Diary of Choir Tour to Finland 1930 - Picture

After the Choir Tour to Finland in 1930, Linnea Gord transcribed her diary on the typewriter.  This small handwritten diary is shown with the cloth cover of the transcribed diary.  Earlier in the year it was a happy experience for me to include entries from the diary that describe the concerts the choir gave in Finland.

Husmodern #52, 1938 - Julius Wellhagen's Everyday Cure of Souls, with illustrations

Julius Wellhagen: I can not give you the old recipe : to be still, to dream by candlelight , to rest yourself , etc. The now pulls an all the power .

The Husmodern Subscription I have was in part a gift to my mother from her Aunt, Faster Emilie, the gift began at the start of 1937 and ended two issues in to 1939.  (Another subscription began in the late 1940s.) Included is an article about the visit to the United States by Kyrkoherde Wellhagen and a return to Julius Wellhagen in their last 1938 number.  Then the magazine begins a series of meditations by him.  Below I include the translation by Google of his December article. 

EVERYDAY CURE OF SOULS

Husmodern (The housewife) , no. 52 1938 Page 31

" Only the religious man is modern ," says Reverend Wellhagen

Everyday pastoral care becomes the subject of a series of articles , written specifically for the housewife of the vicar , theol Lic . Julius Welhagen Överum . Already in his introduction below to get a firm, safeguarding the feeling that behind Erden is a man who speaks and thinks independently of dogma, a Christian man who has a deep and extensive theological and social knowledge unites modern , practical outlook on life. The teachings he represents and the help he offers is aimed at everyday people, like Jesus' own preaching did. That there is a deep need of just this kind of religious illumination of the everyday problems of life do we have long ago received evidence on the amount of letters to the editor from weary , doubting , anxiously inquiring people , who in their vicinity miss someone to turn to

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or perhaps not be able to confide in directly to a human. For them - and for us all to crave something tangible for the soul while we strive in our borgertliga nutrition - should this new title in Husmodern in 1939 to be of inestimable value . And with that , we leave the floor to the vicar Wellhagen , who call this his first article for

We need to speak out with one another.

When I wanna talk about high matters and deep questions , I call the reader non fellow Christian , non sister , non jordevandrerska but in short, you .

I myself am a priest. But do not think of my name. It is my intent and my words shall speak to you. I am not the town priest , or the opposite , non- fashion preacher for the day or a särgångare , non- high-church or lågkyrklig , neither one or the other group one . I am simply a Christian without AFFECTATION and manners . But I 'll say this , I want to give you something of the spiritual security , some are UTI concepts äktkriset and äktsvenskt .

I suppose you sometimes found Christianity heavy, hard to understand , incomprehensible. Just like myself. A book of self- testimony of Moses and Jeremiah over Paul. Augustinius , Luther , and Soderblom would convince you of religion stumbling blocks. During my student years at the University , I had incomprehensibly difficult to be edified by what priests , professors and preachers preach . They were good men all of them, but actually I do not remember more of what made an impression on me

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than I could nedtckna (down cover?) at quarter past one sheet - a spiritually white leaves by sphagnum time? By no means . A thousand times no means .

I felt that life path went right through my life , straight ignenom those of a critical student rather gray söndagardna , right through the ancient wisdom saturated cathedral. And what was! The road did about everything : little things turned into context , coincidences of life lines, discouragement to joy and happiness to deep and salutary woe, threw away discarded burden on the heart , and put on new ones. And what was the Strangest of all: they were carried away by such a man was , forward, upward . One day was not like the other. Christianity was a miracle of a small poor human lives. Since then I've learned to understand two things. One : only the modern man can be religious and only the religious man 's mother. The second : I have to dedicate so much of Christianity, that my spirit can give, but no more , if I may be lucky in that I thus owns.

I can not give you the old recipe : to be still, to dream by candlelight , to rest yourself , etc. The now pulls an all the power . Home , associations, tasks and professions from spawning to special interests pushing förvärsarbete require Dig. You are no longer the quiet schalettgumman but set to struggle burning and grim earnest. It is impossible to rule world escape. And it would be a little religious to deny you the lovely parcel to tighten             ( Cont. a page . 48. )

forces , fight, work , operate the trowel in the world , faith, hope , burn.

But your world is often gray , monotonous, kompliderad . You need help. For weary mothers have we rest home . For worn souls needful something , but it is allowed to be effective , practical, reaching down to you, where you walk and stand . I do not think you come to church or meeting house in the first blow . Nor are you particularly helped with that someone forced you Christianity.

