Evelyn tells us Gina and Anna's story
The sisters Gina (left) and Anna Honnningsvåg. Picture of Gina may be from her wedding with Nikolai Fluevåg in Norway before going to Canada in 1910. Year of Anna's picture is unknown.
Evelyn gave this interview about her mother Anna and her aunt Gina and their descendants at her balcony in the 21th floor in Edmonton.
This is what Evelyn told: Around 1908-10 Gina Honningsvåg and her husband Nikolai (Nic) Fluevåg desided to move from the small place Fluevågen (Fluevaagen) near Stadlandet in Norway to Amerika. They went in 1910, according to 1921 Census of Canada, before Ginas sister Anna Honningsvåg, who went from Honningvåg (Honningsvaag) to Canada in 1912. (See map 1)
Anna and Elmer Erickson were married in 1915. Their first baby Lloyd was born in 1916.
Gina and Nic married in Norway. They had two children. They decided to go, and must have gone around 1910. (See 1921 Census of Canada below)
This is what Evelyn told: Around 1908-10 Gina Honningsvåg and her husband Nikolai (Nic) Fluevåg desided to move from the small place Fluevågen (Fluevaagen) near Stadlandet in Norway to Amerika. They went in 1910, according to 1921 Census of Canada, before Ginas sister Anna Honningsvåg, who went from Honningvåg (Honningsvaag) to Canada in 1912. (See map 1)
Anna and Elmer Erickson were married in 1915. Their first baby Lloyd was born in 1916.
Gina and Nic married in Norway. They had two children. They decided to go, and must have gone around 1910. (See 1921 Census of Canada below)
According to 1921 Census of Canada Gina (Honningsvåg) Fluevåg and Nikolai Fluevåg arrived Canada in 1910.
Gina is the oldest og the Honningsvåg siblings. And then her brother Nikolai Honningsvåg is next. Johannes Honningsvåg had seven children with first wife. And two to his wife number two.
Maybe unckle John (born Johan Honningsvåg) and uncle Julius were both born after mama (Anna).
They also had a brother named Petter who died early. Nikolai, oldest brother to Gina and Anna, used the same name, Petter, on his oldest son, who moved to Iceland in 1920 (Among a lot of norwegians and icelandic descendants, Svein Helges grandfather).
After grandma (Annas mother Andriana) died (cirka 1910), I think young uncle Julius was only four or five years old.
Mama was then the only girl in the family, in the houshold. Coocking, cleaning, washing for all those men, without a mother.
It was a lot of work and I don’t think she did it for more than about two years before there was another wife of her father Johannes. Lloyd told me that it was quite soon after.
So, then a new wife of Johannes Honningsvåg came and there would have been six kids at home, I think. Because Gina was gone. Maybe a couple of others had allready gone to work or something.
And mama had been in charge of the kitchen, remember. Two wifes in one kitchen is pretty tough. By that time mama would have been sixteen, I think, or seventeen.
And I think from what Lloyd had said; things were not easy. And mama was used as the maid of the new wife in the house.
It just was a natural thing. The new wife would have been overwelmed. You know; a new bride coming in, all these kids, and then here’s that one girl who knows how to keep the house. But wasn’t really … didn’t have the power any
Maybe unckle John (born Johan Honningsvåg) and uncle Julius were both born after mama (Anna).
They also had a brother named Petter who died early. Nikolai, oldest brother to Gina and Anna, used the same name, Petter, on his oldest son, who moved to Iceland in 1920 (Among a lot of norwegians and icelandic descendants, Svein Helges grandfather).
After grandma (Annas mother Andriana) died (cirka 1910), I think young uncle Julius was only four or five years old.
Mama was then the only girl in the family, in the houshold. Coocking, cleaning, washing for all those men, without a mother.
It was a lot of work and I don’t think she did it for more than about two years before there was another wife of her father Johannes. Lloyd told me that it was quite soon after.
So, then a new wife of Johannes Honningsvåg came and there would have been six kids at home, I think. Because Gina was gone. Maybe a couple of others had allready gone to work or something.
And mama had been in charge of the kitchen, remember. Two wifes in one kitchen is pretty tough. By that time mama would have been sixteen, I think, or seventeen.
And I think from what Lloyd had said; things were not easy. And mama was used as the maid of the new wife in the house.
It just was a natural thing. The new wife would have been overwelmed. You know; a new bride coming in, all these kids, and then here’s that one girl who knows how to keep the house. But wasn’t really … didn’t have the power any
Map 1.
more. She was relegated to being a made. And that probably didn’t sit well with mama. I’m just saying that.
Anyway. Mama got her father to agree to send her to Bergen to the home making school. And she got to go there for one year. It’s a two years course. And she took the one year, and I think enjoyed it and learned a lot.
And I think it was right after that, that mama decided to og to Canada. And she had probably written to her sister Gina, and Gina said come.
I think mama Anna may have gone right from Bergen on a steam ship line, and ended up … I think stopping in England, and then coming to Canada by steam ship.
As far as I know she came alone, but she might have known some people that were coming as well. I think she landed in Halifax, Canada. And then cauged a train and came … or she may have continued on the boat up to Montreal. I’m not sure.
And that was the usual way that they came to Canada.
(This is what Marilyn Ericson says (friday the 17th of March 2017) in a comment about Annas emigration from Honningsvågen to Irma:
My dad told me his mom, Anna, arrived on the ship "Empress of Ireland (picture below), which brought her to Montreal where she caught the train for Alberta. This ship is famous for being "Canada's Titanic" as it sank in 1914 after being hit by a Norwegian ship.
You can read about the collision between the two ships by clicing here.)
Anyway. Mama got her father to agree to send her to Bergen to the home making school. And she got to go there for one year. It’s a two years course. And she took the one year, and I think enjoyed it and learned a lot.
And I think it was right after that, that mama decided to og to Canada. And she had probably written to her sister Gina, and Gina said come.
I think mama Anna may have gone right from Bergen on a steam ship line, and ended up … I think stopping in England, and then coming to Canada by steam ship.
As far as I know she came alone, but she might have known some people that were coming as well. I think she landed in Halifax, Canada. And then cauged a train and came … or she may have continued on the boat up to Montreal. I’m not sure.
And that was the usual way that they came to Canada.
(This is what Marilyn Ericson says (friday the 17th of March 2017) in a comment about Annas emigration from Honningsvågen to Irma:
My dad told me his mom, Anna, arrived on the ship "Empress of Ireland (picture below), which brought her to Montreal where she caught the train for Alberta. This ship is famous for being "Canada's Titanic" as it sank in 1914 after being hit by a Norwegian ship.
You can read about the collision between the two ships by clicing here.)
RMS «Empress of Ireland»
From here it's Evelyn speaking again:
Because they were allready setling, they didn’t go through Ellies Island. Mama went directly to Irma and Gina. They knew she was coming. (See map 2)
Right away mama got a job in the hotel in Hardisty, which was about twelve miles from Ginas farm and from the farm that eventually mama and papa lived on. I think it was a hotel in Hardisty, and she learned to cook american food. Bacon and eggs for breakfast, and panncakes, and of cource roast beef, and roast pork, and all of that.
I don’t know how long she remained at the hotel, but she also later took a job with an english farming family. And they taughed her how to cook english style. In the same area, not too far away. But she would always come back to Gina and Nic, you know. Because that was family. She was an aunt to all of Gina’s children.
Gina was already married in Norway, so she came to Canada as a married woman.
Anna married in 1915. I think she met Elmer either at Gina’s or at the church. There was a congriation that was meeting. And I think there weren’t a lot of people, and they had a lot of gatherings. It could have been that she would see my dad when he came to Hardisty for different things, and would stop at the hotel for a hot meal. I don’t think that it was out of the question that the bachelors often would go to the hotels in these small towns or bording houses to get a good meal.
So, that’s how they met.
Because they were allready setling, they didn’t go through Ellies Island. Mama went directly to Irma and Gina. They knew she was coming. (See map 2)
Right away mama got a job in the hotel in Hardisty, which was about twelve miles from Ginas farm and from the farm that eventually mama and papa lived on. I think it was a hotel in Hardisty, and she learned to cook american food. Bacon and eggs for breakfast, and panncakes, and of cource roast beef, and roast pork, and all of that.
I don’t know how long she remained at the hotel, but she also later took a job with an english farming family. And they taughed her how to cook english style. In the same area, not too far away. But she would always come back to Gina and Nic, you know. Because that was family. She was an aunt to all of Gina’s children.
Gina was already married in Norway, so she came to Canada as a married woman.
Anna married in 1915. I think she met Elmer either at Gina’s or at the church. There was a congriation that was meeting. And I think there weren’t a lot of people, and they had a lot of gatherings. It could have been that she would see my dad when he came to Hardisty for different things, and would stop at the hotel for a hot meal. I don’t think that it was out of the question that the bachelors often would go to the hotels in these small towns or bording houses to get a good meal.
So, that’s how they met.
Map 2.
Elmer and his brother John were settled on two quarter sections of land, side by side. Their father had come up from South Dakota the year before. So 1907 their dad came up and signed for two quarter sections of land and choised the land. I don’t think there was any money paid down. I think it was free. And he promised that his two sons would be there the next year, because they were turning 18 or 19 whatever. He (Elmer) was born in 1888 and he came up to start farming in 1909, so he was 21.
He (Elmer) was 20 years old when his pah (Salomon) signed for them.
They (Anna and Elmer) didn’t get married for a number of years. But no children before they were married. That was out of the question. That was not happening in those days. I don’t think. No.
He (Elmer) did’t meet her then, til after 1912. When she came over. So he had allready been farming. He had a log house. First a sod house, made out of blocks of dirt. Kind of thick grass. And that’s the first house.
They usually dig down a few feet, so it’s down a step or two. So when you are walking to the sod house, you have to go inside and walk down a couple of steps. It makes it warmer, and it makes it easier so it won’t blow away easily. But I’m sure it was reenforced with logs.
He and his brother would have lived together. I know exactly where the sod house was. It was on the line between their two quarter sections. It was right there. You can still see traces of the log house. I don’t think you can see any thing of the sod house, but it was in the same area.
It was just north of the area where all that machinery was parked at the reunion in 2008. It was just north of that. There is a fence built. So that’s where their first houses were.
They had brought oxen up from South Dakota, to use insted of horses. Cause the oxen were stronger and reqeiered less maintainens and they could eat just about anything. They could survive on prarie grass.
The father (Solomon) was swedish, so the boys spoke swedish and norwegian. Because the mother was norwegian from Lillehammer. And everything in that sharen lutheren community was norwegian.
I don’t know anything about how they met, but I think they must have met at the neighbours around the neighbourhood. Because there had to be a lot of gatherings. I’m sure the young men knew exactly when young girls were coming to the district. ”There’s a new girl from Norway at the hotel in Hardisty. She has a sister here. Go and look. Go and have a meal down there.” They never got the story about how Anna and Elmer written down. Lloyd didn’t knew it either.
They married, I belive, in 1915. So they had plenty of time, I think three years, from the time mama came and she met pah and they got married.
I know they went to Edmonton to get married and that it was in february. I think the train was available , because the train may have been finished built through Irma. So then it was an easy trip. Catch a train to Edmonton, stay in a hotel and get married.
Then they went out to the coast on the train. Because it was definitly running.
He (Elmer) was 20 years old when his pah (Salomon) signed for them.
They (Anna and Elmer) didn’t get married for a number of years. But no children before they were married. That was out of the question. That was not happening in those days. I don’t think. No.
He (Elmer) did’t meet her then, til after 1912. When she came over. So he had allready been farming. He had a log house. First a sod house, made out of blocks of dirt. Kind of thick grass. And that’s the first house.
They usually dig down a few feet, so it’s down a step or two. So when you are walking to the sod house, you have to go inside and walk down a couple of steps. It makes it warmer, and it makes it easier so it won’t blow away easily. But I’m sure it was reenforced with logs.
He and his brother would have lived together. I know exactly where the sod house was. It was on the line between their two quarter sections. It was right there. You can still see traces of the log house. I don’t think you can see any thing of the sod house, but it was in the same area.
It was just north of the area where all that machinery was parked at the reunion in 2008. It was just north of that. There is a fence built. So that’s where their first houses were.
They had brought oxen up from South Dakota, to use insted of horses. Cause the oxen were stronger and reqeiered less maintainens and they could eat just about anything. They could survive on prarie grass.
The father (Solomon) was swedish, so the boys spoke swedish and norwegian. Because the mother was norwegian from Lillehammer. And everything in that sharen lutheren community was norwegian.
I don’t know anything about how they met, but I think they must have met at the neighbours around the neighbourhood. Because there had to be a lot of gatherings. I’m sure the young men knew exactly when young girls were coming to the district. ”There’s a new girl from Norway at the hotel in Hardisty. She has a sister here. Go and look. Go and have a meal down there.” They never got the story about how Anna and Elmer written down. Lloyd didn’t knew it either.
They married, I belive, in 1915. So they had plenty of time, I think three years, from the time mama came and she met pah and they got married.
I know they went to Edmonton to get married and that it was in february. I think the train was available , because the train may have been finished built through Irma. So then it was an easy trip. Catch a train to Edmonton, stay in a hotel and get married.
Then they went out to the coast on the train. Because it was definitly running.
Map 3.
The coast was Vancouver. So they would take the train to Vancouver, and then they would take another train down to Seattle. And get off just before Seattle. Thats where pahs only sister lived, and was raising her family. Her name was Hanna Erickson. She married Andrew Stakkeland. (See map 3)
They had five og six kids. One died fairly young. As a child. Stakkeland is a norwegian name. Deffinitly. (See map 4)
They would go visit aunt Hanna often. You know, every winter they could get away, they went. And it was an easy trip on the train. It was probably 24 hours by train to Vancouver. So that was something they did.
