Name/Title
Vaagene family: Johan and Sena (Emmons) Vaagene, 1897 settlers in Traill County, North DakotaEntry/Object ID
2025.39.1Description
This family history folder contains documents and photographs about Johan (John) and Sena (Emmons) Vaagene [photo, left]. As described on page 200 in the Traill County History book, in Vol. I [see below]. Johan Oliver 'John' Vaagene was born on 1 December 1872 in Erfjord, Rogaland, Norway, to parents Paul and Kari (Sandvig) Vaagene. John Vaagene came to Buxton in Traill County, North Dakota, in March 1897. John was a farm laborer in the Buxton and Mayville area until 1902.
At age 29, in April 1902 in Grand Forks, ND, John O. Vaagene married Sena Emmons, age 26, of Hatton [ND Marriage Certif.]. Emma was born on 2 December 1987 to parents Gunder and Ingeborg (Andersdatter) Emmons in Freeborn County, Minnesota. In the 1900 US Census for Washington Township in Grand Forks County, ND, Sena was age 24, single, and employed as a "Housekeeper" at the farm of Erik and Karen Aaker.
After John and Sena (Emmons) Vaagene married in 1902, they moved to Marshall County, Minnesota, to a farm in Moylan Township [1905 MN Census], which was located about 25 miles northeast of Thief River Falls, MN. While farming in Moylan Township in Marshall County, John and Sena had three children, Paul, Emma and Henry Vaagene [see family tree, below].
As noted on page 200 in the Traill County History book, Vol. I [below], John and Sena took their family back to North Dakota in 1908. Sadly, soon after they returned to North Dakota, their daughter Emma died at age 3 on 17 September 1908. Emma was buried in the Bethany Cemetery located in Morgan Township in Section 20 near Bethany Lutheran Church.
John and Sena's oldest son, Paul C. S. Vaagene, was born on 17 April 1903 at their farm in Marshall County, MN. Paul was 2 in the 1905 MN Census for Maylon Township in Marshall County. As note on page 143 in the Traill County History book, in Vol. II [see below], in 1908 Paul moved to Morgan Township in Traill County with his parents and siblings. Paul was 6 at the time the 1910 US Census was taken in Morgan Township, where his father was farming rented land. By 1920, Paul, 16, was now in Buxton Township in Traill County, where his father farmed rented land. In the 1925 ND Census taken in Traill County for the Buxton area, Paul was age 22. Interestingly, a girl, Kathleen Hanson, lived with her parents, Charles and Nellie Hanson, on a neighboring farm. Although by the 1930 US Census, Paul, 27, had moved west to a rented farm Morgan Township with his family, he obvious kept in touch with Kathleen. On 9 November 1932, Paul Cornelius Vaagene married Kathleen Heloise Hanson at Our Saviors Church in Hillsboro, ND [ELCA Marriage Record]. As noted on page 143 in the Traill County History book, Paul and Kathleen lived in Morgan Township for 5 years and then in 1937 moved to a rented farm in Bentru Townhip in Grand Forks County [1940 US Census]. After 3 years, they moved back west to Garfield Township in Traill County to a farm they purchased in the West-half of Section 31 [see 1952 plat map, below]. On 16 February 1942, Paul Cornelius Vaagene registered for the WWII Draft, declaring that he was "Farming for self" and had Hatton, ND, as his address. On his draft card Paul was described as being 5'10" and 195 lb., with blue eyes and gray hair. Paul Vaagene served in the US Army during WWII [Veterans list, 2004 Hillsboro Banner]. As shown in the family photo on page 143 in the 1976 Traill County History book, Paul and Kathleen had eight children with seven living to adulthood. Sadly, a baby girl died at or soon after birth in 1934. Surviving children included Janice Pauline Vaagene (b. 2 Dec. 1937; m. Alvin Amundson, 11 Dec. 1955 in Hatton, ND; d. age 66, 15 Feb. 2004 in Mayville, ND), John Charles Vaaagene (b. 15 Nov. 1939; m1. Betty Plaine, 1 Jul. 1961 in Hope, ND; m2. Alice Lerfald-Verke, abt. 2010; d. age 79, 9 May 2019 in Hatton, ND), Gene Kendall Vaagene (b. 16 Apr. 1942; m. Marcia Schlenk, 10 Jun. 1978 in McVille, ND; d. age 36, 6 Jan. 1979 in Fargo, ND), Larry Robert Vaagene (b. 28 Sep. 1945; d. age 65, 6 May 2011 in Hatton, ND), Rita Vaagene (b. abt. 1947; living), Paul Vaagene Jr. (b. Sep 1949; m. Norine Pladson, 8 Nov 1974 in Roberts County, SD; living), and Gary Neil Vaagene (b. abt. 1954; m. Debbra Nygaard, 21 Jul. 1973 in Northwood, ND; living). In the 1950 US Census, Paul, 47, and Kathleen, 38, continued to farm their land south of Hatton, ND. Kathleen (hanson) Vaagene passed away, age 57, on 15 January 1969 in Hatton, and was interred in St. John Lutheran Cemetery [grave-marker photo, below]. After Kathleen's passing in 1969, Paul retired from trucking and farming and moved into Hatton. Paul Cornelius Vaagene died, age 73, on 25 April 1976 at Luther Memorial Home in Mayville. Paul was buried next to Kathleen at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Hatton, ND [grave-marker photo, below].