Backwardness and were yourself ! Clear up that thing with your inner world !

You are interested , doubting , wondering in religious matters . Well, always something .

Outside my window shoot twelve rose stalls out roundel . One of them sends out final rose even in December. You agree well with me that it'll be the rose circle and not a blast cluttered potato . Right now as I type gleams evening star forward of the mountains. The gaze is drawn there, I do not know why.

You do not subscribe to all that the Bible says , rebelling against much of the Doctrine of the Faith . To say nothing of deeper things such as the concepts of sin , forgiveness, and the like. 

 Quite right ! Great theologians have had to stop at several points in the Bible , wonder and reverence go by. What mankind bold mountaineers in the spiritual discovery the world has not been able , let us everyday people resolutely let be.

You can find Christian guardians be imperfect , maybe something worse .

Quite right !

Ock though: by all the contradictions and objections approach to my everyday life , my soul wants to be herself , a wonderful power. It is Christianity itself , expressed in everyday problems , illuminating and explaining the often complicated present. We understand better ourselves, we first Christianity and unremarkable life better , about our everyday problems begin to be cleared up .

There are everyday problems that we openly and honestly talk about school . Julius Wellhagen

Closet Organizer Illustrated

It was in November that I visited the lumber yard. I stayed inside the quiet, warm office while the lumber yard worker did all the sawing for my closet organizer project. It was only a little more expensive than the imported boxed set. I brought it back to the building where I live on my luggage wheels on the bus, later in the evening I screwed it together. It seemed to wobble until I got the top board screwed on. I used the bungee cord from the luggage wheels to control the wobble while I screwed the top board on. So now there is a closet organizer, and it really does not wobble.

Work At The Park, and At The Restoration Project

Some branches hauled together near the park entrance, green and brown leaves and ruined ferns, shape into a dragon that lies there, it may have swallowed a compact car.  Edges of the pond have a fine coat of ice.  There is a lot of sun.  The foundation for the new library can be seen at the school restoration project, which replaces the past kitchen-lunchroom-auditorium.  Although there is sun, it is supposed to get even colder than today, and although the work goes on well, it must be cold to work. 

1938 Newspaper Article, Lancastria Arrives at Helsingfors - Part Two

Gilbert Gord, Suomi Band Drummer
Upper Right

Seventeen years as teacher-
among the Native-Born in Alaska

It would be that 17 years teaching among the Native-Born in Alaska would be an achievement for which not all women had time. Mrs. Alma Ander -

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sen, Latest from Liljendal allows for an introduction and there it is understandable that with genuine interest we pray her to tell me something about life up there in the much debated gold-digger society.

- The whole thing is really not that remarkable, says wife Andersen in her  undemanding manner . It was in July 1921 my husband who was a Dane , and I drove up to Alaksa , where my husband would be the teacher in one of the ambulatory government schools . Only a few months after, he died one and what was more natural one that I – I was recruited because I had been at his side. Thus it came to be that I was the teacher in Alaska and there I have since stayed .

- The conditions up there are still very Primitive . But perhaps therefor, for the yearly there is much to do to bring the country to civilization and culture, and the work of highly interesting. The children we teach do not understand English when they come to school . Gradually we try to implant in them the knowledge of this language, but we work likewise for the school the mother otngue by teaching them to think in both languages. Eskimo children are very teachable and seek to avail themselves under observation. A particular characteristic is their artistic talents, in particular their interest in vocals and music.
 - I can add it is now thirty-two years ago that I emigrated to America and throughout this long  time I have not visited the home country. There is of course a mighty distance from Alaska and I have now traveled approximately half the globe around during this trip. Finland never forgets about amerikan-finlanders not matter how long we have stayed in the big country to the west . All summer I dreamed I woucl again hear the cuckoo and the lark . You can understand with what joy I see that my will be met. I will stay in Finland for one year and then I steer again to Alaska and my Eskimo children there.

Style Load balance business
life in america

Board the Lancastria encounter we hubs pa leader for the Finland- Swedish farddeltagarna Mr. . Alexander Koll. Mr . Track if you were born in Pietarsaari , but emigrated already for 35 s back and since then has not been in Finland . Over the past thirty successor , he has been a resident of Washington, where he engaged in business .

