Résumé

By 1920, Gjarde worked as a building contractor in Seattle.

Principal, Peter Gjarde, Building Contractor, Seattle, WA. In 1931, Gjarde had an office in Room #430 of the Lyon Building in Seattle.

By 1940, the firm was known as the "Gjarde Construction Company." (This is according to the World War II draft card of an employee, James W. Cawdrey. 407 3rd Avenue West in Seattle, WA. (See Ancestry.com, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 30, accessed 10/01/2021.)

Relocation

He was born in Norway, as "Peder Gjarde." His naturalization papers of 1909 indicated that he was born in the town of "Vassvangru" but this town does not seem to have existed. It is possible that he came from Vossevangen, Norway, a town 102 km. northeast of Bergen. It was situated on the eastern end of the lake Vangsvatnet.

Gjarde originally left Norway and traveled to England. On 05/27/1892, he sailed from Liverpool, England to New York, NY, aboard the Cunard liner R.M.S. Umbria. He landed in NY on 06/03/1892. It is not known where Gjarde lived between 1892 and 1900. He seems to have relocated to WA by either 1900 or 1903. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives, Washington DC; Washington DC; ARC Title: Naturalization Records for the Superior Court for King, Pierce, Thurston, and Snohomish Counties, Washington, 1850-1974; NAI Number: M1543; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 10/01/2021.)

Between 1909 and 1918, at least, Gjarde resided at 2152 6th Avenue West in Seattle, (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Registration State: Washington; Registration County: King. Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 10/01/2021.)

The 1920 US Census located Gjarde, his wife Aminda, daughter Bertha, sister-in-law Clara Lawrence (born c. 1901 in Norway) and a cousin, Nels Tofte (born c. 1877 in Norway), rented Apartment #16 in a building at 424 Fairview Avenue in Seattle. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1928; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 190, accessed 10/01/2021.)

A decade later, the Gjardes had an apartment at 337 18th Avenue North (now 18th Avenue East) in Seattle. They paid $75 per month for the apartment, located in the Miller Park neighborhood. (See Ancestry.com, DetailSource Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 0108; FHL microfilm: 2342232, accessed 10/01/2021.) He and Aminda continued to live at 337 18th Avenue North, Apartment #A, in Seattle in 1931. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1931, p. 641.)

After Peter's death in 1938, Aminda lived at 710 10th Avenue North in 1940. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1942, p. 406.)

Parents

According toEvangelical Lutheran Church records, his parents were Peder Egtvedt and Brita Gjostend.

Spouse

He married Aminda Susanne Larntsen or Lorentzen (born c. 1886 in Norway-d . 04/06/1943 in Seattle, WA), which was Anglicized to "Aminda Lawrence," on 05/15/1912 in Seattle, WA. They wed at the Immanuel Lutheran Church. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Archives; Elk Grove Village, Illinois; Congregational Records, accessed 10/01/2021.)

Aminda's parents were with Bernt (or Bernd) Lorntssen (born 09/23/1857 in Målselv, Troms, Norway-d. after 1900) and Johanne Albertine Andreasdottir (born in 1863 -d after 1900.) (Bernd's surname was spelled variously in documents as "Lorentzen," "Lorntsen," and "Lorentsen." Johanna's last name was also noted as "Andreassen" or "Andreasen.") They wed on 01/01/1885 in Malangen, Troms, Norway in the northwestern portion of the country characterized by fjords.

Children

Aminda and Peter had at least one child Bertha Josephine Gjarde Shea (born 10/11/1918 in Seattle, WA-d. 07/21/1980 in Fredericksburg, MD)

Biographical Notes

According to his US naturalization form of 11/11/1909, he first declared his intention to obtain US citizenship on 05/02/1900 in Superior Court of King County. He had lived in the State of WA continuously since 08/18/1903. If these dates were correct, he lived somewhere else in the United States between 1892 and 1900, at least, and left the state for at least some time between 1900 and 1903. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives, Washington DC; Washington DC; ARC Title: Naturalization Records for the Superior Court for King, Pierce, Thurston, and Snohomish Counties, Washington, 1850-1974; NAI Number: M1543; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 10/01/2021.)

His World War I draft registration card indicated that Gjarde was Caucasian and had a medium height and build. His eyes were blue and his hair light at age 44. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Registration State: Washington; Registration County: King. Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 10/01/2021.)

She wed James F. Shea, Jr., (1925-1985) on 01/16/1949 in San Francisco, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1949-1959 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 10/01/2021.)