Saga from Western Norway

Saga from Western Norway

Dad not only wrote the stories in "Memories from Bear Lake," published in December 1968, but he also wrote the following stories. Most of them tell of the seafaring days of our great-grandfather and our grandfather. They also tell of them coming to the United States in 1882 and include more tales of their lives in Minnesota.

Dad wrote some of the stories in Norwegian and I thank my sisters, Marie and Astrid, for translating them into English. I also want to thank my daughter, Carolyn for the interest she has shown by putting the articles together and publishing them the way Dad wrote them. Dads wish that his descendants, relatives and friends enjoy this book will now be carried out.

Dad never did get a trip back to Norway, but he gave us many wonderful stories, that we can pass on to our children and grandchildren,

Thor B. Thomsen
Son of Tolleif G. Thomsen

Tolleif George wrote the following stories in Saga from western Norway:

* Memories Of My Grandfather And Relatives In Einstabøvold, Valestrand And Sunnhordaland.
* The First Bicycle
* Tolleif Thomsen Saga
* Tales From Seafaring Days Of Taulerius Thomsen
* Saga Of Mathias Johannesen Fjellhaugen (In Norway)
* Saga Of Mathias Johannesen Fjellhaugen (In America)
* The First Post Office
* The Saga Of My Life Written For My Children

Dad felt a responsibility to acquaint his children with some of the history of the family in Norway. He was a patriotic American, and never regretted that grandfather Thomsen had brought his family to the United States, but he had a deep feeling for the land of his birth.

He would tell the stories about his grandfathers and his father when we children were young, but, unfortunately, he didn't always have an attentive audience. He wrote the stories in Norwegian, and they were published in the "Visergutten", a Norwegian-American newspaper, in the latter 1930's. He translated them into English in the last years of his life. We are thankful he did!

It seemed to be the desire of the children of immigrant families to separate themselves from the "old country". Now everyone is interested in all links with the past as never before.

These men, great-grandfather Olsen, great-grandfather Thomsen, grandfather Thomsen, and Mathias Fjellhagen represented a variety of occupations; sailor, farmer, fisherman, builder, merchant and innkeeper. They all shared a common concern for family, community, and country. The great and far-reaching part of their lives was their faith in Christ as their personal Saviour. Many prayers have been uttered for their children down through the years. What a wonderful heritage we have!

To these sturdy men, and their memory these pages are dedicated.

O render thanks to God above,
The fountain of eternal love,
Whose mercy firm through ages past,
Hath stood, and doth for ever past.

Astrid Thomsen
Daughter of Tolleif G. Thomsen