When the kids were coming along, I know that they drove out to the coast in the summer time. Several times. And they would camp along the way.
I was born in 1934, and by then they weren’t camping any more. They had too many children. I think I was about three years old when I went on a trip to the coast at the very first time. And then I went on the bus with my mother. To visit … I don’t remeber the occation. Maybe somebody had died or something. Or I could just get away … I meen; Mama could just get away for a little trip. It was all my fathers relatives that we visited out there. Lots of cousins as well. All moved to this Seattle area.
The Stakkelands had a dairyfarm. It is still in operation, but I don’t think it’s being run as a dairyfarm , but I think one of the family members is living on that farm. I think the dairyoperation is no longer in excistance.
But the land is still there and some of our cousins still live there.
So thats how the marriage started.
When I was born in 1934, I’m the youngest of eight children, both Gina and Nic had allready died. One had died in ’33 and the other one in ’34. I was born in nowember of ’34 and I never did know aunt Gina and uncle Nic.
John remembers them. Because he’s three years older. He just vagely remembers them. It wasen’t that he knew them very well.
They had five og six kids. One died fairly young. As a child. Stakkeland is a norwegian name. Deffinitly. (See map 4)
They would go visit aunt Hanna often. You know, every winter they could get away, they went. And it was an easy trip on the train. It was probably 24 hours by train to Vancouver. So that was something they did.
When the kids were coming along, I know that they drove out to the coast in the summer time. Several times. And they would camp along the way.
I was born in 1934, and by then they weren’t camping any more. They had too many children. I think I was about three years old when I went on a trip to the coast at the very first time. And then I went on the bus with my mother. To visit … I don’t remeber the occation. Maybe somebody had died or something. Or I could just get away … I meen; Mama could just get away for a little trip. It was all my fathers relatives that we visited out there. Lots of cousins as well. All moved to this Seattle area.
The Stakkelands had a dairyfarm. It is still in operation, but I don’t think it’s being run as a dairyfarm , but I think one of the family members is living on that farm. I think the dairyoperation is no longer in excistance.
But the land is still there and some of our cousins still live there.
So thats how the marriage started.
When I was born in 1934, I’m the youngest of eight children, both Gina and Nic had allready died. One had died in ’33 and the other one in ’34. I was born in nowember of ’34 and I never did know aunt Gina and uncle Nic.
John remembers them. Because he’s three years older. He just vagely remembers them. It wasen’t that he knew them very well.
Map 4.
Evelyn speaks about
Gina and Nikolai’s family
Gina and Nic (Nikolai Tobias Mathias Fluevog) had four children. Two was born in Norway, and that was Dicka and Norman. And Norman took over the home farm, the homestead that Nic had taken out. That was at Irma, about three miles from the Erickson farm.
Norman married a schoolteacher by the name Irene Egedal. She was also Norwegian, and could speak Norwegian.
Dicka married Ludvik Emil Hollinger, and he was a farmer. However, he had come from Norway I belive, and he had been a fisherman in Norway. He wanted very much to move to the westcoast or to Alaska. That was his dream, because the fishing was wonderful. Princ Rupert, British Colombia, would have been great, or up to Ketchikan, Alaska. And he had, I think, a brother that lived in Alaska. He could never get Dicka convinced to og on the trip to Alaska. And Ludvik only went once.
Dicka said she was born in Norway, and that she didn’t want to have anything to do with the ocean. I think there was something there, but I might be wrong. I think she was afraid of the ocean. She liked land.
They only had one son. His name was Gordon. He did’t live to be really old. He was 83 when he died suddenly of a heart attack.
He left a wife and three boys.
Dicka was the oldest of Ginas, and then Norman.
Norman only had two girls. They’re twins, and they’re lovely girls. That’s Esther and Evelyn.
Gina and Nikolai’s family
Gina and Nic (Nikolai Tobias Mathias Fluevog) had four children. Two was born in Norway, and that was Dicka and Norman. And Norman took over the home farm, the homestead that Nic had taken out. That was at Irma, about three miles from the Erickson farm.
Norman married a schoolteacher by the name Irene Egedal. She was also Norwegian, and could speak Norwegian.
Dicka married Ludvik Emil Hollinger, and he was a farmer. However, he had come from Norway I belive, and he had been a fisherman in Norway. He wanted very much to move to the westcoast or to Alaska. That was his dream, because the fishing was wonderful. Princ Rupert, British Colombia, would have been great, or up to Ketchikan, Alaska. And he had, I think, a brother that lived in Alaska. He could never get Dicka convinced to og on the trip to Alaska. And Ludvik only went once.
Dicka said she was born in Norway, and that she didn’t want to have anything to do with the ocean. I think there was something there, but I might be wrong. I think she was afraid of the ocean. She liked land.
They only had one son. His name was Gordon. He did’t live to be really old. He was 83 when he died suddenly of a heart attack.
He left a wife and three boys.
Dicka was the oldest of Ginas, and then Norman.
Norman only had two girls. They’re twins, and they’re lovely girls. That’s Esther and Evelyn.
Map 5.
Norman farmed all his life. Then he died of a loung desease. We think he died contracted this loung desease from some of the sprays that they used in crop. A lot of pesticides. They were not given enough precorsions and warnings about how to handel the pesticides. And they mixed it with the grain by hand, and probably didn’t use gloves, probably didn’t use masks and he developt a loung desease. And at the very end I think it was pnemeunia. He certanly wasn’t even close to 80, I don’t think.
But his two daughters both live in Edmonton. Esther and Evelyn. Esther became a registred nurce and never married. Evelyn married a captain of a river boat. And he has spent his entire carriere running the fraight boats up and down the Mackenzie River, in the Northwest Territories. (See map 5)
From the Great Slave Lake all the way to Tuktojaktuk and Inuvik. So of course his job was mainly in the summer, because in the winter the river freezes over. But he’s done well. I think it was a federal job he had, with the federal government all those years. And he still dose a little bit in the summer. (NB: This interview done 23. july, 2014).
Evelyn and Esther would be ten years yonger than me, which must be 69, I’m 79, and I would guess that Dave Gibson is probably somewhere around that, maybe 70.
So Evelyn and Dave (David) had four children.They all live in Edmonton. I think two of them are married now. I think there are two or three grandchildren. They are very close. Evelyn and they have a good family life.
Esther has been a wonderful aunt, and has helped out every step of the way as well. And I think she still works as a nurse. Just occationally. Filling in when they need her.
So thats those two from aunt Ginas family, Norman and Dicka.
But his two daughters both live in Edmonton. Esther and Evelyn. Esther became a registred nurce and never married. Evelyn married a captain of a river boat. And he has spent his entire carriere running the fraight boats up and down the Mackenzie River, in the Northwest Territories. (See map 5)
From the Great Slave Lake all the way to Tuktojaktuk and Inuvik. So of course his job was mainly in the summer, because in the winter the river freezes over. But he’s done well. I think it was a federal job he had, with the federal government all those years. And he still dose a little bit in the summer. (NB: This interview done 23. july, 2014).
Evelyn and Esther would be ten years yonger than me, which must be 69, I’m 79, and I would guess that Dave Gibson is probably somewhere around that, maybe 70.
So Evelyn and Dave (David) had four children.They all live in Edmonton. I think two of them are married now. I think there are two or three grandchildren. They are very close. Evelyn and they have a good family life.
Esther has been a wonderful aunt, and has helped out every step of the way as well. And I think she still works as a nurse. Just occationally. Filling in when they need her.
So thats those two from aunt Ginas family, Norman and Dicka.
Map 6.
The next one is Sigurd Fluevog (Sigurd Cornelius Fluevog). And Sigurd he … I don’t remember how old he was. They are all gone. All the siblings have died. Sigurd Fluevog was in the airforce during the war, with Lloyd. And he had a very important job. I think he was newly married too. He had allready married Ruth (Wachter).
He was stationed out in the westcoast of Canada. On an island. He was in the department of security. He was part of this early warning system against an invation from the japanese.
And it was all very secret. There were codes used, and there were all kinds of … eh …, I don’t know if it was radar at that time, but it was a lot of look-outs and a lot of waching for enemy ships and submarines. And he did say that many times there were submarines up and down the coast from the japanese.
Once a week he had to travel from Bella Bella Island to Victoria, which a government, the caiptol of British Colombia, under armed guard.
Once a week he had to take documents, secure documents, and he had to take them under armed guard. He could never be separated from them. They were even … If he needen to go to a bathroom, the guards was with him there the whole time. There were no passing to anything og anybody else.
He took whatever he needed to take directly to this war office in Victoria, BC. He was under escorte and he would stay for a few hours and then take the boat back to Bella Bella, an island only accessable by boat. (See map 6)
Ruth lived with him up there. There was some little military base.
I think Karen might have been born up in Bella Bella.
So that was the beginning of Sigurds warexperience and his marriage. Then after the war they moved to Vancouver, and he worked in a gas station, a service station. On the side he would buy old cars and fix them up and sell them. He made money that way. For years and years he would be fixing cars and selling them and also working at the gas station.
Then, as he prospered a little bit, got wealthy and had sucsess … Remember Norman got the farm and there wasn’t that much money in the family, and if you’re gonna farm, you need it all, otherwise you’re not gonna succed.
And the girls, I don’t think they got much out of the farm either. And I don’t think Norman was very rich at any time from the farm. You know, times were tough. There wasn’t much money around during the war or after the war for quite a few years.
But Sigurd decided to start studying to get his real estate licence. He did that and he started selling houses in Vancouver. And he was very good at it, because his personality was just wonderful. He was such a friendly outgoing guy. He loved people. And he did really well. And on the side, whenever he could, he would buy a house. And rent it out. And pay it off. And then he bought another house, and did the same over the years.
He was stationed out in the westcoast of Canada. On an island. He was in the department of security. He was part of this early warning system against an invation from the japanese.
And it was all very secret. There were codes used, and there were all kinds of … eh …, I don’t know if it was radar at that time, but it was a lot of look-outs and a lot of waching for enemy ships and submarines. And he did say that many times there were submarines up and down the coast from the japanese.
Once a week he had to travel from Bella Bella Island to Victoria, which a government, the caiptol of British Colombia, under armed guard.
Once a week he had to take documents, secure documents, and he had to take them under armed guard. He could never be separated from them. They were even … If he needen to go to a bathroom, the guards was with him there the whole time. There were no passing to anything og anybody else.
He took whatever he needed to take directly to this war office in Victoria, BC. He was under escorte and he would stay for a few hours and then take the boat back to Bella Bella, an island only accessable by boat. (See map 6)
Ruth lived with him up there. There was some little military base.
I think Karen might have been born up in Bella Bella.
So that was the beginning of Sigurds warexperience and his marriage. Then after the war they moved to Vancouver, and he worked in a gas station, a service station. On the side he would buy old cars and fix them up and sell them. He made money that way. For years and years he would be fixing cars and selling them and also working at the gas station.
Then, as he prospered a little bit, got wealthy and had sucsess … Remember Norman got the farm and there wasn’t that much money in the family, and if you’re gonna farm, you need it all, otherwise you’re not gonna succed.
And the girls, I don’t think they got much out of the farm either. And I don’t think Norman was very rich at any time from the farm. You know, times were tough. There wasn’t much money around during the war or after the war for quite a few years.
But Sigurd decided to start studying to get his real estate licence. He did that and he started selling houses in Vancouver. And he was very good at it, because his personality was just wonderful. He was such a friendly outgoing guy. He loved people. And he did really well. And on the side, whenever he could, he would buy a house. And rent it out. And pay it off. And then he bought another house, and did the same over the years.
Map 7.
The big story for Sigurd is that he got the idea that everybody likes icecream. Icecream! Oh boy! He says that ”I’m gong to find the recipe to make icecream, and figure out what kind of recipe is good for making icecream, go down to the USA and buy a soft icecream machine, bring it back and set up a shop and I’m going to make soft icecream”.
And this is exactly what he did. He named it Tasty Freeze. He found a little old building, with a sort of a house. He used the front part of the house as a little icecream shop.
He tried all kinds of recipes, before he finaly dicided on a recipe he thought was good. And he started it up and he startet selling. Thats all they seld in that, icecream cones. He happened to have bought the house across the street from a high school. So that was smart.
And Sigurd put his dear wife Ruth (see picture below) and the kids in the back of this shop in the house, and I think they added a basement to it, and enough rooms. It wasen’t posh (it wasn’t luxurious).
Sigurd was so popular. Then they startet to make icecrem floats. You mix the ice with Coca Cola or other drinks. You put a scoop of ice in the glass and fill it up with Coca Cola, and put a straw in it and it’s a drink. It’s a Coke Float. It became very popular. And he did the same with orange soda, and you did the sam with rootbeer.
In Canada we have rootbeer (vørterøl på norsk). Everybody loves rootbeer. Spesially the high school kids. So that took off.
Then, after a few years, he added to it hamburgers. He sold really good hamburgers and fries. He had his whole family working there, and he would hire anybody he could. From the church, and he could take in a lot of people and give them jobs for a while. He was very, very personable. Very sucessfull.
This was in the ’50s. After the war, from 1945, he was struggeling with buying and selling used cars. So this icecreambusiness was in the early 50s. I was at a nurses training at the time, and I remember that. He was becomming quite sucsessfull.
And this is exactly what he did. He named it Tasty Freeze. He found a little old building, with a sort of a house. He used the front part of the house as a little icecream shop.
