The following family outline and life story was written by Thora (Tuftin) Miller around 1970. Photocopies have been passed on to relatives, and eventually to me. I've "corrected" some spelling and ideosyncracies, and left others in, but you can always see the original pages by clicking the camera icons by each page number. The story is a wonderful look into the lives, not only of Thora, but her parents and siblings as well.
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Family Tree of Thora Miller
My mother Gulbjørg Anderson was born at Hadeland, Norway. Her mother and dad's names were Kari and Nels Anderson. My mother's brother and sister were Anders and Anne. Anders went by the name Torebrothen - lived at Paalerud - Hen til his death at an age of 104 yrs. His wife Marthe passed away at 96 years. His children live around Hen, some in this Country.
My father was Gulbrand Knutson Tuftin. His parents were Inger and Knut Tuftin Odda
Mother and dad had 12 children of which 2 died in infancy.
Christ, Andrew, Ingval, Olava, ^Karoline, Gena - Nils - Gustava - Inger, Carl and me.
My father's grandma was Ollaug Aasterud, Valdres Norway.
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My Grandfather Knut was a shoemaker.
So was my dad. My mother was a
dressmaker. My dad was also a good
violinist. Grandfather Knut had
many children. Karoline,
Edward Whitmyr, Torstein - Ed Tuftins
Dad, Paul, Anders. There were more,
but I did not know them. One
daughter and family burnt up in Hinkley fire.
)
A little story of my life,
I was born in a little log cabin in Aadalen, Norway. The first thing I can remember about that home was a big cherry tree by the house and our cow and cat. When I was 4 yrs old we moved over to a bigger farm and bigger house too. But I cried when I had to leave our home. I guess I was kind of lost as everything was taken out of the house.
My sister Gustava and I were the last
ones to leave. She had to carry
me partways as it was a little
path as we went across
the woods. The others went the main
road which was was about 3 miles from
the little cabin. We met an
old lady, that was moving in to where
we left. She was so kind looking
and she gave me a big lump of
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sugar and I told her she had such
pretty blue eyes. We got to be
good friends after I got big enough
to go see her. She always gave
me a big cup of coffee and sour
cream and a big slice of bread.
That tasted so good, but the
coffee was awful strong.
Anyway we had many things to look over on our new place. We had a big berry garden and vegetable garden. We had 4 cows, 1 horse, 10 sheep and chickens. We always had good food too, and Mother made all our clothes and knitted stockings for us all.
I started school and liked
my teacher very much. In winter
my brother Carl and I was sleding
and skiing and in the summer
we kept busy helping mother
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and sometimes neighbor children
came over and we had lots of fun.
There were 11 children in our family. Chris, Andrew, Olava, Gina, Ingval, Nels, Gustava, Inga, Carl and I. Caroline passed away at 13 years old. Christ and Andrew went over here many years before I was born.
My father was a shoemaker and the boys learned the trade as they grew up. In the summer all the men worked on timber going down the river to a mill at Hen. From there on it went by train to a factory where they made it in to paper and also planed lumber.
The later years I lived in Norway
we bought a house in a little
village called Paalerud. It was nice
for mother and me there as we had
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no cows. Nels, Gustava and Inga
also left for America, so it was
only Pa, Ma, Carl and me at our house
My other sisters lived just a few miles from us and my brother Ingval too. He came every 2 weeks and then my Dad, Ingval and Carl played violins and chello. But then Nels and the others wanted us to come to US, so finaly we left mother Norway and came here. Nov. 1907
I have to write a little more about
Norway. When Christmas came, my
dad always helped ringing in Christ-
mas Eve at the church. And my
mother and Gustava made our evening
meal. Rømmegrøt, lutfisk, Spare-
ribs, potatoes and fatigman. The christmas
tree was lit and we all went
around the tree and sang.
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My dad was a good singer. All
our family usually was there during
Christmas.
Then came the Christmas fools about the 3rd day. Dad playd the violin and there was a few happy ????. Mother treated wine and fatigman to them all. That would go on for many evenings.
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We left Olava and fam, Gena and fam and Ingval, in Norway. That was sad for us all, as we knew we would never see each other again.
