5 Comments

• Wayne Curtis says:

  16. July 2012 at 4:58

  L-Jay,
  I love that picture of Uncle Kristian and the story of the rope. It made me cry the first tiime you posted it… I met him just a few times – I went with him once to the barn to feed the livestock. He asked me “Do you speak Norwegian?” “No”. “Do you speak Swedish?:” “No”. “Do you speak Russian?” “No”. “Do you speak German?” “No” So then he continued to explain to me in Norwegian the process of feeding the livestock (I assume…)
  Our condolences, he will be missed.

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• NMJewel says:

  18. July 2012 at 7:24

  I’m sorry for your loss. I only came upon your blog a few days ago and am very excited to hear all about your life in Alta. Now I’ve read enough about the farm to understand what Farfar meant to you. I, too, lost an influential friend a few days ago. I hope to hear much more!

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• gabriella delfina di blasio says:

  18. July 2012 at 12:30

  kondolerer :’(

  Reply
• Joel says:

  18. July 2012 at 23:34

  Moose and L-Jay,

  Similar to Wayne’s experience, years ago when my parents came to visit me in Norway, my father – an old farmer himself – and Kristian carried on an entire conversation without my interpretation.

  Kristian would say something like: Og disse her bruker vi til aa kjoere reinsdyrene.

  And my father would respond: You must use these to harness and drive the reindeer.

  I am so sad that he has passed without me having one last opportunity to visit with him.

  The last time I was there was while I was working for the US Embassy in Oslo and took a long weekend trip up to Alta. Kristian was pleased to see me mostly because with Moose in England, he needed someone to assist in moving the livestock from one paddock to another. I went for a visit and was immediately put to work.

  When I was leaving Alta as a missionary, he drove me to the airport. Along the way he asked me how long I had been on my mission and I told him 5 months and he said, how long have you been in Alta to which I responded 5 months. When we got to the airport he was waiting with me for his flight and told me he would be right back he disappeared for a minute and then returned with a mug emblazoned with the name “Alta” on it and some sort of crest or symbol representing the community. I was touched by this gift.

  Kristian will be missed by all those of us who have served missions in Alta and got to know and appreciate him. I am most saddened though by the generations of missionaries who will now serve in Alta without even the chance of meeting him.

  ____________________
  from L-Jay:

  If there was a ‘like’ button I would click it.

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• Nobody says:

  18. September 2012 at 14:14

  Condoleances to the whole family and I guess you were both lucky,he-to have such a daughter-in-law and you to have such a father-in-law.

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