|
Niles Myhre, 1829-1893
Brithe P. (Pedersdatter Aasene) Myhre, 1831-1894
Brithe Pedersdatter Aasene was born January 8, 1831 in Davik Indre, Davik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, and baptized on January 16, 1831. Her parents were Peder Jorgensen Aasene and Lizbeth Lasesdatter Skord. Brithe was the eldest of their four children.
She was named for her two grandmothers, Brithe Josepsdotter Aasene and Brithe Johannesdatter Kirkejde. Her parents lived in this town their entire lives.
Niles Pederson Tejgen Myhre was born June 5, 1829 in Innvik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. He was baptized on June 14, 1829. His parents were Peder Michelsen (Mikkelsen) Teigen and Sara Andersdatter Scharsteen. Niles was the second of their eight children.
It is assumed that Niles married Johanne Davidsdotter Nelson, however no marriage record was found. Their son, Anders Nilson Muir was born in 1849 on the family farm in Innvik, Norway. Johanne Nelson was born in 1820, but no other information is known if Johanne died or her and Niles separated.
Records that do exist show Niles married Berte Marie Larsdotter on May 17, 1854 in Selie Parish, Nordfjord Prosti, Norway. Sadly, Berte died in childbirth along with their daughter, on July 6, 1855, at the Myhre farm in Selie Parish.
On June 21, 1856, Niles married his third wife, Brithe Malena Pedersdatter Aasene, in Davik Parish, Nordfjord Prosti, Norway. They continued to live on the Myhre farm in Selie Parish where they had seven children: Bertine Serene, Sise Patrine, Peder Martinus, Johan, Johanne Samuline, Paul Andreas and Lars Mikal. Only Peter, Johanne and Paul survived into adulthood.
On June 1, 1888, at age 58, Niles and Brithe left Bergen, Norway and emigrated to America with his son Anders Nelson and his family. (Cultural note: The predominant type of surname in Norway is patronymic. Such names are based on the father's given name. This surname changed with each generation. Anders surname “Nelson” means “the son of Niles.”) They arrived in America on June 7, 1888. By 1891, they were living in Crosby with the Qualheims family. Niles received two land grants from the Federal government, each for 160 acres just north of Dyes Inlet in what is now Silverdale.
Niles Myhre died in 1893 at the age of 64. His wife Brithe died the following year in 1894. They are buried at the Seabeck Cemetery, and their causes of death are unknown. The inscription on their tombstone reads: “Nils P. Myhre 1829-1893 ---- Brithe P. Myhre 1830-1894 At Rest”.
Their three surviving children all emigrated to Kitsap County as well. Their youngest son, Paul, continued to farm and breed chickens on his father’s land. In 1909, Paul and Peter opened a sawmill along Clear Creek. There is a major road in Silverdale named after the Myhre family.
Grace Lucille Myhre, 1905-2004
Grace was born January 21, 1905 in Marshall, Missouri to Harry Sylvester Wilson and Rachel Elizabeth Moffitt. She was the eldest of three children and has outlived both of her brothers, Ralph and John Wilson. Her father was a railroad man, constantly moving the family around the Midwest before finally settling down (for a time) in eastern Washington where Grace finished high school (and met her future husband while he was on a fishing trip).
She was married in Bremerton, Washington, February 16, 1926, to Philip Henry Myhre (deceased) and they lived in the Myhre family home in Silverdale for almost 60 years. The house had been built and occupied by her father-in-law, Paul Myhre, and his family. Just prior to Philip's death in 1985, Grace and Philip sold their property to the developers who incorporated it into what became the Silverdale Mall. They moved nearby to Erie Ave NW where from their hillside they enjoyed looking out over Silverdale, the Dyes Inlet, and Mt. Rainier.
Grace's whole focus in life was centered on family, friends, and her home. She was loved and respected by all who knew her. Grace enjoyed company and generously invited visitors to share her warm and gracious hospitality. There was always a bed and a place at the table for those who appeared at her door.
Grace leaves a legacy of love to her three children and their spouses, Philip (and Emma) Myhre, Ralph (and Jane) Myhre, and JoAnn (and Don) Bernritter. Her nine grandchildren adored her. And the life of Grace Myhre continues on in eighteen great-grandchildren.
| 
