Halvor Halvorsen was a ship captain sailing in and out of the fjords, up and down the beautiful Norway western seaboard. [His wife and children lived in the north in Namsos] As his family grew [to 8 children], he longed to be with them, acquired a telegraph station in northern Norway, where he could work on land, and have his family with him, but he took seriously ill in the north, and died. Before his death, in a touching letter to his family he wrote his memories about his parents and siblings, and then these heart felt words to his children.
“And now, I am leaving you all to God. May He put his protecting hand around us, and guide us to the place that He has set aside for us. Let no one ever threaten or persuade you to go against your conscience, for this will sooner or later come back to you with added interest. Think of your father, and remember, that if any of you should commit any kind of a crime, I will be watching you, and so will our Heavenly Father who had everything recorded that you have done in this world. Be kind and helpful to each other and to your mother, for all your happiness in this world will depend on this. Let the bigger ones help the smaller ones, and do not forget that you are all your father’s children, and it would hurt me deeply on the other side of the grave, if any of my children should leave their God, and start going in the wrong road. Be aware of these things, dear children, and protect the memory of your father, who never was able to commit anything real bad or evil, But I am deeply sorry to say that I have all to often sinned against my God and His commandments. This I must, in all humility, ask God to forgive me in His unending grace, Amen. This is my will to you, I have no money to leave you. I received little or nothing myself. But if you will do what is right, you will have riches enough, believe you me. All happiness and joy in this world does not depend on money, and even much less after death. Do not be hypocrites, give your opinion honest and frankly to everyone. This will not make you rich. But I have always felt a contempt for these creeping beings, and they are to be looked down upon, as far as I have any knowledge of the world.”
(by Kenneth Hardman, 2018, based on “Our Gulbrandsen Ancestry,” by Jana Greenhalgh, and the ‘Will’ of Halvor Halvorsen in, “The Hansen and Gulbrandsen Family History – Ancestors & Descendants of Edna Violet Gulbrandsen & Harvey Ralph Hansen,” compiled by: Jana Greenhalgh, Dona Losee, Ray Hansen) #AncestorClips
It was Christmas of 1909 just before my dad was to come home [from his two-year mission.] We were down to board floors and paper curtains [having sold the furniture piece by piece.] We had large five-gallon lard cans to sit on; a stove, table, and a bed that we all slept in. We sat in bed and sang Christmas carols until…it was time to go to sleep. We only had a bowl of rice that night for our dinner… We went to sleep hoping…for Santa to come. I woke up to the sound of crying. I went into the other room and found Mama crying. I asked what the matter was. She said…she was so grateful and happy to her Heavenly Father, and told me to go back to bed so Santa could come. I…was wakened again by her sobs. I went to sleep the third time and woke up at 7:30 am with mother still crying. As we all came out of the bedroom she made us kneel in prayer before we could see our toys. I will never forget the prayer my mother offered, thanking the Lord for his goodness to us. We then went out on the porch; there was a doll and dishes for the girls, a tool box for the boys and a small decorated Christmas Tree and a basket of food… We danced around the tree and sang and went to bed that night with our hearts full of happiness and our stomachs full of good food. Brother Alma Winn was our Santa and he had eight children of his own… My mother had cried and prayed all that night. Her prayers were answered… How grateful I am for the faith of my mother and grateful…that we five little ones weren’t forgotten by a “Santa” who had been inspired to come and help us in time of need.
AncestorClips 