- Businesslife in America presently is characterized as stagnant , says Mr. Koll. It can not claim to be oiled  the surge, the steering wheel, the latest release after the recession, stalled.  It is hard to say why this is, perhaps you could say that we have to do with a suite of depression and that it requires

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a time of peace for the upswing again to be continued . For a part we can mention the numerous
strikes , which come after each other one after the other, to make a team uncertain.

- Finland Svenks  take to ordinary choices in America . Maybe no great fortunes , but nobody falls either on society . During the worst depression I worked in an organization, which handled relief activities , but not in an output case, I remembered that a Finland- Swedish emigrant would have had to ask for help.

Below, the Swedish of the Article.

Många amerikafinländare

hemma

med första båten

Goda affärer tillåta

hemresa med egen

bil på däck

Glada och förväntansfyllda anlände i går de första amerikafinländarna på den obligatariska semesterresan till hemlandet.  Det var SS Lancastria, som vid niotiden på aftonen hämtade omkring 400 duktiga landsmän, vilka under strävsamma år sparat ihop till en biljett för färden till Finland.

Många underbara tungomål surrade i luften, när våra medarbetare beträdde Lancastrias däck där oceanjätten låg uti på Kronbergsfjärden - det var inte bara olicka finska och svenska dialekter, utan också denna säregna blandning av hemlandets språk och amerikanskan som man lärt sig därborta.  Och trots att en liten parvels insjuknande i mässling försvårade landstidningsproceduren och skapade en stämning av karantän för några timmar ombord på ångaren, var humöret det bästa.  Man väntade sig ett glatt och hjärtligt återseende med hemlandet, och då kunde några timmar hit eller dit inte betyder någenting.

Där var inte bara allas vår Mr. Bruno Forsberg, som nu i många år fraktat sina landsmän fram och tillbaka över Atlanten, och städse hjälpt rådvilla emigranter tillrätta.  Där syntes också Dr. Rafael Engelberg, som på Suomi Seuras vägnar skötta trivseln ombord.  Man såg också bland de resande konsul Carl H. Salminen, som fungerade såsom en de många gruppernas ledare och vidare Mr. A. Koll, boss för det till ett hundratal uppgående Finlandssvenkarna.  

När alla besvärligheter slutligen voro undanstökade, när de välbärgade emigranternas medhavde bilar firats med på några pråmar och kappsäckarna på några andra, var man färdig att stiga i land.  Två ångslupar skötte trafiken mellan Lancastria och Södra Hamnen och när

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den första lade till vid tulpaviljongen klämde en hornorkester i med "Vårt Land" och  "Stars and Stripes" till de hemvändandes ara.  De många tusen släktingar och vänner, vilka troget väntat sedan femtiden, fingo äntligen hurra och vifta och sluta de forsta kära i sin famn.

Svenskt musikliv vid / Stilla havet

I röksalongen träffa vi  på en snart ung man, välklädd och förekommande.  Han samspråkar livligt med Evert Ekroth, som också farit ut för att hälsa  de hem vändande.  Och vid en presentation framgår det att vi ha professor John Sundsten framför oss, född i Munsala, men seden 1913 bosatt i Staterna. Professorn, som  är pianist, till professionen intar en betydande ställning bland sina landsmän därborta; varja år ar han förstå dirigent på de stora finlandsvenska sångfester, som Runebergsorden brukar anordna vid vid stilla havskusten. 

-An så länge äro vorer körer sinnerligen livaktiga och omhulda den svenska sången med stort intresse, berätter han.  Vid vart senaste "meeting" hade över 400 sängare mött upp, men jag är rädd för att den siffran kommer att sjunka avsevärt.  Det är namligen så, att åter

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växten är väldig klen inom dessa körer.  De, vilka kommit ut från Finland deltaga nog gärna i detta arbeta, men ungdomen vilken ofta vuxit opp därborta, har andra intressen, och har också helt naturligt fjärmats från sitt gamla mödersmål.  Jag vill inte vara pessimistisk, men det kan handa att vi måste inskranka oss belydligt redan efter fem år eller så, säger han.

-Och ni själv?

-Jag arbetar i Seattle som musiklärare, och har under detta arbete kommit i ganska livlig kontakt med minna landsmän i Amerika.  Det är beundransvärt att se huru föräldrarna arbeta och försaka  för att ungdomen skall kunna få den bästa tänkbara uppfostran.  Följden är ocksa den, att medan de flesta, vilka tillhora en äldre generation, stå ganska främmande för intellektuella sisselsättningar, de yngre i allmänhet gått genom nagot college och förvärvat sig en ofta ganska imponerande boklig bildning.  Salunda göra också vi ett blygsamt kulturarbete i svenskhetens tjänst.

