Jon Knutsen

Family/Spouse: Maria Mikkesldatter DIGENE. Maria (daughter of Mikkel Gudbrandsen DIGENE and Marit Eriksdatter DAHLEN) was born on 3 Jan 1872 in Digene Gård, Hedalen Parish, Søndre Aurdal, Oppland, Norway; died on 20 Mar 1903 in Sør-Aurdal i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; was buried on 31 Mar 1903 in Sør-Aurdal i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 5 Oct 1891, Hedalen, Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Married but had no children. Adopted his wife’s brother’s daughter.

A letter he wrote:

Martin Digene
Bolhaug
November 22, 1945
Dear Aunt Anne Marie
I have been thinking so much about you lately. I was 14 years old when you traveled from America and I remember you so well from that time. Time goes fast and I, myself, am beginning to age. I'm already now 54. Now it is only you of my mother's sisters in America who are living. Yes, concerning us everything is going fine. We have our health so things are fine. We have lived through each year of this last occupation of the country. There are five unhappy and sad years that are now behind us. The German occupation was bad enough to take quite a toll on us. Some of our best people were locked up in concentration camps and prisons, or also were shot. The food supply was miserable and huge numbers suffered from hungry especially in the cities. The bread we had was made of bad oats and barley and poor rye. It was whole meal bread. We didn't enjoy it and would almost throw it up. Then later there were only crumbs, and unhappily we could see only dark days ahead. the common folk could not have good strong coffee. It was sold on the black market for 200 kroner per kilo. For a long time there was no margarine that could be bought, so it was a rough time.
A little before freedom came, during last year's winter 1500 parachutes with war material were dropped down in the Vassfaret which was to be used against the Germans. If this had been discovered, Hedalen would have been obliterated from this world. But, according to God's providence, it went well. Now circumstances are beginning to work themselves out a little. We are actually getting wheat from Argentina and America. So now we have good, fine bread and coffee. (?) It will be well over a year before we can all get a pair of shoes, a gown, or a dress. In the cities there is hardly anything still. (?) the Germans clearly stole everything they found in the country.
About the family news here, I hardly know where to begin. Perhaps Erik has written and told you most of it. He said that he had gotten a letter from you but I have not read it yet so I don't know anything. Halvor Lie is bedridden. His leg was amputated. Gunhild Gronhaug died two years ago. She visited us so often. Her husband, old Halvor, is still living. He is now 86. Halstein and Marit Lie died during the war. Kari Overby still lives but she is very weak. Her daughter, Thonetta, takes care of her. Of the other old people around here, living still are Kari Bullend(sp), Ole Bjorgan, Iver and Marie Sorlie but Ivar and Marie are in very bad shape now.
Down at Digene, Erik's place has truly become a fine manor. You must take a trip to Norway now. You will find that you don't recognize your own home. At Keoveberg just below the top of the mountain that you know, he has built a very beautiful hytte (mountain lodge or cabin). In the hytte he has an English hearth with really pretty material and furniture. In the summer he rents it out to rich Oslo folks, bankers and money changers and other fine folks. He increases his work steadily so now he has at least 25 mental patients. The more he earns, the greedier people are after his fortune.
You have certainly read in the newspapers that all of the Finmark area was burnt by the Germans and the population had to evacuate to the south. From last November 3rd until now we have had 50 of these unlucky people here in Hedalen. They had to flee half-naked and exhausted and have been placed around here and other communities in Ostlandet. I get a little spending money to be the foreman of the resettlement program here. I have had a huge amount of work to do, finding them housing, clothes and food. It is not such a simple task when most of us here in this country have not had new clothes since before the war. We must find old clothes, food, etc. in this effort. They seem to be doing relatively OK. Most of them have traveled back north again to Finmark, but they have a very rough existence. they live in old sod buildings, or ruined buildings destroyed after the Germans were there.
Did you have any sons who were in the war? I hope you are in good health and let me hear from you. I certainly like to get pictures of you and where you live. Margit and her husband have two handsome sons. The oldest, Gubrand, will be confirmed in the fall. The other is 4. Gubrand look very much like the grandfather that he is named after. Marit and her husband have been very economical but times are difficult. Hedalen is much prettier and built up than when you were home. The most beautifully improved farm of all is Digene. And he (Erik) now owns Nerbyskogen, and Oistreholmen. He now has 10 cows and two horses in the stable. Gunhild Marie Lisbraten has been dead for two years. She was so youthful and strong until the last. But she got liver cancer and was not sick for more than a year before she died. What was it that Aunt Gunhild died of? How are things going with her children and grandchildren. I'm sending a little picture of my wife and I and our foster daughter whom we have had since she was 6 years old. She is the daughter to Anton Bakke, my wife's brother. It is taken in front of our house up here in Solhaug. You remember, certainly, the hill on the Overby land. That is where we live.
So now I wish you and your a very merry Christmas. Many greetings from my wife, daughter and me.
Martin Digene
PS - The old houses on Kloneberg are still standing. Both the Jorenby bua are old. I was there once and saw them!

Family/Spouse: Anne. Anne was born on 3 Jun 1893 in Norway; died on 6 Nov 1967 in Norway; was buried in Hedalen stavkyrkje, Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]