Johan Fritz Johansen Bevensen

And

Kristopha Marie Ingvaldsen

(known circa 1895-1901 as John and Mary Johnson ~ after 1901 as Fred and Mary Bevan)

Johan Fritz Johansen Bevensen:

Call name: Fritz Johansen or Fritz Bevensen

Note: According to patronymic naming practices, his last name would have been his fathers' first name with "sen" added to the end. Hence the surname Johansen. The peoples of Schleswig, where his father was born, were required by law in the mid 1700's to adopt a fixed last name, his father's being Bevensee, then becoming Bevensen circa 1848. In Norway a law during the 1850's required a fixed last name, but this was not universally practiced until about 1900. He is referred to as both Johansen and Bevensen.

Fritz is a shortened version of the name Frederick and Friedrich.

* 05. 03. 1864 at farm Refvem [today Revheim] in Madla parish, Rogaland county, Norway

~ 16. 03. 1864

Confirmed: 27. 04. 1879. The priest noted that he had "good knowledge, but read from the book [Bible] poorly."

Vitals: Brown hair, blue eyes, 5'8" tall and 160 lbs.

Parents/siblings: see Johan Nikolai Jochim Diedrich Bevensen and Berta Serine Ånensdatter Viste

oo 04. 08. 1893 with Kristopha Marie Ingvaldsen at New York City, New York

The date and place of this marriage has not been confirmed. No record of their marriage can be located in Helena, Montana; Brainerd, Minnesota; Jamestown, North Dakota or New York City, New York. They may have been married before they left Norway in 1893 or in England or Scotland on their way to the United States. It is also possible that they were married at Ellis Island. Single women were not allowed to leave the entry port in the company of a man not related to them. Many couples had to be married there. Records from Ellis Island were destroyed by fire. Family sources cite 04 August, 1893 at New York City, New York.

+ 06. 06. 1939 at Salmon, Lemhi county, Idaho, age 75

[ ] 07. 06. 1939 at the Salmon City Cemetery, Block L, Lot 54, Grave 1

Name:

1864-1882 He was born Johan Fritz Johansen Bevensen, commonly known as Fritz Bevensen and Fritz Johansen

1882-1902 Upon arriving in the United States he went by John Johnson; spelled as "Johan F. Johnson" in the 1900 census. The family pronounced this name as "Yon Yonsen." School census reports from 1897 and 1898 give his name as "F. J. Johnston" and "F. J. Johnson." The reports from 1900 and 1901 give his name as "John F. Johnston" and "John F. Johnson."

Circa 1902/1903 the family name was changed Bevan, [pronounced BEE-van] to reflect the original surname as it was in Norway. During the 1930's some descendants began writing the surname as BeVan and continue to do so today. This was probably to aid in pronounciation.

As noted above, Fritz is a shortened version of Frederick. His wife Mary always referred to him as "the Gent," while his boys called him the "Old Man."

Occupation:

1893 - 1903 Farm hand/irrigator/laborer

1903 - circa 1920 Hard rock miner

1912 - 1939 Farmer raising hay and livestock; firewood cutter and seller

Residences:

1864 - 1882 farm Refvem, Madla parish, Rogaland county, Norway

1882 - 1893 United States, location unknown. He left Norway in March, 1882 at age 18. It was common practice for a child migrating to the USA to receive his or her inheritance upon leaving Norway. This ensured that the immigrants would be able to establish themselves and have a good life in the USA. His parents sold their farms at Refvem in November, 1881. He would have first boarded a ship in Stavanger, Norway belonging to the Wilson Line company. The ship would have landed at Hull, England and from here he could have boarded a train to either Glasgow, Scotland or Liverpool, England. At one of these towns he boarded a steam ship belonging to the White Star Line and landed at Castle Garden near New York City on either April 1 or April 7. He could have been aboard the Domino, the Adriatic or the State of Florida. Aboard these three ships were many young men named with variants of Johan Johansen. Castle Garden was the entry point into the United States until Ellis Island opened in 1890.

He lived in New York City at some point. He said that he once saw a woman walking down the street and that she looked exactly like Marie Ingvaldsen. He ran after her, yelling her name, but it turned out to be the wrong person. He often went cross-country skiing in New York. Once while returning home, he had removed his skiis and was carrying them over his shoulder. A passerby mistook his shaking and exhaustion as symptoms of syphilis and told him that he had better get off of the street.

Fred saved up money and returned to Norway and brought Marie Ingvaldsen back to the USA. They left from Stavanger, Norway on 11 February, 1893 aboard a ship belonging to the Wilson Company. They would have landed at Hull, England and from here boarded a train to either Glasgow, Scotland or Liverpool, England. At one of these locations they would have boarded another ship going to New York City, New York. They arrived in New York harbor on 3 March, 1893. All the records at Stavanger were destroyed by fire, as were the records at Ellis Island. Passenger lists do survive, but there were many individuals with similar names onboard, especially men with variants of the name Johan Johansen. The ships arriving at Ellis Island on 3 March, 1893 were the Anchoria; the Mohawk; the City of Paris; the Teutonic; the Suevia and the Norwegian. The dates from 1893 were written in the margins of Mary's cookbook.

