Other Norwegian Colonists
and Central Figures
Aschehoug, Jens
Oslo journalist. At Galápagos in 1922. No other data available.
Bang, Per
At Galápagos in 1922. No other data available
Christoffersen, Emilie (“Lalla”)
Born May 2, 1890 in Sweden. Adopted by fire chief Christoffersen, Arendal, East Agder County. Shop assistant. Joined Kastdalen family in 1935. Died December 21, 1974. Unmarried.
Finsen, Walter
Born 1873 (estimated). From Iceland. Came to Santa Cruz in 1931 after working for many years in the USA. Lived in a stone hut built by Sigurd Graffer near Pelican Bay (off Academy Bay), Santa Cruz. Died April 7, 1945, about 72 years old.
Graffer Family
- Sigurd: Born January 24, 1894 on Graffer farm at Sør-Fron, Opland County. Construdction worker and carpenter from Rjukan, Buskerud County. Worked on American ships. Emigrated in 1935 with his wife and two sons. Divorced about 1941. Returned to Norway in 1969, died in Oslo about 1981.
- Solveig née Phørner: Born October 12, 1904. Sigurd's wife, remarried to Albert Albin, USA.
- Arne: Graffers' son. Moved to USA. No other information available.
- Erling: Graffers' son, married Bjorg Steffensen, subsequently divorced. Moved to USA.
Hassel, (?)
First name unknown, engineer from Oslo. Came on his own in 1926. Lived for a few months on Floreana, thereafter in Guayaquil, where he worked as a city engineer. Died of fever in 1928.
Henriksen Family
- Håvard: Born 1907 in Hønefoss, Buskerud County. Worked on American ships. Married Saimy Lundberg in 1934. Settled in Santa Cruz. Able farmer and vegetarian on “Rancho Grande.” Moved to Norway when his wife became sick and died in 1960. Later the same year he returned to Santa Cruz, but gave up. From 1979 to 1984 he lived in La Palma, Canary Isles, then moved to his son's house near Molde, Møre and Romsdal Country the year before he died, December 12, 1987.
- Saimy née Lundberg: Håvard's wife. Died in 1960.
- Henrik G.: Henriksens' son. Born March 8, 1944 in Panamá. On Santa Cruz until his mother's death in 1960, then returned to Norway. Currently a farmer and fisherman at Farstad near Molde, Møre and Romsdal County. Married to Aslaug; five children.
Horneman Family
- Jacob Hersleb: Born July 31, 1890 at Mo I Rana, Nordland County, grew up at Fruholmen Lighthouse. Mining (geology) engineer from Norwegian Technical University, Trondheim. Six years in Svalbard (Spitzbergen) before arriving in Santa Cruz in 1927. Died on February 4, 1976.
- Anna Gauslaa: Jacob's first wife, married in Lillesand in 1923.
- Robert: their first son, born March 20, 1928 in San Cristóbal.
- Christina: their second son, born March 6, 1930 in Lillesand.
- Else Jørgensen: Jacob's second wife, married in 1936-1937.
- Elfriede Engelmann: Jacob's third wife. Born October 4, 1907, died February 19, 1997. Jacob and Elfried “Mutti” Horneman moved to their daughter Friedel's home in 1969.
- Friedel née Engelmann: their first daughter, born October 5, 1940 on Santa Cruz. Married Per Vonka; three children.
- Sigvart: their first son, born September 28, 1945 on Santa Cruz. Moved to California in 1964.
Hyenæs, Trygve
Born November 23, 1890. Manager for La Colonia de Santa Cruz. His daughter Molly married Captain Alf Gude Due of Alatga. Hyenæs died September 18, 1968
Johansen, (?)
First name and other information unknown. The only member of Robinson Crusoe who finally came to Santa Cruz in 1929, where he stayed for some months. Apparently his pigs are the ancestors of the present-day feral pigs on the island. Known as “Grise-Johansen” (Pig Johansen).