Munter odlare / av tranbär

Mister Albin Jansson heter en munter och tandlös gammal gubbe, som ocksa ar ombörd.  Ocksa hustrun hans ar med

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Det ar 28 år sedan Mr. Jansson var har senast, och 45 år sedan han for till det förlovade landet, och nu har den fina tranbörsodlingen i Massachusetts gatt så bra, att han kunna kosta pa sig en resa hem.

- Men det blir bara på några månader, sager Mr. Jansson och grinar belåtet då hans blick svepar över stadens silhuett i i solnedgången.  Jag hinner tyvarr inte stanna langre i min hem bygd Kivijarvi, you know this famous place, yes?  Ty sen ska jag resa tillbaka för att sköta om mina tranbar nar sasongen börjar igen.  Om det ar lönande?  Oh, yes, skriv upp det reportern, skriv upp det.  Gubben Jansson har sysslat med det i 45 år och had 10 fullvuxna barn i Amerika och ingen vet huru manga barnbarn.  Hustru min hon var ocksa har forra aret, men jag hade inte tid den gangen.  Och nu ska jag i vag  med forsta lagenhet till hembygden.

Sjutton ar som lara-

rinna bland ifodin-

garna i Alaska

 

Att under 17 års tid ha verkat som lararinna bland infödingarna i Alaska torde vara en prestation, som icke alla kvinnor hunnit med.  Fru Alma Ander-

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sen från Liljendal kan emellertid sta för en presentation och det ar forståeligt att det ar med verkligt intresse vi bedje henne beratta något, om livet daruppe i det mångomtalade guldgravarsamhallet.  

-Det hela ar verkligen icke så markligt, sager fru Andersen pa sitt anspråkslösa satt. Det var i juli 1921 min man som var dansk, och jag drog upp till Alaksa, där min man skulle bli larare i en av  de ambularade guvernamentsskolarna.  Endast några månader efter dog han en och vad var naturligare än att jag -- mig det var värv han hade haft för ansikt att handhava.  Sålunda kom det såg att jag blev lararinna i Alaska och dar har jag sedan dess stannat.

- Forhållandena daruppe aro fortfarande mycket Primitiva.  Men kanske just harfor, for att det annu finnes så oerhort mycket att gora dar for att bringa landet till civilisation och kultur, ar arbetet i hogsta grad intressant. De barn vi undervisa forstå icke engelska då de komma till skolan.  Smaningom forsoka vi hos dem implanta kunskap i detta språk, men vi strava tillika till att de skola bevara sitt modersmal genom att lara dem tanka på badå spraken.  Eskomabarnen aro mycket laraktiga och bemoda sig om att tillgodogora sig undersvisningen.  En marklig egenskap ar deras konstnarliga anlag, sarsilt deras intresse for sang och musik.

 - Sedan ar det bara att tillagga att det nu ar trettiotva ar sedan jag emigrerade till Amerika och under hela denna langa tid har jag icke besokt hemlandet.  Det ar ju en valdig vag fran Alaska och jag har nu rest ungefar halva jordklotet runt under denna resa.  Finland glomma vi amerikafinlandare aldrig, huru lange vi an akulle vistats i det stora landet i vaster.  Alla somrar har jag dromt om att an en gang fa hora goken och larkan.  Ni kan forsta med vilken gladje jag ser att mina drommar nu bli uppfyllda.  Jag kommer att stanna i Finland att ar och sedan styr jag igen kosan till Alaska och mina eskimabarn dar.

Stillastående affars-

liv i amerika

 Ombord på Lancastria stota vi aven pa ledaren for den finlandsvenska farddeltagarna Mr. Alexander Koll.  Mr. Koll ar fodd i Jakobstad, men utvandrade redan for 35 år tillbaka och har sedan dess icke varit I Finland.  Under de senaste trettio åren har han varit bosatt i Washington, dar han idkat affarsverksamhet.

-Affärslivet i Amerika utmärkes for närvarande av stillastaende, sager Mr. Koll.  Det kan icke fordoljas, att det uppsving, som ratt de senaste åren efter depressionen, avstannat.  Det år svårt att säga varpå detta kan bero; kanske kunde man säga att vi här ha att gora med en svit av depressionen och att det fordras

 

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en tid av lugn for att uppsvinget igen skalll kunna fortsatta.  Till en del blidraga de talrika 

strejkerna, som atlösa varandra den ena efter den andra, att gora laget osakert.   

