Helge and Sophia Lofall

 

Helge and Sophia were both born and raised in Norway. Helge Johannesson Lovfald was born June 14, 1852 in Lovfallstrand, Kvinnherad, Norway. On June 21, 1881, Helge (29) married Sophie Magdalene Meidell (27) in Sandeid, Norway. Sophie was born in Sandeid, Norway on August 24, 1854. The family name was originally "Lovfald", which later became "Lovfall". 

When Helge Lovfall was 36 years old, he decided to move his family to America. This decision came because he was not in line to inherit for any portion of the family land and was experiencing a financial crisis. He and his two brothers left Norway for America in 1888. In 1889, Sophie, then 35 years old, followed with their five children. 

Upon their arrival to America, Helge and his brothers first travelled to the Great Lakes area to work. They earned money to send for the families. In 1889 the women and children came across, then they set on to Fleming, Colorado. Helge's brother homesteaded in Fleming and together, the families developed a farm. Between 1889 and 1896, Helge and Sophie had four more children. The children's names were (oldest to youngest) Henning (Henry), Kristi (Tina), Johnannes (John), Helge Sophus (Sofus), Inger Johanna (Jennie), Anna (Ann), Sofie, Kristian (Chris) and Alfred William (Bill).

By 1898, farming had not proved very successful, so the family travelled west in two covered wagons. The story is that along the way, one brother decided to go on to California while Helge wanted to head to the Pacific Northwest. So they parted ways on the trail. Helge's brother headed for the California coast and ended up in the city of Eureka, California.    Helge and the family ended up in Rockford, Washington, in Spokane County. The family lived there for about 10 years.  While visiting some friends in Ballard, Helge decided to take a look at some land in Kitsap County. They had been thinking about moving to Mt. Vernon, but after seeing the beautiful Hood Canal waters, they chaned their minds. In 1908, the family bought 60 acres of land in the place now know as Lofall, Washington.  In 1909, Helge decided to build a dock and a post office. Helge was the one and only postmaster of Lovfall City.  After the dock was built, one of the Mesquito Fleet steamers, the State of Washington, began stopping at the Lofall Dock twice a week. It brought mail, supplies, feed, and passengers to the area. This put Lovfall City on the map.   Shortly after the family was established in Kitsap County, daughters Ann and Jennie pressured Helge into changing the name to Lofall. Apparently Norwegians were stereotyped during that time, so the idea was to assume more of an "American" sounding name.  When the dock was built, there were no roads to speak of, so water transportation was popular. By the 1930's roads were plentiful and the need for the water transportation lessened. The Mosquito fleet steamships discontinued the Hood Canal service. The only real need that remained was a Hood Canal crossing. So when the steamships discontinued the Hood Canal operations, a new ferry service began between (south of) Salsbury Point and Shine. In 1950 the Black Ball Line took over this ferry service, and moved it south to Lofall to the location of the dock now owned by the Lofall Community Corporation. In 1951, the State took over the service that continued until 1961.  The old Lofall dock fell down in the early 1940's. The pilings up near the beach failed first, as they were not treated. The pilings at the end of the dock still stand, marking the location of the Lofall dock and Store.  The Lofall Store was later sold to Whitfords (sometime during 1930's). The name was also changed to "Whitford's Store". The store closed down just after WWII. Today the building is gone, replaced by homes at the end of "Lofall Court".  To the east of the Lofall property was 40 acres owned by O.E. Best. This land was later bought by Jennie Lofall. This property extends from approximately the location of the old Lofall Ferry Dock to the (then) Lofall County Park, know known as the Kitsap Memorial State Park. The Lofall County Park was established in the early 1930's  Some memories of Dale Lofall, Helge & Sophie's youngest grandson:  Helge would walk his entire beachfront every day to pickup wood and bark that floated on shore. He would set it up above the high tide line so he could send his boy's down later to gather it up. They used this wood for heat. Helge had a sense of humor, but was sort of quiet. Helge would always have a fig newton for the grandkids when they came over to visit. Helge passed away in Lofall, WA in November 1950, at the age of 98 years old. In his later years, Helge called himself "the oldest man in the north part of the county". Helge outlived Sophie, and two of his children: John and Sophus. Sophie passed away in Lofall, WA in November 1941.