He tried all kinds of recipes, before he finaly dicided on a recipe he thought was good. And he started it up and he startet selling. Thats all they seld in that, icecream cones. He happened to have bought the house across the street from a high school. So that was smart.
And Sigurd put his dear wife Ruth (see picture below) and the kids in the back of this shop in the house, and I think they added a basement to it, and enough rooms. It wasen’t posh (it wasn’t luxurious).
Sigurd was so popular. Then they startet to make icecrem floats. You mix the ice with Coca Cola or other drinks. You put a scoop of ice in the glass and fill it up with Coca Cola, and put a straw in it and it’s a drink. It’s a Coke Float. It became very popular. And he did the same with orange soda, and you did the sam with rootbeer.
In Canada we have rootbeer (vørterøl på norsk). Everybody loves rootbeer. Spesially the high school kids. So that took off.
Then, after a few years, he added to it hamburgers. He sold really good hamburgers and fries. He had his whole family working there, and he would hire anybody he could. From the church, and he could take in a lot of people and give them jobs for a while. He was very, very personable. Very sucessfull.
This was in the ’50s. After the war, from 1945, he was struggeling with buying and selling used cars. So this icecreambusiness was in the early 50s. I was at a nurses training at the time, and I remember that. He was becomming quite sucsessfull.
Ruth Wachter Fluevog, with weddingpicture of herself and Sigurd Cornelius Fluevog. Picture taken in july 2014, Svein Helge Falstad.
Sigurd was very religious. The Fluevog family was more religious than the Erickson family. They just were.
And Sigurd would always say something encouraging to his customers. He would hang out … He had a lot of religios friends that would come around. He would say a prayer if somebody came aroud and had a great need. He would be very generous. If they needed an icecream cone or anything to eat, they got it. But they also got a prayer ... they also got a prayer. And a bible verce.
Sigurd belonged to The Gideons. The Gideons is a society where they rise money to give bibles away. They put bibles in hotel rooms. They print bibles and they give them away. The Gideons had a program for years, they gave every child in Canada a New Testament in grade 7. Every school child got a New Testament. These were all businessmen who formed this society of The Gideons. I don’t know where they started, but I think they started in England. To tell you the truth, and they thought that everyone should have a bible. Sigurd was really strong in that.
He was blesst. The Lord blessed him greatly.
As he got older … Oh, one story that I just found out about, is that the president of Dairy Queen from the US came to Vancouver (See map 7) to look Sigurd up, and taste his icecream. The men offered Sigurd the presidency of Dairy Queen Canada. He wanted Sigurd on his team, and he would give him the whole of Canada to expand. Sigurd turned them down and said I think I can do just as well on my own.
I don’t know how true this story is, but this is the story I’ve heard. But I do know that he definately had good icecream. Definately!
And Sigurd would always say something encouraging to his customers. He would hang out … He had a lot of religios friends that would come around. He would say a prayer if somebody came aroud and had a great need. He would be very generous. If they needed an icecream cone or anything to eat, they got it. But they also got a prayer ... they also got a prayer. And a bible verce.
Sigurd belonged to The Gideons. The Gideons is a society where they rise money to give bibles away. They put bibles in hotel rooms. They print bibles and they give them away. The Gideons had a program for years, they gave every child in Canada a New Testament in grade 7. Every school child got a New Testament. These were all businessmen who formed this society of The Gideons. I don’t know where they started, but I think they started in England. To tell you the truth, and they thought that everyone should have a bible. Sigurd was really strong in that.
He was blesst. The Lord blessed him greatly.
As he got older … Oh, one story that I just found out about, is that the president of Dairy Queen from the US came to Vancouver (See map 7) to look Sigurd up, and taste his icecream. The men offered Sigurd the presidency of Dairy Queen Canada. He wanted Sigurd on his team, and he would give him the whole of Canada to expand. Sigurd turned them down and said I think I can do just as well on my own.
I don’t know how true this story is, but this is the story I’ve heard. But I do know that he definately had good icecream. Definately!
One more in the Fluevog-family, is aunt Nann, Nanna. She married a cousin of hers, Peter Nilsen.
Nanna met Peter and they fell in love. They married and they never had children. But they were very happy, and made a wonderful couple.
They had a beautiful farm, and Peter was a wonderful farmer. This farm was very close to Normans farm in Irma. Just up on the hill, where aunt Gina lived.
They lived there very happy. Aunt Nann of course was good to her sister and her brothers. Her sister Dicka lived about a mile away, and her brother Normann lived half a mile away, and then there were Sigurd out on the coast. Three of them lived close together.
Sigurd had four kids, Dicka only had the one, Norman had the twins and then Sigurd had four children. See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/3-step-nikolina-and-johans-g-g-children.html
Karen is married to Gordon Hagen, who is a minister, a babtist minister. They are now semi retired. They just came back from five weeks in Norway. He was really being babtist minister over there, for five weeks. Just outside of Oslo.
When they were there it was quite busy. So they didn’t get around to visit many relatives. There was a lot of things they needed to do.
They spend their time in Vancouver area. Half of it in Vancouver and the other half down in South Carolina where there’s a daughter living. So they go there for the winter.
Karen was what we call a parish worker, which means she was a secretary in a church. Allways working in the church or in a bible school or something. It was paied work.
And Gordie he has been a minster. But sometime he took off work and was an insurance salesman and did other things.
They had a good life, and they ended up ahving just the two girl. One livs in Coquitlam, near Vancouver, and one in South Carolina. Both married.
Gordon was about 63 when he passed away from a heart attack.
See and hear Gordon Hagen er: Video at Videos on HometoHonningsvog.com
Nanna met Peter and they fell in love. They married and they never had children. But they were very happy, and made a wonderful couple.
They had a beautiful farm, and Peter was a wonderful farmer. This farm was very close to Normans farm in Irma. Just up on the hill, where aunt Gina lived.
They lived there very happy. Aunt Nann of course was good to her sister and her brothers. Her sister Dicka lived about a mile away, and her brother Normann lived half a mile away, and then there were Sigurd out on the coast. Three of them lived close together.
Sigurd had four kids, Dicka only had the one, Norman had the twins and then Sigurd had four children. See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/3-step-nikolina-and-johans-g-g-children.html
Karen is married to Gordon Hagen, who is a minister, a babtist minister. They are now semi retired. They just came back from five weeks in Norway. He was really being babtist minister over there, for five weeks. Just outside of Oslo.
When they were there it was quite busy. So they didn’t get around to visit many relatives. There was a lot of things they needed to do.
They spend their time in Vancouver area. Half of it in Vancouver and the other half down in South Carolina where there’s a daughter living. So they go there for the winter.
Karen was what we call a parish worker, which means she was a secretary in a church. Allways working in the church or in a bible school or something. It was paied work.
And Gordie he has been a minster. But sometime he took off work and was an insurance salesman and did other things.
They had a good life, and they ended up ahving just the two girl. One livs in Coquitlam, near Vancouver, and one in South Carolina. Both married.
Gordon was about 63 when he passed away from a heart attack.
See and hear Gordon Hagen er: Video at Videos on HometoHonningsvog.com
Map 8.
The next child was called John Fluevog. He turnes out to be quite artistic as well as a fine business man. And he is the designer of schoes, high fation shoes for women and men. He has costumers in the movie industry and high places.
John Fluevog makes his home in Vanvouver, but he has, I think, about eight stores. He has his shoes made in Italy, and he travels around alot. He’s been very succsessfull. He’s been fetaured in many magazines, fashion magazines. His stores are two in Vancouver, one in Seattle, one in San Fransisco, one in Montreal, one in Boston and on in New York, I think. So he’s busy, travelling a lot.
See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/the-shoedesigner.html
John has had three wifes, and he has three children. One with with the first, Jotanathan, who works in a recording studio recording artists, and two from the second wife is working in the business, the shoe business. And so dose his ex-wife, she works there. She’s very promenent, she’s great.
The third wife I don’t know much about. John is around 67 now (2014).
Then we have Gail Fluevog and then Glenn, the yongest.
Gail has been married three times. She has four children from her second husband. He was the owner of two radio stations. He’s from Edmonton and has been living there.
He has one radiostation in Camrose, one in Edmonton and they did have one out in Kamloops, British Columbia. I’m not sure if that is still running or not.
They had four children. Three boys and one girl. The oldest boy has his own band, his musical. Another one is working in a radio station and the girl is also working in the radio station.
I don’t know about the youngest. It may be there’s still a radio station that their dad owns and that they are working there.
So that’s Gails. And Gails has done som recoring of her own singing and playing piano. She’s an artist, but she never persuded enough. She has made cd’s, and it’s very plesent music. See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/videoes.html
Gail also became a US zitizen with her third husband, and she got a place in Maoui. And she has a place, her third husband lives on Point Roberts, which is a little tiny spit of land sticking down into the US, very close to Vancouver. When they come from US they have to drive through Canada to get back home. (Lafter) … It was a little mistake on the part of a secretary or something who is making out the 49th parallell across Canada. (See map 8)
Sigurds youngest son is Glenn. He has, I think, a recording stuido. He does a lot of electronic.
He’s a wizard at electronic and stuff, and repairing. He has had a pretty good life. And I think they got two kids.
So thats Sigurd’s family.
John Fluevog makes his home in Vanvouver, but he has, I think, about eight stores. He has his shoes made in Italy, and he travels around alot. He’s been very succsessfull. He’s been fetaured in many magazines, fashion magazines. His stores are two in Vancouver, one in Seattle, one in San Fransisco, one in Montreal, one in Boston and on in New York, I think. So he’s busy, travelling a lot.
See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/the-shoedesigner.html
John has had three wifes, and he has three children. One with with the first, Jotanathan, who works in a recording studio recording artists, and two from the second wife is working in the business, the shoe business. And so dose his ex-wife, she works there. She’s very promenent, she’s great.
The third wife I don’t know much about. John is around 67 now (2014).
Then we have Gail Fluevog and then Glenn, the yongest.
Gail has been married three times. She has four children from her second husband. He was the owner of two radio stations. He’s from Edmonton and has been living there.
He has one radiostation in Camrose, one in Edmonton and they did have one out in Kamloops, British Columbia. I’m not sure if that is still running or not.
They had four children. Three boys and one girl. The oldest boy has his own band, his musical. Another one is working in a radio station and the girl is also working in the radio station.
I don’t know about the youngest. It may be there’s still a radio station that their dad owns and that they are working there.
So that’s Gails. And Gails has done som recoring of her own singing and playing piano. She’s an artist, but she never persuded enough. She has made cd’s, and it’s very plesent music. See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/videoes.html
Gail also became a US zitizen with her third husband, and she got a place in Maoui. And she has a place, her third husband lives on Point Roberts, which is a little tiny spit of land sticking down into the US, very close to Vancouver. When they come from US they have to drive through Canada to get back home. (Lafter) … It was a little mistake on the part of a secretary or something who is making out the 49th parallell across Canada. (See map 8)
Sigurds youngest son is Glenn. He has, I think, a recording stuido. He does a lot of electronic.
He’s a wizard at electronic and stuff, and repairing. He has had a pretty good life. And I think they got two kids.
So thats Sigurd’s family.
Map 9.
Evelyn speaks about
The Erickson Family
The Erickson family made a spot on the map, I guess. Coming together in the early pioneer years. In the early formation of Canada. It’s been a good life, and I think the family has done well. Over all.
At this point there’s nobody in jail. And there’s nobody sick. Nobody is in the poor house, but I wouldn’t say there’s to many millionairs in the family. Average canadians.
But we’re not all canadian, we’re half american. Because our dad was from the US. And that was a big influense on our whole family. It endes up that four daughters went to live in the States and married in the US and raised families there.
The three brothers, the three sons and myself stayed in Canada. Raised families. And now I’m also an american.
So, we allways said that in our family there is no border. We’re so much. Our hearts are both american and canadian. There is no difference.
We love both sides of the border. We know very well both sides of history and politics.
Everybody knows both sides of the border, and that’s fine. Good!
The oldest, dear Lloyd. I still miss him every day. He was the first born. And he never forgot it. And never let us forget it. Never, never, he was allways special. And he made sure that we knew it.
He was born 1916. Lloyd married Aurora Johnsen, who was mostly swedish. Which was fine, allthough in those days it was sort of questinable whether a Norwegian should marrie a Sweed.
There was allallways that diffenenciation. It was very different.
But for mama, she acceptet Aurora because her father was a minister in the Norwegian lutheran chursch. So that was pretty good. That was very accepted. It was an eternal security.
So Lloyd and Aurora married in, I think it was 1941-42. I’m not sure. Before he went to war. They had four children. He went to war, and came back in -45. He was stationed in England mostly. So didn’t see active fight, but he was on the ground and did maintainance on the planes, the fighterplanes, that went to Germany on their nightly runs. And they were up to see who went back. So that was pretty tough.
See: Map 9 and http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/air-force-life.html
The Erickson Family
The Erickson family made a spot on the map, I guess. Coming together in the early pioneer years. In the early formation of Canada. It’s been a good life, and I think the family has done well. Over all.
At this point there’s nobody in jail. And there’s nobody sick. Nobody is in the poor house, but I wouldn’t say there’s to many millionairs in the family. Average canadians.
But we’re not all canadian, we’re half american. Because our dad was from the US. And that was a big influense on our whole family. It endes up that four daughters went to live in the States and married in the US and raised families there.
The three brothers, the three sons and myself stayed in Canada. Raised families. And now I’m also an american.
So, we allways said that in our family there is no border. We’re so much. Our hearts are both american and canadian. There is no difference.
We love both sides of the border. We know very well both sides of history and politics.
Everybody knows both sides of the border, and that’s fine. Good!