-Finlandsvenksarna sla sig i allmanshet val ut i Amerika.  Fa na stora formogenheter, men ingen faller heller samhallet till last.  Under den varsta depressionen arbetade jag sjalv med i den organisation, som omhanderhade hjalpverksamheten, men icke i ett ende fall kommer jag ihag att en finlandsvensk emigrant skulle ha behovt anhalla om hjalp.

 

1938 Newspaper Article - Lancastria Lands at Helsingfors

This 1938 Newspaper Article features the arrival of the Lancastria at Helsingfors.  Among those on the first barge to leave the ship was Gilbert Gord, who had served as the drummer in the Swedish Music Band, the Suomi Band, which was the Gord Orchestra in Tacoma during the 1930s...  (Continued in nearby blog entry, along with the Swedish from the article...)

Many Americans Finns
home
first
boat
Good business permit
repatriation by private
Car tires

Cheer and anticipation filled the arrival yesterday of the first American Finns in the obligatory holiday trip to the homeland . At the S.S. Lancastria, at nine o'clock in the evening gathered around 400 talented compatriots, who during strenuous years saved up for a ticket for the trip to Finland.

 

Many wonderful tongues buzzed in the air, when our people trod Lancastrias deck where the ocean giant was low out on Kronobergsfjarden - it was not just unlike Finnish and Swedish dialects , but also this peculiar mixture of home-country language and the American language which has been learned over there. And though a small boy’s onset of measles complicated national newspaper procedure and created a mood of quarantine for a few hours on board the steamer, the mood was the best . Expected was a joyous and heartfelt reunion with the homeland, and then a few hours here or there does could not mean anything.

There was  Mr. Bruno Forsberg , who for  many years has transported compatriots back and forth across the Atlantic, and ever helped perplexed emigrants get settled. There also appeared Dr . Rafael Engelberg, who in Suomi Seuras behalf tended comfort onboard. Also among the travelers was Consul Carl H. Salminen , who worked as a the many community leaders and further Mr.  A. Koll, chief of the one hundred or amounting to that Finland Swedish Group Members. .

When all troubles were finally bustled away, when the wealthy emigrants with cars celebrated with a few barges and with suitcases on a few others, were you ready to disembark . Two steam launches operated the traffic between Lancastria and South Harbour and when

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The first barge landed at the toll pavillion  there played a brass band " Our Country " and " Stars and Stripes " to those returning home. The many thousands of relatives and friends who had faithfully waited since five o'clock , finally cheered and waved and stopped the first ones in their arms .

Swedish music scene at / Pacific

In the smoker's lounge we meet on a nice-loooking young man, well dressed.. He is talking brightly with Evert Ekroth , also there to greet the home-returning.  And with an introduction, it appears that we have Professor John Sundesten in front of us, born in Munsala , but since 1913 has lived in the States. The professor, who is a pianist  by profession occupies a significant position among his countrymen over there. He is a conductor of the great Finnish Swedish song festivals , which Runebergs Order organizes at the Pacific coast.

-And the choirs are certainly lively and cherish the Swedish song with great interest, he relates.  At a  recent " meeting" over 400 singers turned up , but I 'm afraid that number will drop significantly. The fact is , to trans-

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plant the music is mighty weak in these choirs. Those who come out from Finland to attend probably are happy in this work , but the youth which often grows up over there, have other interests, and also are quite naturally alienated from the old mother tongue. I do not want to be pessimistic , but it can happen that we will have to limit ourselves after only five years or so , he says.

- What about you ?
I work in Seattle as a music teacher , and during this work come in quite lively contact with my countrymen in America. It is admirable to see how the parents work and sacrifice for the youth to be able to get the best possible upbringing. The result also means the that while the majority of the older generation stand quite foreign to intellectual subsidence, the younger generally go through some college and acquired an often quite impressive book learning . Thus do we too a modest cultural work in Swedish service.

Happy growers / of cranberries

Mister Albin Jansson calls himself a happy and toothless old man who, too, is on board . Also his wife 's with.

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It 's been 28 years since Mr. Jansson was here last, and 45 years ago he went to the promised land , and now the cranberry cultivation in Massachusetts has gone so well that he could be sold on a trip home .

