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Children

#1: The first born

Palmer hoped our first baby would be a girl. But one winter morning when a baldheaded little boy came, no baby had ever seemed so sweet and precious. Not a single move or sound from the little bundle escaped our attention the first months. The style in the neighborhood was to name the first baby after oneselves, so he was named Paul Milton, much to Father’s disappointment. “Not even a good Norwegian name.”

<Insert “Paul through the years” here>

Little “Pauliboy” was so good the first winter I had no excuse to pick him up as often as I would have liked to. I remember the first and almost only time Paul showed his temper was when he was one year old and I did not allow him to eat dirt from the flower pots.

#2: Another boy

When Paul was one and a half years old another little boy arrived. He had lots of dark brown hair and a lusty voice. Although healthy and strong otherwise, he was troubled with colic and got his days and nights all mixed up. If I ever had wished for a baby that needed to be picked up I had one now. We decided to find a Norwegian name more pleasing to Father this time. We called him Alf Godtfred.

<insert “Alf through the years” here>

Although “Affeboy” held on to some of the authority he had gained during his colicky months, he turned out to be a very social and smiley baby. He enjoyed Ladies Aids and other gatherings. He liked to be handed from one person to another giving generously of his smiles to everybody.

Margit and Palmer with their two oldest sons—Paul (born in 1923) and Alf (born in 192x).

Palmer especially decided that two nice little boys ought to complete our family on account of his bad tuberculosis pedigree. But fate decided otherwise.

#3: A third son

When Paul was six years and Alf four and a half years, they came downstairs one morning to find a grandmotherly lady sitting by the heating stove, holding a tiny, red, wrinkled, squirming little thing. Their eyes big as saucers and speechless, Mrs. Byboth wanted to know had they heard the airplane that flew so low and dropped a package on the strawstack with this tiny baby in it? Wasn’t i lucky someone noticed it right away before the poor baby wrapped only in paper got too cold? She had luckily found some clothes in a box in the bedroom that just about hit him. Little brown ringlets of hair and a tiny nose, all dressed and wrapped in a blanket, isn’t it a pretty baby? This was the introduction the two big boys got to their new little brother.

Mother, who stayed with us a few days, and Palmer and I decided that Arne Waldemar would be a nice Scandinavian name to go with the others. By the time Arne came we had lost our fear of spoiling or hurting a baby by rocking and enjoying him. Arne was very loveable and did not get spoiled. We let him be our baby and did not cut his curly brown hair until he was almost two years.

<insert “Arne through the years” here>

Two days after Arne was born I developed a splitting headache. Then suddenly I was seized by convulsions caused from kidney poisoning and I was in a state between life and death for ten hours. Vaguely I heard the doctor saying, “Only one in ten comes out of this.” When I opened my eyes, Palmer, Mother, Father, and the doctor were standing around the bed. Mother took my hand in hers and thanked God that I lived. She said they would never have known if I was saved. But I felt that I had been in God’s hands. I remember asking God to take care of me and I had had the sensation of floating safely on a cloud not concerned about anything.

#4 and #5: Twins (one of each)

Couple years later when we realized there would be another addition to our family, Palmer insisted we make arrangements for me to go to a hospital. A week before Christmas we received our Christmas package. The doctor announced another boy — but wait — another package is being delivered — a girl for Palmer at last.

Needless to say, we were thrilled and proud to be presented with two perfect and normal sized babies. But the Depression had taken a firm hold. How could we afford cod liver oil, orange juice, food and clothes for one more, not to say two?

How often we struggle with problems forgetting to take them to the Lord in prayer. All the while the forgiving and merciful God sees our need and cares for us. The care and rest I received in the hospital that would not have been possible at home and the babies started on a schedule was a lifesaver. I remember shedding a few tears of helplessness the first days at home alone when both babies seemed to need attention at the same time. But when they were a few weeks old, it was lots of fun to take care of them.

I had always liked the names Ellen or Elsie. But it was hard to find a boy’s name that would match either of them. Then someone suggested the name Ellert. We both right away liked that good old Norwegian name. We felt that Mother and Father’s full names would be good second names.

Ellen Helga Mindrum (later Olson) — through the years:

<insert “Ellert through the years” here>

They were both started on breast feeding every other feeding. The bottle feeding did not seem to agree with Ellert so when they were seven weeks, we changed him to all breast feeding and Ellen to all bottle feeding. Although Ellen Helga weighed one pound less than Ellert Tarkjeld when they were born, she gained fast and weighed one pound more than he at five months. Ellert was very active. He crawled when seven months old. He was also the more patient of the two. He would patiently wait until I had attended to Ellen’s needs. Ellen won everybody by her cuddliness and sparkling smiley eyes. When getting meals, naps, and changes on schedule, they were usually content in each other’s company. They invented a language all their own and were around three years old before they began to talk our language. When they were around two years, Ellen was the braver. She was always ready to protect Ellert.

#6: “The baby”

Taking care of babies and our family was the most satisfying and enjoyable job I knew. But as we were getting older and the responsibilities for the future of our little brood became heavier on our shoulders, we agreed that this had to be it.

But to our alarm we realized that another baby was due when the twins would be only one and one half years old. I cried myself to sleep several nights, while asking God please prevent this from happening. But God knows best.

I know we can never thank God enough for the little girl who came early one Sunday morning. [For more on the excitement around her birth, see The arrival of Margit’s last born.] She seemed to be looking us over with a wise look. As we admired this sixth little stranger, we felt confident that with God’s help we would be able to feed, clothe, care for and love them all. Palmer preferred to call her Margie Palma, but the day before her baptism we decided to name her Frieda Elise after Palmer’s deceased mother and my deceased baby sister. This was like Ellen who also was named for Palmer’s deceased sister and my mother. The “E” in Ellert’s name was from Palmer’s father, Edward. Frieda seemed more grown up when a baby than Ellert and Ellen. We called her “vesle voksen.” (little grown-up one) It seemed natural to say “Frieda and the babies.”

Frieda Elise Mindrum (later Nowland)—through the years:

All our children have been a joy and pleasure to us and made our lives full and satisfying. We are thankful that our family was spared any serious illness. Except for the usual run of childhood diseases after the boys started school, they all enjoyed good health.

Now our children are on their own, each with their own ambitions and dreams in life. I hope they have as happy childhood memories as I have.

How time flies. Today is our 35th wedding anniversary. (December 2, 1956) We, now Grandpa and Grandma, are also on our own again. Now we are journeying together toward the sunset side of life. But we know that God who guided us over the rough and dangerous paths in the past, will for Jesus’ sake, forgive us our many shortcomings and suns. He will guide us and our increasing family on to that heavenly home that Father and Mother must have had in sight when Father wrote the following lines:

Nu halder det mot livet's høst
     Og graven's fred;
Nu øiner vi et fagert nøst
     Ved himmeriget's bred.
Saa kommer lodsen Jesus Krist,
    God's egen sønn,
Han leder os til himlen ind
     Saa faar vi naaden's løn.

        ---by Tarkjel Landsverk

Now turn our steps toward life's autumn
     and deaths calm sleep;
Now we envision and pleasant cove
     On the heavenly shore.
Then comes the pilot Jesus Christ
     God's one son,
He leads us to the heavenly home
     His grace is our reward.

        ---Translation by Margit

Next: Part II: Introduction