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| At the Voss Folkemuseum in Voss, Norway |
Fast forward, after the Black Plague that killed half the population, to the 1800s where Norwegian farmers' children had less and less land to divide between them. The United States offered them another chance to prosper. Over a period of 100 years, 800,000 Norwegians, out of a population of 2 million, went across the Atlantic, first to Canada, then mostly to Minnesota, and acquired homesteads to start a new life. My grandfather was one of those people. At 15 he traveled to meet his older brother Olaf who had given up his rights to the family farm to pursue a career as a Lutheran pastor.
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| Peter Heimdahl family |
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| Olaf Heimdahl (Olsen) |
It is hard to imagine what life would have been like living in the dark farm house in the 1300s. Just as hard to understand how someone could leave everything they knew to come to a strange country with little or no contact with family back home.
My grandfather never went back to Norway. His children returned once to meet distant relatives. Now the grandchildren repeated the journey to reconnect with Norwegian cousins. The tour include something for everyone: closer relationships with cousins who have spread out all over the U.S., hiking trails for some, stacks of photos and documents about our ancestors, samplings of Norwegian food (as well as hamburgers), a stop at a railroad museum for antique engine buffs, photographic moments for Bill, and enough travel misadventures for me to collect for future stories.
One of our stops, Sletta, a small town on the western side of Norway, made us realize again how important America and its fundamental values are to other people all over the world. At the invitation of people from North Dakota, a group of people from Sletta traveled to Brampton in 1997. They disassembled several emgriant-built structures, nail by nail, packed them in crates, and shipped them back to Norway to assemble them again on the farmland slopes where the emigrants came from.
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| Buildings returned to Sletta from North Dakota built by Norwegian emigrants |
We listened to Asbjorn Ystebo, the man most responsible for the Western Norway Emigration Center. He was passionate about the importance of American inspiration, ingenuity, and values. He talked of the people who started on homesteads, became farmers, doctors and lawyers and prospered, contributing so much to our country. Ystebo spent college time in the U.S. and truly loves what America means. His talk was a good reminder of our American ideals. His talk is a good reminder how people in other countries hold America in such high esteem. We could all benefit from listening to his lesson.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Norway_Emigration_Center
Want to know more about the Black Plague: http://spangenhelm.com/creepy-way-black-death-came-norway/
or a more scholary essay:
https://www.persee.fr/doc/adh_0066-2062_1996_num_1996_1_1915
Updates: The Lafayette Library is requesting postcards from everywhere you travel this summer. You can send them to Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549
FB rock group: I just found out that whole communities on Facebook are abandoning rocks with the intention that the rocks will be picked up, redecorated, and left in a new place for someone else to find. Paint a rock and post it to Facebook! But one request: leave them in inhabited areas not in wild places.
This is an awesome post, Martha. How exciting to reconnect with your family's history where it "began."
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chandra. I think we all need to revisit our own family's history to remind ourselves that we are all emigrants in one way or another. There is strength to be found in each story.
DeleteVery timely reminiscences. You tell your story, we all read it and reflect and pass it on - ripples in a pond that are really needed right now.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pat. I hope readers will take the time to reflect and the ripples reach far.
DeleteFrom Mary: I read your post early this time. Your story is very touching and so true. We have all come from immigrants and it’s their spirit and hard work that has added so much to our lifestyle today.
ReplyDeleteYes, we need to remember where we all came from. We also need to realize how important the ideals of America are to others.
DeleteYou're from Norwegian ancestry, too! Fascinating post. I learned so much! My sister is presently mining our ancestors' bible for birth records, because the church housing birth and death records burned down last century. We know our Ekern ancestors came over in 1867 with one small green wooden trunk and settled in Wisconsin. They brought their Lutheran values with them. Hard work and education for both daughters and sons. Proud to be one quarter Norwegian! Maybe someday I'll connect with long lost Norwegian relations.
ReplyDeleteHi Flo, We learned a lot by visiting Norway. Not only about our own ancestors, but also how proud the Norwegians are of the emigrants who came to Canada and the U.S. Meeting Norwegian relatives made me realize how rugged and hard working they are today. One of my cousins has done what your sister is doing. Church records really give a lot of information. A church fire would be devastating! Thank you for your comments. I think these stories are worth hearing again.
DeleteHi, Martha! I love this post! That pic of Peter’s family has my grandfather, Hugo in it. (Yes, I’m Martha’s cousin...my Dad is her first cousin!) I was the youngest generation (and only one from my generation I might add) to go on this wonderful adventure! Martha, you have a lot of material from that trip!!! I can’t wait to see what you write next! :) Dana
ReplyDeleteHi Dana, one of the best parts of the trip was getting to know cousins better and meeting new ones like you! Yes, I do have a lot of material to work from -- lots of good fun and misadventures to remember. Just think of Ivar!
ReplyDeleteWow, what an interesting and timely trip, and nice reminder how much we owe to our immigrant history. It is comforting to know that American ideals are still admired by people in other nations, even when our official public behavior puts them in question.
ReplyDeleteYes, Teresa, our trip made me stop and think. I was appalled when Norwegians were singled as the ideal immigrant by Trump. Though I am proud of what they did, they came for the same reasons other people from other coutries have come to America: for freedom, right to religious freedom, and to work hard and prosper. I think we need to re-examine our immigration laws. They have been in place for too long and need adjusting to current conditions. We are better than that. We need to remember that these are people, not thugs, animals, or any other derogatory term. They are seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
DeleteAgreed!
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