- But it will be only a few month , says Mr. Jansson, and grins contentedly as his gaze sweeps the city skyline at sunset. I have little time unfortunately to stay longer in my home district Kivijärvi , you know this famous place, yes ? Because then I'll travel back to care for my cranberries when the season starts again. Is it profitable ? Oh, yes, write that down reporter, write it up. Old man Jansson has been doing it for 45 years and had 10 adult children in America and no one knows how many grandchildren. My wife she was here last year , too , but I had no time then. And now I'm in on the road with splendor to the home district .

(Continued in nearby blog entry, along with the Swedish from the article...)

 

 

 

Pretty Pond, But Overgrown in the 1990s

At the Park Pond in the 1990s, the upper part was overgrown.  It became no longer possible to fill this, the smaller part of the pond.  (Behind the person, myself, is a building - this restroom was removed during the park restoration, as was the shallow wading pool near it.  The shallow wading pool was replaced at the end of the restoration with a spray ground.)

Thanksgiving Bird Count 2013

There are more buildings in the neighborhood, and the park pond has not become yet as natural as it had seemed before the 2007 restoration.  Metro Parks has signs that warn of a big fine if visitors feed any wildlife.  Yesterday was a fine, clear day and not too cold.  Birds usually there right now  may have flown somewhere else for yesterday. 

At the park pond yesterday people walked past a lot while I watched for an hour for birds on Thanksgiving.  There were not so many birds at the larger part of the pond, beyond the small bridge at the smaller part of the pond  floated around a sunshining flurry of a dozen seagulls, and I knew there were ten or so mallards, some stood in a shallow part, created as Metro Parks had pumped it out earlier in the month,  others swam in the rest, which was a little lower than its regular depth.  There was no usual waterfall between the pond parts. 

At a previously used spot, where I watched, when I brought out my field glasses from the 1950s, my thoughts returned to birds that have not returned since the park pond was restored seven years ago.  Shoveler ducks visited over the winter for a couple of winters.  Buffleheads were there, perhaps in 2002 and earlier.  And Hooded mergansers, from the field glasses their image seemed to me to flow again. 

Pond During Restoration 2007
 

SHIP FROM BOSTON TO LIVERPOOL

 

Now I want to go back to when we took our trip across from Boston to Liverpool.. I'm going to tell you how we lived on that ship.  In the first place I want to correct what might have been an error.  When I was up there, as I said, dumping over the trash can - we didn't throw over the can we just emptied the can over board.  This was done at close to dark, because it was done  at night so that any submarine that might have been around would not see that trash and radio ahead to some more submarines to let them know that we were coming.   Now as I said a lot of the men on that ship were tense as long as we were on it. It took us nine days to go across over the ocean, there the sleeping quarters were very cramped as anyone who has ever served or traveled on a troop transport will know.  Our ceiling was about nine feet from the floor and in there were three bunks high and the bunks were so close together that a man could just barely stand between and in our bunk we slept with all our clothes on even our shoes. 

 

END OF SIDE

 

TAPE LABELED - FROM 1923 to 1941 ELMENDORF FIELD ALASKA

 

As I was saying, we slept with all our clothes on, even our shoes when we were on the transport.  If we wanted to change our socks we had to take off one shoe and take off that sock then put on a clean sock and put a shoe back on and then do the other foot.

 

We were not to do both feet at a time we also had to be able to sleep with our mae west in the bunk with us, one arm in it at all times, we had also in our bunk, our duffle bag, and our back pack, our helmet and gas mask was hung on the end of the bunk and so we were fairly crowded.

 

The ship had been once a passenger ship on the Seattle to San Francisco run.  It was the H.F. Alexander, it carried about 200 or 250 passengers on that run.  However, when the ship was transferred into a troop transport it was supposed to carry about 2000.

 

However, before we left Boston 500 additional soldiers came on board.  They were engineers who were supposed to be on a ship which had developed engine trouble.  And therefore they had to divide up its passengers among several other ships.  And as I say, We got 500 of them.  They slept in hammocks in the mess hall at night until about 4 o'clock in the morning, when they had to get out of there in order for the mess attendant to get ready to have breakfast.  The men, these engineers, had to go and sleep up on deck.

 

They did not have any blankets with them, they just slept with their overcoats on.  So we were all very happy when one day the captain announced that, barring enemy action, we should arrive in the harbor of Liverpool in about forty-eight hours.

