Knute was still young when...
Illustration
Knute was still young when he realized that his future lay away from the family farm in Norway. His father made it clear that Nils, the eldest son, would inherit the farm. The other boys would have to have find work elsewhere.
Knute watched, as one by one, his older brothers moved to Oslo. But Knute wanted to farm. One day when he was about fourteen years old, he heard a visitor talk about the great farming in the United States. It was Knute's call. He read what books he could about America, he talked to people in the village who had relatives in the United States, and he dreamed. The day Knute reached seventeen, he kissed his mother and father good-bye and made his way to America, or so he thought. In London, Knute somehow got on the wrong ship. When the ship docked, he wasn't in New York -- Knute was in Halifax. He tried to explain his mistake to immigration officials. They nodded and put him on a train, which took Knute to the prairies of Canada.
There Knute found free homesteads and other Norwegian settlers. Knute stayed. He married, raised a family, and farmed. He kept a diary. Years later his granddaughter read a passage from it to her pastor. Near the end of his life, Knute wrote, "God called me here. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know what to expect. I even got lost on the way. But God wanted me here. Of that I am certain."
Knute watched, as one by one, his older brothers moved to Oslo. But Knute wanted to farm. One day when he was about fourteen years old, he heard a visitor talk about the great farming in the United States. It was Knute's call. He read what books he could about America, he talked to people in the village who had relatives in the United States, and he dreamed. The day Knute reached seventeen, he kissed his mother and father good-bye and made his way to America, or so he thought. In London, Knute somehow got on the wrong ship. When the ship docked, he wasn't in New York -- Knute was in Halifax. He tried to explain his mistake to immigration officials. They nodded and put him on a train, which took Knute to the prairies of Canada.
There Knute found free homesteads and other Norwegian settlers. Knute stayed. He married, raised a family, and farmed. He kept a diary. Years later his granddaughter read a passage from it to her pastor. Near the end of his life, Knute wrote, "God called me here. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know what to expect. I even got lost on the way. But God wanted me here. Of that I am certain."
