The letter to which I am referring has been scanned and was sent to others in the family as an attachment to an e-mail.
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The Letter
This is a most strange three-page letter in Carl's belongings found in his personal belongings after he had died.
Karla found the letter and sent the original letter to Bruce in late May, 2026, and received on June 1, 2026, with no additional pertinent information.
The letter is a thank-you note from a Mr E. Halvorsen, who apparently owned/managed a nursing home in Trondheim. This is a thank-you note to a Mr Martin Anderson who apparently sent $10 to the nursing home.
I had ChatGPT translate the first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs.
See below the asterisks below.
Now the strange part with regard to the letter.
I do not recognize the names of the sender or the recipient (Mr E Halvorsen / Mr Martin Anderson).
The letter is dated March 26, 1932 -- Carl (Dad) would have been about ten years old and I don't know the relationship between Carl and either of the two (Halvorsen or Anderson), indeed assuming there even was a relationship.
But look at this: Mr Martin Anderson was living in Storm Lake, Iowa, USA, where Ruth would someday live (but not in 1932?). I believed Ruth moved to Storm Lake at a later age.
So, looks like a detective story worthy of Charles Dickens.
My hunch is that one of Carl's friends in Williston, when he heard that Ruth was from Storm Lake, Iowa, and Carl's family was from Trondheim, remembered this letter and gave it to Carl. If so, the pertinent connection would be with Mr Martin Anderson. Maybe one of Carl's children remembers / knows a "Martin Anderson" of Carl's generation living in Williston?
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First paragraph:
"I
hereby have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of $10 for the
elderly at Lademoens Home for the Elderly, as well as $2 for the
purchase of city pictures for you."
Second paragraph:
As
chairman of the nursing home’s board, I wish, on behalf of the board
and the elderly residents of the home, to extend our most heartfelt
thanks for your kind thoughtfulness in continuing to remember the home’s
elderly residents.
You must believe that it brings
them great joy when they hear that the home’s good friend in America
has sent a letter with money enclosed.
They ask with interest how you are doing, whether all is going well for you, and what news you have to tell.
From ChatGPT -- a few notes on the language:
- “gamlehjemmet” = literally “the old people’s home” or “nursing home.”
- “elskverdige opmerksomhet” (modern spelling: elskverdige oppmerksomhet) = “kind consideration,” “thoughtfulness,” or “gracious attention.”
- “hjemmets gamle” = literally “the home’s old people,” meaning the elderly residents.
- “brev med penger” = a letter containing money, probably a donation.
- “De” / “Dem” / “Deres” are the formal forms of “you,” indicating respect.
- “De spor interressert efter” (modern: De spør interessert etter) = “They inquire with interest” or “They ask eagerly about.”
The tone is warm, respectful, and
formal, expressing gratitude to someone in America who has continued to
support the residents financially and who is evidently remembered fondly
by them.
Third paragraph:
A fairly literal translation, preserving the tone of the original letter, would be:
We held, as usual, a Christmas tree celebration at the old people’s home. A number of guests were invited, including the parish’s two ministers, Dr. Aas and his wife (the home’s physician), pharmacist Laugsand, the parish clerk, the deaconesses, and others who are closely connected with the home.
Your greeting was conveyed to the gathering by the chairman of the board, and the assembly asked me to thank you most warmly for it and to send you their heartfelt greetings in return.
A few notes on the older Norwegian:
- Juletrefest literally means a “Christmas tree party” or Christmas celebration centered around the tree, a common Scandinavian tradition.
- Deres hilsen means “your greeting” or “your message.”
- Styrets formann is “the chairman of the board.”
- Menighetens klokker refers to the parish clerk/sexton (a church officer), not a bell itself.
- Diakonisser were deaconesses, women engaged in church-based charitable and nursing work.
- På det hjerteligste is an old-fashioned expression meaning “most warmly” or “most sincerely.”
- The final phrase sin gjenhilsen means “their greetings in return” or “their return greeting.”
The tone is warm, formal, and deeply appreciative—very typical of Norwegian institutional correspondence from the early 20th century.
So, Karla, you get the gist of the letter. A three-page thank-you letter for a $10-dollar donation and $2 for photos.
2nd to last paragraph:
Jeg ber Dem motta de beste hilsener fra alle gamle på hjemmet, fra hjemmets tre og fra mig personlig.
Reply from ChatGPT:
This is the closing sentence of the letter, and it translates quite naturally as:
“I ask you to accept the warmest greetings from all the elderly residents of the home, from the home’s board, and from me personally.”
A few notes on the older Norwegian:
* Jeg ber Dem motta = “I ask you to receive/accept” (very formal; Dem is the old formal “you”).
* de beste hilsener = “best regards” or “warmest greetings.”
* alle gamle på hjemmet = literally “all the old people at the home,” but idiomatically “all the elderly residents of the home.”
* fra hjemmets styre = “from the home’s board (of directors/trustees).” I believe the word is styre (“board”), not tre. Given the context of the letter, that would make perfect sense.
* fra mig personlig = “from me personally.” The spelling mig is an older form of modern Norwegian meg.
Putting together the entire letter you’ve shared so far, it reads like a formal thank-you note from the chairman of the nursing home’s board, expressing gratitude for the recipient’s continued financial support from America and conveying the appreciation and good wishes of both the residents and the institution’s leadership.
It’s a very warm and gracious letter, and it strongly suggests that the recipient had been sending donations regularly enough that the residents knew of him and asked after his well-being.
The last paragraph:
Jet håper at De om ikke så lenge igjen vil la høre fra Dem, at De er frisk og kjekk og har oss alle i velvillig erindring. Vi på vår side vil alltid huske på Dem for Deres omtale og vennlige sindelag.
Reply from ChatGPT:
This passage continues the warm, personal tone of the letter.
A natural English translation would be:
“I hope that before too long you will let us hear from you again, that you are healthy and well and still hold all of us in kindly remembrance. For our part, we shall always remember you for your thoughtfulness and your friendly disposition.”
A few notes on the wording:
* Jeg håper at De om ikke så lenge igjen vil la høre fra Dem
Literally, “I hope that not too long from now you will let us hear from you again.” In modern English: “I hope you’ll write to us again before long.”
* at De er frisk og kjekk
Literally, “that you are healthy and vigorous/fine.” Here kjekk does not necessarily mean “handsome” as it sometimes can today. In this context it means something closer to “in good spirits,” “doing well,” or “hale and hearty.”
* har oss alle i velvillig erindring
Literally, “have us all in benevolent remembrance.” A natural translation is “remember us kindly.”
* omtale
This is an interesting word. It can mean “consideration,” “thoughtfulness,” “care,” or “kind attention.” Given the context of gifts and donations, “thoughtfulness” fits very well.
* vennlige sindelag
Literally, “friendly disposition” or “kindly spirit.”
Taken together with the earlier passages, the letter is remarkably affectionate. The writer is not merely thanking the recipient for money; he is emphasizing that the residents know who he is, ask about his health, appreciate that he remembers them from America, and want him to know that they remember him with gratitude as well. The tone is sincere and personal rather than merely administrative.
