Thorvald's Baptism Record (1865)Thorvald Haugen was born Torvald Hansen on 16 Dec 1864 in Sandsvær, Buskerud, Norway to parents Hans Jorgen Petersen Haugen and Anne Olsdatter.¹ The family lived at the northern end of Hedenstad, Sandsvær on the Haugen farm in what was the Saggrænden and Medheien school district.² Sandsvær has since been incorporated into the city of Kongsberg and is south of the city center.

Torvald was baptized the following year on 24 Sep 1865 in Sandsvaer.¹

Some time before 1875 the family relocated to the west coast of Norway. It's believed father Hans relocated the family to change careers and workin in mining instead of farming. So at this point on the 1875 census, Thorvald is listed as living on Karmøy Island with his parents in Vigsnes (now Visnes), located in the Avaldsnes parish.³

By the time Torvald was confirmed on 05 Oct 1879 in Avaldsnes, Rogaland, Norway, he had adjusted the spelling of his name to Thorvald to match with the growing national movement at the time.⁴

Torvaldine Marie Olsdatter was born on 25 May 1859 in Risin, Avaldsnes, Rogaland, Norway (also listed as Kopervik) to parents Ole Olsen Kopervik & Andrine Marie Mortensdatter, and was baptized on 21 Aug 1859 in Avaldsnes.⁵

Marriage of Thorvald and Torvaldine (1885)Torvaldine's father Ole died at sea when Torvaldine was only 3 years old⁶ and from the age of 5, she was raised by stepfather Thore Johannes Mattiasen. We can find the family living in Kopervik on the 1865 census, including her brother Oluf, Nils, and stepbrother Johan.⁷

Thorvald Haugen and Torvaldine Marie Olsdatter married on 06 Jun 1885 in Avaldsnes, Rogaland, Norway. It states that Torvaldine was now living in Visnes.⁸

Thorvald was employed as a sailor, more specifically a 2nd Engineer or marine engineer. The family lived at "Sørhauggade" 121b in Haugesund, Rogaland, Norway.⁹

Torvaldine died of tuberculosis on 12 May 1907, at the age of 47, in Haugesund, Norway. She was buried four days later on 16 May 1907 in Haugesund.¹⁰

Thorvald and wife Sofie with their children (1920)Thorvald would soon remarry when he met Ingeborg Sofie Sørensen Nordhal. The two were wed on 09 Apr 1908 in Haugesund, Rogaland, Norway.¹¹

Sofie would join the Haugen family and they would move to the island of Hasseløen at shoreline #20, apartment 3 under landlord Laurits Pettersen. It was a seahouse apartment where the family paid Kr. 150.00^A in rent in Haugesund.¹²

On 23 Jan 1914 when daughter Thora left for America, Thorvald was living in Storsund, Haugesund, Rogaland, Norway.¹³

Thorvald in a 1932 HudsonOn 19 Aug 1932 in Stavanger, Norway, Thorvald detailed in his passenger manifest that he lived in Fosenoen, Rogaland, Norway (now Fosen, just south of Haugesund) as he boarded the S.S. Bergensfjord sailing for America.¹⁴

The ship took 14 days to make it's way to America and on 02 Sep 1932 he arrived in Ellis Island, New York under the name Thorvald Haugen. He’s listed as having a fair complexion, gray hair and blue eyes. Thorvald mentions that he had previously visited the US as a sailor and is here with intentions of visiting his daughter Anna for period of 6 months. By this time Thorvald has retired from sailing and had taken up farming.

After his visit, Thorvald returned home and would live into the 1940s. Thorvald died on 20 Aug 1947 in Karmoy, Rogaland, Norway.¹⁵