Gunnar Sivertsen
My name is Gunnar Svein Sivertsen (born Svein Ostby) [the 'O' should have a forward stroke through it]. Sigfred Leonard Sivertsen (born January 1873; died January 1950) was my adoptive father and his wife, Doris Elizabeth nee Tetlow, was my adoptive mother. Sigfred was known as 'Sigen' among his friends. I was born on 4 August 1942, so I was 7 years old when Sigen died. Even so, I remember him quite well and have very pleasant memories of him. He owned a ships chandler's firm called Scheller & Co. in down-town Oslo, and from time to time he would throw parties and dinner parties and the living room and dining room would be full of people. Sigen loved holding after-dinner speeches; in fact, sometimes he was invited to other people's parties or gatherings especially to deliver a speech.
Sigen had 2 sons and 1 daughter from his previous marriage: Thoralf, Gudrun, and Petter. As far as I know Gudrun and her husband did not have any children, but I assume Sigen's two sons had children. Doris Tetlow met Sigen via Petter. Petter had attended a business college in Lancashire, and Doris was one of his teachers. When the General Strike broke out in 1926, Doris arranged for Petter to be billeted close to her family home, and their relationship grew. Eventually, Petter brought her to Oslo to introduce her to his family. He was then sent to Germany to improve his command of German. For various reasons, Doris and Petter broke off their engagement, and in due course Sigen and Doris married and had a son, Martin (born in 1933; died in early 1942, I think). I understand that the marriage created some friction between Doris and some of Sigen's children, and I therefore saw very little of them. I do remember that during Sigen's 75th birthday party, Thoralf and probably Gudrun and Petter too, give Sigen an oil painting of his family home in Drobak, and I remember Sigen was very moved by this present.
Sigen used to smoke a pipe, and sometimes he would pace up and down the living room floor, restlessly. At other times he would sit in an 'orelappstol' [the first 'o' has a forward stroke] and read a novel. In the evening he sometimes lit a fire in the fireplace. He taught me to love Norway, and he was very pleased when, one day, I stood up on a 'soap-box' on the living room floor and recited the whole poem about the Scottish Captain Sinclair and his ill-fated march through the Norwegian mountains.
I was absolutely heart broken when Sigen was fetched by the ambulance and taken to hospital, in late December 1949 or early January 1950. He had suffered a stroke and survived for about 9 days. I was not permitted to visit him in hospital, nor was a permitted to attend his funeral. I've always felt very sad about that, and angry and guilty too. But I have nice memories of him. And Doris told me many things about him. He had, apparently, a bit of a temper, but then he'd meekly apologise afterwards. He was a member of the Freemasons, and he and Doris active during the Occupation years, spreading news gleaned from the BBC on their illegal wireless hidden under the floorboards in the attic. He and Doris were courageous and uncompromising regarding the German occupation, and after Martin's death in early 1942 and my transfer from an orphanage in Drammen to my new home in Vestre Holmen in October 1943, Doris and Sigen were involved in smuggling 'half-Jews' out of Oslo and across to Sweden in fishing boats near village of Batso [last 'o' with forward stroke] on the Hurum-landet.
I hope some of the things I've mentioned will be of interest - may even 'ring bells' - to someone.
I would love to hear from descendant of Sigfred, not least from the children of Thoralf and Peter - but also from other relations. One of Sigfred's bothers settled in the United States, and I would of course love to hear from his descendants. Incidentally, because I haven't lived in Norway since 1963, I prefer to write in English. However, my understanding of Norwegian is still pretty good (although some 'new' and some 'slang' words may pass me by. So if anyone would like to respond by sending my an e-mail, you can write in Norwegian and (if you understand English) I hope you wouldn't mind if I reply in English - although I could try Norwegian, but it would be struggle - or a 'labour of love'.
Gunnar Sivertsen
Sigen had 2 sons and 1 daughter from his previous marriage: Thoralf, Gudrun, and Petter. As far as I know Gudrun and her husband did not have any children, but I assume Sigen's two sons had children. Doris Tetlow met Sigen via Petter. Petter had attended a business college in Lancashire, and Doris was one of his teachers. When the General Strike broke out in 1926, Doris arranged for Petter to be billeted close to her family home, and their relationship grew. Eventually, Petter brought her to Oslo to introduce her to his family. He was then sent to Germany to improve his command of German. For various reasons, Doris and Petter broke off their engagement, and in due course Sigen and Doris married and had a son, Martin (born in 1933; died in early 1942, I think). I understand that the marriage created some friction between Doris and some of Sigen's children, and I therefore saw very little of them. I do remember that during Sigen's 75th birthday party, Thoralf and probably Gudrun and Petter too, give Sigen an oil painting of his family home in Drobak, and I remember Sigen was very moved by this present.
Sigen used to smoke a pipe, and sometimes he would pace up and down the living room floor, restlessly. At other times he would sit in an 'orelappstol' [the first 'o' has a forward stroke] and read a novel. In the evening he sometimes lit a fire in the fireplace. He taught me to love Norway, and he was very pleased when, one day, I stood up on a 'soap-box' on the living room floor and recited the whole poem about the Scottish Captain Sinclair and his ill-fated march through the Norwegian mountains.
I was absolutely heart broken when Sigen was fetched by the ambulance and taken to hospital, in late December 1949 or early January 1950. He had suffered a stroke and survived for about 9 days. I was not permitted to visit him in hospital, nor was a permitted to attend his funeral. I've always felt very sad about that, and angry and guilty too. But I have nice memories of him. And Doris told me many things about him. He had, apparently, a bit of a temper, but then he'd meekly apologise afterwards. He was a member of the Freemasons, and he and Doris active during the Occupation years, spreading news gleaned from the BBC on their illegal wireless hidden under the floorboards in the attic. He and Doris were courageous and uncompromising regarding the German occupation, and after Martin's death in early 1942 and my transfer from an orphanage in Drammen to my new home in Vestre Holmen in October 1943, Doris and Sigen were involved in smuggling 'half-Jews' out of Oslo and across to Sweden in fishing boats near village of Batso [last 'o' with forward stroke] on the Hurum-landet.
I hope some of the things I've mentioned will be of interest - may even 'ring bells' - to someone.
I would love to hear from descendant of Sigfred, not least from the children of Thoralf and Peter - but also from other relations. One of Sigfred's bothers settled in the United States, and I would of course love to hear from his descendants. Incidentally, because I haven't lived in Norway since 1963, I prefer to write in English. However, my understanding of Norwegian is still pretty good (although some 'new' and some 'slang' words may pass me by. So if anyone would like to respond by sending my an e-mail, you can write in Norwegian and (if you understand English) I hope you wouldn't mind if I reply in English - although I could try Norwegian, but it would be struggle - or a 'labour of love'.
Gunnar Sivertsen