The oldest, dear Lloyd. I still miss him every day. He was the first born. And he never forgot it. And never let us forget it. Never, never, he was allways special. And he made sure that we knew it.
He was born 1916. Lloyd married Aurora Johnsen, who was mostly swedish. Which was fine, allthough in those days it was sort of questinable whether a Norwegian should marrie a Sweed.
There was allallways that diffenenciation. It was very different.
But for mama, she acceptet Aurora because her father was a minister in the Norwegian lutheran chursch. So that was pretty good. That was very accepted. It was an eternal security.
So Lloyd and Aurora married in, I think it was 1941-42. I’m not sure. Before he went to war. They had four children. He went to war, and came back in -45. He was stationed in England mostly. So didn’t see active fight, but he was on the ground and did maintainance on the planes, the fighterplanes, that went to Germany on their nightly runs. And they were up to see who went back. So that was pretty tough.
See: Map 9 and http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/air-force-life.html
Aurora and Lloyd in Camrose 2008. Fhoto by Svein Helge.
Lloyd and Aurora (picture above) had four children. They had three sons and a doughter.
The oldest, Bob, has died of multiple scleroses. He was a very smart fellow. He never married, and got the desise farly early.
He was working up north. He was brilliant, very, very smart. And he was working on the dueline. A lot of people don’t know what the dueline was. It streched across Canada, up in the north-west territories. He was in Yukon, and it was an distant early warning system, communications across Canada for any invation from Russia.
Lots of money and manpower into keeping the dueline. Of cource the americans helped build it, and mostly Canada manned it.
That was where Bob worked until he felt the disease coming on and he could no longer work. He ended up in various statues of disability, and died in his fifthies here in Edmonton.
The next son, Ron, was a busdriver in Vancouver for several years. Married briefly. He’s still alive and living in Vancouver. He’s in his sixties.
The next one was a girl, Marilyn. And she married an Erickson. But it was a different family from Saskatchewan. They married here in Edmonton and lived up in Yellowknife for a while.
He was a contractor. A builder. Trained in techschool here. They desided to change their life style completely. Sold everything, and movwed to Manhatten, New York, with their two kids. They all went back to school, and ended up with huge degreeds and the kids are very sucsessfull and very educated.
Marilyn and Terri are now living up in Mangager bay. She’s a genetic consular, and he works at contracting at minimal amounts.
See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/a-murderer-and-two-lions.html
Niels are an arcitect. He lives in Brooklyn at the present. And the youngest, Kirtsen, lives in Montreal. And she’s working now. She has a couple of degreeds. She was at Bombaardier for a while, but I don’t know where she’s working now. Her fiance works for IBM. They are engaged to be married. That’s all I know about them.
The youngest is Rick Erickson. He’s married to a very nice girl from a very good family here in Edmonton. And works … oh my ... I can’t recall the company he’s with, but he’s doing very well. He travels to Calgary a lot, and they have three children. The kids are still in school, and doing well. A very fine family!
That’s Lloyd’s family.
The oldest, Bob, has died of multiple scleroses. He was a very smart fellow. He never married, and got the desise farly early.
He was working up north. He was brilliant, very, very smart. And he was working on the dueline. A lot of people don’t know what the dueline was. It streched across Canada, up in the north-west territories. He was in Yukon, and it was an distant early warning system, communications across Canada for any invation from Russia.
Lots of money and manpower into keeping the dueline. Of cource the americans helped build it, and mostly Canada manned it.
That was where Bob worked until he felt the disease coming on and he could no longer work. He ended up in various statues of disability, and died in his fifthies here in Edmonton.
The next son, Ron, was a busdriver in Vancouver for several years. Married briefly. He’s still alive and living in Vancouver. He’s in his sixties.
The next one was a girl, Marilyn. And she married an Erickson. But it was a different family from Saskatchewan. They married here in Edmonton and lived up in Yellowknife for a while.
He was a contractor. A builder. Trained in techschool here. They desided to change their life style completely. Sold everything, and movwed to Manhatten, New York, with their two kids. They all went back to school, and ended up with huge degreeds and the kids are very sucsessfull and very educated.
Marilyn and Terri are now living up in Mangager bay. She’s a genetic consular, and he works at contracting at minimal amounts.
See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/a-murderer-and-two-lions.html
Niels are an arcitect. He lives in Brooklyn at the present. And the youngest, Kirtsen, lives in Montreal. And she’s working now. She has a couple of degreeds. She was at Bombaardier for a while, but I don’t know where she’s working now. Her fiance works for IBM. They are engaged to be married. That’s all I know about them.
The youngest is Rick Erickson. He’s married to a very nice girl from a very good family here in Edmonton. And works … oh my ... I can’t recall the company he’s with, but he’s doing very well. He travels to Calgary a lot, and they have three children. The kids are still in school, and doing well. A very fine family!
That’s Lloyd’s family.
Map 10.
Then the next one, the second oldest, is Phyllis, who married Irving Moe. He was a dairy farmer out in Washington State. They had three boys. The three boys were all dairy farmers and all were university educated. Terrific guys.
They married well, and they had good kids. The kids are doing fine. And they’re all finished with dairy farming. They’re retired or semi retired.
Don (as the last one of the three) has now sold all the cows (See picture below) and they are renting out the barn. He’s renting out a lot of the land. And he’s just in the prossess, this is the first year that he’s not being a milker. And it’s been a big adjustment.
He says no longer there is a dairy farmer in Skagit County (See Map 10) by the name of Moe. He is very sentimenal about it. It’s a very difficult tratsition. They’re teriffic, a terrific couple.
Jerry had a kind of opted out a couple of years ago, so he is a little bit more used to being retired.
All three of them married very well and happy. And their kids are alle doing fine. So it’s wonderful. They still kind of call Washington State home, or Skagit Valley home, but they travel in the winter to the south.
Two of them, Don and Dave, have boats.
I still miss Phyllis. She was my favorite sister. Though I loved them all, but Phyllis was really special. She died at the age of 79, which was very sad for me. She should have lived a little longer. She was at that age where they didn’t know as much about hearts and things, you know. Every year there’s new things happening.
They married well, and they had good kids. The kids are doing fine. And they’re all finished with dairy farming. They’re retired or semi retired.
Don (as the last one of the three) has now sold all the cows (See picture below) and they are renting out the barn. He’s renting out a lot of the land. And he’s just in the prossess, this is the first year that he’s not being a milker. And it’s been a big adjustment.
He says no longer there is a dairy farmer in Skagit County (See Map 10) by the name of Moe. He is very sentimenal about it. It’s a very difficult tratsition. They’re teriffic, a terrific couple.
Jerry had a kind of opted out a couple of years ago, so he is a little bit more used to being retired.
All three of them married very well and happy. And their kids are alle doing fine. So it’s wonderful. They still kind of call Washington State home, or Skagit Valley home, but they travel in the winter to the south.
Two of them, Don and Dave, have boats.
I still miss Phyllis. She was my favorite sister. Though I loved them all, but Phyllis was really special. She died at the age of 79, which was very sad for me. She should have lived a little longer. She was at that age where they didn’t know as much about hearts and things, you know. Every year there’s new things happening.
Hanne Pedersen Falstad talking with one of Don's cows in july 2011.
The next one in our family is Arline. She’s lived in Seattle most of her life. She married a fisherman; Harold Jensen. A good norwegian from Paulsbo. Fished all his life. Had a great boat and a great living. He made a good living for four kids. (See: Map 11)
And the four kids are doing well. The oldest is Mark, and he was a fisherman for quite a few years. Now he’s a security guy. He does a sequrity job. Mark never married.
Next one is Brian (Brian Jensen). I’m not sure what he’s doing. I’ve forgotten. He was married. He has one daughter.
Next one is Silvia (Silvia Jensen). She married a guy who works for the US Postal Service. All his life. And they have two daughters. Both married, and with grandkids.
Kim, the youngest, graduated with an engineers degree. And he works for Boeing. He’s got a family, a nice wife and three kids. They are all doing well. I think they are in higher education or some are still in high school.
They all live in Seattle, Arlenes kids.
And the four kids are doing well. The oldest is Mark, and he was a fisherman for quite a few years. Now he’s a security guy. He does a sequrity job. Mark never married.
Next one is Brian (Brian Jensen). I’m not sure what he’s doing. I’ve forgotten. He was married. He has one daughter.
Next one is Silvia (Silvia Jensen). She married a guy who works for the US Postal Service. All his life. And they have two daughters. Both married, and with grandkids.
Kim, the youngest, graduated with an engineers degree. And he works for Boeing. He’s got a family, a nice wife and three kids. They are all doing well. I think they are in higher education or some are still in high school.
They all live in Seattle, Arlenes kids.
Map 11.
Then Ralph, was the next one. Ralph ended up farming the Home Farm. He always wanted to farm. He went to agricultur school, in Olds Alberta, learned how to be a smart farmer. And he was.
Ralph married Lilly Nielsen. Another Norwegian. And they were just so happy. Just so happy together. Kinders spirits. Wonderful. They had two boys, and they adopted two girls. Wonderful family.
Dennis worked for the airlines all his life. And he endes up living in Kelowna BC, semiretired. Retired from the airlines, doing what he loves to do – ride a golfcart.
He is married to Linda Lou Lukens. They have two kids, Teena (Denise Erickson) is a teacher and Kirby (Kjell Erickson) is a mounti (the Royal Canadian Mounte Police).
Dennis has four grandchildren, I think, or five. (2014)
Then it’s Mel (Melvin Leroy Erickson). Mel is on the farm …
You see, in the Erickson family it wasn’t the oldest who took the farm. Lloyd was the oldest of the Erickson brothers, but he was in the airline business, doing well. And Ralph wanted to farm. Ralph came and asked if he could farm. And Lloyd was doing well in the airline business, he had all his experience from the war, and he had jobs waiting for him. That how it was.
And I think it worked out.
Ralph was ready to sit on the farm, twelve hour days on the tractor. And that’s probably the best. (See: Map 12 A, B, C and Pictures of the farm, below.)
Ralph married Lilly Nielsen. Another Norwegian. And they were just so happy. Just so happy together. Kinders spirits. Wonderful. They had two boys, and they adopted two girls. Wonderful family.
Dennis worked for the airlines all his life. And he endes up living in Kelowna BC, semiretired. Retired from the airlines, doing what he loves to do – ride a golfcart.
He is married to Linda Lou Lukens. They have two kids, Teena (Denise Erickson) is a teacher and Kirby (Kjell Erickson) is a mounti (the Royal Canadian Mounte Police).
Dennis has four grandchildren, I think, or five. (2014)
Then it’s Mel (Melvin Leroy Erickson). Mel is on the farm …
You see, in the Erickson family it wasn’t the oldest who took the farm. Lloyd was the oldest of the Erickson brothers, but he was in the airline business, doing well. And Ralph wanted to farm. Ralph came and asked if he could farm. And Lloyd was doing well in the airline business, he had all his experience from the war, and he had jobs waiting for him. That how it was.
And I think it worked out.
Ralph was ready to sit on the farm, twelve hour days on the tractor. And that’s probably the best. (See: Map 12 A, B, C and Pictures of the farm, below.)
Map 12 A,
Map 12 B.
Map 12 C.
Yes, so Ralph decided he wanted to farm, and he married Lilly, and then Mel came to him and said he wanted to farm. Dennis was already sucessful in the airlines. He was PR, public relations for Canadian Intertational Airlines. Dennis had the gift of gab and he was very good at it. Ha was a very good relations guy.
That was his career and he did well at it.
Mel did well at the farm. Mel had married a local store managers daughter in town. She was used to the small town. They were high school sweathearts, and so was Dennis and Lou.
Mel and Laurie Ann has three kids – Wendy (Wendy Colleen), Ginger and Kent.
Wendy became a dental hygeenist, married and has two kids I think. Ginger married Corey Bitzer who workes for a gas company, I think, and has done very well. Ginger got her masters degree in health administration. Se is in charge of a senios assisted living, sort of exstended care, a nurcing home. And she is very sucsessful. They have three kids.
The third one and youngest is Kent (Kent Melvin Ross). He is farming. He got a degree in agriculture at the University of Alberta. He married Tausha Joelle, who has a degree in home design and interior design. She is a rangers daughter, her mother and father had cattle. It is a range. And she loves the farm, she hates the city and she’s a workaholic.
They are fourth generation on the Home Farm, the original Erickson farm. And it’s beautiful. She workes so hard, and they both workes so hard. It’s such a sucsess story.
They have four kids, and they’re very little. (2014) Very, very buzy couple. Wonderful couple.
I think it’s so important that the right people end up inheriting the farm or the business. I know people who had to farm even though they didn’t want to. But they were the only sons, so they had to. It was bad, it was a desaster and they died young.
I think Ralph did a wonderful job. Nobody ever did question that it was anybody else but Ralph to farm. He loved the farm, Lily loved the farm, and what could be nicer.
And when Mel took over, it was great. He was real smart about it. Went to all kinds of weekends seminars and stuff to learn more.
And Kent too. It’s the same thing.
We are proud. We are proud to see that our family farm is now in fourth generation. It’s unusual. For sure.
So there is the two girls, Linda and Carolyn (Carolyn Lois). They were both adopted and raised realy nicely. Beautiful girls. I guess Carolyn is the oldest. And she ended up not marriing. She’s a very nice partner. She is head sceduler for West Jet Airlines of Canada. She goes to the office once a week. She lives in Kelowna and the head office is in Calgary. She scedules all the planes, all the flightes. She’s brilliant, very brilliant. Such a great girl. Chose never to marry.