The school I went to always had a Christmas tree and we sang and all went around the tree. There was about 200 of us at that school. We had a very good Choir leader - so we really sounded nice. During winter we had a ski tournament on the biggest hill we had. I won 2nd price in one of them. I liked to go over the jumps high up in the air. (Wish I could do it now).
We had a big (water)fall at Hønefoss and it furnished electricity a long ways.
Then we left
Norway and we got so sick on the
North Sea. Came to England I though
the floors in the Hotel still was vavie.
Was in the Hotel 3 days and nights.
Saw a lot of hungry children
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there. They all hurried
to the big garbage cans after our tables
were cleaned off and grabbed what
they could get in a hurry. That
was terrible, after the kids had
got what they could, the big rats
came and got what they liked.
The third day we left for US on
a ship called (Monetoba) an old
rickety thing. Took us 2 weeks
to get to Quebec, Canada.
Then they shoved us on to an
old train. Just wooden seats.
Went to Montreal after that,
more wooden seats till we got
to Barron, from Barron to Almena
we had plush seats. We met my
brothers Andrew and Nels, and also uncle
Paul there. They had a team of horses
and a wagon, as we had a big
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trunk and many satchels and other things
to carry. They took us in to a little
hotel to get dinner. Then we went
to Christ and Oleanna. There we had
a very good supper. Stayed there
over night. It was really a nice
thing to sleep in a bad again.
Next day we went to Andrew. We stayed there for a couple weeks, then we got to live in Ole Johnson's house where Alvin and Ollie has lived for many years. We thought it was nice to live by our self again. People were good to us, gave us a table, chairs and beds to sleep in. We lived there till spring.
Uncle Paul & Olava gave us 2 cows - so
we had milk & butter. We also
had plenty meat. My dad bought
a steer from Mrs Gunderson
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and butchered and Andrew gave us
a big Ham. Ma was happy again
when she could cook and bake
again.
I had to start school. That was a terrible thing, as I only knew the Norwegian Language, but I soon learned. I read a lot after I learned what the words meant. Also got many new friends. They were all good to me.
Nels was a cook - so he was out cooking a lot in the woods in winter and on Saw Mills in summer.
Dad started up a shoe fixing shop in Arland. So him and ma settled there till they pased away about 10 years later. They were happy too.
Carl, Christ and Uncle Paul left for
Canada and Nels went later.
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Gustava had left for Canada before
we came from Norway, so I never got
to see her again. Carl and Christ
came back here after a few years.
I was confirmed at Arland Church by
Rev Thoreson. Then I went out working.
When I was 17 I started working for
Uncle Sam at Minnesota Old Soldiers
Home in the Dining Hall. Inga
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worked there too. My job was slicing
bread and stacking them on plates
for the Waitress. Took a lot of bread
5 plates for each table, 7 tables,
each table seated 48 men.
They gave me tips as I passed more
bread around. I liked it there.
Then after a year we quit.
Went home to brother Nels over winter
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and helped him as he was alone after
my folks went to Arland.In the spring
we went back to the city, I worked at
G?? Br Laundry. Then I went
home and helped Nels again as he
was cooking for a saw mill near
by. He used to come home with
a big bag of good raised dough and
nuts once in a while.
Then in the fall
I married a fellow by
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the name Peder A Miller Sept 20 / 1913.
We were happy most of the time.
We lived with his folks for 2 years.
Then Grandpa Miller passed away.
Then we bought the farm & grandma
stayd with us for 20 years.
We had 6 Children. Gena, Peter,
Edna, Lillie, Evelyn and Mildred.
Every body liked to come to our
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house, as the children grew up. We
had lots of kids every sunday.
I always gave them lunch and let
them play & have fun.
But as time went on they all left home except Peter - him & Pa farmed together and it went good. We had 5 grand- Children that came to see us every day. Pa lost his health & we had to quit farm work. We lived in Pete & Dotties house & they bought the farm. Then we moved to Barron. Pa worked 8 years for Jerome till he was 68 years - I worked at many jobs - but we were happy.
We lost a little granddaughter
first year we lived in Barron
Little Carol Ann, Edna & Howards
girl. We missed her a lot, every
one else did too. Specialy her mother
and Dad. 10 years later our Daughter
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Lillie passed away at the age
of 36 - 4 months later my husband
died.
