Marie Bolette Rostad née Forde, 1876-1945
Headstone GPS Coordinates:
Birth: 24 March 1876, Førde, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Death: 10 December 1945, Bremerton, Kitsap County, Washington
Relatives in Seabeck Cemetery: Edward Rostad, Christian Rostad
American Revolutionary War Patriots*: None
Disclaimer: These lines have not been officially proven by NSDAR standards
Marie Bolette Rostad was born Marie Bolette Hansdatter Forde on March 24, 1876, in Førde, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, to Hans Andersen and Lovise Bergitte Andersdatter. The second of nine children, she grew up in the fjord country of western Norway, surrounded by mountains, water, and a close-knit rural community.
At twenty-eight years old, Marie made the courageous decision to leave her homeland. On April 22, 1904, she sailed from Oslo aboard the Montebello, declaring Iowa as her final destination. Like so many Norwegian immigrants of her generation, she crossed the Atlantic seeking opportunity and a new beginning. By 1909, her journey had taken her far beyond the Midwest—to Fairbanks, Alaska, then a frontier town shaped by gold fever and hardship.
On August 21, 1909, at First Presbyterian Church in Fairbanks, Marie married Christian Rostad, a fellow Norwegian immigrant and miner. She was four months pregnant at the time.
Shortly after their marriage, Marie made another remarkable journey. She returned home to Førde, Norway, where she gave birth to their first son, Louis Harman Rostad, surrounded by her parents and siblings. Christian remained in the Yukon working as a miner in Dawson City—a town known for its rough edges, filled with men seeking gold in the ground and entertainers seeking gold in the men’s pockets.
On October 12, 1911, Marie and young Louis left Norway once more, sailing to Quebec aboard the RMS Empress of Ireland.
Special Historical Note: Three years after Marie and Louis made their voyage, in 1914, the Empress of Ireland would sink in the St. Lawrence River after colliding with a Norwegian ship. The vessel went down in less than fifteen minutes. Of the 1,477 passengers aboard, 1,012 perished—many trapped in their cabins while sleeping. It remains the worst peacetime maritime disaster in Canadian history.
According to emigration papers, Marie and Louis intended to travel west via Vancouver and onward to Dawson. Whether she reunited with Christian in Alaska or Vancouver before eventually settling in Seattle is uncertain, but by August 20, 1912, the family was living in Seattle, where Marie gave birth to her second son, Alfred Bernhardt Rostad.
In February 1913, Marie and Christian moved their young family to Seabeck, Washington. They traveled by freight boat, then by wagon to their land in Crosby, purchasing Paul N. Myhre’s old homestead. There, Marie became the heart of a frontier farm household. While Christian worked as a rancher, it was Marie who managed the home, raised the children, preserved food, mended clothing, and helped sustain the family through the unpredictable cycles of rural life.
On February 14, 1917, she gave birth to their third son, Edward, likely at home in Seabeck.
In October 1925, disaster struck when fire consumed the Rostad home. Marie’s courage that day was recorded in vivid detail in the Kitsap Herald, October 25, 1925, in an article written by Rev. Samuel Bassett, known as “BRUTUS”:
“An Appeal for a Neighbor
Mr. Rostad bought, years ago, eighty acres, which included the improvements on the old homestead of Paul N. Myhre of Silverdale. He paid part, and Mr. Myhre took a mortgage on the place for the balance. I have been told on good authority that there is still a balance of $275 due on that mortgage. Mr. Myhre for some years, had a fire insurance on the house of $600. Mr. Rosatad, when he came home the evening of the day the house was burned, notified Mr. Myhre of the accident, so he could notify the insurance company, and found out by Mr. Myhre that he had requested the agent to call on Mr. Rostad for the insurance fee before the insurance would run out, and Mr. Mesford promised that he would, but forgot it, I am sure. So, Mr. Rostad found himself with no protection against fire. Such happenings sometimes catch the best napping. I am sure the loss to Mr. Rosatd would not be covered if we could raise $3,000 for him.