The Lovfall families first moved to Fleming, Colorado where they farmed.     Helge and the family moved to Rockford, WA near the Idaho border.   Lovfall City in the early 1900's

July 18, 1913
A news clip that made the Poulsbo newspaper:

 

The early Lofall Store and Post Office owned by Helge and Sophie. Note the original Lofall Dock and the Mosquito Fleet steamer, the "State of Washington". Years after the steamers left, a cannery was built on the dock.

The Lofall Store & Post Office and the Lofall Dock

 
 

The Lofall Store in the 1930's

The Lofall Store, years after the post office was closed (mail service moved to Poulsbo) and the steamship service was discontinued. The store remained open for a number of years.

 
 

Soon after the steamship service was discontinued in the 1930's, a clam cannery was built on the the Lofall Dock. This was the final activity on the Lofall dock. Today, only a few of the pilings remain, marking the end of the original Lofall Dock.

The Clam Cannery on the Lofall Dock

 
 

The Moe Brother's locomotive that dumped logs off of a trestle in Lofall between 1906 and 1911

This is the Moe Brothers Logging locomotive. This locomotive brought logs down Big Valley, came down approximately on Park Street and met a trestle over Hood Canal where logs were dumped into the water. The trestle was located just north of the Lofall Dock and was used between 1906 and 1911.

 

Helge & Sophia's Children

This section is waiting for information and photos...

Henning M. "Henry" or "Shorty" Lofall

Henry was born in Lovfallstrand, Kvinnherad, Norway on May 10, 1882 and lived to be 82 years old. Henry was a barber in Poulsbo. He owned the building second from the corner of Main Street and Jensen which is now the Senior Citizen's Center in downtown Poulsbo. The south half of the building had the "Lofall Barber Shop" (now the Poulsbo Senior Citizen's Lounge) which Henry owned and operated. In the north half of the building was "Stella's Beauty Shop" which was run by Stella Alexander, which later became an insurance office (a little Poulsbo trivia).

Henry was married to Florence (?). We as children remember Florence to be quite a character that walked funny. This was due to a fall that she had as a young girl that left one leg shorter. Henry and Florence lived in Poulsbo just off 3rd Avenue.
 

Kristi "Tina" Lofall Hargrave

Tina was born in Lovfallstrand, Kvinnherad, Norway on April 25, 1884. She was married married for only a short time to (?) Hargrave and lived in Seattle. Hargrave ran off. In her later life she moved to Poulsbo. Tina passed away of cancer in December 1954 at the age of 70 years old.
 

Johnannes "John " or "Joe" Lofall

John was born in Lovfallstrand, Kvinnherad, Norway on June 12, 1885. John was married with one daughter. He and his family lived in Seattle area. By trade, John worked in the construction business as a painter and wallpaper hanger. John drove a Model "A" Ford car that later was passed on to Jennie and then his nephew Dale.

The family contracted TB in 1945, and John (60), his wife and daughter all died from it.
 

Helge Sophus "Sophus" Lofall

Sophus was born in Lovfallstrand, Kvinnherad, Norway in 1886 and lived only to be 25 years old. He died an accidental death in Seattle after slipping off the grain pier. The following link was printed in the newspaper on November 16, 1909:
 

Inger Johanna "Jennie" Lofall Beham

Jennie was born in Lovfallstrand, Kvinnherad, Norway in June 24, 1888. This was the same year that Helge left for America. Jennie was the last child to be born in Norway. Later in life, Jennie owned the 40 acre section north of her family's original 60 acres. This section extends between the Lofall Ferry Dock and the Lofall Park. Jennie and her younger sister Ann ran a dance studio in Seattle. Jennie lived with her folks until around the start of WWII. She married Wesley Beham. Wesley was in the Army during the war. Jennie and Wesley divorced in the early 1950's. Jennie moved back into her folks house, where she was Helge's caretaker in his later years. Jennie died of cancer in 1954 at the age of 74 years old.

