Gerhard Johannes Monsen-Midthun

Gerhard came to America in the autumn of 1900 to see his brother O.J.  He visited him in Rawlins and then took a seven day stage coach to Lander and decided to remain.  He had come to America for schooling, but decided to work instead. (per Astrid Midthun Pearson Houghton)

Sue Henson has immigration records from Bergen which indicate that Gerhard and O.J. came to the U.S. together in 1900.  At that time, O.J. was already listed as being a citizen in the U.S. for 5 years, so he must have come to America 5+ years before.  This contradicts Astrid's recall of Gerhard coming over alone to see O.J.  Ila had also spoken of Gerhard coming to America alone.

Sharla has a photograph of Gerhard in West Superior, Wisconsin, when he first came to America.  No one knows what he was doing there.

Ila was always told that Gerhard was from a family that had once been royalty (but there is no documentation of this).  He told her that he was so wealthy that he "didn't even have to butter his own bread."  The family supposedly had both summer and winter homes.  Sharla has a photograph that has "summer home" written on the back.  Ila believed that the palace the family had once lived in was in Bergen.  It was actually in Oslo (trip with Ila, Marilyn, Sharla, Trystan, Devin and Chelsea in 1990).  Supposedly, a living relative was given the chance to stay at the palace one day a year in recognition of the family's history as royalty.  Gerhard was extremely well educated for a young man, and attended school for long hours as a child. (pers. conv. with Ila)

Sue has Gerhard's christening papers which list Gerhard's father and grandfather as carpenters.  Gerhard's father was listed as a master carpenter.  This seems to contradict the stories we were told in our youth about the family's wealth.  There also seems to be some question to the royalty issue.  Sue read that the Norwegian royal bloodline stopped in 1826.  Gerhard was born in a parish called SanVincken (spelling ?).  Sue plans to look for all the Monsen-Midthun children in these parish records.  Martin Borthen said there were 10 children, but we know of only 6, so perhaps some died, although nothing was ever said of it.

Norway was ruled by Danish kings from 1442 until 1814.  Then the Swedish crown ruled until 1905 when King Oscar II relinquished the crown of Norway when the Norwegians voted to re-establish their own monarchy.  Unless our family was actually Danish at one time, this seems to suggest that the royal bloodlines do not exist, unless it dates back prior to 1442.

If royalty was not in Gerhard's background, why would he have made up this story? 

Once, Gerhard went to see his brother in Thermopolis.  He rode by horseback over the Owl Creek Mountains.  Upon his return, a storm broke and some Indians, probably Shoshone, turned up.  They invited him for supper.  As he dished his meal out from the pot, the Indian said "Dig a little deeper, puppy in the bottom."  Gerhard was "green" when he told the story.  (1920)

(Later, when we donated money to build "Playground in the Park", instead of our name on the inscription, I had them put, on a teepee, "Dig a little deeper, puppy in the bottom."  We have seen children madly digging there!)

Gerhard had double pneumonia in 1918.  World War II ended and his first outing after being sick was to walk uptown to celebrate.  He was so weak still, he couldn't walk back home.

Gerhard and Etha wintered in California many years before actually moving there.  Their daughter, Ila, had given birth to Sharla and was not well.  They moved out to help with the baby.  In addition, Gerhard's health was getting worse and he was getting more and more interested in the stock market.  He felt the California climate would be better and would also bring him closer to the stock market action. (per Astrid)

Gerhard died at Bella Vista Community Hospital, 5425 E. Pomona Blvd., Belvedere, Los Angeles County, CA, but had been living at 401 1/2 So. Chandler Avenue in Monterey Park, in a little house behind Ila's.

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