Flaa Church, Norway

The church of Flaa, Norway, was built about 1859 to replace the old Stave Church. The Vold farm is across the road - about where the photographer stood. In 1860, Ole Halgrimsen walked across the street to make his vows to Brynhild Engebretsdatter. In May of 1861, Ole and his bride of one year got the "Amerika Fever." Ole sold the Vold Gaard and set sail for America to join three siblings, Margit, Truls, and Sever, already in Rice County, Minnesota. Ragnild stayed behind in Norway. For me, it was an exciting moment to step into the high pulpit of this church and imagine the mixed pride and horror that my great-grandparents would have felt knowing their great-granddaughter was a member of the clergy.

Ole and Brynhild set sail out of Drammen, Norway, in May on the ship Flora, bound for London and then embarking onto Quebec, Canada, where they landed in August. They journeyed onto Wisconsin for supplies and prepared to move by covered wagon to Rice County, Minnesota, near Nerstran,d where they farmed for eleven years before settling permanently in Worth County, Iowa.