Circa 1893 - 1894: Jamestown, North Dakota. Fred and Mary told of having a rope tied between the house and barn, to keep them from getting lost in a blizzard.

Circa 1895 - 1899: Helena, Montana. For a while Fred worked for Noah Abraham Mattice as a ranch hand and irrigator. The Mattice ranch was in Ten Mile valley and within the Baxendale School District, 8 miles west of Helena. School census reports from August, 1897 and August, 1898 find the family living in the Baxendale School District. These census reports were used to keep track of how many inhabitants lived in the area who were, or would be, of school age.

June, 1900- August, 1901: Belmont township, Lewis and Clark county, Montana. Fred was listed as Johan F. Johnson and his occupation as day laborer on the June, 1900 census for Montana. The census also noted that son "Burner" was "at school" and that the family was renting their home. Belmont was a mining town located at the base of Mount Belmont, along the Continental Divide, and had it's own post office from 1879-1882. Soon afterwards it was overtaken as the area's main population center by the nearby town of Marysville, Montana. Marysville, Closter and Belmont were approximately 18 miles northwest of Helena in the Silver creek drainage. School census reports from Closter School District #19 from August, 1900 show "Barnard, Fred, Thorval and Magness", sons of "John F. Johnston", and from August, 1901: "Barnard, Fred, Magness and Thorval" sons of "John F. Johnson." Bonner attended school in both years, but the other boys were not old enough.

Map showing School district #19 within which the Bevans lived from circa 1900 until 1901.

Circa 1902 - 1903: Plano, Idaho. Fred came here first and Mary and the boys came later by freight wagon from Marysville, Montana. They walked most of the way. Before embarking on the trip, Mary had the four boys baptised. While living at Plano, Fred was employed as an irrigator on a farm. They ate a lot of jackrabbits that they trapped in the haystacks and suckers that they caught in the canal. Obviously, the family was not doing well economically. Ore shipments began in 1902 from Gilmore, Idaho to Duboise, Idaho. Duboise was the closest railroad terminal to Gilmore and just north of Plano. I suspect that these ore shipments meant that work was available in Gilmore at the mines, and this prompted Fred to go there.

Circa 1903 - c. 1908: Gilmore, Idaho. Fred first came here on 15 September, 1903, according to his citizenship papers. Here Fred built a log home for his family and was employed as a miner at either the Latest Out or the Gilmore & Pittsburgh mine, or both. The former was a silver mine and the latter was a lead mine. While here, Mary worked for Anne Jagger who owned a boarding house/hotel. Anne Jagger was known as a woman who could whip any man. Their son Magnus remembered seeing the Lemhi-Shoshoni Indians being marched through town on their way to Fort Hall near Pocatello, Idaho in May/June, 1907. Mary said that she spent alot of time walking around town asking people if they had seen her boys anywhere.

Circa 1908 Salmon, Idaho. It was during this time that Fred worked at the Rabbits Foot and the Singheiser mines. Both were located near one another at Meyers Cove, an area of the Panther Creek drainage.

1909-1939 Living on Indian Creek near Ulysses, Idaho. The family settled on a piece of property that was 32 acres in size and very close to the mouth of Indian Creek. They are known to have been living here on 24 February, 1909.

At the Indian Creek homestead Fred built two log homes for his family; raised hay and livestock and grew a vegetable garden. Mary planted an orchard with trees that she grew from seed. Fred worked at either the Kitty Burton or the Ulysses mine, perhaps both, for many years. He began the three-year citizenship process in September, 1910. He and Mary became citizens of the United States on 16 April, 1913. Fred had to be a citizen before he could file on his homestead. Fred received the title to this homestead on 2 October, 1916.

The Bevan's began paying property taxes in 1917. In that year tax records show that the family owned 2 cows worth $60; 1 calf worth $20; 2 horses worth $20; 8 dogs and one wagon worth $40. Their taxes amounted to $14.95. In 1921 the family owned 16 dogs, 8 cows, 1 calf and 2 horses. In 1929 they owned 6 cows, 9 calves and 2 mules.

Fred once went into a saloon and on a table sat a bucket filled with gold. The patrons told him that if he could lift it, he could have it. It was a joke, and because of it's great weight, no one was strong enough to lift the bucket. In another saloon he was having a drink when a man came up behind him and pushed his thumbs into Fred's eyes. This mans' partner then grabbed Fred's money and ran out of the saloon. Fred said that he couldn't chase them because he couldn't see anything for a while. Another story tells that he attempted to fly once and tied boards to his arms, climbed up on a roof, and jumped off. Once while walking home on a trail after dark, he saw a solid black object ahead. He feared that it was a bear and cautiously walked backwards down the trail. When he returned at daylight the object turned out to be either a tree stump or a rock.