Mr. Rosatd, as stated, was not at home the day of the fire. The oldest boy, Lewis, was sick abed. After dinner, Mrs. Rostad was digging potatoes in the field. Seeing great smoke rising from the feed room, which was attached to the house, she ran home and found the building on fire. She rushed and called the son to come from his bed right away. The house was on fire, and off she went and used all the water she had handy to try to quench the fire, but was unable to; so in she went to the burning house and pulled her sewing machine out to safety, and repeatedly went in, daring the fire, to try to save what she could, and that was very little. She had her two arms scorched pretty badly with the fire. They had over $75 worth of grain purchased and stored in the feed room, as part of the winter supply, and lots of groceries. Besides, they have lost all their wearing apparel, beds and bedding. Their house was well furnished. The neighbors had done what they could to help them, but very few here are flush with money. Mr. Rostad will receive from Rudy Hintz about $400 for timber that he logged from the place. Outside of this, they are penniless, to build a house before the winter sets in. Mr. Murray of the West Fork camp lent them a good-sized canvas tent and donated them a mattress, springs and bedstead. Mr. Just gave them one hundred pounds of flour, a pair of boots to Mr. Rostad and a few shoes for the boys. Mr. Marshall gave a pair of shoes, a clock and some other things. Mr. and Mrs. Zoffel, before they left for California, gave them their cooking stove and a bed. To enumerate all will, I think, to take too much space in the Herald. Can I, in my appeal, touch a thousand Samaritan hearts that will give a dollar apiece toward helping this poor family in building a house? It will cost Mr. Rostad a great deal more than that, because he is noe carpenter. He is a hard-working man on the farm. I think, Mr. Editor, it would be well to have the people disposed to help in the northern part of the county, to send their contributions to the bank at Poulsbo, if it will receive the money. Mr Fridn Mr. Greaves, may be, will get the bank of Silverdale to receive collections; and maybe Mr. Fairfield in the Valley and the country around him. I have a pretty good friend at South Colby, Mr. Rust. Maybe he will be able to do something in this. I appeal (continued) BRUTUS.”
While the article appealed to neighbors for financial help, it was Marie’s bravery that stands out—running toward the flames, pulling her sick son from bed, entering the burning house again and again to salvage what she could, suffering scorched arms in the process.
The family rebuilt and carried on. Newspaper snippets in later years show the rhythms of their life:
Friday, 11 October 1929, Crosby:
“Lewis Rostad has gone to St. Louis to learn to be an aviator. Lewis is a boy with great ambitions, and we hope he will succeed.”
Friday, 20 February 1931, Crosby:
“Mr. C. Rostad butchered a fine young beef cow on Thursday and took it to the farmers’ market at Bremerton Saturday.”
20 February 1931, Crosby:
“Mr. Chris Rostad has taken our papers to become a citizen of the United States, witnessed by Mr. S. J. Bassett and Sid Wilson.”
Yet deeper sorrow lay ahead. Marie’s youngest son, Edward, suffered from epilepsy. Around age thirteen, he was sent to Medical Lake near Spokane to attend the State Custodial School to better manage his condition. After returning home, tragedy struck on August 28, 1932, when he fell into an open fire during clearing work on the ranch, suffering terrible burns. He endured nearly a year of suffering before his death on July 13, 1933.
The Kitsap County Herald, Friday, July 28, 1933, recorded:
“The youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Rostad passed away last Thursday, after a year of suffering. Edward, aged 16, met with an accident about a year ago be being terribly burned from falling into an open fire as clearing was being sone on his father’s ranch. He was in the hospital until one month ago, when he was brought home and was seemingly recovering when death claimed him. He was buried at the Seabeck Cemetery on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., Rev. Hokenstad preaching and rendering a very touching sermon. Mr. and Mrs. Rostad and family wish to thank all the neighbors and friends for the beautiful flowers and the help they rendered, and to Rev. Hokenstad they asked me to say that their hearts were full to overflowing for his kindness. SHEBA”
Marie endured the loss of her child with the quiet strength that had marked her life from the moment she left Norway.
On December 10, 1945, after 33 years in the Seabeck/Crosby area, Marie died at Roosevelt Hospital in Bremerton from angina pectoris. The Bremerton Sun, December 12, 1945, published:
“Marie F. Rostad
A resident of this vicinity for the past 33 years, Marie F. Rostad passed away at a local hospital, Monday. She was born March 24, 1876, in Norway and immigrated to the U.S. 36 years ago.
She is survived by her husband, Chris, at the family home, Star Rt.1, Box 383; two sons, Louise and Alfred of Bremerton; four sisters, Mrs. Nikka Barnard and Mrs. Sophia Bassette, both of Seattle, and the other two sisters reside in Norway. Also surviving is one brother, a resident of Norway.
Services will be held at the Lewis chapel Saturday morning with the Rev. Givens officiating and interment at the Seabeck cemetery will follow.”
Just two days later, her husband Christian passed away. The Bremerton Sun, December 13, 1945, reported:
“Husband, Wife Die Only 2 Days Apart
A resident of this vicinity for the past 34 years, Christian Winter Rostad, Star Rt. 1, Box 383, passed away at a local hospital yesterday. His wife, Marie F., passed away Monday, at a local hospital. He was born at Trondheim, Norway, Oct. 7, 1862, and came to the U.S. 71 years ago. He is survived by two sons, Louis and Alfred, both of Bremerton. Double funeral services will be held at Lewis chapel Saturday morning at 11 o’clock with the Ref. Givens officiating. Interment is the Seabeck cemetery will follow.”
Marie Bolette Rostad’s life was defined not by headlines but by endurance—by oceans crossed, children raised, fire faced, loss endured, and community sustained. She is buried in Seabeck Cemetery beside her husband and her beloved son Edward. For many years their graves were unmarked, until local historian Fred Just, with help from the Rostad family, commissioned markers in the early 2000s—ensuring that Marie’s courage, sacrifice, and steadfast spirit would not be forgotten.