Johannes Ulvenes was the son of Johannes (John) Melland and Guri Torbjørnsdatter, who were not married. He was born eight months after John Melland emigrated from Norway to America. Most likely, John never knew that Guri had borne him a son.

Like his mother, Johannes Ulvenes was born in Ølen, in the district then called Fjellberg, about eight miles from Etne. When he was still very young his mother also went to America, but she did not take Johannes because his hip was injured. So he was raised by her parents on their farm, and he took the name of that farm, Ulvenes, as his last name.

Johannes and Anna met when she was a nurse and he was a male nurse in Valen mental hospital, not far away from Ølen where he had grown up. They got engaged and moved back to her homeplace of Hostad (three hours by bus and ferry from Ålesund) where they got married. After a few years they moved to Ålesund and Anna became a homemaker to raise their children.

Johannes then worked in a company called "Holm,” which produced fish-oil and "klipfish" (dried and salted fish). He worked for this company for more than 30 years and he therefore also got a medal of honor from the Norwegian king for his work.