After he got older, he enjoyed sitting by the heating stove and telling stories while he smoked his pipe. He earned extra money by cutting and selling firewood. He enjoyed working in his garden and spent alot of time in his shop. Once while trapping for gophers, a rattlesnake got caught in one of the traps. Another time he found a salmon in his irrigation ditch. He speared it with a pitchfork and carried it home over his shoulder, with it's dragging on the ground. When his grandchildren came to visit he would give them mints that he kept in his dresser drawer. He had a stroke on 25 July, 1938. He was weeding his garden and said that the hoe suddenly got very heavy. At this time Torv, Magnus, Hazel, Verda and Hilliard were up at the head of Owl Creek, at Willow Meadows, working a mine. A neighbor and friend, Jimmy Hall, walked up the trail and told them the news and the family came out.

Fred and Mary sold their homestead on 19 January, 1939 to Margaret Hall Frueauff, a movie actress whose screen name was Margaret Perry, for $3,500. She was married to Burgess Meredith from 1936-38; her mother was actress Antoinette Perry, for whom the Tony Awards were named; and her father was millionaire businessman Frank Frueauff. Margaret Perry owned all of the property along Indian Creek from the Ranger station up to that belonging to the Ulysses Gold Mine Company.

Fred and Mary then went to live with their son Torvil and his family on the East Fork of Indian Creek. Fred died from a heart attack at the Rose Hospital at Salmon, Idaho early on 6 June, 1939. At this time Magnus, Hazel, Verda and Hilliard were again working a mine, the Western Tanager, up Owl Creek, and staying in their cabin. Torv walked up the trail and told them the news. They walked down the trail after dark with Torv packing Hilliard and helping Verda cross the creek on logs.

Fred's sister Ane Kyllingstad, who lived near Brainerd, Minnesota at Long Lake township, came to visit Fred and Mary at Indian Creek at least once during the 1930's. The Bevan's pronounced her last name as "Clingston."

Also immigrating to the United States were Josephine (Tørresen) Hansen and her brother David Tørresen, Fred's niece and nephew. They migrated to the USA in 1907 along with Josephine's husband, Leonard Hansen. The Hansen' settled first on a farm at Kimball, South Dakota and later farmed at Faith, South Dakota. David Tørresen lived with Josephine and Leonard in 1910 at Kimball, South Dakota. He later lived with his family on a farm at Torrey Lake, South Dakota and later at Verndale, Minnesota.

Signature:

 

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Kristopha Marie Ingvaldsen:

Call name: Marie

* 03. 04. 1863 at Stavanger, Rogaland county, Norway

Parents/siblings: see Skippar Bernt Tobias Ingvaldsen and Grethe Jorine Monsdatter

~ 26. 04. 1863 at Stavanger Cathedral

Vaccinated for Smallpox: 05. 09. 1864

Confirmed: 07. 10. 1877 at Madla parish. It was noted that her knowledge was 'good' and that her behavior was 'very good'

Vitals: Brown hair, blue eyes, and, as she was fond of saying, "5 feet tall and 36 inches around the middle."

Residences:

1863-1874 Living at Stavanger, Rogaland county, Norway

1874 - 1877 Living at farm Refvem, number 16, in Madla parish, Rogaland county, Norway, according to the census of 1875 and her confirmation record from 1877. This was the home of her Uncle, John Ingvaldsen Aasland.

1885 - 1893 Living in Stavanger with her sister Thrine Jorgine Ellingsen and her family at Rosenkildegate 966, according to the census of 1885. I speculate that she continued to live here until her immigration to the USA in 1893. Thrine Jorgine's husband, Martinius, died in 1887 leaving Thrine to care for their four children.

1893 - 1939 See above

1939 - 1949 living at many places. First with her son Torvil and family on the East Fork of Indian Creek; then later with her son Magnus and family at Beaver Creek; then at Boyle Creek with her son Fred Jr. and family; then at Northfork, Idaho in a cabin behind the general store and finally at Silbaugh's rest home in Salmon, Idaho.

+ 29. 08. 1949 at 6 P.M. at Salmon, Lemhi county, Idaho, age 86. Buried in the Salmon City Cemetery, Block N, Lot 21, Grave 4.

Additional Information:

She told that as a child her family would often go to the harbor in Stavanger to greet her father on his return from sea. She would play on the boat while the adults visited. One time when no one was looking, she climbed up into the crow's nest. Everyone got scared and were afraid that she would fall. They stretched out nets below her. Her father climbed up and brought her down safely.

