JOHANNA CAROLINE ANKER (ne: Weckhorst)

Johanna (Weckhorst) Anker (on left) modelling hats. Date unknown.

Johanna (left) with 2 others modelling hats

Johanna & Ole's wedding photo.

Johanna (Weckhorst) Anker. Birthday party in Allyn, WA. 1949 or 1950.

Johanna Weckhorst & Ole Anker Engvoldsen's Wedding

See also husband Ole Anker's page.
See also daughter Evelyn's page.
See also daughter Vera's page.
See also Son-in-Law Admiral George Moore's page for information on daughter Vera's family.

She had a sister, Dagmar and 6 brothers: Carl, Harry, Harold, Pete, Olav, and Andreas (see Carl's Page , Dagmar's Page Olav's Page and Weckhorst Family Tree).

Ole Anker (left) and Johanna (behind) with her mother, Anna (Halvorson) Weckhorst, and her brother, Carl Weckhorst.

Johanna (Nanna) told her grandadughter, Janet, that Pete Weckhorst (Johanna's youngest brother who was Janet's great Uncle) was such a messy eater as a child that the family put a pig trough out for him one day at the dinner table. Johanna and Ole's daughter Vera took her daughter's Janet and Mary back to Washington to visit "Nanna" (their grandmother) when Johanna's mother, Anna, was still alive. (Anna lived with Johanna and Ole when she came to the US after her husband, Gustav, died). At the time of the visit Johanna and Ole lived in Allyn, WA. After Ole died, Johanna moved into an apartment in Shelton (where her daughter Evelyn and her husband, Bill Carlson, lived. Johanna's granddaughter, Christine, remembers Johanna telling her stories of elves and dwarves. She also remembers Johanna being superstitious-- making sure Christine didn't go outside at night (when she stayed at her Aunt Evelyn's which did have woods near it in Shelton).

Anker family Recollections as remembered by Phyllis Anker

This information from Phyllis Anker, April 1991, also information Adrian (Hughes) had and some Edrey remembered.

The Ankers (correct name is Engvoldsen) came to the United States in 1923 from Norway with their two daughters, Evelyn and Vera, Mrs. Anker's mother Anna Skordal Weckhorst, Mrs. Anker's brothers Sverre (Pete), Harry and Andrew.

Harold Ray Anker always said they came over with a quarter of a million dollars. Ole Anker had been a broker in Norway, ship cargoes. We think they lost money, or the business, or something. They missed the first sailing of the boat because Mr. Anker got too drunk at a going away party.

Mrs. Anker's sister Dagmar was already in the United States, in Allyn, Wasjington. She married Carl Anderson, and they had Abe, Avilda, Robert, Woodrow (died 1990) and Gladys.

The Ankers settled in Allyn, Washington and Mr. Anker raised oysters. Before that time, Mrs. Anker had never had to wash, cook, or take care of the children as she had servants in Norway.

Further information about the Weckhorsts:

Sverre (Peter, called Pete) Weckhorst was a barber in Tacoma, Washington. He had four children, but his wife ran off, leaving him to raise the children. They were Freddie (died), Richard, Louis and another boy. Pete died Jan. 24, 1975. Pete was Mrs. Anker's older brother and she was born following Dagmar and Pete. Ed. note: Pete, born in 1901, was five years younger than Johanna Weckhorst Anker who was born in 1896. It was Andrew who was just older than Johanna.)

Harry Weckhorst settled in Allyn, Washington also and married June Watson. They had three girls, Sally, Ruthie and Betty.

Andrew Anker died before 1943 of complications from an operation, details unavailable.(Ed. note: This is a type-o. Andrew was Johanna's brother (as noted above) so his last name was "Weckhorst" not "Anker".)

Carl Weckhorst settled in Minnesota, had four children, one a boy named Gordon.(Ed. note: Carl had five children.)

Buster Weckhorst settled in Brooklyn, New York, and had four children. His daughter Dolores' girl named Irene Spencer became known for her "collector" plates.

Harold Weckhorst stayed in Norway and had one child, named Rigmor who married Bjorn Tallaksen. Rigmor and Bjorn visited the United States in July of 1974. Bjorn is a mechanical engineer in Drammen. Bjorn and Rigmor have a son Pal and a daughter Liv (Mrs. Bjorn Ottesen). (Ed. note: Harald actually had three children. Rigmor is the youngest.)

Phyllis remembers Anna Weckhorst. She lived with Peter for a time and then came to live with the Ankers in Allyn, until she died.

Anker family Recollections as remembered by Edrey Anker

This information from Edrey Schendel Anker, about Johanna and Ole Anker. Sent to MKM May 1998.

What Edrey Schendel Anker remembers about Johanna and Ole Anker Engvoldsen:

I met them in 1954 after my marriage to their youngest son, Harold Ray Anker, who preferred to be known as Ole as he always wanted to be named after his Dad. The family, however, called him Roy, evidently as that is what his sisters and brothers called him. (Ed. note: Roy had only one brother, Harold.) They were then living in a small house in Key Center, with two bedrooms, a kitchen area and a living room, bathroom and a gung. Gung is a Norwegian term, evidently meaning the back room adjacent to the kitchen where the canned goods, wood, tools, etc. were kept.

Mrs. Anker was a short, plump woman, with very pretty eyes. Then, of course she wore glasses. She was always nice to me and although she was fairly talkative, she was not willing to let loose with much reminiscing of former days.

She was a good cook. He usually just sat at a table with a small glass in front of him. I later learned this was whiskey. He was very quiet, spoke with a delightful Norwegian accent, but was not talkative, spoke little. I overheard someone say, when I first came.... "maybe Roy will settle down, as she is older than he is and will probably be good for him." I was 3 years older than Roy, He had had two failed marriages.