John and Sena's first daughter, Emma Jorgine Vaagene died at age 3 on 17 September 1908. Their second son, Henry Oliver Vaagene, was born on 27 August 1907 at their farm in Marshall County, MN. Henry was 2 in the 1910 US Census for when his family had moved to Morgan Township in Traill County, ND. Henry was 12 in the 1920 US Census when his father was now farming in Buxton Township in Traill County. Henry was 17 in the 1925 ND Census for back in Morgan Township and he was 22 in the 1930 US Census for Morgan Township and helping his father farm. At the age of 32 in the 1940 US Census, Henry was now "head" of household because his father had passed away in 1938, and his older brother Paul had married and was farming by Hatton, as noted earlier. The 1950 US Census noted farm location. In this census, Henry Vaagene, age 42, and sisters Evelyn, 39, and Selma, 38, were in the SW Qtr. of Sect. 26, at a farmstead on farmland rented from Annie Lerom [see 1952 Atlas plat map, below]. Interestingly, Henry, Evelyn and Selma's closest neighbor in the NW Qtr. of Sect. 35 in this 1950 census was the Joseph Johnson family on land owned by Selmer Erfjord [see 1952 Atlas plat map]. Recall that Henry's father, John Vaagene, was born in Erfjord, Norway--when coming to America, Selmer likely took the family name Erfjord--the place where he was born and raised--were John and Selmer friends going all the way back to Norway? Is that why John eventually chose to rent farmland in Sect. 26 in Morgan Township to be close to an old friend Selmer Erfjord? Henry Oliver Vaagene lived to the age of 80, passing away on 17 May 1988 in Mayville at the Luther Memorial Home. Henry was buried at the Bethany Lutheran Cemetery in Morgan Township [grave-marker photo, below].
John and Sena's daughter, Evelyn Jorgine Vaagene was born on 30 March 1911 in Traill County. In the 1920 US Census taken in Buxton Township where her father was renting farmland, Evelyn was 8 years old. In the 1930 US Census for Morgan Township, Evelyn was 19, and in the 1940 US Census, Evelyn was recorded as 26, but she was actually 29 years old at the time of this 1940 census in Morgan Township. In the 1950 US Census for Morgan Township, Evelyn was 39. From these census records, we know Evelyn lived her life on a farmstead located in the SW Qtr. of Sect. 26 [see 1952 Atlas plat map, below], with her older brother Henry and her younger sister Selma. Evelyn J. Vaagene only lived to the age of 50, passing away on 26 October 1961 at St. Lukes Hospital in Fargo. ND. Evelyn was interred at the Bethany Lutheran cemetery in Morgan Township [grave-marker photo, below].
John and Sena's last child, daughter Selma J. Vaagene was born on 12 May 1912 in Traill County. In the 1920 US Census, Selma was 7 years old when this census was taken in Buxton Township where her father was renting farmland. Selma was 17 in the 1930 US Census for back in Morgan Township and she was record as 26 in the 1940 US Census, but she was actually 27 at the time of this 22 April 1940 census in Morgan Township. Selma was 38 in the 1950 US Census for Morgan Township. As noted for her older sister Evelyn, Selma lived her life on a farmstead located in the SW Qtr. of Sect. 26 with her older brother Henry Vaagene. Selma J. Vaagene lived to the age of 75, passing away at the United Hospital in Grand Forks, ND. Selma was interred at the Bethany Lutheran cemetery in Morgan Township [grave-marker photo, below].
From US and ND census records and Traill County Atlas directories and plat maps for Buxton and Morgan Township, we know that John and Sena rented farmlands in different locations. In the 1910 US Census, John and Sena were recorded as farming in Morgan Township with Ness, Kringlen, and Tronson families being recorded near them on the same census page. In the 1920 US Census, John and Sena were renting farmland in Buxton Township, with Lee, Osland, and Schumacher families being recorded near them on the same page. In the 1930 US Census, John and Sena were back renting farmland in Morgan Township, with Kordahl and Moen as census neighbors.
As noted earlier, in the 1940 US Census, John and Sena's son Henry Vaagene was recorded as "Head" of household because John Oliver Vaagen died, age 65, on 13 August 1938 in Morgan Township [ND Death Certif.; obituary, Hillsboro Banner, 19 Aug. 1938, below]. John was interred in the Bethany Lutheran Church Cemetery located in Section 20 in Morgan Township [grave-marker photo, below]. In the 1940 census, Henry's mother, Sena, age 64, was listed at the farm, along with Henry's sisters, Evelyn and Selma. Henry's brother Paul Vaagene is not list in this 1940 census for Morgan Township because, as noted earlier, Paul had married was farming to the west in Garfield Township.
Of course, by 1950 John Vaagene had passed away, and so had his wife Sena . John Oliver Vaagene died, age 65, on 13 August 1938 [ND Death Certif.; obituary, Hillsboro Banner, 19 Aug. 1938, below], and Sena (Emmons) Vaagene died age 67 on 14 October 1943 [ND Death Certif.; obituary, Hillsboro Banner, 27 Oct. 1943, below]. Sena was also interred at the Bethany Cemetery in Section 20 in Morgan Township [grave-marker photo, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.39Source or Donor
Denise VaageneLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