Linda married well and then had three kids – Jonathon Dale, Katrina Anna and Lillena Carole. Thay are all educated and are doing well. Linda went back to school and got a teachers degree, when the kids were growing up. When they were in highschool and bejond.
She teaches school now. She had a husbond that was the father of the children, and now she’s living with somebody. A nice guy. They’re very happy. Linda is very close to Lilly. She looks after Lilly and oversees her care a lot. It’s wonderful.
Carolyn is in BC, so she doesen’t get home so much. And Mel is on the farm and bussy and Dennis is in BC. So it’s really Linda who is caregiver to Lilly. Lilly is in a home.
Ok. So that’s Ralphs family. Great family.
That was his career and he did well at it.
Mel did well at the farm. Mel had married a local store managers daughter in town. She was used to the small town. They were high school sweathearts, and so was Dennis and Lou.
Mel and Laurie Ann has three kids – Wendy (Wendy Colleen), Ginger and Kent.
Wendy became a dental hygeenist, married and has two kids I think. Ginger married Corey Bitzer who workes for a gas company, I think, and has done very well. Ginger got her masters degree in health administration. Se is in charge of a senios assisted living, sort of exstended care, a nurcing home. And she is very sucsessful. They have three kids.
The third one and youngest is Kent (Kent Melvin Ross). He is farming. He got a degree in agriculture at the University of Alberta. He married Tausha Joelle, who has a degree in home design and interior design. She is a rangers daughter, her mother and father had cattle. It is a range. And she loves the farm, she hates the city and she’s a workaholic.
They are fourth generation on the Home Farm, the original Erickson farm. And it’s beautiful. She workes so hard, and they both workes so hard. It’s such a sucsess story.
They have four kids, and they’re very little. (2014) Very, very buzy couple. Wonderful couple.
I think it’s so important that the right people end up inheriting the farm or the business. I know people who had to farm even though they didn’t want to. But they were the only sons, so they had to. It was bad, it was a desaster and they died young.
I think Ralph did a wonderful job. Nobody ever did question that it was anybody else but Ralph to farm. He loved the farm, Lily loved the farm, and what could be nicer.
And when Mel took over, it was great. He was real smart about it. Went to all kinds of weekends seminars and stuff to learn more.
And Kent too. It’s the same thing.
We are proud. We are proud to see that our family farm is now in fourth generation. It’s unusual. For sure.
So there is the two girls, Linda and Carolyn (Carolyn Lois). They were both adopted and raised realy nicely. Beautiful girls. I guess Carolyn is the oldest. And she ended up not marriing. She’s a very nice partner. She is head sceduler for West Jet Airlines of Canada. She goes to the office once a week. She lives in Kelowna and the head office is in Calgary. She scedules all the planes, all the flightes. She’s brilliant, very brilliant. Such a great girl. Chose never to marry.
Linda married well and then had three kids – Jonathon Dale, Katrina Anna and Lillena Carole. Thay are all educated and are doing well. Linda went back to school and got a teachers degree, when the kids were growing up. When they were in highschool and bejond.
She teaches school now. She had a husbond that was the father of the children, and now she’s living with somebody. A nice guy. They’re very happy. Linda is very close to Lilly. She looks after Lilly and oversees her care a lot. It’s wonderful.
Carolyn is in BC, so she doesen’t get home so much. And Mel is on the farm and bussy and Dennis is in BC. So it’s really Linda who is caregiver to Lilly. Lilly is in a home.
Ok. So that’s Ralphs family. Great family.
The Erickson Hjemsted some decades ago, probably around the 1950-1960tees ...
The Erickson Hjemsted, today.
Now we have done half the Erickson family, then there is Mary Ruth.
When Mary Ruth went to Norway with Lloyd and Ralph, it must have been back in the 60s or the 50s. There she saw that she looked very much like some of the Honningsvåg relatives.
Mary Ruth was living in Washington DC at that time, and she flew over to Bergen.
Mary Ruth left the farm to work in Edmonton. She was working for the government in an office job. She had taken a secretary course or stenographer course and was working there. And when we moved to the US, in 1946, Mary Ruth came with us. It was Mama and Pa, and Elma and John and I. I guess Ralph came too.
We moved to the coast. Rented out the farm in Alberta, and rented a farm in Washington. We lived there for threee years. That was in 1946 to 1949.
It was after the war. Mama and Papa was thinking about retiring. They were tired of the cold winters, and there were people wanting to rent the farm.
Ralph was to young to farm, Lloyd was bussy, just coming home from war and he didn’t want to farm. Well … he said he wanted to and he tried it for a while. But he didn’t like it. It wasn’t quite … Lloyd was more of a people person. You need to want to be alone to be a farmer.
Ralph finished his high school in Cedar Valley and Elma finished there. And John also his high school there. I took grade seven, eight and nine down in Washington.
See map 13)
When Mary Ruth went to Norway with Lloyd and Ralph, it must have been back in the 60s or the 50s. There she saw that she looked very much like some of the Honningsvåg relatives.
Mary Ruth was living in Washington DC at that time, and she flew over to Bergen.
Mary Ruth left the farm to work in Edmonton. She was working for the government in an office job. She had taken a secretary course or stenographer course and was working there. And when we moved to the US, in 1946, Mary Ruth came with us. It was Mama and Pa, and Elma and John and I. I guess Ralph came too.
We moved to the coast. Rented out the farm in Alberta, and rented a farm in Washington. We lived there for threee years. That was in 1946 to 1949.
It was after the war. Mama and Papa was thinking about retiring. They were tired of the cold winters, and there were people wanting to rent the farm.
Ralph was to young to farm, Lloyd was bussy, just coming home from war and he didn’t want to farm. Well … he said he wanted to and he tried it for a while. But he didn’t like it. It wasn’t quite … Lloyd was more of a people person. You need to want to be alone to be a farmer.
Ralph finished his high school in Cedar Valley and Elma finished there. And John also his high school there. I took grade seven, eight and nine down in Washington.
See map 13)
Mary Ruth (See picture below) was already working and I think see got her visa. She stayed in Vancouver and then got her visa to work, to come acrosse the border. She went to work in Seattle, I belive. And she met her husband that first summer, in Mt. Vernon. He was a medical student, and he was working in the Canaries where they prosessed vegetables and fruit. The canned og froze vegetables and fruits. Tha farms there are going day and night during the seson, and they needed all the workforce they could get. I think that also Mary Ruth, Elma and Ralph worked in those plants. And there Mary Ruth met Vernon Louis Curtis, who was a medical student down in California.
So they fell in love, and they got married in two years. Mary Ruth was the prettiest one in the family. Beautiful dark hair. She was just really pretty. And had a sence of style. Always.
They got married, I would think in 1949 or so. Something like that. He finished medical school in Califormia. She moved down there to live with him. And they have five daughters.
Five daughters. Five beautiful daughters. One died. The oldest one, Judith Anne, died at the ages of twelve, of leuksemia. That was very sad.
The other four are still living and prospering and doing well. Mary Ruth and Vernon lived in Seattle. He became a radiologist in Seattle. Then they moved to Washington DC and lived there for several years. Built a beautiful house and then they went to India.
They lived there for three years. He taught radiology at the medical school in Vellore, India. Vellore is in the south of India, and there is a christian medical college there. And he was on the staff.
She had the four girls along. Three was up north, in the Himalayans, going to privat schools. And the one was a baby down in Vellore.
Then they came back to Washington DC, and theyr went to Oregon. Vernon died in Oregon. Mary Ruth stayed on, and now she’s in southern California. She has two daughters married in southern California, and two daughters married in Maui. She’s got four grandsons in Maui, and she has two granddaugters and one grandson down in California. In Redlands.
Mary Ruth is ten years older than me, so she’s 89 (july 2014). She is wonderful. Pure love.
So they fell in love, and they got married in two years. Mary Ruth was the prettiest one in the family. Beautiful dark hair. She was just really pretty. And had a sence of style. Always.
They got married, I would think in 1949 or so. Something like that. He finished medical school in Califormia. She moved down there to live with him. And they have five daughters.
Five daughters. Five beautiful daughters. One died. The oldest one, Judith Anne, died at the ages of twelve, of leuksemia. That was very sad.
The other four are still living and prospering and doing well. Mary Ruth and Vernon lived in Seattle. He became a radiologist in Seattle. Then they moved to Washington DC and lived there for several years. Built a beautiful house and then they went to India.
They lived there for three years. He taught radiology at the medical school in Vellore, India. Vellore is in the south of India, and there is a christian medical college there. And he was on the staff.
She had the four girls along. Three was up north, in the Himalayans, going to privat schools. And the one was a baby down in Vellore.
Then they came back to Washington DC, and theyr went to Oregon. Vernon died in Oregon. Mary Ruth stayed on, and now she’s in southern California. She has two daughters married in southern California, and two daughters married in Maui. She’s got four grandsons in Maui, and she has two granddaugters and one grandson down in California. In Redlands.
Mary Ruth is ten years older than me, so she’s 89 (july 2014). She is wonderful. Pure love.
Mary Ruth (from left) together with her daughter Sharon Oshaughnessy, her sister Elma and her niece Janice Comrie. Picture from reunion in Osoyoos in July 2014.
Next is Elma (Geraldine). (See picture above) She was a hard worker on the farm. She loved to work outdoors. She worked with her dad outdoors. That’s where she liked to be. Mary Ruth stayed inside and cooked, baked and cleaned house.
Elma was also an office worker. She got the training for office work. She worked in Seattle for several years. She moved with the family in -46. And then she worked in … she moved to San Fransisco. (See map 14) And lived there. She met her husband. She’s had two husbands. The first one owned a bar. He was a veteran from the war. And he was a cook. She met him, married him and they have one son – Douglas.
Doug turned out to be a great musician and he’s doing well. He playes in three bands, and he teaches music. Teaches guitar.
Check out his website: https://www.dougcameronmusic.com
Elma retired from PG&E, which is Spesific Gas and Energy. A big company.
She married a second one then. Then he died. She married Paul, who was a family favorite. Everybody loved him. And he had some family before. He’ve been widowed. Then he died. That was sad for Elma. Then she had a long time friend. They never married. He was good to her.
Doug is her only son. He has married, and had one son. This son suddenly died. He was shot in the streets of San Fransisco. Very sad. Then Doug had a really nice girlfriend, and she died of canser.
See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/in-memory-of-joshua-cameron.html
Elma was also an office worker. She got the training for office work. She worked in Seattle for several years. She moved with the family in -46. And then she worked in … she moved to San Fransisco. (See map 14) And lived there. She met her husband. She’s had two husbands. The first one owned a bar. He was a veteran from the war. And he was a cook. She met him, married him and they have one son – Douglas.
Doug turned out to be a great musician and he’s doing well. He playes in three bands, and he teaches music. Teaches guitar.
Check out his website: https://www.dougcameronmusic.com
Elma retired from PG&E, which is Spesific Gas and Energy. A big company.
She married a second one then. Then he died. She married Paul, who was a family favorite. Everybody loved him. And he had some family before. He’ve been widowed. Then he died. That was sad for Elma. Then she had a long time friend. They never married. He was good to her.
Doug is her only son. He has married, and had one son. This son suddenly died. He was shot in the streets of San Fransisco. Very sad. Then Doug had a really nice girlfriend, and she died of canser.
See: http://www.hometohonningsvog.com/in-memory-of-joshua-cameron.html
After Elma is John. John was bort in 1931.
He is three years older than me. He didn’t want to be a farmer. He kind of looked after the farm down in Washington when Mama died.
Then our dad came up to Alberta to help Ralph with springwork, all the seeding and everything.
So John was left there, they put me into highschool in Camrose. So John was left to look after the chicken farm and milk the cowes down in Mt. Vernon. Until they sold the farm. I think it was for sale, but things was going kind of slow. That was 1950. John was 18 then.
He had it hard, because he was all alone. He never knew how to cook or to wash house. But Arlene and Elma would come up from Seattle on the bus. And look after him in the weekends and cook for him and clean and leave food for him and stuff. It was very tough.
When they finally sold the farm, within the next year or so, I guess, he moved to Vancouver. Lloyd was living in Vancouver, and Lloyd and Aurora took him in. Loyd found him a job, or helped him find a job driving a truck. John wasn’t driving the truck, he was helping loading the truck. I can’t remember the term, but he was a helper.
He put on a lot of mussels doing that. And with his money that he earned, he took privat flying lessons. He god his first licence, a prelemonary one. And then i startet as much money that he could gather up, he rent a plane to put in hours. You have to have so many hours before you can apply for the next commercial licence. But I’m not sure that he ever god that commercial license.
After a while I think Lloyd helped him get in to the air force. They were recruiting. Because John already had a pilots license, he could go into the Air Force for pilots training. And that’s how he did it.
He settled into the bigger planes, which was the transport planes. And he got on the search and rescue crew with the air force. They used four engines planes. I’m not sure if it was Lancaster or DC3s or whatever.
And they crisscrossed the country. Back and forth looking for all these downed planes. And it was mostly american hunters. They would come up to Canada to og hunting and fishing, and then they get lost and crassed.
He is three years older than me. He didn’t want to be a farmer. He kind of looked after the farm down in Washington when Mama died.
Then our dad came up to Alberta to help Ralph with springwork, all the seeding and everything.
So John was left there, they put me into highschool in Camrose. So John was left to look after the chicken farm and milk the cowes down in Mt. Vernon. Until they sold the farm. I think it was for sale, but things was going kind of slow. That was 1950. John was 18 then.
He had it hard, because he was all alone. He never knew how to cook or to wash house. But Arlene and Elma would come up from Seattle on the bus. And look after him in the weekends and cook for him and clean and leave food for him and stuff. It was very tough.