 

Closet Organizer

Thursday I visited the lumber yard. I stayed inside the quiet, warm office while the lumber yard worker did all the sawing for my closet organizer project. It was only a little more expensive than the imported boxed set. I brought it back to the building where I live on my luggage wheels on the bus, later in the evening I screwed it together. It seemed to wobble until I got the top board screwed on. I used the bungee cord from the luggage wheels to control the wobble while I screwed the top board on. So now there is a closet organizer, and it really does not wobble.

Seventy Years Ago, My Father Was At Fort Lewis

Seventy years ago, my parents met when my father was at Fort Lewis and went to Tacoma for a Scandinavian dance, in March 1943.  She had been writing v-mail letters already to her brothers.  According to tapes my father left with stories about the army, "Nineteen forty-two, July..., I enlisted in the Army Medical Department at Fort Lewis...And I believe it was in April 1943 I was detached from the Fort Lewis Hospital Complement and shipped to the 318th Station Hospital at Camp White near Medford, Oregon. 

 

There I served, while I was there sometimes in the station hospital, sometimes we were marching, training out in the field, marching, packing, then back to the hospital again.  This went on until about November, when we were taken by train directly to Camp Miles Standish near the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and stationed there about a week.

 

The day before New Year's I believe it was, or shortly before, we were taken by train to the dock in Boston and put aboard a transport, which sailed the next day for Liverpool, England."

 

He had worked his way through pharmacy school at the University of Washington in the 1920s, and since then had worked as a pharmacist.  In the service he was a pharmacist.  After he retired from pharmacy, in the 1970s he did some paintings - this is a painting he did of transports in a convoy.

 

Painting by Theodore Jensen, of
transports in a convoy

Sara Paretsky's Critical Mass and Women's Uniforms of the 1930s

Read Critical Mass, the novel by Sara Paretsky newly published.  According to the blurb, "V.I. Warshawski's closest friend in Chicago is the Viennese-born doctor Lotty Herschel, who lost most of her family in the holocaust."  While I waited for my turn to read Critical Mass, I returned to an earlier Sara Paretsky novel about this topic, Total Recall.  Topics from the earlier book included implanted false memories, psychiatry, and children brought to England in the 1930s.  Although the story is not a continued story, Total Recall was an appropriate book to reread ahead of Critical Mass. 

Of course I do not want to tell the story of Critical Mass.  In one paragraph a scene illustrates 1930s Vienna:  "Martina was wearing the uniform of the school, sewn by her mother with meticulous care..."  She, as a jewish girl "would be an easy target for rage" from those suffering during the German 1930 depression.  The character of the mother is a working class servant who does detailed sewing.

Curious about the appearance of the uniform, on the internet I find an interesting story about 1930s working women at Woolworth's in England and the United States.  The article shows the uniforms" "Assistants were given maroon uniforms or stockman's coats, backed by a free laundry service."  I think we might imagine that Martina's school uniform was a blazer.  I think it might be more likely that she had worn a pinafore as an early grader and had advanced to a tailored dress with a specific uniform collar. 

In any case, the uniform might have signaled a future for the schoolgirl that many street people in the 1930s had a hard time imagining. 

"Black and Gold" by poet Nancy Byrd Turner

 

From the Washington School News, a 1955 Halloween Poem.  It appears on the internet and the name of the author is Nancy Byrd Turner.   Halloween is nearly here. 

This is the Swedish of the Julius Wellhagen article in the preceding blogpost

VARDAGENS SJÄLAVÅRD

Husmodern,  No. 52 1938  Page 31

"Endast den religiösa människa är modern" säger kyrkoherde Wellhagen

Vardagens själavård blir ämnet för en serie artiklar, skrivna speciellt för Husmodern av kyrkoherden, teol. lic. Julius Welhagen i Överum.  Redan i hans introduction här nedan får man en bestämd, tryggande känsla av att bakom erden står en människa som talar och tänker oberoende av dogmer, en kristen människa, som med djupt och omfattande teologiskt och socialt vetande förenar modern, praktisk livsåskådning.  Den förkunnelse han företräder och den hjälp han bjuder riktar sig till vardagens människor, liksom Jesu egen förkunnelse gjorde.  Att det föreligger ett djupt  behov av just detta slag av religiös belysning av vardagslivets problem har vi för lange sedan fått belägg på genom mängden av insändare från trötta, tvivlande, ängsligt spörjande människor, som i sin närhet sakna någon att vända sig till

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eller som måhända ej kunna förtro sig direkt till en människa.  För dem - och för oss alla som längta efter något gripbart för själen medan vi sträva i vår borgertliga näring - bör denna nya avdelning i Husmodern under 1939 bli av oskattbart värde.  Och härmed lämnar vi ordet åt kyrkoherde Wellhagen, som kalla denna sin första artikel för

Vi behöva tala ut med varandra.

