Berdeen, Babies

Berdeen Nornes passed away on May 1 at Bethany Homes in Fargo at the age of 86. His wife Jill is also a resident of Bethany. He is survived by his four daughters Nancy Olson, Mary Stoltman, Barb Larson, and Dianne Myhrer, 9 grandchildren, and 21 great grandchildren.

He attended business school and worked for various companies in Thief River Falls, Minneapolis, and Fargo-Moorhead. He entered the army in 1943 and as part of the Army Air Corps, he flew over 150 combat missions over the hump into China and Burma hauling supplies to the front lines. They had no guns or ammunition so were subject to enemy fire on every mission. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and an air medal with two oak leaf clusters.

His funeral was held May 4 at St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo.

Two babies this spring

April 26, Zachary Pierce (4lbs., 13 oz.), son of Randy and Heather Shields Nornes. Grandparents are Bud and Joyce Nornes.

May 4, Stina Marie (9lbs., 4 oz.), daughter of Andy and Rachel Bursheim Breckenridge. Grandfather is Myron Bursheim.

Life and Death - Easter, 2009

This is the last letter posted to Harvey by Håkon on Facebook.
"Last night I got an idea to search on FB for ”Nornes” , ending up by getting a few new FB Nornes friends.Do not know how many that will accept my Friend invitation but it is nice to see that our name is represented here as well.At this moment I am working in the west pacific onboard my vessel Geo Searcher.We are exploring the continental shelf around the Easter Island on behalf of the Chilean Government.I had a nice day on the Easter Island last week, went on a guided tour and visit the old statues. ( see album )I will be back on Easter I. for crew change April 8, celebrate Easter on the Island before I head home for the Norwegian spring.My parents is at the moment on Thayer long vacation on the Canaries Island, believe they will head home for Easter as well."

My generation's third cousin, Håkon Nornes, 43, son of Bjørn and Marit Nornes of Åkrehamn, Norway was killed in an All Terrain Vehicle accident on Easter Island on Good Friday, April 10 (Western Pacific time, Thursday, US and Norway time). Håkon was the Captain of the Geo Searcher, a Norwegian seismic expedition ship (oil exploration) operating in the South Pacific.

If my translation of the Karmøy newspaper is correct, he had time off for a change in the ship's crew and several of the men were exploring the island on ATV's. Håkon lost control of his vehicle, drove off the road and hit a tree. He was scheduled to come home within the next few days for his son's confirmation. In an earlier edition of the same newspaper was a long letter Håkon had written only a few days before the accident describing a bus tour of the island he and shipmates had taken when they had to dock to get aid for an ill crew member. He had posted pictures of this excursion on Facebook.

We met Håkon when we were on the Cousin Tour in 1998. Several of the men toured one of the ships that Bjørn and his sons owned that ran supplies out to ships that didn't come into ports very often. This was mainly off the coast of Africa. That business has since folded, but all three have continued their maritime connections. Elias, who visited Family Reunion along with his fiance and parents in 1999, handles the business end of it on land, and Bjørn still occasionally works for the Norwegian government on ships like the Geo Searcher as an inspector to protect the fisheries in the exploration activities. I know Bjørn and Mariet better than I knew Håkon, but we had recently reconnected on Facebook so I knew more or less what he was doing. Bjørn telephoned Roger to tell of the accident and related how Håkon has had several adventures at sea, even a sinking ship, so it's tough for them to have him die in such a useless accident. Bjørn and Marit's address is Tjøsvollveien 36, Åkrehamn 4270, Norway.

Third and fourth cousins are distant relationships, but some genes are very strong in the Nornes family, notably male-pattern baldness. Below are the Facebook pictures of Håkon on the left and Bud's son Randy on the right. They are fourth cousins but could be brothers. If you didn't know at least one of them well, you would hardly be able to tell them apart.

Another e-mail: My name is Benito Atan Im the Ship Agent in Easter Island I was workingwith Cap. Hakon Nornes, and i have a really deep feeling with him, imlooking for a email or something of his famili also I have some picturesthe i will want so send.please if you have any information will be apritiate.thanks

We remember also this Easter the stillborn birth of Anna Irene Kjorlien, daughter of Amy Hermodson and Chad Kjorlien of Winona.

The floods haven't hurt Norneses too badly in the Red River Valley, so the weather gods hit Janae and Elliott Peterson (son of Kathy Huntley and Collin Peterson) in the Tennessee tornado last week. Their house wasn't exactly flattened but destroyed, nevertheless. Fortunately they were not at home at the time - in church in fact - and are now living in a hotel.

On a happier note, despite the rising water, some people got to Chester's 80th birthday Open House in Shelly on Saturday, postponed a week because of the floods. His sister Ruth Dyer is being moved into an assisted living facility tomorrow and will celebrate her 90th birthday there on April 25. Her new address is 4006 24th Ave. S., #314, Grand Forks, ND, 58201. I'm sorry I couldn't get to either birthday party. The best I could do was send him this picture taken of Johnny and me and Chester on our farm April 3 (also my father's birthday), Easter Sunday, 1938.

Chester's Birthday

Norneses are invited to an Open House for Chester's 80th Birthday (No Gifts) on Saturday, April 4, from 2-5 p.m. at the Senior Citizen's Building in Shelly. No RSVP is necessary; send a card if you can't attend. 105 Third Street, PO Box 177, Shelly, 56581.

Facebook

I've recently joined Facebook and started a Nornes group within it. I haven't, however, started any discussion or posted any news on it. I have found over 20 Norneses already on Facebook or who have joined as a "friend" when I asked them to so it has been fun contacting people I normally don't hear from.

The most recent news is that Gail Hermodson (Mark and Susan's daughter) was married February 9 to Christopher Rautman. Also Michael Dyer (Ruthie's grandson) is married - wife is Jennifer Kunz - and they have a daughter Hannah Ruth.

For the Bernhard family, the Melbo relatives (two couples who are descendants of Petra's niece Malena) are coming to the US the latter part of August. I've never met them but have been corresponding with them for a year or so.

Uncle Helmer

Uncle Helmer died this week, 21 days shy of his 97th birthday. As Connie said, "I think the Lord forgot about him."

I reread the memoirs he had written, very well-done for a man with only a high school education, but was most moved by the last paragraph of the written by my Aunt Ruth. (The last pages were memories written by three of his sisters, including my mother, and one of his sisters-in-law.)

"Helmer loved to sing. Mother asked him once why he was always singing. He replied, "It's always singing inside of me so I have to." Kids in school used to get him into the barn (rural schools also had barns) and there they had "request" programs. He knew so many of the war songs during the war (WWI) time so he entertained. Their teacher wondered what was going on out there so she went to investigate. There they were with Helmer in the center of the group filling requests for songs."

He was a terrific singer - a beautiful and resounding bass - and Aunt Karine was a strong alto. They sang in the church choir all their lives, and I wonder if they ever kept track of how many funerals they sang for. Our church choir was very small, and he was only bass. That's all they needed. Anymore would have been over-powering.

I hope they have some good music at the funeral on Tuesday.
Labels: Helmer's funeral
Link: Nornes News Notes

Helmer

Uncle Helmer passed away this morning at the nursing home in Fergus Falls, where he had been for several years. He would have been 97 years old on Christmas Eve. He was the youngest, but the longest-lived male in the Nornes family. He was the last to die of his generation of which there were 21 members in the US and 1 in Norway, the grandchildren of Børre and Gunhild Bjørnsen.

Joe and Joy

Joe (Joseph) Johnson, son of Barbara Ferry and Cary Johnson, married Joy Pehlke, June 28, 2008. Grandparents are Helmer and Karine Nornes.