Here are some of the things I remember.

I was told by Mrs. Anker (Johanna) that the name Anker had been given by the king. No details. Mr. Anker's name was his middle name and they took the name of Anker when they came to the U.S.

Mrs. Anker was well-educated in Norway and therfore felt poorly that she could not write well in English. It must have been Mr. Anker who wrote to us when we were stationed afar.

When my husband got transferred in 1955 to Camp Lejuene, North Carolina, they sent us first to artillery school at Ft. Sill, Okla. Then we went to camp Lejuene and so were far from relatives on the West Coast. That Christmas everything had to be done long distance. We were in base housing at Gloucester Circle, very thinly built, but adequate, on the list for better housing on the base. A package came from Key Center; I opened this flat box and my senses came alive. Mrs. A. had put flat cedar branches in the bottom, then huckleberry and salal and holly., I can tell you that was one of the nicest Christmas gifts I have ever received. Those scents of home remained with us through the first holiday season away from family.

When we first came back from NC with our daughter Christina, I made sure to have photos taken with each of the grandparents and those pictures are in Christina's photo album. We chose the name Christina as it was Norwegian sounding.

Whenever there was a family dinner, Mrs. A. was always helping. She liked to be in the middle of things. She told me that in Norway she had servants, so it was difficult for her to clean house, cook, iron, wash clothes, etc. in Allyn and she had to learn how to do all those things. Many times, when we visited, she had "bankeshut", however that is spelled in Norwegian. It is Swiss steak and I have watched her make it, but hers was the best. On weekends at that time, they would go to Belfair to buy black rye bread, as it was the closest place that carried it.

She told me very little about Norway, and whispered to me once that there was royalty in her family. Ole (my husband) told me that they came to the US with half a million. (I have also heard a quarter of a million). But when they got to the US, having bought tickets all the way through to Washington State, the various train agents, etc. made them pay again for the trip. I was never able to find out why they came to the US but I am sure there is a story there, and I don't believe it was for a better life. They were rich in Norway and they sure weren't rich here.

The family laughed over the tales of how Mr. A. chased off Naval officers (from Bremerton Naval Base) and others with a shotgun when they came to court Vera and Evelyn.

Ole told me many stories of Allyn. I met some of the relatives. Their house was still there. Mr. Anker was on the school board. They were one of the few families with a car during the depression. Mr Anker sold oysters to the Bremerton Naval Base during the depression and so did not suffer from no work. Ole always admired the retired Naval officer who lived in Allyn as he got a check all through the Depression. Maybe that is why he (my husband) joined the Marines.

When visiting, I would find burned out matches on the tank top of the toilet and my husband told me if you burn a match, the odor goes away. I had not known this. No modern spray needed.

Mrs. A. gave me a small wooden box with a lid, all decorated. She told me that if someone were sick, you filled this box with unguent, some kind of ointment or salve, and took it to them. My daughter Chris has that box now. It did not look used. She told me there was a bridge where they lived and there were trolls under there. She also said that engaged couples went to the mines and got silver, then chose a silversmith and pattern and it was made. She gave me 3 spoons; which seemed to be all she had left from her set.

When Phyllis Anker had twins, she was very surprised. Later she found out that Anna Weckhorst had lost twins and never told her, even though she has a photo of Anna holding her twin boys.

As mentioned above, Mr. Anker raised oysters when in Allyn. After that, he picked brush, which he was doing when I met them. That is a common occupation in Washington. They have sheds where you bring the brush and women who work there take the huckleberry cuttings and the salal and form it into bunches whch are then sold to florists to use in their arrangements. Mrs. Anker has worked in the sheds. From the first, I was told how sick Mr. Anker was. It was an allergy which broke out on his arms and perhaps elsewhere. He was always scratching. He also had a most horrible sounding hacking cough. Being out in the woods did not help, as it is pretty wet there if you are brush picking. He also picked Prince's Pine, which is a plant that grows abundantly there. It is used in medicines and therefore sold to pharmaceutical companies. Roy tells of how he and friends would go out and peel cascara bark and sell it to earn extra money. All of these plants grow also in Oregon, but I have never heard of brush picking in Oregon.

Every night Mrs. Anker read from her Bible. However, she was prejudiced against Catholics and would whisper things. At the Key Center house after Mr. Anker died, she insisted on no open doors or windows, as his spirit would try to get back into the house. She was a Lutheran.

Phyllis gave me more information in 1991 but I see that some of her info is not correct, according to what Molley has found out. But she lived near them and probably was told or heard a lot more.

I wish I had probed more, but sometimes we would be talking, and she would begin to say something and then just clam up.

Johanna C. Anker Succumbs At 67 (obituary, 1963)

TRANSCRIPT: Johanna C. Anker Succumbs At 67 Johanna Caroline Anker, 67, passed away February 22 at a local hospital. She had made her home at Rt. 3 Box 311. Mrs. Anker was born in Bamle (ed. note: incorrect, should read "Bamble") Norway June 7, 1896. She and her husband lived at Allyn for 35 years where they had an oyster business. Shortly after the war they moved to Key Center where they lived for approximately six years. At his passing she returned to Shelton. She lived a total of 42 years in Mason County. The funeral was held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Batstone Funeral Home. Rev. Carl Carlsen officiated. Interment was in Shelton Memorial Park. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. William (Evelyn) Carlson, Shelton, and Mrs. George (Vera) Moore, Mechanicsburg, Penn.; two sons, Harry Anker, Key Center, Wash., and Major Harold Anker, U.S. Marine Corps, Yakima; 11 grandchildren; five brothers, Carl Weckhorst, Florida, Harry Weckhorst, Allyn, Pete Weckhorst, Tacoma, Harold Weckhorst, Norway, and Olaf Weckhorst, New York City.