Solveig and Bill Shearer's trip to Harstad and the Island of Grytoi was covered by the local press last week. Here's the clipping, read it if you know Norske. Our Norwegian relative Beate Heide sends this along and says it translates "They walked the forefather's footsteps." She should know. She wrote the story for the Bladet Vesterålen. Here is the translation, courtesy Erik Erickson, Linda's son-in-law. That's a photo of the family below, Erik, Shana and Anja in Vancouver. Words in brackets are Erik's comments.
In ancestors footsteps in the north
Beate Heide
Caption: The weather gods were on Solveig Rolfsrud Shearer and her husband Bill’s side as they walked in their ancestors footsteps – The nature is beautiful up here they both said.
Solveig Rolfsrud Shearer and her husband Bill came from California to walk in Solveig’s ancestors footsteps in the north. Solveig was raised in North Dakota and this was her second visit to Norway.
“I am so happy to see where I come from,” said Solveig, but she also says that she considers herself American, as that was how her parents raised her.
Early in the 1700s Claus Christian Heide went from Borsa in South Trondelag to Hadsel to become a teacher. He had studied to be a priest in Copenhagen, but when he lost a foot in an accident, that dream was shattered. A priest at that time had to be free of deformities [unblemished, faultless]. Thus he traveled to Nordland as a school teacher. He then moved to Kasfjord and established a family there with three sons. This is the beginning of the Heide family’s ancestry in Nordland og Troms [these are both counties in Northern Norway].
Solveig’s grandmother was Rebekka Heide, who emigrated from Grytoya in 1901. Solveig’s father is Erling Rolfsrud. He is a well known author with Norwegian Americans. He wrote a total of 31 books and wrote many stories which were published in newspapers in Minnesota.
“I am so happy that my grandmother Rebekka understood that my father needed to go to school and develop his talent,” tells Solveig on the ferry dock out to Grytoya.
Solveig and Bill had visited relatives from Grytoya that her father and uncle visited in the 1960s. Since then the families have remained in contact.“Now we are on our way to Hadsel and Lofoten before we return home” smiles Solveig who was treated both to fresh fish cakes [think of a patty that resembles meatloaf, only white. It’s not actually cake] and lefsa from her relatives.
“Going fishing was the best,” laughs Solvieg as she tells how she caught a big Torsk [cod].
