Arne Pettersen
| Arne Pettersen | |
|---|---|
 ArnePettersenEllisIsland.jpg Mug shot of Arne Pettersen, taken in June 1944 (Note it incorrectly shows his middle name to begin with O) | |
| Born | Arne Pareli Pettersen February 11, 1906 Meløy Municipality, Norway |
| 💀Died | February 14, 1981 (aged 75) Larvik Municipality, NorwayFebruary 14, 1981 (aged 75) |
| Burial place | Undersbo Cemetery |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Norwegian |
| Other names |
|
| 💼 Occupation |
|
| Known for | Being the last person to leave Ellis sland |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | * Petra Margrethe Olafsen (m. 1938) |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | Albert Angel Karl Pettersen Olianna Margrethe Nilsdotter |
Arne Pareli Pettersen (11 February 1906 – 14 February 1981) was a Norwegian sailor, and the last person to be processed through the Ellis Island in New York Harbor.[1]
Early life[edit]
Arne Pettersen was born on 11 February, to Albert Angel Karl Pettersen and Olianna Margrethe Nilsdotter in Meløy, Norway, being the last of their four children. He was baptized on 17 June of that year.[2] His mother died in July 1907[3] and his father swiftly remarried.
Career[edit]
Pre-war[edit]
According to Pettersen himself, Pettersen first came to America as a sailor in 1929 or 1930.
World War II[edit]
In 1940, he overstayed his shore leave after voyage as a crew member of MS Trondanger to New York City.[4] He agreed to depart as a crewmember of the liner MS Oslofjord, which struck a mine in December and sank in January; Pettersen was questioned as part of the inquiry.[5]
In 1942, the ship he was serving on, MT Leiv Eiriksson was torpedoed by a German U-Boat.[6][7]
For his service as a merchant mariner during World War II, Pettersen was awarded the Krigsmedaljen in early 1943, and the King Haakon VII Freedom Medal at the end of the war.[8]
Post-war[edit]
On 9 December 1953, the ship Pettersen was on, MT Bello, docked at the Port of Philadelphia. Pettersen disembarked the vessel, intending to reembark when it departed, but became drunk and was left behind when the ship departed on the 11th.
Encounters with Ellis Island[edit]
Pettersen's first encounter with Ellis Island was in May 1944 when he overstayed his shore leave after a voyage on MT Gylfe. An arrest warrant was issued on 16 June, and he was arrested that day. The charges included violating the Smith Act by not properly registering himself. He was originally meant to leave as a member of the crew of a ship called Balla, but he deserted, and instead departed with MT Østhav on 29 June.
In 1954, Pettersen was arrested in Brooklyn for, again, overstaying his shore leave, having been in the United States for 6 months, instead of the allowed 29 days. After his arrest, he was taken to Ellis Island. At his trial, he claimed he had never overstayed his shore leave previously and was allowed to leave the country himself, without being deported, by 10 November of that year, if he signed to the crew of a departing ship. He left Ellis Island by ferry on 12 November, and the center closed that day. He was unable to do so within the time period, even after an extension to 24 December, and was re-arrested in early February 1955.[9] On 16 February, he was deported on MS Stockholm to Gothenburg, Sweden and taken to "authorities".[10]
Personal life[edit]
Pettersen married Petra Margrethe Olafsen in 1938,[11] and had one child with her. Olafsen died in 1990.[12]
Later life and death[edit]
Pettersen died on 14 February 1981, and was buried at the Undersbo Cemetery on 19 February.
See also[edit]
Annie Moore (immigrant), the first person to go through Ellis Island.
References[edit]
- ↑ Isl, Mailing Address: Ellis; City, Receiving Center Statue of Liberty National Monument Jersey; Us, NJ 07305 Phone: 212 363-3200 Contact. "This Month in History- November - Ellis Island Part of Statue of Liberty National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ Smolenyak, Megan (2021-03-18). "We Finally Know What Happened to Arne Pettersen, the Last to Leave Ellis Island". Medium. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ Smolenyak, Megan (2021-03-18). "We Finally Know What Happened to Arne Pettersen, the Last to Leave Ellis Island". Medium. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ↑ "Arne Pareli Pettersen - Krigsseilerregisteret". www.krigsseilerregisteret.no. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ "Arne Pareli Pettersen - Krigsseilerregisteret". www.krigsseilerregisteret.no. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ "This Man Was The Last to Emigrate Through Ellis Island". Stuff Nobody Cares About. 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ "M/T Leiv Eiriksson - Krigsseilerregisteret". www.krigsseilerregisteret.no. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ "Arne Pareli Pettersen - Krigsseilerregisteret". www.krigsseilerregisteret.no. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ Smolenyak, Megan (2021-03-18). "We Finally Know What Happened to Arne Pettersen, the Last to Leave Ellis Island". Medium. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ↑ https://miro.medium.com/max/576/1*2O5Swf0zPdJ6orWaS7t38Q.jpeg[bare URL image file]
- ↑ https://miro.medium.com/max/700/1*bCitBmbAjEDy1-m1AppFmQ.jpeg[bare URL image file]
- ↑ Smolenyak, Megan (2021-03-18). "We Finally Know What Happened to Arne Pettersen, the Last to Leave Ellis Island". Medium. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
This article "Arne Pettersen" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Arne Pettersen. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
