Hans Baagöe Thorgrimsen Photo: BÁ
Hans Baagöe Thorgrimsen was born in Árnessýsla on August 21, 1853. He died in Grand Forks, N. Dakota on February 7, 1942.
Spouse: 1) 1884 Marthe Andrea Mathilde b. February 5, 1857 in Wisconsin, d. 1900. 2) Dora Margrethe Halverson b. 1876, d. 1962.
Children: with Esther: 1. Sylvia b. May 28, 1885 2. Esther Marie b. 1887, d. 1969 3. Sigrid Asla b. April 1, 1890, d. 1970 4. Astrid b. 1892, d. 1972 5. Gudmundur Geir Christian b. 1894, d. 1968 6. Margaret Ingeborg b. January 1, 1897, d. 1967. With Dora: 1. Hans b. March 26, 1903 2. Elín Marie b. July 6, 1906, d. 1998 3. Agnes Julia b. December 31, 1917.
Photo: JÞ
Hans went west to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1872. His lived on Washington Island, but he went on to study theology and graduated from the same school as Rev. Páll Þorláksson in St. Louis in 1882. That same year, he received a letter of call to serve the Vikur Church in Mountain, N. Dakota, recommended by Rev. Páll before he died. Reverend Hans came to N. Dakota in August, 1883 and served in the Icelandic area until 1886, but that year he answered the call of a Norwegian congregation in S. Dakota and went there. He returned in 1901 and served several congregations in the Icelandic area, and settled in Grand Forks. His biggest accomplishments came in the few years he served in the Vikur congregation and forming a new congregation in Fjalla in 1884. Like his predecessor, Rev. Páll Þorláksson, he had become acquainted with the activities of The Norwegian Synod, how the powerful Norwegian church community had united a large number of Norwegian congregations throughout North America. He raised an argument in the winter of 1884 that Icelandic congregations in North America should form an Icelandic Church Society and, to discuss that matter further, he convened a meeting that took place in Mountain Dec. 2, 1884. His idea became a reality when the church drafted a constitution. Early in 1885, a second meeting was held at Mountain and now representatives of all Icelandic congregations in North America were invited to attend the meeting. It took place on January 23 and lasted for three days. It was a historic meeting because no such meeting of Icelanders in the Western world had ever been held. Another meeting was held on January 31, when the constitution was adopted.