When they finally sold the farm, within the next year or so, I guess, he moved to Vancouver. Lloyd was living in Vancouver, and Lloyd and Aurora took him in. Loyd found him a job, or helped him find a job driving a truck. John wasn’t driving the truck, he was helping loading the truck. I can’t remember the term, but he was a helper.
He put on a lot of mussels doing that. And with his money that he earned, he took privat flying lessons. He god his first licence, a prelemonary one. And then i startet as much money that he could gather up, he rent a plane to put in hours. You have to have so many hours before you can apply for the next commercial licence. But I’m not sure that he ever god that commercial license.
After a while I think Lloyd helped him get in to the air force. They were recruiting. Because John already had a pilots license, he could go into the Air Force for pilots training. And that’s how he did it.
He settled into the bigger planes, which was the transport planes. And he got on the search and rescue crew with the air force. They used four engines planes. I’m not sure if it was Lancaster or DC3s or whatever.
And they crisscrossed the country. Back and forth looking for all these downed planes. And it was mostly american hunters. They would come up to Canada to og hunting and fishing, and then they get lost and crassed.
John put in hours and hours and miles and miles. Good training. In search and Rescue. That was a main job in the air force for him. Then he got out.
This was in the 60s. Because I graduated in nurcing i 1956, so it would be all of the 60’s I would say.
Then he god out, and I think he briefly got a job with an airline in Canada. And then promtly got laid off, and he went to England. There he went on with British Eagle or something and went to India. He flew there for a while, six months. I think he went a couple of different times when he was laid off, and to find other jobs. Then they would call him back.
John didn’t know a lot about this British Eagle company. He knew he was getting enough money for what he was doing. He wasn’t a pilot, he was always a co-piot. And when they would fly cargo back, they would stop in Damascus and did sometimes fly across Saudi-Arabia, he wouldn’t even know what they were carrying. (See map 15)
He wasn’t previligded for that information. But whenever they stoped to refuel, of course, thay had to pay bribes. To get whatever they needed. And this was, I guess, common practice. And he went across Afghanistan many times, as well. Thast was his route back to Britain.
One of the last flights, there was troble. I think the pilot told John to just get out of here. I can’t remember where that was. He abandonned or didn’t go with the plane. I think the pilot ended up in jail and John was lucky to get out.
I don’t remember the details excactly how it was. He knows it was very tricky what they were carring back and forth. Who knows, it could have been juvels, it could have been gold, it could have been anything. And they were iutside of customs obviously. And they had to pay cash for everything. There was no credit in those days. So they had to carry a lot of cash. May be it was gold they were carrying. I don’t know.
John also went to India to visit Marry Ruth, when they were living there. And spent time there. We also knew the high commisionare to Canada in Idia. That was a friend of the family – Chester Ronning. He was there and his daughter, whom John and I went to Camrose with. He had very nice visit with them, when he stayed in India.
This was in the 60s. Because I graduated in nurcing i 1956, so it would be all of the 60’s I would say.
Then he god out, and I think he briefly got a job with an airline in Canada. And then promtly got laid off, and he went to England. There he went on with British Eagle or something and went to India. He flew there for a while, six months. I think he went a couple of different times when he was laid off, and to find other jobs. Then they would call him back.
John didn’t know a lot about this British Eagle company. He knew he was getting enough money for what he was doing. He wasn’t a pilot, he was always a co-piot. And when they would fly cargo back, they would stop in Damascus and did sometimes fly across Saudi-Arabia, he wouldn’t even know what they were carrying. (See map 15)
He wasn’t previligded for that information. But whenever they stoped to refuel, of course, thay had to pay bribes. To get whatever they needed. And this was, I guess, common practice. And he went across Afghanistan many times, as well. Thast was his route back to Britain.
One of the last flights, there was troble. I think the pilot told John to just get out of here. I can’t remember where that was. He abandonned or didn’t go with the plane. I think the pilot ended up in jail and John was lucky to get out.
I don’t remember the details excactly how it was. He knows it was very tricky what they were carring back and forth. Who knows, it could have been juvels, it could have been gold, it could have been anything. And they were iutside of customs obviously. And they had to pay cash for everything. There was no credit in those days. So they had to carry a lot of cash. May be it was gold they were carrying. I don’t know.
John also went to India to visit Marry Ruth, when they were living there. And spent time there. We also knew the high commisionare to Canada in Idia. That was a friend of the family – Chester Ronning. He was there and his daughter, whom John and I went to Camrose with. He had very nice visit with them, when he stayed in India.
Map 15.
After India John finally came on permanent with Canadian Pasific Airlines. That was the old, really high class international. He would fly international from Vancouver , and he would fly all sorts og routes. He could choose. He wasn’t the captain at first, but it wasn’t long before he was.
He would fly Vancouver – Amsterdam, Amsterdam – Rome, Rome – Athens. That was the route. He would stay a few days and maybe do two, three trips between Rome and Athens, and then finally come back to Amsterdam and finally Vancouver.
(See Map 16)
And then he would og down to South-America. He then went Vancouver – Toronto – Mexico City – Lima – and down to Santiago og Buenes Aires. That was his run many times. He loved that one. Same time-zone.
John loved all his runs. He liked Amsterdam, Rome and Athens. He’s got so many stories to tell about that. Never to Scandidavia.
Well, he was the first one to fly up to Norway, to visit Norway. Long before Lloyd started. But he only vent to Oslo to visit Julius. Uncle Julius and Solveig. Julius could speak english, but Solveig couldn’t.
But John was the first one there. That woud have been in the 70’s I would think. Because when he was in the Air Force he was all over the place. All over Canada, New Foundlan for two – three years. And he was over Vancouver Island. He was stationed many different places in Canada.
John didn’t have the need, so he never had a car before he was in the Air Force. He didn’t have the money. There was no money in the family. Our dad didn’t have any money. I think dad lost money on the farm in Seattle.
When he sold the farm to Ralph, turned it over for a certain sum of money, he divided the sum up amongst eight. Then he had no money left for himself. It is pety awful.
He would fly Vancouver – Amsterdam, Amsterdam – Rome, Rome – Athens. That was the route. He would stay a few days and maybe do two, three trips between Rome and Athens, and then finally come back to Amsterdam and finally Vancouver.
(See Map 16)
And then he would og down to South-America. He then went Vancouver – Toronto – Mexico City – Lima – and down to Santiago og Buenes Aires. That was his run many times. He loved that one. Same time-zone.
John loved all his runs. He liked Amsterdam, Rome and Athens. He’s got so many stories to tell about that. Never to Scandidavia.
Well, he was the first one to fly up to Norway, to visit Norway. Long before Lloyd started. But he only vent to Oslo to visit Julius. Uncle Julius and Solveig. Julius could speak english, but Solveig couldn’t.
But John was the first one there. That woud have been in the 70’s I would think. Because when he was in the Air Force he was all over the place. All over Canada, New Foundlan for two – three years. And he was over Vancouver Island. He was stationed many different places in Canada.
John didn’t have the need, so he never had a car before he was in the Air Force. He didn’t have the money. There was no money in the family. Our dad didn’t have any money. I think dad lost money on the farm in Seattle.
When he sold the farm to Ralph, turned it over for a certain sum of money, he divided the sum up amongst eight. Then he had no money left for himself. It is pety awful.
Map 16.
Anyway; so John and I … you know I wanted to go to university, John wanted to go to university, but there is no money. No money at all. The war was over, there was no money. Nobody in Canada had realy made any money during the war.
In the US the arms department and all those big, big companies, they made big bucs during the war.
There was very little cash around. We started having good crops after the war. And John says that had we stayed on the farm and farmed, we would have made big bucks. The prize og grain was going up. But during the war it was very low prizes and everything was rasioned.
We never bought anything new at all during the war. There was nothing new to buy. There was rasioning shoes, rasioning gasoline and tires, and then in food stuffs, sugar. Yeah, couldn’t get sugar. And coffe was rasioned. After the war, for years. It took a long time.
John finally got on full time, but was laid off one more time for a brief periode. He came to Edmonton and flew this new airline, Pasific Western Airline, for a little while. For maybe six months. And then he was called back to Canadian Pasific Airlines in Vancouver.
At the time I think he was bording, he was paying for a borden room at a nice house, a widowed lady had a room to rent out. After he got on kind of permanent, he started renting his apartment in that building, it was all rental, where he lives in West Vancouver.
Then it was turnes into condos, and he had a chanse to buy. So it’s an old building, but it was well built. Well maintained. And the best location.
So he was working on as a co-pilot and flying all these international flights. Then they opened up the route to Japan. So he startet going to Japan, then it was a route to Australia. And he startet going down there.
So he did all these routes. Long, long trips, and he would be gone for seven – ten days sometimes. So we didn’t see much of him.
John realy staid close to family. When he got time he startet visiting all of us more. So he stood close to the family, and if anyone was in trouble, he was there. Just always trying to help. Whenever.
Then he became captain on the DC10s. They didn’t have 747 at that time, but he was getting into them later. But he was getting older and he decided not to og through the stress of training on 747. So he stayed on the DC10s, because he knew he had to retire at 60 anyway.
In the US the arms department and all those big, big companies, they made big bucs during the war.
There was very little cash around. We started having good crops after the war. And John says that had we stayed on the farm and farmed, we would have made big bucks. The prize og grain was going up. But during the war it was very low prizes and everything was rasioned.
We never bought anything new at all during the war. There was nothing new to buy. There was rasioning shoes, rasioning gasoline and tires, and then in food stuffs, sugar. Yeah, couldn’t get sugar. And coffe was rasioned. After the war, for years. It took a long time.
John finally got on full time, but was laid off one more time for a brief periode. He came to Edmonton and flew this new airline, Pasific Western Airline, for a little while. For maybe six months. And then he was called back to Canadian Pasific Airlines in Vancouver.
At the time I think he was bording, he was paying for a borden room at a nice house, a widowed lady had a room to rent out. After he got on kind of permanent, he started renting his apartment in that building, it was all rental, where he lives in West Vancouver.
Then it was turnes into condos, and he had a chanse to buy. So it’s an old building, but it was well built. Well maintained. And the best location.
So he was working on as a co-pilot and flying all these international flights. Then they opened up the route to Japan. So he startet going to Japan, then it was a route to Australia. And he startet going down there.
So he did all these routes. Long, long trips, and he would be gone for seven – ten days sometimes. So we didn’t see much of him.
John realy staid close to family. When he got time he startet visiting all of us more. So he stood close to the family, and if anyone was in trouble, he was there. Just always trying to help. Whenever.
Then he became captain on the DC10s. They didn’t have 747 at that time, but he was getting into them later. But he was getting older and he decided not to og through the stress of training on 747. So he stayed on the DC10s, because he knew he had to retire at 60 anyway.
John Leroy Erickson at the Museum of Flights in Seattle, july 2014.
Evelyn – about her own life.
I was born on the farm and I think I have been a traveller and restless ever since, because the day I was born the doctor came out and took mama in his car 30 miles to the Wainwright Hospital. He said you have to come and have your baby in the hospital.
So I was already traveling then.
Away we went, it was Nowember, and over the graveled frozen road pavement, in his car. And she got to the hospital down in Wainwright. I suppose she was in a pain, I don’t know, but she took I look at the hospital and looked around and said: I’m not staying. I’m not having my baby here. You have to take me home. A girl from Honningsvaag, Norway said that. She says: No way am I staying in this hospital.
(See map 17)
What was wrong was that she hated the hospital, she was scared to death. Everybody she ever knew who went to a hospital died. Thats all. She says you have to take me home.
Away they went, home. Thirty miles over the frozen road.
So I was born Nowember 6, 1934. And in the morning Marry Ruth says, she went to se Mama who was laying in her bed, and Marry Ruth would have been ten years then. And she sayd to Marry Ruth: I nearly died last night. So Marry Ruth always likes to tell that story. And it was the truth. Because the doctor told mama Anna, you must not have more than four children. Because you have a weak heart. That’s all they knew about it. She had a weak heart.
And she prosided to have four more children. Of course that was really hard on her. And I don’t know if it was any harder on later, but probably the heart was weak, and I think the doctor was scared.
I think he told Pah the same ting. He says: You know, I nearly lost her. We nearly lost her last night. But I don’t know really what happened.
All siblings was born at the farm. And aunt Gina I think was there for most of them. But she had allready died when I came on. The midwifes, they were good. And this doctor was good too.
Thats what happened. So I have been travelling ever since.
I was born on the farm and I think I have been a traveller and restless ever since, because the day I was born the doctor came out and took mama in his car 30 miles to the Wainwright Hospital. He said you have to come and have your baby in the hospital.
So I was already traveling then.
Away we went, it was Nowember, and over the graveled frozen road pavement, in his car. And she got to the hospital down in Wainwright. I suppose she was in a pain, I don’t know, but she took I look at the hospital and looked around and said: I’m not staying. I’m not having my baby here. You have to take me home. A girl from Honningsvaag, Norway said that. She says: No way am I staying in this hospital.
(See map 17)
What was wrong was that she hated the hospital, she was scared to death. Everybody she ever knew who went to a hospital died. Thats all. She says you have to take me home.
Away they went, home. Thirty miles over the frozen road.
So I was born Nowember 6, 1934. And in the morning Marry Ruth says, she went to se Mama who was laying in her bed, and Marry Ruth would have been ten years then. And she sayd to Marry Ruth: I nearly died last night. So Marry Ruth always likes to tell that story. And it was the truth. Because the doctor told mama Anna, you must not have more than four children. Because you have a weak heart. That’s all they knew about it. She had a weak heart.
And she prosided to have four more children. Of course that was really hard on her. And I don’t know if it was any harder on later, but probably the heart was weak, and I think the doctor was scared.
