By Robert Neff
Anna P. Jacobsen in the mid-1890s / From Prof. Oak Sung-Deuk s book A Pictorial History of Modern Nursing in Korea. A Pictorial History of Modern Nursing in Korea by Prof. Oak Sung-DeukOne of the first Norwegians in Korea, and possibly the earliest to be buried here, was Anna P. Jacobsen, a young nurse whose past is relatively unknown and only remembered with a small plain stone in the Yanghwajin Foreigners Cemetery. Anna s life was one of hardships and sacrifices brought upon her by her extreme religious devotion.
Anna was born April 18, 1866, on the island of Nottero, near the town of Sousberg, Norway. With the passing of time, Sousberg has disappeared from the map, but it was most likely a large village of fishermen and farmers. She grew up in a large family. Her father, a baker, appears to have made a good living and had several employees working for him. Not only was he successful, he was also very conservative and domineering. Like most of the population