America, the “Land of Opportunity,” has drawn endless immigrants to our shores. My family story connects this dream of the future to a unique story of the past.
In the late 1800s in Stavanger, Norway, Grandfather Abraham could not inherit the family farm as a younger son. Other sons of Norway had found good work and land possibilities in America, so he followed suit. He worked for three years on ranches in the Dakotas, saved enough money to get back to Norway, find a bride, and pursue his dream.
In Norway, his parents searched for a suitable bride, as was the tradition. It also served the need for a quick marriage, since Abraham had applied for a homestead grant in Montana which needed to be claimed.
Eline, my grandmother, was an educated woman and a teacher, but she also had fallen in love with a man not acceptable to her parents. The arranged marriage assured Eline’s family that their older, educated daughter would have an acceptable mate who, though less schooled, was going to be a landholder in the “New Country.”
“Did they grow to love each other?” I once asked my mother. “Well, not that we could see,” she replied. But they respected and admired each other, I was told. They did have eight children, so …
In their southern Montana community they were known as honest, hardworking and compassionate people. Their homestead of 160 acres expanded to 40,000 acres by Grandfather’s death. This was a true Horatio Alger story of new beginnings, interwoven with traditions from the past.
I’m Connie Seraphine, and that is my Perspective.