 

Anna "Ann" Lofall Thompson

Ann was the first Lofall child to be born in America. She was born in Fleming, Colorado on July 13, 1890. When Ann was a young woman, she stowed away on a ship to California (? get details from dad). Ann and Jennie were dancers. They operated the "Lofall Dance Studio" in Seattle. They even had a dance that was named "The Lofall Shuffle". Later in life, Ann lived in Parker, Arizona and Santa Ana, California with her husband Ludvig "Lud" Thompson. While in California they raised race horses. Ann spent her final years in Poulsbo where she passed away September 13, 1993 at the age of 103 years old!

 

Sophie Magdalene "Sophie" Lofall Haack

Sophie was born in Fleming Colorado on June 1, 1892 and lived to be 94. She grew up in Rockford, WA. Later after the family was settled in Lofall, she married (?) Roberts and had one son named Harry Lofall Roberts, who's nickname was "Buster". Buster was in World War II in the US Army Air Corps. After the war Buster died in a car accident. Sophie divorced Roberts and later remarried Ernest "Curly" Haack. Curley was a Bartender in Seattle. Scandia and then back in Lofall. After Curly retired, they moved to Scandia in Poulsbo. During the late 1950's, Sophie and Curly built a house on the corner of Wesley Way and Ferry Street in Lofall. Sophie used to frequently swim way out into Hood Canal. We remember her swimming even when she was very old. Sophie was also on of the most frequent fishermen that the Hood Canal knew. She would row out in front of Lofall to fish for sand-dabs and rock cod nearly every day. She also handled the boat up the beach to the bulkhead all by her self. Sophie was definately one hardy woman! Sophie and Curly lived the remainder of their lives in Lofall. In 1972 Curly passed away.
 

Kristian Morgenshjerne "Chris" Lofall

Chris was born in Fleming, Colorado on June 23, 1894. Chris was a commercial fisherman and fished with his younger brother Bill. After Bill got out of the commercial fishing business, Chris became a longshoreman, he worked at Port Gamble and Shelton. Chris was married three times. His first wife died young. While Chris was a commercial fisherman, he spent years living with Helge and Jennie at Helge's place. He married to his second wife who came from Port Gamble. They lived on the waterfront in Lofall. This marriage didn't last long, they were divorced. Later he married Belle, they remained married until Chris passed away. Chris never had any children. Chris died in about 1970, he would have been about 76 years old.

Chris was a real character that would chase the grandkids around his house. On many halloweens, he would hide in the flower beds with a sheet over his head and scare the daylights out of us kids. Even though we all knew he was going to be there, he would still get us every time.

It is reported that Chris could cut hair even better than his oldest brother Henry, the barber.
 

 

Alfred William "Bill" Lofall

Bill was born in Fleming, Colorado on August 6, 1896. His birth name was Alfred William Lofall, but soon became William Alfred Lofall. Bill lived to be 88 years old. Bill was a logger, commercial fisherman and a quartermaster for the Washington State Ferries. He married Martha Johanna Paulson on February 5, 1930 and had two children: Glen and Dale.

He was known to most as Bill Lofall. All the grandchildren called him "Pa" (Dale's kids) or "Grandpa" (Glen's kids), but Grandma always called him "Willy" or "the Grampa". The family moved to Rockford, Washington when he was one year old until he was about 11 years old. So he spent most of his childhood and all of his adult life in Lofall. See the William & Martha Lofall link for a bunch more information about Bill and his life.

Bill passed away February 20, 1985.