The Richeys

1962 Newspaper Article

Below is a newspaper article from Sigrid’s 1962 trip to Norway, where she saw her brother, Ingvald, for the first time after 51 years.  This article and the translation/transcription is all thanks to cousin Ingvar.

Sister and brother met 51 years after.

Great pleasure at Ingvald Sæther in Weidemanns street.

For the first time, after 51 years, Ingvald Sæther in Weidemanns street, at Christmas time met his only remaining  sister and brother, Sigrid Stenbeck. She arrived with the Christmas cruiseship and he could not even dream that it actually was her, now soon 77 years the 10. of January. My world, how young she looked! Was one of his first thoughts when seeing her.

We have nearly not met  since the childhood, he can tell. The family came from Nordland (the “state” where Tjeldsundet is on the map), but moved to Trondheim. From here, Sigrid went to USA. She returned to Norway together one of her children in 1910-11 and then she fairliy met her brother, who was home for a while. He by that time was a seaman and 5 years younger than her. Since then they haven’t met, until now.

-          But I do absolutely not recognize the city! Says Sigrid. Everything is so different. And  the funny thing is when I left Trondheim, I thought it was such a big town. But now, when returning, I find it so small. I now have Brooklyn and New York to compare with. (Trondheim have now 170.000 inhab.)

Sigrid speaks surprisingly well Norwegian after 51 years of absence. Back in USA the whole family only speak English. But once a week comes the Norwegian newspaper and furthermore the boat trip made her freshen up the language. The trip lasted 9 days and there were so many Norwegians on the ship. The returning trip will go by plane, probably in the end of February. She has husband, children, grand children and grand-grand children waiting at home. And furthermore, she wants back for the summerjob she have had the last 12 years. At a large summer holiday resort, which have capacity for more than 1.000 guests. She works there from april until autumn. In the winter she has holidays together her husband! But she travelled alone this time. Her husband, a swedish-american, has earlier visited his homeland to pick up old memories.

* I think she travelled with the boat Bergensfjord, belonging to the Norwegian America line. She gave me what was popular at that time: a pen containing the ship moving in some fluid.  - Ingvar