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The Guovdageaidnu Sami who became a minister in America by Adolf Steen, secretary of Norges Finnemissionsselskap, printed in Samenes Venn, Christmas 1951. Based on a translation by Magdalene Xavier Visovatti (1897-1988), Xavier’s eldest granddaughter.  Xavier family (l to r) standing: Sara Amanda, Marith Mathilde, Heinrich Muller, Karl, Nils Paul Jr., Anna Charlotte; seated: Nils Paul, Amanda Magdalena, Johan Ulrik; in front: Gothard Waldemar, Ella Wilhelmine His name was really Tornensis, but the reason he had the foreign name of Xavier was that he had been named after two French godfathers, and that he later, when grown up, had taken his third given name as his last name for himself and his descendants. During the years between 1838 and 1840 a French scientific expedition had been traveling in northern waters way up to Spitzbergen. The expedition's official name was Commission Scientifique du Nord, but it was called the Recherche expedition, after their ship, La Recherche. The leader of the expedition was the French navy doctor and nature researcher, Paul Gaimard. His literary fellow worker was Professor Xavier Marmier. During the expedition's journey – summer and fall of 1839 – some of the members, as in the previous year, took the road from Alta to Guovdageaidnu, Gárasavvon/Karesuando, and further through Swedish Lappland. Among these were both Gaimard and Marmier, and it was during their stay at Guovdageaidnu that their names were entered in the church book as godfathers of a two-day-old Sami boy. The child's parents were Johannes Olsen Tornensis (ca. 1780-1869) and Marit Pedersdatter Qvænangen (ca. 1805-1865). The Tornensis family had lived for many generations in Guovdageaidnu, where their forefather, Anders Nicolai Tornensis, had been minister from 1682 until his death in 1705. One of his followers, the Reverend Junnelius, wrote that the Tornensis children “became pure Lapps," and according to another source his son Anders "as soon as married gave himself up to the mountains and the Lapp way of life." Anders Nicolai Tornensis, the minister, was married to Aile Johnsdotter, who outlived him by many years. Before his death he had set up a "widow's estate," which later in the 1850s was turned over to a Josef Salomonsen Näkkälä, 1830-1899 from Eanodat/Enontekis. After Aile's death, however, the estate had gone to her grandson, Anders Nilsen Tornensis, and in the beginning of the previous century his son's son, in turn, acquired it. This was the above mentioned Johannes Olsen Tornensis. He had been married twice, first to Berit Isaksdatter Hetta (ca. 1780-1825) and next to Marit Pedersdatter Qvænangen. There were seven children in each marriage. Nils Paul was born in September, 1839. In all the sources I have been able to find his birthday is given both by himself and others as the 26th. This can hardly be true. In the reports of the French expedition it is said that those members who went from Alta to Sweden came to Guovdageaidnu September 10th, and left there on the 14th. In the Guovdageaidnu church book (1821-1842) the date of his birth was not given, but it was written that he was born "Wednesday after the 16th Sunday 1839." He was “baptized two days old by Clement Gunderson. cfr.s day." The last, which means that the home baptism was confirmed in the church the same day, shows that the church baptism must have come off in a hurry, most likely because of the Frenchmen. According to Guovdageaidnu tradition, many people gathered to meet the Frenchmen at the church. Marmier tossed the reins to a woman in the crowd, and when on the next day he heard that she had given birth to a child during the night, he and Gaimard asked to be godfathers to the boy, who then was given their first names (Paul and Xavier), Adding this story to the reports of the expedition, he must have been born the 10th or 11th of September. This with the reindeer reins so early in the fall is difficult to understand, but will have to remain unexplained. In his Remembrances, Bishop A. Chr. Bang writes that Nils Paul Xavier was "out-of-wedlock son of a Frenchman and a Lapp girl from Guovdageaidnu." Very likely the students at normal school had made this story up because of Xavier's foreign name, and had finally come to believe it themselves. This story is however, entirely without any possible foundation, and it is too bad that it was not expunged long ago. The Frenchmen stayed, as earlier stated, in Guovdageaidnu from the 10th to the 14th of September, 1839. Little is known about Xavier's childhood and youth, but he must have been an alert and intelligent boy. Among the many children in this family, several showed exceptional ability. In those days most Guovdageaidnu Sami were satisfied to stay where they were born and raised, but of the Johannes Tornensis children, Ellen and Anne, traveled to America, and Brita went to Kristiania (Oslo) to study midwifery. She became the well known "Midwife Brita" of Guovdageaidnu (1836-1908). Nils wanted to teach, and went to Tromsø normal school in 1858. From there he was graduated in I860. Among his schoolmates was the above-mentioned Bishop Bang. In his Remembrances he writes that Xavier knew "hardly a Norwegian word" at his entrance, but "because of his exceptional abilities he soon learned the language and besides did such excellent work that he graduated from the school with highest marks." Through at the normal school he was hired as teacher in Guovdageaidnu, March 1861, but already the year after he was called to teach at Lyngen, where he worked until 1873. From 1865 he was also deacon. While at Lyngen he married Amanda Magdalena Norum, born in Bossekop, Alta, January 9, 1849 and died in Parkland, Washington in 1935. We don't know when he first decided to enter the ministry. He was, indeed, from a long line of ministers. Great-great-grandfather was the above-mentioned Guovdageaidnu minister, Anders Tornensis, whose father, father-in-law, brother, nephew, and grandson had also been ministers. The thought may have been in Xavier's mind as a child, but it was first in Lyngen that he followed the dream and the call. There were difficulties; he was 34 years old and had three children. The only way out was America, where he went with his family in 1873.  