Dear Grandma,

It’s been nearly 80 years since I wrote to you last. I wanted to tell you how much I love and have missed you-us Norwegians sometimes, won’t tell you what is on their heart.

Remember 1937-38 when my sister, mother and I stayed with you in your beautiful country?

We would of stayed longer but you remembered 1914-18 and were worried about ships being torpedoed. I had heard the evil man with the swastika shouting hatred and thousands saying “Sieg Heil” on the radio from some hundreds of miles south of us and, even at five, could understand your concern.

I also remember you walking with us and my last sight of you.

Then came April 1940 and we could still get some letters from you, though marred with the censors swastika. You told of how good it was when you went to bed at night to talk with Jesus.

After December in 1941 we seldom heard about you, but you would of known that of your 7 grandsons in America, that 6 would be fighting for freedom because they were of the right age, only I was to young, but I wanted to fight too for you dear grandmother.

They all came home without physical injury and I know the power of your prayers. Your own son was wounded in 1918 in France.

In Norway, the German trucks were on their way to haul away many of my male relatives just as the war ended. God blessed your prayers and your love for Him. We thank God for all the people in this country who paid an enormous price for freedom for others.

We heard that you, dear grandma, died in 1944 before the war ended, but we shall meet again as you wrote “You know the way and if you follow it, we shall all gladly meet in heaven’s harbor.”

Somehow I’ve gotten old now grandma and one of my beautiful sights I will see soon will be your dear face.

Thank God for a grandma who loves Jesus.

Lots of love,

To Grandma

From your grandson,

Edmund Olav Erikson, Gilman