Her father drowned in the North Sea when she was 10 years old. She said that they waited and waited for his ship to return but it never did. In the same year her mother died, and since Mary was now an orphan, the law required that custody of her be given to her father's family. She was placed with her father's brother, John Ingvaldsen Aasland, who with his wife, Maren, cared for her. John owned land at farm Refvem and a brick-making factory at farm Madla. They gave her the nickname Maja.

It was while living here that she met Fritz Bevensen, and the two became friends. As children they herded their family's sheep flocks together, and later were to be married. He came to the United States in 1882, saved up money and returned to Norway and brought Mary to the United States. They left Stavanger, Norway on 11 February, 1893 and arrived in the United States on 3 March, 1893 at Ellis Island. She said that this day was the "lonesomest day of her life," since she didn't know anyone, couldn't talk to anyone and wanted to cry.

When first arriving in the United States she was known as Mary Johnson, and after circa 1903 she was known as Mary Bevan. She was known to her children as "Ma."

Mary told of cutting hay with scythes and putting it into shocks. It had to be turned often because of the damp climate, since farm Refvem was located on an inlet of the ocean. She told about the houses and fences being built of rock and of burning peat in the heating/cooking stoves. She said that in Norway she did alot of fancy embroidery work, but none after she came to the United States.

She had the initials KMI tattooed on her right arm, just above her elbow. This was most likely because her father would of also had his initials tattooed on his body as a way of identification in case of death at sea. She learned to read English by studying the labels on canned foods, and taught herself to play the harpsichord. When she brushed her hair she wore a special collar and as she got into bed at night, would put her clothes under the mattress. She only wore pants once. She tried on a pair of Verda's and came out of her room wearing them under her dress. She held up her dress and danced around a little. She parted her hair on the left side and cut it just below her ears. She referred to the cut as "my style."After the evening meal and dishes were done it was "time to be ladies" and she would fix a cup of tea and have a square of chocolate. Her special treat for the grandchildren was Kandy Korn that she kept in a silver can in the kitchen. When something made her upset, she would say "Uff mercy."

When she had company, she would peel boiled potatoes and fry them. When they were done she would open a can of sardines and mix them in. After cooking a family meal, she would hide all of the pots and pans in the cupboards to keep her daughter-in-laws from having to wash them. They would find them and wash them anyway. She was fond of salmon, and her son Magnus took her one once while she was living at Northfork. Later she said that it was "good, but was too much for even me."

As a wedding present to Magnus and Hazel she gave them 12 Leghorn chickens. She started apple trees from seed and planted an orchard at the Indian Creek place. She enjoyed fishing on Indian Creek and once fell and broke her leg. When she was well into her 80's she climbed up the steep trail to Panther Creek hotsprings for a family outing.

Mary had many relatives who also immigrated to the United States. One was her cousin Bertilde Teresia Ingvaldsen, a daughter of John Ingvaldsen Aasland, who married Jacob Jacobsen. They settled near Boston, Massachusetts in 1911, and later lived at Dartmouth, Massachusetts. They had two sons and one daughter.

Another daughter of John Ingvaldsen Aasland, Torborg, emigrated to the USA. Her husband Ole Martinius Corneliusen first emigrated circa 1888 and later in 1894 Torborg and their four children emigrated. In the USA their names were Martin and Torborg Corneliusen. Martin was a carpenter and died before 1910. In 1900 this family lived at Brooklyn, New York and in 1920 at Manhattan, New York. Their son John, born in 1895, came to visit the Bevan family on Indian Creek several times during the 1920's and 1930's. His last name was pronounced "Knelyetssen" by the Bevan's, but they always referred to him as "Cousin John." On one visit he borrowed a horse and buggy to take a lady he was interested in for a ride. When he got back he said that the next time he wanted a different horse, because the one he had "farted too much." His last visit was circa 1933. A veteran of WWI and a seaman for 23 years with the McCormick S. S. Co. He died 23 December, 1963 at San Fransisco, CA and is buried in Golden Gate National cemetery.

Mary corresponded with many of her relatives in Norway, particularly the daughters and a granddaughter of her sister. She often sent them care packages. She would buy butter, melt it and then skim off the whey, and send this to them. After she wrote a letter and sealed the envelope, she would put it on the seat of her chair and then sit on it for an hour. She wrote in both English and Norwegian.

Among her friends were: Anne Jagger, Tommy Boyle, Frank and Tillie [Matilda] Hall; Viola Schulenberger; Mary Pierson; Neale and Laura Poynor and Tom Christensen (known to most people as "Hacksaw Tom," although she would never call him this). He was Norwegian and they spoke their language together.)

While living at Northfork, she would watch out the window for a chance to use the shared outhouse and go "pdess." Once while living here, Tommy Boyle drove her to Beaver Creek to visit with Magnus and family. They stopped at a place known as Halfway Camp (halfway between Shoup and Panther Creek) so that Mary could use the outhouse. When she opened the door, she found a man already using it. She said "Uff mercy, you mean you got to stand in line down here too?" She never used the word "outhouse" and instead called it "the summer house."