I think he told Pah the same ting. He says: You know, I nearly lost her. We nearly lost her last night. But I don’t know really what happened.
All siblings was born at the farm. And aunt Gina I think was there for most of them. But she had allready died when I came on. The midwifes, they were good. And this doctor was good too.
Thats what happened. So I have been travelling ever since.
Map 17.
In grade seven we moved to the coast. I went from the one-room schoolhouse for the first six grades, and ended down in Washington state for three grades, seven, eight and nine. Then mama knew she was dying, so then she took me back to Alberta.
Mama knew that she was dying. I was 15 and she was 59 when she died. She wanted me to be in a safe place, and she thought putting me into Camrose Lutherian College (See map 18), was a safe place because it was a bording school.
I would get a great education, and I would be looked after. And I think she was right. It was a great move for me. They had study hours at night, and the teachers were good. In three years I got university entrance. I really learned to study there, and it was very good for me.
Mama died in the spring in the first year in Mont Vernon in Aril 22 1950. I didn’t even know she was really sick. No-one bothered to tell me she was really sick. I knew she was having chest pain. I remember helping her walk around the room and stuff. But being in a nice environment as I was, you know christian school, I was well loked after. That was good.
So I finished high school there. And then I went for bible school for one year after that. In Camrose. Because I was to young to get in to nurses training. I was planning to be a nurse. So I had to wait a year to go in. And that was ok to go to bible school.
Then I went in to nurses training, and that was another three years in a hospital setting. We had the nurses recidens to live there. And it was all free.The government was paying the hospitals to traine nurses. That was a great program.
And I could never have been a nurse. My dad didn’t have any money. It was just a miracle, really, that I could og there and get my training.
I guess I had to be 18 when I got in and that I was 21 when I graduated as a nurse. And I actually did quite well. I was in the top ten of my class. I was a valadictorian. I gave the speech from the class at the graduation.
That was pretty special. It was my classmates who schose me. But I was petty shy then, and didn’t know anything. But anyway I worked hard on the speech and I gave it. It was a honner.
Mama knew that she was dying. I was 15 and she was 59 when she died. She wanted me to be in a safe place, and she thought putting me into Camrose Lutherian College (See map 18), was a safe place because it was a bording school.
I would get a great education, and I would be looked after. And I think she was right. It was a great move for me. They had study hours at night, and the teachers were good. In three years I got university entrance. I really learned to study there, and it was very good for me.
Mama died in the spring in the first year in Mont Vernon in Aril 22 1950. I didn’t even know she was really sick. No-one bothered to tell me she was really sick. I knew she was having chest pain. I remember helping her walk around the room and stuff. But being in a nice environment as I was, you know christian school, I was well loked after. That was good.
So I finished high school there. And then I went for bible school for one year after that. In Camrose. Because I was to young to get in to nurses training. I was planning to be a nurse. So I had to wait a year to go in. And that was ok to go to bible school.
Then I went in to nurses training, and that was another three years in a hospital setting. We had the nurses recidens to live there. And it was all free.The government was paying the hospitals to traine nurses. That was a great program.
And I could never have been a nurse. My dad didn’t have any money. It was just a miracle, really, that I could og there and get my training.
I guess I had to be 18 when I got in and that I was 21 when I graduated as a nurse. And I actually did quite well. I was in the top ten of my class. I was a valadictorian. I gave the speech from the class at the graduation.
That was pretty special. It was my classmates who schose me. But I was petty shy then, and didn’t know anything. But anyway I worked hard on the speech and I gave it. It was a honner.
Map 18.
After that I worked for one year as a nurse. And then I had met my husband August (Gustave Frauenfeld) at a Christian party. Church people came over to the nurces residens and we had parties together.
Then we got married. He was ten years older than me, and that was bit of a problem. He was already established in a very good job with the government. He did social work, together with sosial workers, with the government. He was able to buy a house. So we put down a payment on a house. So we lived in a house, we didn’t live in an apartment first. That was kind of nice. He was christan.
So we started our marriage together. He was from german background, and was from a farm. A farming community, little way north-east of Edmonton. So it looked as it should be a compatible union. It was ok. I didn’t know much about any thing back in those days. This was in 1957, when we married.
I graduated in -56. So then I worked and then god pregnant with Janice and quit work for a year or so. And then went back to work, and then I got pregnant with Celeste, and I quit again. Sometimes I was off for about five years. I had threee children and we adopted one, Paul.
August was in charge for all the adoptions in our province. That was his job at the time. And he said there are 200 babies under the age of two that need homes. in the province. And he wanted to adopt. And we didn’t have a boy. And he said everybode is adopting all the girls. So all the girls were being adopted and not the boys. Who knows why? Anyway this was what he said. And he said lets adopt a boy. I wasen’t too much in favor of it, because I thought it was a lot of work and lot of money. And I knew that I could get pregnant. I was very healthy. So we talked it over for about a year. And then finally I said yes.
And then, as soon as we got Paul, then I knew I was pregnant with Patrice. Then Patrice was born, and I had four children under the age of five. That was not easy. Petty hard. Heavy work and dark days. But I survived. He kept talking to me about … he said: what kind of christan are you if you can’t adopt a child. Made me feal guilty and all that.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want children. I didn’t want a big family, because I wanted quality care for the kids. To me it was really important that we can send them to university so that they have a good start. And you know if you have five, six kids, you can’t afford it. And he was never gonna’ make a lot of money. And then I couldn’t make a lot of money. Nurses wasen’t payd much. So you really end up beeing in the lower midleclass and not able to afford …
You know, the government didn’t help much with the education. There is not a lot of grants or scolarships available.
Then I finally got back to nursing. And then I get pregnant with Angela. Six years later. Then we had five kids. And August never gave me any money. His money went all nto the bank. And he buys grosseries and payd for the cars and the utilities. And that was the end of his money, so I had to supply everything else. That was pretty rough.
But I was good to the kids. I think they had a good childhood.
After 20 years marriage, when Angela was 14 og 15, I decided I could leave him. But before leaving him I decided to g back to my university and get my degree. Which would take me two and a halv or three years to get it. A Bachelor of cience in nursing. I left him after 26 years.
They gave all of us old nurses the first two years, so we were able to enter the third year at the program and come out after the fourth year with a Bachelor of cience in nursing.
That was important to me, because I allways wanted to go to university. I took two courses at university by correspondense. To qualify. Then I took a psycallity correspondanse and then I took a statisticks. With five teenagers at home, and I was working full time. And I was a church organist. I put in the five years of full time nursing, and then I took a job, which was three quarters time, which was fantastic. I’d work five nights and have the five nights off. All through the year. That was great. It gave me lots of time. My job was allways as nurse on a hospital. (See video below)
When I was finished having babies and they was growing up, I decided to devorce my husband after 26 years. I’ve gotten my degree in nursing and I moved in to a head nurse position. But I wanted to leave Edmonton for a time, so I applied for a job in Saudi-Arabia. Hovever I was mindful I needed to prepare the children. I stayed around Edmonton for an aditional six years, from the time I separated from August in 1983. I left in 1988 to go to Saudi-Arabia to take my job there.
Then we got married. He was ten years older than me, and that was bit of a problem. He was already established in a very good job with the government. He did social work, together with sosial workers, with the government. He was able to buy a house. So we put down a payment on a house. So we lived in a house, we didn’t live in an apartment first. That was kind of nice. He was christan.
So we started our marriage together. He was from german background, and was from a farm. A farming community, little way north-east of Edmonton. So it looked as it should be a compatible union. It was ok. I didn’t know much about any thing back in those days. This was in 1957, when we married.
I graduated in -56. So then I worked and then god pregnant with Janice and quit work for a year or so. And then went back to work, and then I got pregnant with Celeste, and I quit again. Sometimes I was off for about five years. I had threee children and we adopted one, Paul.
August was in charge for all the adoptions in our province. That was his job at the time. And he said there are 200 babies under the age of two that need homes. in the province. And he wanted to adopt. And we didn’t have a boy. And he said everybode is adopting all the girls. So all the girls were being adopted and not the boys. Who knows why? Anyway this was what he said. And he said lets adopt a boy. I wasen’t too much in favor of it, because I thought it was a lot of work and lot of money. And I knew that I could get pregnant. I was very healthy. So we talked it over for about a year. And then finally I said yes.
And then, as soon as we got Paul, then I knew I was pregnant with Patrice. Then Patrice was born, and I had four children under the age of five. That was not easy. Petty hard. Heavy work and dark days. But I survived. He kept talking to me about … he said: what kind of christan are you if you can’t adopt a child. Made me feal guilty and all that.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want children. I didn’t want a big family, because I wanted quality care for the kids. To me it was really important that we can send them to university so that they have a good start. And you know if you have five, six kids, you can’t afford it. And he was never gonna’ make a lot of money. And then I couldn’t make a lot of money. Nurses wasen’t payd much. So you really end up beeing in the lower midleclass and not able to afford …
You know, the government didn’t help much with the education. There is not a lot of grants or scolarships available.
Then I finally got back to nursing. And then I get pregnant with Angela. Six years later. Then we had five kids. And August never gave me any money. His money went all nto the bank. And he buys grosseries and payd for the cars and the utilities. And that was the end of his money, so I had to supply everything else. That was pretty rough.
But I was good to the kids. I think they had a good childhood.
After 20 years marriage, when Angela was 14 og 15, I decided I could leave him. But before leaving him I decided to g back to my university and get my degree. Which would take me two and a halv or three years to get it. A Bachelor of cience in nursing. I left him after 26 years.
They gave all of us old nurses the first two years, so we were able to enter the third year at the program and come out after the fourth year with a Bachelor of cience in nursing.
That was important to me, because I allways wanted to go to university. I took two courses at university by correspondense. To qualify. Then I took a psycallity correspondanse and then I took a statisticks. With five teenagers at home, and I was working full time. And I was a church organist. I put in the five years of full time nursing, and then I took a job, which was three quarters time, which was fantastic. I’d work five nights and have the five nights off. All through the year. That was great. It gave me lots of time. My job was allways as nurse on a hospital. (See video below)
When I was finished having babies and they was growing up, I decided to devorce my husband after 26 years. I’ve gotten my degree in nursing and I moved in to a head nurse position. But I wanted to leave Edmonton for a time, so I applied for a job in Saudi-Arabia. Hovever I was mindful I needed to prepare the children. I stayed around Edmonton for an aditional six years, from the time I separated from August in 1983. I left in 1988 to go to Saudi-Arabia to take my job there.
The kids got used to the fact that we were separated and finally divorsed. But August and I remained friends and we held family dinners together. Even the very first Christmas eve we had at my place, and he cooced Christmas dinner at his place. We put on Patrice and Pauls wedding on. So they know they still have a mother and a father.
I went to Saudi-Arabia for four years. Had a wonderful time, a wonderful job and I met a wonderful man who became my second husband. Charles Laws was an American engeener from Syracuse, New York. We fell in love and got along very wll. We came home and had a big weding. All of families, both families came together. We tired then from Saudi-Arabia and had a few more years together before he past away.
So that was a happy part of my life. He was a great guy, lots of fun. My family liked him very much. He got along with everybody, and he was at some family reunions as well.
He died in 2000, on Christmas Day. We had been together a little over ten years. I met him in -89. That was a nice part of my life. And we travelled extencevly, many places and had good times.
I became an American after marriing him. I have my American citizenship, so I’m dual. And my hearth is very much American. I’m happy living down there. I like coming to Canada. It doesen’t bother me at all that I’m on both sides of the border.
Now my lifte is devided. Staying in Phoenix most of the year. That’s where my doctors are. And Edmonton rest of the year, where my family is. We’ll see how long I have left to live. I hope my Norwegian background will kick in and hold me toghether for som years.
My Norwegian background did influence a lot on my youth. Because of the church. There was always a Norwegian lutherian church we attended. In my youth there was allways a taste of Norway everywhere. And all my relatives were Norwegian and the traditions from Norway that my mama had brought was very evident. Like the food and the celebrations and the Christmas, allways a Norwegian Christmas. Unfortunatly they weren’t speaking Norwegian at home, that I could pick it up. (Click on “Kingdom of Norway” below to read facts about Norway)
The older kids in the family all got to learn Norwegian. Lloyd and Phyllis spoke Norwegian. And Arline a little bit, and I’m not sure about Ralph. They got in on a lot more than I did.
Today I keep up with whats happening in Norway. Try to know the modern Norway. The economical situation in Norway is to be admired. And in fact Angela wanted to get a job in Norway. That would have been great. Then I would have travelled to Norway often. I travelled to Italy often because Angela was there. I said whereever you live I’ll probably travel to be with you.
I’m very proud to be Norwegian. I think living in my family, we were allways more intertational in many ways than some of the neighbours that I grew up with. I’ve allways felt that I was a person of the world. And I wasn’t tied to Canada og the US. I could live any place. I really felt that. I think I have my parents to thank for that. Because they allways expanded our thinking. Canada wasn’t the only way, or the only place to live.
I remember when I went off to Saudi-Arabia there were people who said: “Evelyn, why would you go there? That’s a barbaric country”. Lloyd said to me: “Evelyn, go for it! You’ll love it, you’ll learn so much. Everything in this world is worth seeing.”
And then of course he got me goeing to Norway, he said: “You got to go, you got to go.” And I’ve been there for many times now.
That was my upbringing, and I’m so proud. Without trying … you know, there are good tings out there in the world. It’s not all bad. And not be afraid.
