#52ancestors: A family photo

February 23, 2019 Martin Roe Eidhammer 4383 Views 0 Comments

Here is this weeks contribution to the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge

Parts of this has been presented before, but I hope it is ok to reuse it here.

My Grandmother Ruth Henriette Nilsen (nee Rognan) was born Oktober 22. 1914 on the island Langøya outside the larger island Hitra on the coast of Sør-Trøndelag county. Her parents were Ole Edvard Rognan (1869-1922) and wife Eline Kristine Rognan (nee Vågen) (1872-1961).

Ole Edvard died from cancer in 1922. This was a devastating blow to the family on Langøya. The oldest son Johannes and daughter Margrethe had already married and moved out. Many of the other children were old enough to take care of them self. The youngest though, among them my Grandmother, were in a dire situation. It was talk about sending them to foster homes. The son, Ingvar, 17 years old in 1922, decided that it was just not going to happen. He put any plans he might have on hold and pledged to take care of the family.

Uncle Ingvar’s family and my grandparents were for a period neighbors in Molde (Møre og Romsdal county). When visiting my grandparents I often met and talked with Uncle Ingvar. He was the finest gentleman you could think of. Soft-spoken and modest with a great sense of humor. At that time I did not know about the dire situation my grandmother was in when her father died, and the sacrifice Uncle Ingvar made to keep the family together. I now understand the reason for my grandmother Ruth and her brother Ingvar’s close relationship. My grandmother told a lot about her childhood. It was the happy, fun things she talked about.