It was hard to lose so many at once. But Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can not heal. I have many Grand- Children & soon will have 11 great grandchildren. They are all good to me.
I have to write
a little more about Norway. We lived close
by a big river called Begna elven.
There were 2 big boats there. The
names of the boats was Sperillen
and Begna. They came & went
many miles every day. One little
boat called Telegraf. It hauled
a ferry or big bunch of logs to
the mill not far from us. Many
men had jobs there from spring
till late in the fall. Then
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the men had to go to the woods and
make more logs for next year.
One spring my dad was digging a ditch
from the hiway to the river and he
worked with a short handled shovel.
As he was digging away something
moved by his side - it was a big sea-
serpent. He said it had a head nearly
as big as a horse head and about 20 feet
long - he had no choice so he killed
it with the shovel. I always thought
he was telling fibs, but about
40 years later another man had
killed one with an ax. He thought
it was a long rail or part
of a tree so he chopped into it
and it started to move - than
he finaly got it killed. So they
printed it in the paper and
it said one like that had not
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been seen since Gulbrand Tuftin
killed one many years back, then
I had to believe it was true.
My first grandchild was Ruth then Rose
Wallberg. then came Frankie, Terry,
Randy, Jody & Rochelle Miller.
Then Carol Ann. Steven, Roger, Jon
McCombs. Then came Connie, David,
Robert, Richard & Kevin Olson.
And I have Great grandsons Norlan
Deno & Wilbur McCoy. And Brian,
Bradly, Thonia, Frankis Millers &
Lisa Marie Randy Millers & Andrea Louise
Terry Millers.
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They all call me Grandma.
That's about all of our family.
Little bit more about Christ &
Andrew. They left for America
in the early spring. When they
got to Oslo they went to the ships
that was to take them to England.
and they went on board - but
I guess Andrew thought he would
do a little sight seeing - so
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he went off & walked around a while.
Mean time the ship left & Christ
had all the papers & money -
Christ hunted all over the ships
for Andrew. So Andrew had
to walk 90 miles back home -
and didn't get going again till
in the fall - as papers & ticket
had to be sent to him again.
Andrew was a Carpenter & Farmer
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also repaired shoes. Christ
also Farmed.
After we had been in
this country a short while we joined the
Concordia Church at Arland. We had many
Basket parties in the Luther ??? and
the meetings were mostly held in the homes.
We had readings & singing at the meetings
& we also played games. Then for
other fun we went to Gl?? Hall.
We had maskerades & Basket socials.
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once a year - Also had hard time dance.
The ones dressed worst got a 50 ¢ price.
Once it was Hans Erickson & I.
We also had to march around the Hall
showing off you know - It was all
for fun thos. We all went to Mrs.
Gilbertson for supper around 12.00 o'clock
Fourth of July was a big celebration them
days. We all gathered at Scandia for
a picnic dinner. All the families
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around the community was there. Ice cream
& limonade was sold all afternoon &
then we went home and milked the cows
and back to Arland again. Music
was mostly August Olson with his
harp & Andrew Hanson with Violin
or anyone that could play the instruments.
We had lots of fun. Next
day we were pretty tired - but then
the haying took full swing - after
that the harvest. Then plowing &
also making wood for the winter.
It was a lot of hard work - but
it kept everybody out of mischief.
We done a lot of singing & playing
guitar. After the Children grew
bigger and Carl & Ginas children.
Gina used to come over with
her kids & then they told her
to play a Hopwalls - and they
jumped around & had a lot of
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fun. I don't think they ever got
mad at each other - and the
Tuftin girls & boy were good actors.
Casper he was a clown if there ever
was one.
I think this finishes my story.
Will add a little more. Our children had to go get the cows at night for ilking in the summer time. Pete usually went horse-back on Quin, a little Broncho. She was good at gathering the cows. But little to fast for the girls. So Lillie took old Grant - an older horse, a long legged one & a stiff built one. Lillie got as far as up to the cow pen - then he turned around and came back to the barn - she tried 3 times in succession but all ways went back to the barn. Guess he knew he was to tall. Spouse she would have got hung up in some trees out in the woods. Well I think that's all now.