The Hired Girl

After our second night on Hugla, Karen and I returned to Nesna with my grandfather. Arrangements had been made for him to meet with an elderly cousin who lived with her family near the center of town.

While they reminisced in Norwegian, I was able to piece together some family history in discussions with the cousin’s English-speaking son-in-law. He was the head of a small local college that had been founded in 1918. Today it has university status and serves twelve hundred full-time and part-time students.

As our time together drew to a close, it became apparent from my grandfather’s questions that there was someone else he wanted to visit. As John would later explain, she had once been the family’s hired girl.

Work opportunities for young women were limited in those days. After finishing their education, many would work as helpers on family farms. In return for cooking, cleaning, performing farm chores, and caring for the children, they received room, board and a small stipend.

As it turned out the former hired girl was living in a private home that served as a board and care for five older women. While they each had their own bedroom, they socialized and ate in a common dining area.

A phone call from the son-in-law to the caretaker opened the door for a visit. We were dropped off in front of a tidy two-story house and found the former hired girl waiting in a small living room. It was a setting that you would want for your own mother in her waning years. She appeared to be four or five years older than my grandfather and it was immediately apparent that he had been quite fond of her. Though a bit frail, she had a warm, friendly smile that showed her pleasure with the unexpected visit.

My grandfather asked, “Do you remember me?”

“Yes, John,” she replied, “I remember you very well. What brings you back to Norway?”

“I came to see you,” he said, with a twinkle that caused her face to light up even more. It was a precious moment for me and, no doubt, a highlight of the trip for my grandfather.