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Anna Spafford

1842 – 1923

Norwegian-American charity worker

Settler
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About Anna Spafford

Lived 1842 – 1923 (aged 81). Anna Spafford was a Norwegian settler.

Anna Spafford (March 16, 1842 – April 17, 1923), born Anne Tobine Larsen Øglende in Stavanger, Norway, was a Norwegian-American woman who settled in Jerusalem, where she and her husband Horatio Spafford were central in establishing the American Colony there in 1881.

Spafford was a survivor of the sinking of the French passenger steamer Ville du Havre in November 1873. Her four daughters, Anna “Annie” (born June 11, 1862), Margaret Lee “Maggie” (born May 31, 1864), Elizabeth “Bessie” (born June 19, 1868), and Tanetta (born July 24, 1871) were lost in the wreck. Afterwards, Anna and her husband gave birth to three more children and adopted a Jewish teenager. Her husband wrote the song It Is Well with My Soul after the various tragedies that struck them, which included the Chicago fire and the loss of their four daughters in the sinking of Ville du Havre.

Literature Geniesse, Jane Fletcher, American Priestess: The Extraordinary Story of Anna Spafford and the American Colony in Jerusalem, Nan A. Talese (2008) Tveit, Odd Karsten, Annas hus, En beretning fra Stavanger til Jerusalem, Cappelen forlag, Oslo (2000)

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Settler
Nationality

People in Anna Spafford's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Anna Spafford's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Anna Spafford?

Norwegian-American charity worker (1842-1923)

When was Anna Spafford born?

Anna Spafford was born on 16 March 1842 in Stavanger.

When did Anna Spafford die?

Anna Spafford died on 17 April 1923.

What was Anna Spafford's occupation?

Anna Spafford was a settler.

What nationality was Anna Spafford?

Anna Spafford was Norwegian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Anna Spafford

· Wikidata: Q4767505

· DBpedia: Anna Spafford

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Anna Spafford. https://biography.guide/anna-spafford/

MLA: "Anna Spafford." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/anna-spafford/.

Chicago: "Anna Spafford." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/anna-spafford/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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