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Johan Torbjorn Ylvisaker

He was the eldest child of NTY and Bestemor. Born in 1858 at Hundere, his Mother’s birthplace, he moved to Gloshaugen with his parents five years later and to America in1868 where his father had accepted a call as a minister to four parishes.

His schooling was first in Norway and then in Red Wing. When his Uncle Johannes followed his brother to America in 1871, Johan entered Luther with him, then graduated from the seminary in St. Louis in 1880. He had positions at Freeborn before moving to Decorah in 1889.

There he preach in the Old Synod Church instructed the boys at Luther. It was deemed a great loss to all when he succumbed to Bright’s disease just 18 months later.

He married Josephine Fryslie in1885 and they had three children:

Nils Walther (1887) was a minster, initially following in the footsteps of his father; Sybil (1888) married a minister; Selma (1890) trained at City Hospital in St. Paul and subsequently worked as a private nurse in the Cities .

Johan was three years older than his brother Andreas. In moving from Gloshaugen to Red Wing when the two of them were 10 and 7, it is hardly surprising that they shared a number of adventures. From Andreas’ recounting of them, and of Johan’s life, it is clear that he idolized his brother.

There is a moving letter from Johan to his father when NT was dying, this in 1877. Johan had left for Luther when his father took to his bed and he agonized over his absence at home, and felt not up to studying.

As with his siblings, Johan wrote faithfully to Bestemor to keep her apprised of his own short journey through life.

-DY