F

Finholm

In the 1890s, three of nine Finholm siblings – Leander, Alfred & Maria – left Larsmo, Österbotten (a Swedish-speaking coastal town of western Finland) for the United States. They settled in Olalla, Washington. A fourth sibling, brother Johannes (“John”), joined them ten years later. In America, all four Finholms married fellow Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnians. Leander’s wife Katarina and Alfred’s wife Hannah were both from the town of Munsala. Johannes married Katarina’s sister Ida. Maria’s husband came from Larsmo. The Finholm siblings purchased land and built homes in Olalla. Their farms specialized in growing strawberries, which they transported to Seattle markets by boat. After a time, Johannes became an administrator for a logging company in Olalla. Eldest brother Leander moved to Gig Harbor, where he was manager and principle stockholder of the Island Empire Telephone Company. He was active in the community and a long-time member of the Lions Club. He also served as City Treasurer. Alfred’s sons, John and Edward, followed their uncle to Gig Harbor where they owned and operated the well-stocked Finholm Market. They too were civic-minded, donating the land and labor to build the Finholm View Climb (1997) – a many-storied public staircase, adjacent to their market, that leads to a platform offering some of the best views of Gig Harbor. (source: sydaby.eget.net) BK/208

Eddie Finholm is best known for his many years in business with his brother John at Finholm's Market, a pioneer business in Gig Harbor. Eddie was born Sept. 23, 1914 in Olalla and moved his wife and daughter to Gig Harbor in 1940. There, along with other members of the Finholm family, he was recognized as part of a ‘new wave of pioneering’ in the city of Gig Harbor. Eddie helped organize the Volunteer Fire Department and was the driver of the first fire truck. He was a member of the Gig Harbor Lions Club, the Eagles, the Elks, a pillar of St. Nicholas Catholic Church and one of the founders of the Gig Harbor Golf Club. Eddie spent many summers on one or another of Gig Harbors fishing fleets, commercial fishing in the Puget Sound and Alaska areas. Eddie's favorite past times were golfing, bowling and dancing, especially with his beloved wife Helen who predeceased Eddie by 17 years. Eddie and Helen were long time members of the Gig Harbor dance club "Let's Get Together." HRC

Fosness

Brothers Evan and Ole Fosness were born in Norway, in a community just outside of Bergen. Leaving their wives behind, they immigrated to the U.S. in 1902 and changed their last name from Evanson to Fosness. In 1904, their wives joined them in Gig Harbor. Evan and his wife Olivia had ten children: Einar, Elmer, Adolph, Robert, Chris, Judy, Palma, Solvieg, Beatrice and Margaret. Einar, the eldest, was born in Norway and the rest were born in Cromwell. Ole and his wife Anna did not have children. Other relatives arrived from the old country; Olivia’s sister Marie and her husband John Grytten, Anna’s brother John Andestad and his wife Olivia – all settled in Cromwell too. Evan’s family attended the Cromwell chuch regularly, where the service was in Norwegian. His son Elmer once offered the pastor a cigar in exchange for a shorter sermon. The extended family worked their respective farms, picking strawberries and tomatoes, packing them in boxes, then delivering them to the Cromwell dock for the trip to Tacoma markets. Evan and Ole eventually went to work for Mason Construction in 1911. Evan’s five sons followed in their footsteps; skippering tug boats and working as pile drivers for the Company. Elmer helped set the anchors for the piers of the first Narrows Bridge and had a hand in the construction of the Fox Island Bridge. (source: Cromwell Memories, Nate Sears) GHPHS

Franklin

Robert and his wife Sarah were born in New York. They moved to Wisconsin, where their daughter Artalisa (Lettie) was born. In 1869, the family traveled across the plains in a covered wagon to Colorado. There, Lettie met and married David Secor. Robert and Sarah pushed west to Gig Harbor, arriving in 1888. They were founding members of the Methodist Church and they purchased the church’s first organ. Sarah was postmistress in Gig Harbor from 1896-1901. After Sarah’s death, Lettie and David moved to Gig Harbor (1907) with their sons, Eugene & Hubert, to help care for Lettie’s father (source: A History of Pierce County Washington, Paul Alvestad; and Gig Harbor Cemetery Association) GHPHS