At one point she stayed with Tommy Boyle who owned a house in Ulysses. Tommy was responsible for taking care of the mine properties there. It was wintertime and Tommy was worried that Mary would get cold in her room at night. Her room was just off of the living room, where the heating stove was. Tommy cut a hole through the wall, near the ceiling, to let more heat in. Mary somehow managed to get on a chair and block the hole from inside her room, for the sake of modesty.

For two weeks before she died, her daughter-in-law Hazel and granddaughter Verda stayed with her in her room at Silbaugh's rest home. The day before she died she sat up in bed. Magnus pointed to Verda and asked Mary "Who's that?" She said "Werda" since she always pronounced V as W. Then Mary asked "has everybody got plenty to eat, is everyone happy?" She smiled and laid back down and went to sleep. The next evening at 6 PM she started to cough, and Hazel went to get Mr. Silbaugh and brought him to the room. He came in and crossed her arms, and then called the funeral home. The doctor told the family that her body was just "worn out."

After she died, Hazel got her winter coat. Magnus, Hazel and family had been away from their home at Sawlog Gulch one winter day. Since the house was cold when they got back, Hazel kept the coat on until it got warm. After a while someone spotted a twenty-dollar bill laying on the floor and no one knew where it could had come from. They got to looking and found a total of sixty dollars sewn into the lining of the coat. Mary had hidden this money in case of emergencies when she was travelling.

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Children of Fred and Mary Bevan:

I. Bonner -

* 23. 01. 1895 at Helena, Lewis & Clark, Montana

He was named for a first cousin, Lars Bonner Ellingsen, who died at age 4 in 1888 from a drowning accident near Stavanger, Norway.

oo with Martha Mattice, 21. 09. 1929 at Helena, Lewis & Clark, Montana. She was * 03. 02. 1907 at Helena, Montana and + 23. 12. 1984 at Ogden, Utah. Martha was the daughter of Noah Abraham and Christina (Olsen) Mattice. Christina was also from the area of Stavanger, Norway and acted as the mid-wife at the birth of Torvil Bevan in June, 1899. Fred Bevan Sr. worked at the Mattice ranch which was located at Ten Mile Valley and within the Baxendale School District some eight miles west of Helena. In 1909 a second cousin of Mary Bevan married the first cousin of Christina Mattice.

On 5 October, 1931 they purchased a 90 acre piece of property at the mouth of Spring Creek along the Salmon River from James and Mary Hibbs, the original homesteaders, for $3,500. They sold this property on 22 April, 1935 to brother Fred Bevan, Jr. for $100 and the assumption of a $1,500 mortgage.

+ 06. 04. 1964 at Reno, Nevada. Buried at Forestvale cemetery, Helena, Montana, in the Mattice family plot

One child:

1. Frank Sheldon "Spinky" Bevan, * 24. 07. 1931 at Salmon, Idaho; + 27. 08. 1993 at Jacksonville, Florida.

Bonner was a miner, farmer, mine carpenter and a member of the Montana Wagoner Sup. Co. 13th Infantry during World War I.

II. Fred, Jr. -

* 13. 10. 1896 at Helena, Lewis & Clark, Montana

oo 18. 01. 1931with Lucille L. Goddard at Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho. They were later divorced. She was * 22. 10. 1915 at Salmon, Idaho to William Robert and Martha Goddard. She died 07. 08. 1976 at Spokane, Washington.

One child:

1. Living child

+ 01. 03. 1972 at Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho. Burial in the Salmon City Cemetery. His military headstone gives the incorrect year of birth.

Veteran of World War I. He was an outfitter and guide, a packer and prospector. Nick-named the "Shiek" by brother Magnus because wherever he went he always seemed to have lots of girls following him.

On 20 March, 1929 he received the patent on an 18 acre homestead on Spring Creek. He sold this property on 23 August, 1932 to Charles and Chris Stauffenberg for $1,000.

On 22 April, 1935 he purchased his brother Bonner's property at the mouth of Spring Creek for $100 and the assumption of a $1,500 mortgage. On 19 October, 1936 the mortgage in the amount of $1,590 was paid in full.

On 14 April, 1936 he received the patent on a 29 acre piece of property on Indian Creek. He sold this property on 07 December, 1938 for $1 to his mother. She sold it back to him on 7 October, 1939 for $1. On 09 May, 1943 this property was sold to Margaret Bevan, widow of brother Torvil, for $1,600.

