the age of nineteen she was united in holy matrimony to Rev. T. J. Moen. She is an earnest worker in the Sunday school, likelwise attentive to her fireside duties>'

++ Sarah was born on 3 Jan 1893 in Whatcom Co, thus Tobias and Bergith came as early as the summer of 1892 (see point 12)

14. further research - Augsburg Seminary - see point 20 and point 21;

- can't find anything online re; His ordination, studies, etc
- point 13 suggests he went to Augsburg in 1889 and was ordained in 1892 - thus Bellingham Bay Lutheran was his first church
- his time/studies at Augsburg was likely influenced by formation of the Norwegian United Lutheran Church, but also the split within Augsburg (Professors Sverdup and Oftedal) and the beginnings of the Lutheran Free Church

other parishes? --- but not confirmed, since these sources simpley record/write "T Moen"
- he did serve as a pastor prior to this, re; 1885 at Tordenskjold - re; History of Tordenskjold Church (papers from Otter Tail Historical Society)
- from John Mason's History of Otter Tail Co ... (1916), Vol 1, page 378), Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Battle Lake, "...since that time [1881] the following pasters have had charge: T Moen, 1881-91....

15. From: History of Whatcom County, pages 735-736; see transcription in Tobias Moen file - [from photocopied pages]

- first Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church, first building in the 1500 block of Grant Street; a second building in 1900 Garden and Champion Streets ... pastors ... T J Moen
- Ebenezer Lutheran, Franklin, near Gladstone Street, with T. J. Moen, pastor

16. from: Looking Back, p 347

- 1902-1903 - 9 Churches in Fairhaven; United Norweigan Lutheran, 20th Ave Northwest and Douglas Ave; Rev T. J. Moen


17. Obituary, 6 Jan 1931; The Bellingham Herald

- passed away at the family home, 1521 Grant Street
- illness of about 6 months
- survived by his widow, six sons, Einer, John, Phillip, Reuben and Chester, all of this city, and James O Moen of Seattle
- one sister, Mrs Marie Mitdahl of Norway
- one grandchild, Helen Louise Moen, city
- Mr Moen was a pioneer pastor of this city, being paster of the United Lutheran Church for 10 years and the Lutheran Free Church for 28 years (since <1903>?)

++ note - not clear who the parents are of Helen Louise Moen ? - likely John, but her mother is not known

Bergith Moen's obit 26 Dec 1939: The Bellingham Herald

- passed away after a brief illness at the family home (1401 East Victor St - Einar Moen)
- resident of Bellingham for the past 48 years <1891>
- survived by 6 sons - Einar B of Bellingham; Chester W, Phillip T, James O of Seattle; John V of San Franciso; Reuben A of Olympia; 2 sisters and 2 brothers in MN and 1 brother in Montana

18. General Research

- Bellingham Herald (viewed through GenealogyBank.com, 19 Oct 2010) notes Rev Tobias J Moen of the Lutheran Free Church officiating at funerals in Bellingham, 19 Feb 1914 and 28 July 1928; two other notices indicate him officating, 2 June 1928 and 4 May 1904


19. Henning Tønseth Nergaard data [ google translate - 29 Oct 2012 ]
comments:

"Tobias went on Hamar seminar and was graduated as a teacher in 1879. He emigrated to America in 1881 and started in 1889 to study at Augsburg College* in Minneapolis. In 1892 he completed his theological studies and got a call in the State of Washington, first in Fair Haven, then in 1902 in Bellingham north of Seattle, where he founded the Ebenezer Lutheran free church, where he worked until his retirement in 1930. He was often out on long journeys, founded many churches and new churches were erected. He was in 1949 in a historic overview of the older churches in Bellingham designated as the central figure and a pioneer in its field."

* In 1889, Augsburg would have been under influence of the "Lutheran Free Church" movement, and by 1890, it was more officially known as the Seminary College for the Lutheran Free Church.


20. From: Norlie, O. M. "Norsk Lutherske Prester I Amerika, 1843-1915", Minneapolis, MM, Augsburg Publishing House; 1915

- Page 286
- photo, 1890
- born in Tufsingdal, Tolgen, N Østerdalen; born 1859 to John Johnsen M and Sarah (Torgersen)
- frekv. Hamar Sem, 76-79 (seminarist); udv. 81; frekv. Augsburg Sem, 89-92 (C.T. - Canditatus Theologiae)
- Ord. 1892
- prest. Fairhaven, Wash, 92-02; Bellingham, Wash, 02-; Bethania Coll. (College) kom. (komite
bestyrelse - Supervisory Board committe; in Everett, WA, established 1904 [p.88]) , 95-
- married Bergith Halvorsen, 92

also see, K. G. Nilsen book, [genealogy resources, pdf], page 423

Norsk Lutherske Prester ........... [Dec 2022]
https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/527047-redirection

Augsburg Seminary
** graduated 1892, Theology department - ordained [head of Augsburg was George Sverdrup, proponent of
"Lutheran Free Church"
https://archives.augsburg.edu/islandora/object/AUGrepository%3A41120#page/24/mode/1up
Augsburg Seminary Catalog, 1892-1893 ......... page 31

- this record notes that his address was Fairhaven, WA


https://archive.org/details/norsklutherskemevol2norl/page/306/mode/1up
p. 305, 306 ; all Lutheran Free Church

Fairhaven Lutheran [est 1890]1892-1900
Bellingham Bay Lutheran - Free Church1892-1900
Ebenezar Lutheran, Bellingham [est 1902]1902-




21. From: Luther College Archives: [accessed 10 Feb 2023]
- http://norlie.luther.edu/finalpageresults.php?moreinfo=11477

Synod Affiliations
U. C.18921902 [Norwegian United Church]
F. C.19021928 [Norwegian Free Church]


22. See Østerdølenes Saga, page 423 of on-line book


23. Geni.com data - managed/ added by John Midtdal, 24 Jul 2009 [but by late 2022, managed by others;; direct link, https://www.geni.com/people/Tobias-Johnsen/6000000004867522235?through=6000000004867134780

24. Findagrave; id 7819351
= this file does NOT link to other family members - search cemetery for last name

BUT I have put the family tombstones, etc under my PC - Pictures - Cemeteries - Bay View, Bellingham, WA ^{111,1206,1214,1215,1216,1217,1218,1219,1220}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Emigration, 1881. ¹²⁰⁶

2. Residence - 1885, 1 May 1885, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²²¹

3. Residence - 1899-1901, 1899-1901, Bellingham, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States. ¹²²²

4. Residence - 1900, 1 Jun 1900, Fairhaven, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States. ¹²²³

5. Residence - 1905-1930, 1905-1930, Bellingham, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States. ¹²²⁴

6. Residence - 1910, 15 Apr 1910, Bellingham, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States. ¹²²⁵

7. Residence - 1920, 1 Jan 1920, Bellingham, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States. ¹²²⁶

8. Residence - 1930, 1 Apr 1930, Bellingham, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States. ¹²²⁷

Tobias married Bergith Halvorson about 1892 ¹²⁰⁵.^,1206 (Bergith Halvorson was born on 27 Sep 1873 in Norway,¹²²⁸ died on 25 Dec 1939 in Bellingham, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States ^{1228,1229,1230,1231} and was buried on 28 Dec 1939 in Bayview Cemetery, Bellingham, Washington, United States ^1232,1233.)