Kastdalen Family
- Thorvald: Born October 13, 1895 in Askim, Askers County. Carpenter at Rjukan, Telemark County. Married Marie Martha. Emigrated to Santa Cruz with the Graffer family and “Lalla” Christoffersen in May 1935. Very successful at farming and cattle raising. Died in 1988.
- Marie Martha (Maja) née Knudsen: Thorvald's wife, born May 6, 1897 in Arendal. Died on March 22, 1983.
- Alf: Kastdalens' son, born August 12, 1925 in Rjukan, married Corina in 1968. Died on June 22, 1983.
- Corina née Espin: Alf's wife.
- Thorbaldo: Their son, born February 18, 1970.
- Maria: Their daughter, born June 15, 1971.
- Corina née Espin: Alf's wife.
Lundberg Family
- John: Brought his family from Sweden to Santa Cruz about 1934. He died of a gastric Hemorrhage.
- Saimy: John's wife. After his death, married Håvard Henriksen in 1943.
- Hendrik: Son of Saimy and Håvard Henriksen, born in 1944.
- Gloria: Daughter of John and Saimy, born in 1928. She had four children on Santa Cruz, became widowed and moved to Karlskrona, Sweden with all her children in about 1964.
Lundh Family
- Captain Herman H., Born September 25, 1876, left Oslo for Santa Cruz in 1931. He and Gordon Wold bought the sloop Santa Inez in 1932. At this time his wife Helga and son Jacob arrived from Oslo. Part of the time the family lived on Santa Cruz and part in Guayaquil. From 1938 until his death in August 1947 after falling from an avacado tree, Captain Lundh lived with Gordon Wold.
- Helga: Herman's wife, born April 23, 1904. Died on Santa Cruz, September 28, 1965.
- Jacob: Their son, born November 5, 1928. He and his brother Eric were among the first prawn fishing captains in Ecuador. He lived about 12 years on Santa Crus, and later (1960-1965) on San Cristóbal, working as an agent for tourist information. Discovered that tortoises were not extinct on San Cristóbal as was assumed in 1964. Later he lived on the Ecuadorian mainland before settling in Oslo in 1978. Married to Maritza in 1958; four children. Jacob died on March 19, 2012.
- Eric: Their son, born March 31, 1934 in Guayaquil, has lived for about nine years on Santa Cruz. He is still a prawn trawler owner and captain in Guayaquil. Married to Norma in 1963; three children.
Sinderud, Edvard
Born 1866 in Rendal, Hedemark County. He worked for many years in South America and among other things in the construction of the Panamá Canal. About 1941 he came to live with the Stampa family on Santa Cruz until his death on February 2, 1950 at the age of 84 years.
Steffensen Family
Bjarne, Alvhilde and their four children moved to Santa Cruz in 1952, returned home after three years, but their daughter Bjørg remained.
Steffensen, Bjørg
Married Erling Graffer; two children. Later divorced, re-married, moved to Guayaquil where she operates a hairdressing salon.
Stenersen, Ragnar
From Bamble, Telemark County. Arrived with the Steffensen family at Santa Cruz with wife and one child, but soon returned to Norway.
Strømme, Sigvald Borgen
Born January 12, 1877 in Talvig, Finnmark County. Lawyer and real estate agent. Apparently responsible for the Robinson Crusoe scandal.
Note: Close window showing “Robinson Crusoe” text to view Colonist table again.
Støren, Finn
From Oslo, arrived at Galápagos in 1922. From 1928 to 1935, Consul in Cristóbal, Panamá Canal Zone. Member of pro-Nazi Quisling government of Norway, 1940-1945. Author of pro-Nazi books, he fled to South America in 1945.
Tjøsvold, Rasmus Larsen
Born February 4, 1904. Electrician and fisherman from Karmøy, Rogaland County. At Santa Cruz 1951-1955, then moved to Canada for several years before returning home to Karmøy.
Vonka, Per
Married Friedel Engelmann. Farmer and guide from Karpdalen, Kirkenes, Finmark County.