An Introduction

Hi I thought it would be interesting to create a blog with some family history for all those Norskies in our family who like family history like me. So let me begin by introducing myself. I'm a 1954 model, born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. I was baptized by Pastor Trygve Dahle at Skudesnes Evangelical Lutheran Church near Loreburn. My paternal Grandparents were my sponsors. I spent the first 12 years of my life at Hawarden, Saskatchewan, where I grew up on a farm, 8 miles east of the villlage. I attended Mountain Ash Country School for grades 1 and 2. In 1964 our family moved to an acreage just outside Hawarden on Highway 19. When the country school was closed we were bused to Hawarden where I took Grades 3 through 8. At the beginning of grade 9 our family moved to Chelan, Saskatchewan. I took grade 9, 10 and 11 at Bjorkdale Saskatchewan. I took my confirmation instruction in Porcupine Plain Saskatchewan and was confirmed on Reformation Sunday 1969. In the summer of 1971 my family moved to the Archibald farm 2 miles west of Strongfield. I took my grade 12 year at Loreburn Central High School and graduated in June 1972. That summer I took a week job at the Wigs at Eastend, Saskatchewan, hauling bales. The remainder of the summer I worked for Vernon Thoring, at Frontier. In September 1972 I went off to Bible School at Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute in Camrose. In the summer of 1973, I was on a singing team from CLBI and I toured Alberta and B.C. for three months, singing in Churches and working at Bible camps. In the fall of 1973, I returned as a second year to CLBI. It was during this year that I sensed a strong call from God to go into the ministry full time. I also met my wife to be that year. In the spring of 1974, I again toured with a singing group for a month and then got a job in a saw mill in Mackenzie, B.C. for the rest of the summer. In September, I got a job working for Nelson Homes in Frontier Saskatchewan and so I went to Frontier and lived with my cousin Sterling and built houses. I also got my school bus liscense in January 1975 and I drove school bus south of Frontier along the Canadian, USA border. I also switched jobs in January and got a job working at Friggstad manufacturing south of Frontier, first as an iron worker and then a welder. We build cultivators and Bale Wagons. In the fall of 1975 I had registered at Camrose Lutheran College for first year University. So that September, I packed up my 1965 Ford Falcon and head for Camrose. I rented a suite with two Bible School friends Devin Pfahl and Paul Knudtson. In May of 1976, I did a tour with the Camrose Lutheran College Choir through the Peace River Country. In the summer of 1976, I got a job working for Daryl Olson, a farmer just out of Camrose, who I had done chores for during my last year of Bible School. That fall I again returned to Camrose Lutheran College for a second year of University. Again that spring I toured with the CLC choir, this time out to the lower mainland of B.C. When I returned on that tour, my wife to be Sherryl showed up in Edmonton at our final concert. She had been working as a short term missionary in Pakistan for the previous 2 and a half years. Our relationship resumed. That summer I went home to my parents at Strongfield and got a job running the Hundeby's D6 Caterpillar, burying rockpiles for farmers East of Loreburn. I graduated from CLC in 1977. In the fall of 1977, I took my last year of University at University of Alberta in Edmonton. That Spring I began a job at an Alberta Government Tree Nursery North of Edmonton. I then switched to working for my Dad's cousin Terry Olson at his Machine Shop in Hay Lakes. In May of 1978, I got engaged to Sherryl Jorgenson of Ponoka and on September 2 we were married. We honeymooned in Waterton and Glacier National parks and that fall moved to Saskatoon where I enrolled at Lutheran Theological Seminary taking two years of classes. The summer in between I worked for a company out of Melfort that put in underground power lines in the new subdivisions of Saskatoon. Sherryl worked as a nurse at the University Hospital. In 1980 we moved to Calgary, where I interned under Curtis Satre at Emmanuel Lutheran. Our oldest daughter Kirstin was born that year. In August of 1981, we moved back to Saskatoon where I took my last year of Seminary. I was ordained into the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada on May 9, 1982 at my home congregation of Skudesnes Evangelical Lutheran church. Dr. Walt Koehler was the preacher and Pastor Curtis Satre and Uncle Tom Nilson and Pastor Ken Wilsdon presided at the service. I began my first call at Rose Valley Lutheran Parish in June. While we were there Karla and Krystal were born. We lived there four years and then moved to Donalda, Alberta. We served there for eight years and during that time Kenny was born. In 1994 we moved to Birch Hills Lutheran Parish. We lived there six years. In 2000 we moved to Outlook, Saskatchewan. Here we bought our first house and I serve Bethlehem Lutheran Church.