Aagot Raaen (December 3, 1873 - January 7, 1957) was an American author and

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

Background

Raaen was one of five children born to Thomas T. Raaen (1827-1903) and Ragnhild (Rodningen) Raaen (1839-1923), who were immigrants from Norway. In June 1874, the family had moved to Dakota Territory settling near Hatton, North Dakota. Thomas Raaen homesteaded 160 acres of land in Newburgh Township (now in Steele County, North Dakota). Aagot Raaen put herself through school and college. In 1903, Raaen graduated from the Mayville State Normal School, now Mayville State University. In 1913, she graduated from the University of Minnesota. She later did graduate work at universities in Berlin and Hawaii.

Career

Raaen taught at rural schools in North Dakota as well as at

Oak Grove Lutheran School Oak Grove Lutheran School is a private, Lutheran school for students in pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded in 1906. Oak Grove began as school that housed mostly Norwegian schoolgirls. History In March 2009 ...

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

. From 1917 to 1922, she was the Superintendent of Schools in Steele County, North Dakota. In 1922, she began teaching at a number of post-secondary institutions in Hawaii. Raaen wrote several historical articles and books, including the 1950 autobiographical work ''Grass of the Earth: Immigrant Life in the Dakota country.'' Through a description of her family's homesteading days, Raaen detailed pioneer life on the prairie. She also wrote many short essays and biographies of pioneer families.

Selected works

*''Grass of the Earth: Immigrant Life in the Dakota Country'' (Ayer Publishing, 1950) *''Measure of My Days'' (North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies, 1953) *''Hamarsbön-Raaen Genealogy'' (Chicago: E. Felland, 1957)

Papers

Raaen's papers are contained at the North Dakota State University Institute for Regional Studies: *Aagot Raaen Photograph Collection *Aagot Raaen Papers, 1915–1953 *Institute for Regional Studies records, 1950–present

References

External links

Aagot Raaen Photograph Collection (North Dakota State University Libraries)

Aagot Raaen Papers, 1915-1953 (North Dakota State University Libraries)Finding Aid to the Aagot Raaen Paper (North Dakota State University Libraries)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raaen, Aagot 1873 births 1957 deaths American people of Norwegian descent People from Traill County, North Dakota University of Minnesota alumni American Lutherans American autobiographers Writers from Iowa Writers from North Dakota Mayville State University alumni People from Steele County, North Dakota Women autobiographers American women historians