THE STORY OF GRANDMOTHER IN NEW HOUSE

(This is primarily a google translation).

The bark "Gemma" of Arendal

My grandfather, Louis Abrahamsen (f.1860), signet on, 15 years old, the brig "Penda" of Arendal. In 1890 he married Marie Abrahamsen, f. Tobias Daughter, Dragon Land. From then until November 1898 he sailed six tours in home waters (North Sea / Baltic Sea) with the ship "Haakon Haakonsen".
In those years he was at home and work on the farm when the boat more or less firm went wintered.

On the last trip across the North Sea realized grandfather that the boat was about to go up at the seams, and when the company got rid of the ship fall -98, patterned he too off for good. "Haakon Haakonsen" shipwrecked outside Skagen in 1903.

The only memory I have for grandfather, three scorpions sealed in a bottle of spirits.
Since I'm a scorpion, I'm sure it brings happiness.

When grandfather 12th May 1900 signed on bark "Gemma" of Arendal as steward (see photo of S / S Gemma), he sailed perhaps for the first time in his life as a seafarer across the Atlantic to Central America. On returning, they were loaded with timber and last visited Saint-Marc, Haiti. From there they set out against Le Havre, the port city of Paris, but they never got there.

In 1902 the company announced that the boat was wrecked on the return voyage, and the ship assuransesum paid in May that year. In ancient documents referred shipwreck follows: "21 st November 1901 afseilede Skibet from St. Marc decided to Havre. Then there later nothing is heard either to Skib or Mandskap, presumably the bark GEMMA had be shipwrecked during November or December months last year."

On Bringsjord sat grandmother again as a single parent of five small children; the youngest Theodor, just one year old, the oldest Abraham, 11 years. But she did not sit down idly. She became a full-time farmer, with horse and cows.
My father, Thorvald, was six when he said goodbye to his father for the last time, and 31 years when he in 1925 bought the farm - the horse Bjuty (Beauty). two cows and some sheep - from his mother for a sum (KR 14,000, -) which was big enough that my grandmother could build a new house on the headland between the old road and the new post road. We therefore called grandmother for "GRANDMOTHER IN NEW HOUSE".

Finn and Kjell in front of grandmother house

Was there still a hope?

But it is unlikely that the grandmother and the older children still had a little hope that grandfather would come back? The ship was missing, yes, but she could still emerge somewhere else? Was it not enough of stories about ships that were hijacked by pirates in southern waters? Or on vessels where the crew did mutiny and headed toward strangers worlds? Or on ships that had lost masts and sails under stormy weather and then drove to the weather until it stranded on an island and slowly turned to smithereens?

As far as I know, grandma never told  something to us grandchildren that she had gone with such thoughts, but it's still a couple of incidents that indicate that for a time she harbored such hopes. Firstly, the history of the grandfather London coat, secondly, the "Haakon Haakonsen", the particular book she had in the shelf.

Grandfathers London-coat

Grandma had as friend and confidant his "almost" neighbor to the east, "Malla in Norbakken." She hood really Emalia Abrahamsen, f. Olaus Daughter, and was grandfather's sister, and my mother's sister. Grandma and Malla was jointly founded Kinamisjonens Kvinneforening (China Mission Women's Association) in Lyngdal.
Malla and her husband Emanuel Abrahamsen, lived in Norbakken but sometime after the census in 1910 conferred the farm to the eldest son Olaus and moved to Nygård. It allows Emalia for posterity is best known as "Malla in Nygård." Mallas middle son, Abraham, drowned in Navershølen age of 14, and the youngest son, Oskar, later took over the farm Nygård by parents. Malla also had five daughters, one of which, Laura, was married to our "almost" neighbor to the west Leif Bringsjord, who lived beyond Katrina and Jacob. (Jacob and Leif were brothers).

Laura has told, referring to her mother Malla, that my grandfather on his last trip with the ship "Haakon Haakonsen" visited London where he bought a camel colored coat of very good quality.
The coat was so nice that it was rarely used in Lyngdal, and then grandfather a warm spring day in early May in the year 1900 would go to Oslo to patterns as steward on the bark Gemma of Arendal, packed grandmother the London-coat into the sailor coffin together with the rest of the pargaset. But as soon grandfather checked the contents, she was asked to take the coat out of the coffin - then he would use it on the voyage to the capital.

Shortly after grandfather had said goodbye and disappeared with a horsewagon down Døldegrova where the wade went over to Prestneset, discovered grandmother that he had left his coat behind. Immediately she ran down to the river brink, but the wagon already halfway to Prestegården, and far beyond the hearing range.

Despairing run grandmother all the way out to the Node Neset, where she stood and shouted and waved his coat when the horse carriage passed by Oftebro on the way to the ferry in Agnefest.
But no one responded to her shouts and waving, and she sadly had to go home with the coat. Later on she should then have entrusted Malla that she thought it was very strange that no one noticed her.

A few months later she received letter, posted in France, where grandfather told that the boat had a new and unexpected mission and were traveling to the West Indies, but in return for his unexpected long absence, he could comfort her with that wages were almost doubled.

Along with the letter came sneaking suspicion that grandfather already when he signed on knew he was going to sail on the Pacific and that he consequently had traveled from his coat knowingly. In all the years she had refused to make the dangerous voyages to the Caribbean, and with the fifth child in his arm, he had no reason to believe that she had now changed his mind.

