Hei, I am wondering if anyone can help me with a newspaper account of the events in the following story in Pensacola, FL. I have looked on line for newspapers but did not find anything. I contacted the library in Pensacola by phone and e-mail without any response. Perhaps someone on the list can tell me if a newspaper account can be found. >From Find a Grave, the details about Bernhard Rasmussen: Birth: Jul. 30, 1856 Eigersund kommune Rogaland fylke, Norway Death: May 31, 1901 Burial: Saint John's Cemetery Pensacola Escambia County Florida, USA Plot: Section 10 Lot 23 Space 7 No Marker My father and his parents lived in Lervig in east Stavanger where Abelone's corner store was located. Abelone was also a witness to the baptism of my great uncle's out of wedlock child. The following account was written by Abelone's great grand daughter. The account of the shooting is a bit strange to my ear and I would like a more realistic description if possible. mvh, Jostein Abelone was born at "Hauge" Østenstad, Skjold in 1859. The youngest of four brothers and sisters who survived. Her parents were Quakers. Gudmund Gudmundsen was from Lindanger and Elen Oline, called "Lina" was from Hatlestad. Abelone’s father died when Abelone was only two years old. Her mother was left with four children between the ages of two and eleven. Lina took Abelone with her to Stavanger. Her three brothers all grew up as foster children on different farms in Tysvær, Skjold . Abelone grew up in Stavanger with her mother. Living in cramped housing with barely enough food and clothes. She learned early to struggle for her money. Her confirmation was in the Stavanger Cathedral in 1874. At the age of twenty-two she married steward Bernhard Rasmussen who was from Egersund. Like all sailors, he spent long periods at sea. Abelone had to handle births and childcare by herself. Without relatives and family around, there was little help. Abelone and Bernhard had five children. The first daughter born in 1882 is mentally handicapped; " Sindsyg " or " idiot " as it says in the sources. The last daughter, born in 1895, died after eight months. Abelone’s mother moved in with them now that she was getting older and unable to wash clothes for other people. One day Abelone offered to sail with her husband on an out of country trip. This was in 1901 and the popular steward Rasmussen sailed on Sigval Bergesen’s ship “Langfonn”. Abelone would be a cook aboard ship. She organized childcare for her children and shipped out. Perhaps this was something she regretted later. The trip wasn't what she had thought and hoped. In Pensacola, Florida, the two went for an evening walk. On the way to the docks and the ship a masked man suddenly jumps out of some bushes and shoots Bernhard. He dies aboard ship before the doctor arrives. A grief-stricken Abelone went home to her children in Stavanger. What could she do now? She's a widow; 40 years old with four children, including a developmentally disabled 19 year old. The youngest daughter is only eight. Abelone’s dear old mother of 81 also lives with them. Luckily she got some funds in compensation from Bergesen’s shipping company as well as some money collected by the ship’s crew. With this, she bought a house at Lervigsveien 19. Abelone opens a small shop in his house. This business feeds her and her family. To increase her income she rents out rooms. She was even able to afford a maid.

Jostein - You mentioned that the parents were Quakers. I don't know how the Quakers do things in Norway, but here in America the Quakers have copious records in what they call Monthly Meetings, and when we're lucky those records are published. Have you tried contacting any Quakers in the region where the people you are looking for lived to see if Norwegian Quakers did the same thing, and if they have records that mention the incident you are referring to? If so, be aware that they may have a different dating system from us in that they have numbered months and days; they didn't use the names of the months or names of the days of the week because of the references to ancient deities and such found in the words. Some of my colonial New England ancestors in Rhode Island were Quakers (and helped found the state in the mid-1600s) which is why I know about their records and meeting notes here in the US. Good Luck! Beste, Bev On 4/20/2017 3:56 PM, Joe Aasland wrote: > Hei, > > I am wondering if anyone can help me with a newspaper account of the events in the following story in Pensacola, FL. I have looked on line for newspapers but did not find anything. I contacted the library in Pensacola by phone and e-mail without any response. Perhaps someone on the list can tell me if a newspaper account can be found. > > From Find a Grave, the details about Bernhard Rasmussen: > > Birth: Jul. 30, 1856 > Eigersund kommune > Rogaland fylke, Norway > Death: May 31, 1901 > > Burial: > Saint John's Cemetery > Pensacola > Escambia County > Florida, USA > Plot: Section 10 Lot 23 Space 7 No Marker > > My father and his parents lived in Lervig in east Stavanger where Abelone's corner store was located. Abelone was also a witness to the baptism of my great uncle's out of wedlock child. > > The following account was written by Abelone's great grand daughter. The account of the shooting is a bit strange to my ear and I would like a more realistic description if possible. > > mvh, > > Jostein > > > Abelone was born at "Hauge" Østenstad, Skjold in 1859. The youngest of four brothers and sisters who survived. Her parents were Quakers. Gudmund Gudmundsen was from Lindanger and Elen Oline, called "Lina" was from Hatlestad. Abelone’s father died when Abelone was only two years old. Her mother was left with four children between the ages of two and eleven. Lina took Abelone with her to Stavanger. Her three brothers all grew up as foster children on different farms in Tysvær, Skjold . > > Abelone grew up in Stavanger with her mother. Living in cramped housing with barely enough food and clothes. She learned early to struggle for her money. Her confirmation was in the Stavanger Cathedral in 1874. > > At the age of twenty-two she married steward Bernhard Rasmussen who was from Egersund. Like all sailors, he spent long periods at sea. Abelone had to handle births and childcare by herself. Without relatives and family around, there was little help. > > Abelone and Bernhard had five children. The first daughter born in 1882 is mentally handicapped; " Sindsyg " or " idiot " as it says in the sources. The last daughter, born in 1895, died after eight months. Abelone’s mother moved in with them now that she was getting older and unable to wash clothes for other people. One day Abelone offered to sail with her husband on an out of country trip. This was in 1901 and the popular steward Rasmussen sailed on Sigval Bergesen’s ship “Langfonn”. Abelone would be a cook aboard ship. She organized childcare for her children and shipped out. > > Perhaps this was something she regretted later. The trip wasn't what she had thought and hoped. In Pensacola, Florida, the two went for an evening walk. On the way to the docks and the ship a masked man suddenly jumps out of some bushes and shoots Bernhard. He dies aboard ship before the doctor arrives. > > A grief-stricken Abelone went home to her children in Stavanger. What could she do now? She's a widow; 40 years old with four children, including a developmentally disabled 19 year old. The youngest daughter is only eight. Abelone’s dear old mother of 81 also lives with them. > > Luckily she got some funds in compensation from Bergesen’s shipping company as well as some money collected by the ship’s crew. With this, she bought a house at Lervigsveien 19. Abelone opens a small shop in his house. This business feeds her and her family. To increase her income she rents out rooms. She was even able to afford a maid. > >