On November 09, 1938 Fred Bevan, Jr. sold the mail contract for the Shoup area to Frank Stanger for $50.00

III. Magnus -

* 09. 01. 1898 at Baxendale, [near Helena] Lewis & Clark, Montana. Commonly known as Mag.

oo 03. 03. 1932 with Hazel Swett at Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho. Their wedding reception was the largest ever held in Shoup with 75 local people attending. The festivities lasted for 2 days and 1 night. Two gallons of homemade whiskey, three quarts of chokecherry wine, ten pounds of mixed candy and lots of cigars and tobacco were consumed. They were later divorced in 1958. She was * 12. 08. 1913 at Vernal, Utah and + 24. 02. 2002 at Salmon, Idaho.

Two children:

1. Living child

2. Hilliard Magnus Bevan, * 27. 04. 1937 at Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho; + 06. 08. 2005 at Panther Creek, Lemhi, Idaho; [ ] 10. 08. 2005 at the Salmon City Cemetery, Salmon, Idaho; 4 children

+ 07. 02. 1975 at Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho. Burial in the Salmon City Cemetery.

On 14 March, 1921 he purchased a 67 acre piece of land which had been homesteaded by Charles Twining for $3,200. Magnus gave a total downpayment of $1,200 which was made up of cash and an old truck. Located three miles east of Shoup, Idaho, and across the Salmon River, it was nick named the "Poor Farm" by brother Fred, but Mag preferred to call it the 111 Farm, since 111 was his brand. Before installing a cage, Mag gained access to this property via a boat. The family moved to Panther Creek in 1941 and leased this ranch to the Jim Bennett's. It was later sold to Ed Hagel on 1 May, 1944 for $3,550 along with 27 head of cattle and 2 calves for $2,430. Today this property has been mostly eroded by the Salmon River.

On 06 April, 1940 Mag and Hazel purchased a 78 acre piece of property at the mouth of Beaver Creek, a tributary to Panther Creek, for $1,100 from Myrta Gilbreath for brother Torv Bevan. It was a homestead originated by Fritz Gilbreath in 1919. The terms was a down payment of $100; a payment of $200 in November, 1940 and $100 per year until paid. Torv and his family had been living at this property until that Fall. The property was returned to Mag and Hazel on 04 September, 1940. Mag and Hazel paid Mrs. Gilbreath in full on 26 October, 1940. Mag, Hazel and children moved to this property on 15 October, 1941.

In 1948 the family leased their property on Panther Creek and moved to Sawlog Gulch where they lived for many years and developed a gold mine.

IV. Torvil -

* 07. 06. 1899 at Baxendale, [near Helena] Lewis & Clark, Montana, with Christina Mattice midwifing.

oo 16. 09. 1928 with Margaret 'Marge' Steele at Gooding, Gooding, Idaho. In 1940 and 1943 Marge taught school at Shoup.

Three children:

1. Jim Bevan, still-born 24 October, 1930 near Moose Creek, Salmon River, Lemhi, Idaho. His parents were on their way from their home on Indian Creek to the hospital at Salmon, Idaho. This would have been a trip of 58 miles over a rough, dirt road. He was born at Moose Creek, some 6 miles from his parents home. The following day he was buried by Torv and Magnus on a bar above the Salmon River road at Moose Creek, near the place where he was born. Later work on the road by the CCC's may have destroyed his grave.

2. Living child

3. Living child

+ 18. 02. 1943 at Missoula, Montana

[ ] 21. 02. 1943 at the Salmon City Cemetery, Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho

He was commonly known as Torv. He was a farmer, miner, odd jobber, and worked summers for the Forest Service, usually on fire lookouts throughout the Salmon National Forest. For some time he worked at the Gold Hill Mine near Shoup, Idaho. He was noted for his strength.

On 12 August, 1929 Torv and Marge assumed the mortgage on the property adjoining his parents homestead from D. M. Gray for $1,250. This 49 acre piece of property had been homesteaded by Luc (Louis) Ladouceur, and sold to Gray in 1928. This property was sold to Margaret Hall Frueauff (actress Margaret Perry) on 19 January, 1939 for $2,500. The house was near and along side the road.

Across the road from their home was an old log building known as the Red Onion. On 07 October, 1932 Neils Marsing died while living in this cabin. According to Mag Bevan's diary entry: "Old Nels died today at the Red Onion." In 1939 it was headquarters for Tom 'Hacksaw Tom' Christensen. Miss Perry soon evicted him. During July, 1942 Mag Bevan began haying for Ms. Perry [Margaret Hall Frueauff]. While working this job he stayed in the Red Onion. His job ended September, 1942. The Red Onion was still standing in its original location in 1950. According to the present owners, this building once served as a saloon and was later moved up Indian Creek to it's present location.

After selling this property, the family then moved to another piece of property they owned on the East Fork of Indian Creek. Torv's mother and father came to live with them.

