When my family immigrated to America from Norway the carried very few possessions. They left Norway, fleeing from religious persecution and economic hardship in search of a place where they could freely practice their faith and find affordable farmland. We have passed down the bible from my great-great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather for generations. In Norway, Catholics could face the death penalty if caught practicing their faith. My family landed in Northern MN, more specifically the International Falls area. Norway had placed a ban on Catholicism from 1800 to 1842. During this time, Jesuits and Catholics were banned from entering the country. Very few Catholics were left in the country at this time, as the Norwegian constitution in 1814 strictly prohibited the Catholic church in the country. The Protestant Reformation in 1537 wiped out almost all remaining Catholics. Our family came to America to escape religious persecution and ended up finding a home and building a lineage in Minnesota. To this day, our family still lives out our faith and has passed this bible through generations. With less than one percent of the population actively practicing any religion besides Lutheran at this time, it is rare to find any remnants left of other religions. Membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church was mandatory in the country until the Dissenter Act of 1845; even after this, Catholicism grew at an incredibly slow pace after the abolition of membership in the Lutheran church. 

– Jack Hagen

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more