One of the greatest things that ever happened to me was going to Saudi-Arabia and becoming a leadnurse. I had 26 nurses under my charge, from 15 different contries. I was so proud. It brings tears to my eyes to think that they had been trained as well as I had been trained and they looked on patient care the same way. With compassion, gentleness and skills. It was just so amazing. It was such a good experience for me to find that out. Because there are people who think; when you learn to do something you do it like that allways, there’s no other way. But there’s always another way.
I went to Saudi-Arabia for four years. Had a wonderful time, a wonderful job and I met a wonderful man who became my second husband. Charles Laws was an American engeener from Syracuse, New York. We fell in love and got along very wll. We came home and had a big weding. All of families, both families came together. We tired then from Saudi-Arabia and had a few more years together before he past away.
So that was a happy part of my life. He was a great guy, lots of fun. My family liked him very much. He got along with everybody, and he was at some family reunions as well.
He died in 2000, on Christmas Day. We had been together a little over ten years. I met him in -89. That was a nice part of my life. And we travelled extencevly, many places and had good times.
I became an American after marriing him. I have my American citizenship, so I’m dual. And my hearth is very much American. I’m happy living down there. I like coming to Canada. It doesen’t bother me at all that I’m on both sides of the border.
Now my lifte is devided. Staying in Phoenix most of the year. That’s where my doctors are. And Edmonton rest of the year, where my family is. We’ll see how long I have left to live. I hope my Norwegian background will kick in and hold me toghether for som years.
My Norwegian background did influence a lot on my youth. Because of the church. There was always a Norwegian lutherian church we attended. In my youth there was allways a taste of Norway everywhere. And all my relatives were Norwegian and the traditions from Norway that my mama had brought was very evident. Like the food and the celebrations and the Christmas, allways a Norwegian Christmas. Unfortunatly they weren’t speaking Norwegian at home, that I could pick it up. (Click on “Kingdom of Norway” below to read facts about Norway)
The older kids in the family all got to learn Norwegian. Lloyd and Phyllis spoke Norwegian. And Arline a little bit, and I’m not sure about Ralph. They got in on a lot more than I did.
Today I keep up with whats happening in Norway. Try to know the modern Norway. The economical situation in Norway is to be admired. And in fact Angela wanted to get a job in Norway. That would have been great. Then I would have travelled to Norway often. I travelled to Italy often because Angela was there. I said whereever you live I’ll probably travel to be with you.
I’m very proud to be Norwegian. I think living in my family, we were allways more intertational in many ways than some of the neighbours that I grew up with. I’ve allways felt that I was a person of the world. And I wasn’t tied to Canada og the US. I could live any place. I really felt that. I think I have my parents to thank for that. Because they allways expanded our thinking. Canada wasn’t the only way, or the only place to live.
I remember when I went off to Saudi-Arabia there were people who said: “Evelyn, why would you go there? That’s a barbaric country”. Lloyd said to me: “Evelyn, go for it! You’ll love it, you’ll learn so much. Everything in this world is worth seeing.”
And then of course he got me goeing to Norway, he said: “You got to go, you got to go.” And I’ve been there for many times now.
That was my upbringing, and I’m so proud. Without trying … you know, there are good tings out there in the world. It’s not all bad. And not be afraid.
One of the greatest things that ever happened to me was going to Saudi-Arabia and becoming a leadnurse. I had 26 nurses under my charge, from 15 different contries. I was so proud. It brings tears to my eyes to think that they had been trained as well as I had been trained and they looked on patient care the same way. With compassion, gentleness and skills. It was just so amazing. It was such a good experience for me to find that out. Because there are people who think; when you learn to do something you do it like that allways, there’s no other way. But there’s always another way.
Click on the picture Kingdom of Norway and read facts about Norway)
Evelyns children.
We had five children.
Janice was born in Vancouver in 1959. She has become a wonderful wise woman. She’s a teacher and she has no a masters degree in early childhood education. I’m so proud of her. She’s married to Rick Comrie, who owns his own tire business. He does tires for people with a mobile tire business. He goes to peoples homes or their offices. (2014)
And they got two boys, both delightful and both hockey players. Exelent hockeyplayers. Either of them can end up in NHL (National Hockey League). Shaun will be 21 shortly and Scott is going to be 19 shortly. (interview taken in july 2014) in Septemer. Shaun is fighting forestfires this summer and he really would like to be a city fireman, and that might come to pass. He’s working hard to take courses towards that goal. And Scott isen’t sure what he’s going to end up doing. He’s working for a floring company and he is still playing hockey.
Celeste was born in -61. She is a flight tendant for Air Canada. Lovely, lovely girl. She never married. She’s a good sweethearth, she’s a good flight tendant, and on the side she has renovated three condoes and built a townhouse from scratch.
She now lives in Montreal, in her beautiful townhouse. The bottom half is rented out. I’m going to visit her soon in Montreal.
Paul, born in -62, is our adopted son. He lives in Calgary. He finished a course in business administration, and then he went to work for his friend in selling computers and customizing computers. Lately he has travelled extencively todifferent parts of the world. He also has never married. So I have no grandchildren from him or Celeste.
Then number four is Patrice. She was born in -64. She married Paul Hojka. They have four children. Patrice is working for Strathcona County Transit and Paul is manager of Home Outfits, which is home outfitters, which is part of the Hudson Bay Company, the first big and oldest company in Canada, over 300 years old. He is very sucessful. He runs the biggest and most profitable store in Canada.
Their oldest child is Gavin, he is my first grandchild and he had the decensy to be born on my birthday, which is nowember 6th. He’s married and their expecting. (2014) He works for det department of forestry for Alberta government. And Nythia, his wife, works for a helicopter company, and they live in Fort McMurray. (2014)
Next is Stefanie, she’s their only daughter. She just got married to Travis Hayes. Stefanie finished five years of university towards teaching. She’s a teacher. She’s finished her first year of teaching. And Travis works for a pipeline company. When he is on duty, he will sit on a consol managing twenty pipelines in different directions. With different parcels of fuel, fluids what ever. He’s been in pipelines most of his career, and he’s five years older than Stefanie. He’s father was in pipeline and is partowner of a pipeline. Travis is a nice guy.
Then it’s Ben (Bennet). Ben has finished highschool and he’s almost finished his course at Nait – the Northern Alberta Institue of Tecnology. And his course that he took was how to design websites. He’s a computer geek. So he’s done websites. And some of the websites he’s done, he got payd for as well as using them in his classes for credits. He’s a smart guy.
And he lives in my apartment here with Julian. Nice guy, and he is working up north fighting forestfires this summer. And will be back this fall and study some more.
The fourth one is Thomas. He’s my youngest grandchild, and he is still in school. He’s in grade nine and he loves fotball. And he’s a good kid.
My yongest daughter is Angela. She was born in -69. She lived in Italy for 21 years. Married to an Italian. Before moving to Italy, she lived in London for one year. Then she met him when he came throug London travelling. He invited her to Italy, and visit. They just fell in love and she decided to go to Italy. I think she had a pretty good life. It wasn’t easy, because in that part of Italy they didn’t speak much English. Angelo spoke English, but his family didn’t.
She studied Italian over there, and could speak Italian well and read it and write it. Then she was teaching English in Italy a lot. She had two children, Julian who’s 21 and Sydney, who is 19. Then they moved back to Canada three years ago. She divorced her husband. Now Julian is living in my aoartmenet, Syney is still goeing to high school and she’s planning to go til university.
That’s my family. Most f them are in Edmonton, on is in Calgary and one dauthetr in Montreal.
How has it been to be a Norwegian girl in Canada?
I’m, always proud to be Norwegian. Allways proud to say my mother came right from Norway. I put that out right away. My mother came from Norway, my father came from the USA. I’m three quarters Norwegian and one quarter Sweed, and I’m very proud of it. But I’m also proud of Canada, and I’m proud of United States. My hearth is, I think, very international.
I can’t say enough good about our mother and father. Really, they were wonderful people. They worked so hard. They just provided such a great life for us.
During Woeld War II mama was so worried about her relatives in Norway. It was so owful to see how she cried so many times and suffered so much, because she was so worried. There’d be letters coming, but they were slow. And mama sent parcels to Norway. She would pack up clothing and shoes and things she thought would be of help. And some food items, like dried fruits. Because she knew they were strugling for good food over there. She sent the paccages through the mail.
When I finally got to Norway in 2003, and I saw their beautiful homes and I ate their gorgeous food and saw their cars and all, I did think: Oh, how wonderful how they have come back from the brink. We knew that Norway was suffering so terrible.
It’s a wonderful connection that we have between Norway and Canada. That is for sure.
Thanks to Evelyn Laws (picture below) who gave this interview on her balcony in the 21th floor in Edmonton in july 2014. We sat for three hours and talked.
Svein Helge
We had five children.
Janice was born in Vancouver in 1959. She has become a wonderful wise woman. She’s a teacher and she has no a masters degree in early childhood education. I’m so proud of her. She’s married to Rick Comrie, who owns his own tire business. He does tires for people with a mobile tire business. He goes to peoples homes or their offices. (2014)
And they got two boys, both delightful and both hockey players. Exelent hockeyplayers. Either of them can end up in NHL (National Hockey League). Shaun will be 21 shortly and Scott is going to be 19 shortly. (interview taken in july 2014) in Septemer. Shaun is fighting forestfires this summer and he really would like to be a city fireman, and that might come to pass. He’s working hard to take courses towards that goal. And Scott isen’t sure what he’s going to end up doing. He’s working for a floring company and he is still playing hockey.
Celeste was born in -61. She is a flight tendant for Air Canada. Lovely, lovely girl. She never married. She’s a good sweethearth, she’s a good flight tendant, and on the side she has renovated three condoes and built a townhouse from scratch.
She now lives in Montreal, in her beautiful townhouse. The bottom half is rented out. I’m going to visit her soon in Montreal.
Paul, born in -62, is our adopted son. He lives in Calgary. He finished a course in business administration, and then he went to work for his friend in selling computers and customizing computers. Lately he has travelled extencively todifferent parts of the world. He also has never married. So I have no grandchildren from him or Celeste.
Then number four is Patrice. She was born in -64. She married Paul Hojka. They have four children. Patrice is working for Strathcona County Transit and Paul is manager of Home Outfits, which is home outfitters, which is part of the Hudson Bay Company, the first big and oldest company in Canada, over 300 years old. He is very sucessful. He runs the biggest and most profitable store in Canada.
Their oldest child is Gavin, he is my first grandchild and he had the decensy to be born on my birthday, which is nowember 6th. He’s married and their expecting. (2014) He works for det department of forestry for Alberta government. And Nythia, his wife, works for a helicopter company, and they live in Fort McMurray. (2014)
Next is Stefanie, she’s their only daughter. She just got married to Travis Hayes. Stefanie finished five years of university towards teaching. She’s a teacher. She’s finished her first year of teaching. And Travis works for a pipeline company. When he is on duty, he will sit on a consol managing twenty pipelines in different directions. With different parcels of fuel, fluids what ever. He’s been in pipelines most of his career, and he’s five years older than Stefanie. He’s father was in pipeline and is partowner of a pipeline. Travis is a nice guy.
Then it’s Ben (Bennet). Ben has finished highschool and he’s almost finished his course at Nait – the Northern Alberta Institue of Tecnology. And his course that he took was how to design websites. He’s a computer geek. So he’s done websites. And some of the websites he’s done, he got payd for as well as using them in his classes for credits. He’s a smart guy.
And he lives in my apartment here with Julian. Nice guy, and he is working up north fighting forestfires this summer. And will be back this fall and study some more.
The fourth one is Thomas. He’s my youngest grandchild, and he is still in school. He’s in grade nine and he loves fotball. And he’s a good kid.
My yongest daughter is Angela. She was born in -69. She lived in Italy for 21 years. Married to an Italian. Before moving to Italy, she lived in London for one year. Then she met him when he came throug London travelling. He invited her to Italy, and visit. They just fell in love and she decided to go to Italy. I think she had a pretty good life. It wasn’t easy, because in that part of Italy they didn’t speak much English. Angelo spoke English, but his family didn’t.
She studied Italian over there, and could speak Italian well and read it and write it. Then she was teaching English in Italy a lot. She had two children, Julian who’s 21 and Sydney, who is 19. Then they moved back to Canada three years ago. She divorced her husband. Now Julian is living in my aoartmenet, Syney is still goeing to high school and she’s planning to go til university.
That’s my family. Most f them are in Edmonton, on is in Calgary and one dauthetr in Montreal.
How has it been to be a Norwegian girl in Canada?
I’m, always proud to be Norwegian. Allways proud to say my mother came right from Norway. I put that out right away. My mother came from Norway, my father came from the USA. I’m three quarters Norwegian and one quarter Sweed, and I’m very proud of it. But I’m also proud of Canada, and I’m proud of United States. My hearth is, I think, very international.
I can’t say enough good about our mother and father. Really, they were wonderful people. They worked so hard. They just provided such a great life for us.
During Woeld War II mama was so worried about her relatives in Norway. It was so owful to see how she cried so many times and suffered so much, because she was so worried. There’d be letters coming, but they were slow. And mama sent parcels to Norway. She would pack up clothing and shoes and things she thought would be of help. And some food items, like dried fruits. Because she knew they were strugling for good food over there. She sent the paccages through the mail.
When I finally got to Norway in 2003, and I saw their beautiful homes and I ate their gorgeous food and saw their cars and all, I did think: Oh, how wonderful how they have come back from the brink. We knew that Norway was suffering so terrible.
It’s a wonderful connection that we have between Norway and Canada. That is for sure.
Thanks to Evelyn Laws (picture below) who gave this interview on her balcony in the 21th floor in Edmonton in july 2014. We sat for three hours and talked.
Svein Helge