On 06 April, 1940 Mag and Hazel purchased a 78 acre piece of property at the mouth of Beaver Creek, a tributary to Panther Creek, for $1,100 from Myrta Gilbreath for Torv. It was a homestead originated by Fritz Gilbreath in 1919. The terms was a down payment of $100; a payment of $200 in November, 1940 and $100 per year until paid. Torv and his family then began living at this property. They lived in a tent in the upper field along Beaver Creek. Torv built a small building at this location, planted a small patch of alfalfa and a large garden. Marge had been hired to teach school at Shoup that upcoming term and the family moved. The property was then returned to Mag and Hazel on 04 September, 1940.

For a while they lived in a small house on the hillside above the junction of the Salmon River and the Spring Creek roads. Later they lived in a house at Shoup on the river side of the road.

On June 26, 1942 Torv was operated on for the first time for stomach cancer at Missoula, Montana. He was back home on July 16, 1942. He had to go back to Missoula again on July 30, 1942.

On December 19, 1942 Torv was again operated on at Portland, Oregon. He got back home to Shoup on January 12, 1943. At this time Marge was teaching school there.

On January 30, 1943 Torv had to go back to the hospital at Missoula. He died there on 18 February, 1943 at 11 P.M.

On March 3, 1943 Marge and the boys left for San Diego, California where she worked in an aircraft factory.

 

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Some additional information about the boys:

None of the boys had middle names.

They were never spanked by their parents. Once Magnus got into trouble and hid under a bed. Fred and Mary got a broom and poked the handle of it at him. They decided that they could put his eye out and so they stopped.

Mag's nose was flat on the end. He said that when he was a kid and it rained his Mother wouldn't let him go outside. He said that he spent so much time at the window that eventually it made his nose flat on the end.

Their parents spoke Norwegian together when they didn't want the boys to know what they were talking about.

Once the boys all came home with their faces blackened and burned. Mary asked them what had happened and they told her that they were sitting on a fence near the railroad tracks. The railroad men had been burning brush nearby and the fence had burned and they fell into the fire. The boys had actually obtained some black powder and poured it into a pile in the center of a piece of paper. Each boy was to light a different corner of the paper with a match. Fred Jr. didn't follow the plan and dropped his match into the pile of powder, causing it to go, as Mag said "poof."

Magnus remembered that when they were out playing they would occasionally get chased by cows. To get away they would crawl under old tree stumps that had exposed roots. The cows would put their heads into the holes, and stick their tongues out as far as they could, to get the boys. This probably occured while living in Montana.

Magnus said that when the family lived in Salmon, he would ride his horse from one end of main street to the other as fast as he could make it go. The boys do not appear in the school records from Salmon.

On 24 February, 1909 the boys witnessed the murder of William "Wild Bill" Verges. Verges was born February, 1852 at Michigan; his parents immigrated from Germany, and his occupation in 1900 was Carpenter. Verges was shot and killed by Charles Layton at the first bridge that crosses Indian Creek, in front of the Bevan and Hibbs children, and several others. The Bevan home was located here. Layton owned and operated a saloon at the mouth of Indian Creek and killed Verges in a supposed dispute over mining claims. The trial began in Salmon on 27 April, 1909 and ended the next day. Layton pled not guilty. The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor at the Idaho State Penitentiary at Boise, Idaho. Fred Jr. was subpoenaed as a witness to this trial, along with some of the Hibbs children. Fred Jr. testified on 28 April, 1909 as a witness for the State of Idaho. Verges was buried at Ulysses.

The boys all began attending school at Ulysses during September of 1909. The first school was a tent. The boys sat on seats made from dynamite boxes and at desks also made from dynamite boxes. They all chewed tobacco and spat on the floor. Later came a wooden structure that served as the schoolhouse. Magnus said that he only attended school through the second grade, and said that they stayed on the same page so long that their thumbs wore holes through the paper. They had a teacher here that they called "Mr. Pophead." He was chasing a student one day across the school grounds and slipped on some ice. When his head hit the ground it made a popping sound, and he earned this nickname. Magnus once said some bad words while he was at school and the teacher washed his mouth out with soap. Later while he was at home he again said some bad words and not knowing any better washed out his own mouth with soap. The other children at school called him "Magpie" and sometimes "Maggie."

Once the boys got a trick match that exploded when it was lit. They gave it to their Dad to use for lighting his pipe. It exploded and blew all of the tobacco out of the pipe. He said that "the man who invented that thing should be prosecuted."

The boys decided one day that they would get into their Dad's trunk and sneak out some of his tobacco. While their Dad was working out in the field, they took the screws out of the hinges on the lid. When they were inside, one of them looked out the window and saw their Dad heading towards the house. The lid got dropped and nearly cut Fred Jr.'s fingers off.

The boys attended dances at Gibbonsville, Idaho. They would leave Indian Creek on a sleigh and take turns getting off and running alongside it, to keep warm. At one of these dances, Magnus had been chewing gum and suddenly realized that it was gone. He soon spied it in his dance partner's hair.

