Petra Mathilda Brevik was born 12 Dec 1884 at Nesna, Nordland, Norway to Peter Jorgen (Jonsen) Brevik and his wife Maria Gertrude Ottesson (Hoff) Brevik. She was the third of their eight children.

Her siblings were: Katrina Olea Marie 4 Apr 1880-12 Feb 1968 (Hans A. Wick 9 Jun 1876-8 Mar 1949), Kaia (Carrie) Margaret 25 Oct 1882-5 Feb 1982 (Peter Kristian Isaac Levang 11 Jun 1869-23 Dec 1960), Inga Pauline 2 Dec 1887-11 Nov 1984 (Sivert Lura Salveson 17 Dec 1877-29 Aug 1967), John Hedman Klabu 30 Oct 1889-10 Jan 1977 (Ingebor Belle Dahl 14 Jun 1887-Sep 1962), Hilda Christine 10 Mar 1893-30 Apr 1975 (George Hill 12 May 1881-31 Jan 1960, unknown second husband), Manda Elvina 21 May 1895-24 Jun 1981 (Hans John Rud 7 Jan 1888-26 Nov 1974) and Paul Gerhard 31 Jan 1898-9 Aug 1965 (Florence Alberta Perkins 4 Feb 1902-27 Sep 1955 and Winnie Myrtle Brewer).

Petra came to the United States with her parents at age two in 1886. By 1900 she was living in Norman County with and aunt and uncle, Edward O. and Martha Olsen Boe. The 1910 cenus shows her living in Fargo and working as a maid for a private family. She married Erik Gulbransen (8 Jun 1879 - 13 Mar 1968) at the Bethania Lutheran Church, rural Perley on 5 Mar 1913. The Gulbransens had two children: Gilbert A. (14 Dec 1913-5 Feb 1966) and Pearl Emaline 27 Mar 1915-2001. Gilbert married Evelyn A. Christ in 1934 in Montana. Pearl married John Adolph Lee (6 May 1913-18 Jul 1990) in 1933 in Los Angeles, California. Petra passed away 29 Mar 1915 at Perley, MN. Her grave marker states she was born in 1874, but that is in error as census information shows she was born in 1884. That is the extent of the information found on Petra Brevik Gulbransen. Erik Gulbranson's sister was Mrs. Bertha (Erick) Nelson of Perley, MN, according to Erik's WWI draft registration card dated 1917. Erik was working as a carpenter in Jamestown, ND, at that time.