The coats fate may indicate that the grandmother's hope of seeing Grandpa again lasted for over 10 years. So long was the coat lying untouched on the coffer. When her elder boy Abraham traveled to America in 1907, only 16 years old, he could had good use for the coat, but he did not get it. Only when her daughter Lydia in 1912 went and read for the priest, the coat was retrieved and made into graduation-gown. Aunt Lydia told often about how proud she was of the precious mantle fabric she had received from her father.
As I understand it, hid grandmother the coat for 11 years. Was it a sign of hope? Or was it just that it looked like that?


Haakon Haakonsen

Grandmother's only secular book

Grandma in the new building did not have many books on his shelf; Bible, one Postill and hymnal. In addition she had stapled books from the mission field in China and old editions of mission magazine "Chinese man", which in 1937 was called "Perspective"(Utsyn).

At grandmother's shelf was also a profane book that stood out completely. The original title was "Haakon Haakonsen - a Norwegian Robinson," and was a YA novel from 1873 written by the Norwegian author Oluf Vilhelm Falck Ytter. The book's content is inspired by "Robinson Crusoe" and "Treasure Island." The novel also describes how life on the Norwegian sailing ships were in Norway heyday as a maritime nation. (Note coincidently with the name of the book and the name of the ship that grandfather sailed in 9 of the 11 years the marriage lasted).

During a storm the wreck problems and lost, and the captain and the rest of the crew leave the ship without your first stay with the boy. Earl wakes up on a deserted island where he for a time discovering a little of everything, including, he finds a big pirate treasure. After many years, he rescued and return to mother and father and siblings in Norway as a well-kept man.

It was only with difficulty we guys got borrow this book by Grandma. But when we promised to be extra cautious, and keep your hands clean for jam, we take it home. Her copy was a new release in 1926, and one outstanding boy book. The book was filmed in 1990 under the direction of Nils Gaup.

The bark "Haakon Haakonsen"  who grandfather sailed in 9 years

Grandma must have purchased or received this book around the time that she sold the farm to my father and moved into "new building". All the children then had long since left home and who would provide a boy book as a gift to a sixty year old lady? We can only wonder if she knew about this book from her younger years and now looked able to buy her own copy. If so, it was enough with a little guilty. The price was Kr. 3.50 and it was money that could have come in handy on the mission field in China.

Grandmothers dream

Grandma must have reacted with shock and disbelief when she saw grandfather letter from France. She refused to believe what she had read; and without a word to the children, she opened the hatch on the wood stove and threw it into the fire.

But the letter was not the worst message, it came with the bad dream that she many years later recounted to my sister Marie. One night early in Advent 1901, she dreamed so vividly that her Ludvig lay struggling for life in troubled waters. "God - Help me!", He should have called in despair as he basket between debris, more under than over water. He salvaged up on something floating, got grandma never see. For she woke up from "nightmare" and spent the rest of the night on her knees at the bedside.

And many weeks later, when Pastor Ole Lindeman Dons, eventually came with the final death message from the shipping company had discouragement tears dried out in the numerous, long, winter nights. So how should she cry? And how should she mourn her dead husband? She had no grave to visit.

Grandma had no grave to visit.

Death in Navershølen

As mentioned had Malla in Norbakken a son, Abraham, who in 1902 drowned in Navershølen as a young man, only 14 years old. In earlier times meant "nave" drilling (Navar; braces). The name has been given because the Water flow drill body toward the bottom.

It must have made a tremendous impression on Grandma when men on a spring day came carrying the drowned 14-year-old from Navershølen. Four men carried him on a ladder up Kjeringdølda and home to Norbakken. It is perhaps not surprising that the vision burned into, for it was only a few days after the minister had delivered his message that grandfather's boat was "gaaet under" off the island of Tahiti.

That evening went grandmother across the fields to Norbakken, where she together with Malla finally got weep long and bitterly over rivers and seas who stole from them what they loved. Grandma Never since set a foot on a boat.

Lifetime considered grandmother Navershølen as death vise, a place where the flow - without warning - could nave a man down on the bottom and keep it there in the cool embrace. This she had finally confirmed when a German soldier - who after completing training at the football Germans filed on Presteneset  - waded over to take a bath in Navershølen. He was dragged under and drowned.

Navershølen in front of the red arrow, is here seen from Presteneset.
We catch glimpses of my parents' yellow retirement home among the trees.

On hot summer days, when there was little water in the river, and the salmon was caught in Priest Hølen, it was after father's opinion, not more dangerous to swim in Navershølen like everywhere else in the river. We have all learned to swim there and we twins loved to dive from the rocks on the shore.
But as soon as the grandmother saw that young herd went to the river to bathe, she turmoil and came by in his white / gray / black all cladding; sidt black skirt with embroidered white apron, and greyish black knit shawl around her shoulders.

She sat down on the brink above the pool and came with her warnings about the danger that both threatened and lured down into the depths.

Although she was raised on Dragon Land (Drageland), and in its basin where there was on an ordinary summer's not possible to come by deep water. Where one could neither drown or swim. After grandmother's opinion, the ideal swimming spot for wanton youth.

Grandmother's house today. It is no longer owned by the family.

ONE OF THE LAST TOILERS

It was only in her very last years of life grandmother got running water in the "new house.". For 25 years she carried water from the well down by the river, or - in the winter - from our farm. She used then this yoke and bar water in two open cans. Well was it to have a thick crochet shawls over her shoulders. Aunt Lydia came home from America and axle yoke for her the last years of life.

Grandmother's worn yoke

Grandmother was one of the last toilers. It also testifies her hands on. There is a farmer's hands, accustomed to masters horse and plow and work in the woods. She was widowed in 1901 and ran the farm until 1925 when my father came home from America and took over and she moved into "new house.".

Grandma and Me - and her working hands