An argument arose once between Mag and Torv. One said that the part of a cow's udder that was squeezed during milking was a "teat." The other said it was called a "tit." The only way to solve the argument was to break into the schoolhouse at Ulysses and look at the dictionary.

Page 1: Photos of the Bevensen family

Page 2: Photos of the Ingvaldsen family

Page 3: Photos of the Åsland family

Page 4: Photos of the Bevan family

Page 5: Photos of Marysville, Montana

Page 6: Photos of Helena, Montana

Page 7: Photos of Castle Garden and Ellis Island

Page 8: Photos of Salmon, Idaho

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Sources of Information:

Church Records:

Baptism records from Stavanger Cathedral, Stavanger, Rogaland county, Norway

Baptism records from Madla parish, Rogaland county, Norway

Confirmation records from Madla Parish, Rogaland county, Norway

Historical Records:

Census: entries from Norway for the family of Fred Bevan

Census: entries for members of this family (and their relatives who also immigrated to the USA)

1865 census for the city of Stavanger, Rogaland county, Norway

1865/1875 census for Madla parish, Rogaland county, Norway

1885 census for the city of Stavanger, Rogaland county, Norway

1897 + 1898 School census reports from Baxendale School District, #24. It's boundaries were: "Beginning at the NE. corner of Sec. 24, T. 10 N., R. 5 W.; thence Southeasterly cutting Secs. 19 & 29, to the NE. corner of Sec. 32, T. 10 N., R. 4 W.; thence South 3 miles, to the SE. corner of Sec. 8, T. 9 N.,R. 4 W; thence West 1 mile; thence South about 2 miles, to the County Line; thence Southwesterly along said County Line about 2 1/2 miles, to its intersection the West Boundary of Sec. 36, T. 9 N., R. 5 W.; thence North about 3 1/4 miles, to the SW. corner of Sec. 12; thence West about 4 1/2 miles, to the SW. corner of Sec. 7, T. 9 N., R. 5 W.; thence South to the SE. corner of Sec. 12, T. 9 N., R. 6 W.; thence West about 3/4 mile, to the Summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence Northerly along said Summit about 5 1/2 miles, to its intersection with the North Boundary of Sec. 24, T. 10 N., R. 6 W.; thence East about 5/8 mile, to the NE. corner of Sec. 24, T. 10 N., R. 6 W.; thence North to the NW. corner of Sec. 19, T. 10 N., R. 5 W; thence East about 5 1/2 miles, to the NE. corner of Sec. 24, T. 10 N., R. 5 W., the place of beginning. Area: 45 sq. miles."

1900 + 1901 School census reports from Closter School District, #19. "Beginning at the N.E. Corner of section 25 T.12 N. R. 6 W. and running thence West 9 1/2 miles to the summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence South easterly along said summit 6 miles; thence N. E. 2 1/4 miles to N.W. corner of section 36; thence East 1 mile; thence North 1 mile to the place of beginning. Area: 29 square miles."

September, 1909 - September, 1917 School census reports for School District # 13, Lemhi county, Idaho

Declaration of Intention - No. 37 - filed 20 September, 1910 at Salmon, Idaho

Petition for Naturalization - filed 1 October, 1912 at Salmon, Idaho. Witnesses who had known Fred Bevan for at least 5 years: William H. Shoup, merchant and Frank R. Hall, butcher

Certificate of Naturalization - dated 16 April, 1913 - Petition Volume 1, page 30, Sub Volume 8466, page 5

Patent #548434, H.E Survey No. 195, patented 2 October, 1916 and recorded on 23 October, 1917

Oral family tradition

Website:

"Tendoy never did leave the Lemhi Reservation. He died on May 9, 1907. That same month, however, more than 500 Lemhis departed their reservation bound for Fort Hall. They rejected the idea of removing to Fort Hall by rail, explaining that the government usually used trains to move prisoners and they objected to being classified in that fashion. Instead, they rode horses and wagons on the 200 mile overland journey.

"They packed their meager belongs on horses, strapped the ends of their wick-i-up poles to the sides of their horses and they dragged them along. They were very sad and passed thru the valley, crying. The ranchers along the way could hear their crying for some distance before they passed their homes. The approximately five hundred Lemhis who removed to the Fort Hall Indian Reservation faced a difficult adjustment to their new surroundings. As minorities on a reservation where Great Basin Shoshone-Bannocks outnumbered them, they were forced to enroll at Fort Hall, they received second-rate allotments as the reservation was allotted, and they quarreled with a government that was slow to respond to their request for annuities promised from the 1889 agreement. It is small wonder that they established the tradition of returning annually to the Lemhi Valley to hunt, fish, and visit with a number of Lemhis who remained behind in Salmon. They also tended the graves of relatives buried in their homeland." (Svingen)

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