In America he studied first at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1874-1875, and later at Concordia Seminary, Springfield, 1875-1876. Here he was ordained the same year as minister in the Norwegian Synod. His years at school had been difficult. The family was growing and money was scarce. There were plenty of sacrifices and hardships. But ever steadfast at his side stood his wife. She shared his sorrows and worries, and when things became too bad, she even found work herself to help obtain money for the family and for his trips to and from the seminary. Xavier became an earnest, hard-working minister. His first call was at Franklin, Minnesota (1876-1891), then Ridgeway, Iowa (1891-1904). He served as a Lutheran missionary around Puget Sound, Parkland, Washington, and served various congregations from 1904 to 1917. At one time, he was editor of the Pacific Herald. He was often sought as worker on committees, and was member of several: publishing, (1892-1899), finance (1888-1890), Iowa mission (1894-1901) and Schroeder mission (1890-1904). There were nine children, all of whom used the name Xavier. Only the oldest Daughter, Anna Charlotte Tornensis Xavier, retained the old family name of Tornensis. Two sons followed in the father's footsteps and became ministers: Karl, born in Lyngen 1869, died as minister at Thompson, Iowa, 1924; and Johan Ulrik, born in Lyngen 1870, was minister in Parkland, Washington, and also became professor at Parkland Lutheran Academy. Karl, too, taught religion at a normal school for several years. Both have several writings published. Nils Paul seems never to have really taken root in America. He always thought with longing of Guovdageaidnu and his folks there on the mountain plateau. A nephew, Isaac Johannesen Haetta (1876-1950) from Guovdageaidnu has told me that he visited Xavier in America about 50 years ago. Xavier spoke much about his family and especially his childhood in Guovdageaidnu where he played in the little river, Hannujokka, that flowed past his childhood home. Last time Isaac visited him, he asked whether Isaac thought the stones in the little river still lay where he had placed them, when, as a child, he had built dams to catch panfish. Then he sat and drew forth old memories, and, without saying so, it seemed that these reminiscences expressed deep longing for his homeland and the people he never would see again. It was an inner call that had led Xavier into the paths he chose when he traveled to fulfill his dream of becoming a minister. And he was true to his call. He carried on the Lord's work diligently and for many years among our emigrants from Norway. But in his heart he also remembered his own People. Until his death, March 14th, 1918, he followed their lives and works with love and interest. He always felt deeply about the spiritual welfare of his friends. It was therefore a happy day for him when Bishop Skaar and his fellow workers founded the Norwegian Sami Mission in Tromsø in 1888. Since he himself was unable to preach to his People the gospel that had become so precious to him – as he doubtless would have done if there had been openings for him in Norway – he lost no opportunity to help the work along and stand by the men who through both spoken and written works gave the gospel to his people in their own language. As we study gift lists to the Sami Mission from 1889 and thereafter, we often meet the name Xavier, and it is touching to note the many offerings he gathered in his congregations and also sent out of his own meager salary to this work for God's Kingdom in Sápmi. Because of his foreign sounding name there were probably few who knew that back of the interest, willingness to give, and love that these offerings bear witness to, stood one of the mountain plateau's own sons, Sami boy Nils of the Guovdageaidnu Tornensis famly. Decorah Posten Decorah, Iowa, December 14th 1899 Goldminers. Pastor N.P. Xavier from Ridgeway made a short visit to the offices of Decorah Posten last Wednesday, and with him were four Lapps who had just arrived from Cape Nome, Alaska, which is for now the most sought after gold reserve in the US. They had traveled the long way to stay the winter in the States. In April three of them will travel back to Cape Nome. They gave every impression of having done well in the far north. Johan S. Tornensis, Pastor Xavier’s nephew on his brother’s side, came from Finnmark almost six years ago. The first four years he was in government service, tending reindeer brought from Norway. The last two years he has been self-employed, having sold his gold claim last fall. Isak I. Hætta, Pastor Xavier’s nephew on his sister’s side, has been in Alaska almost two years. In the spring he will return to Cape Nome where he has a claim. Ole K. Hætta is also a relation of Pastor Xavier. He has been in gold country for about two years, has a claim in Cape Nome and will return there in the spring. Isak S. Nekkela has been in Alaska for two years. He has sold his claim in Cape Nome and over Christmas will return home to Kautokeino, Finnmark. |
