Ralph Victor Michelsen, first-born child of Rolf Victor and Amanda Andersen Michelsen, was born in Brooklyn on 19 Nov 1913. A sister, Anna Maria, followed on 7 Apr 1915. His father (born 28 Mar 1890) came to New York from Kristiania, now Oslo, and his mother (born 18 May 1894) from Sør-Audnedal, Norway. The parents married in Kings County on 7 Sep 1912 and lived in Brooklyn, where Ralph’s father worked as a house painter. In Sep 1921 the children and parents journeyed to Oslo to visit paternal grandfather Olav Michelsen, returning in April. According to the naturalization papers for the senior Rolf Victor, he divorced the children’s mother in 1923, and the children appear alone with him in Brooklyn in the 1925 census. Later, in 1930, they are in household in Brooklyn with their father and his second wife, Elizabeth.
On 17 Jan 1935, at the age of 20, Ralph Michelsen was arrested for attempted burglary in Brooklyn, with goods—valued at less than $100—recovered. After spending 40 days in jail, he was sentenced to 5 years in Sing Sing Prison. His prison admission papers note no previous record, and record that he is a self-supporting young man of moderate habits who completed 8th grade, has good written and spoken English skills and occasionally attends Lutheran church. He worked as a house painter until 3 weeks before the criminal act, which the papers attribute to “needed funds.” The papers note that when received at Sing Sing Ralph Michelsen had on his person one key and one good luck piece.
By 1940 Ralph Michelsen has been released, is self-employed and living in Brooklyn. He lists on his draft card his sister Anna Maria as next of kin. He died in Brooklyn on 27 February 1980.