När jag nu vill börja tala om höga ting och djupa frågor, kallar jag den som läser detta icke medkristen, icke syster, icke jordevandrerska utan kort och gott Du.

Själv är jag präst.  Men tänk inte på mitt namn.  Det är mitt uppsåt och mina ord som skola tala till Dig.  Jag är icke stadspräst eller motsatsen, icke modepredikant för dagen eller en särgångare, icke högkyrklig eller lågkyrklig, varken den ena eller andra gruppens man.  Jag är kort och gott en kristen utan choser och åthävor.  Men jag bor säga ut, att jag vill skänka Dig något av den andliga trygghet, some ligger uti begreppen äktkriset och äktsvenskt.

Jag förmodar att Du ibland funnit kristendomen tung, svårförstådd, obegriplig.  Precis som jag själv.  En bok med självvittnesbörd från Mose och Jeremia över Paulus. Augustinius, Luther, och Söderblom skulle övertyga Dig om religionens stötestenar.  Under mina studentår vid universitetet hade jag obegripligt svårt att uppbyggas av vad präster, professorer och predikanter predikade.  De voro bra karlar allihop, men faktiskt minns jag inte mer av det som gjorde intryck på mig

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än vad jag skulle kunna nedtckna på ett kvartsark - ett andligen vitt blad genom vitmössans tid?  Ingalunda.  Tusen gånger ingalunda.

Jag kände att livet väg gick rakt igenom min tillvaro, rakt ignenom de för en kritisk student ganska grå söndagardna, rakt igenom den gamla vishetsmättade domkyrkan.  Och vad med var!  Den vägen gjorde om allting: förvandlade småsaker till sammanhang, tillfälligheter till livslinjer, missmod till glädje och glädje till djupt och välgörande ve, vräkte undan uttjänta bördor på hjärtat och lade på nya.  Och vad som var underligast av allt: man rycktes med sådan man var, framåt, uppåt.  Den ena dagen var icke den andra lik.  Kristendomen var ett mirakel över ett litet fattigt människoliv.  Sen dess har jag lärt mig förstå tvenne ting.  Det ena:  endast den moderna människan kan vara religiös och endast den religiösa människan är modern.  Den andra: jag måste tillägna mig så mycket av kristendomen, som min ande förmår, men icke mer, om jag skall kunna bli lycklig i det som jag sålunda  äger.

Jag kan icke ge Dig det gamla receptet: att vara stilla, att drömma vid levande ljus, att vila Dig etc.  Nuet rycker an med hela sin makt.  Hus och hem, föreningar, uppgifter och yrken från lekande särintressen till pressande förvärsarbete kräva Dig.  Du är icke längre den stillsamma schalettgumman utan ställd i kampens brinnande och bistra allvar.  Det är omöjligt att tillråda världsflykt.  Och det vore föga religiöst att förmena Dig den härliga lotten att få spänna

(Forts. a sid. 48.)

krafterna, strida, verka, sköta mursleven i världen, tro, hoppas, brinna. 

Men Din värld är ofta grå, enahanda, kompliderad.  Du behöver hjälp.  För trötta mödrar ha vi vilohem.  För slitna själar behöves också något, men det får lov att vara verkningfullt, praktiskt, nående ned till Dig, där Du går och står.  Jag tror inte att Du kommer till kyrkan eller bönhuset i första rappet.  Icke heller blir Du synnerligen hjälpt med att någon påtvingade Dig kristendom.

Bliv och var Dig själv!  Klara upp det där med Din inre värld!

Du är intresserad, tvivlande, undrande i religiösa ting.  Nåväl, alltid något.

Utanför mitt fönster skjuta tolv rosenstånd upp ur rundeln.  Ett av dem skickar fram sista rosen ännu i december.  Du håller väl med mig om att det ska vara rosenrundel och icke ett blastbelamrat potatisland.  Just nu medan jag skriver glimmar aftonstjärnan fram över bergen.  Blicken drages dit, jag vet icke varför.

Du skriver inte under på allt vad bibeln säger, revolterar emot mycket i trosläran.  För att nu inte tala om djupare ting sådana som begreppen synd, förlåtelse och dyl.

Alldeles riktigt!  Stora teologer ha måst stanna vid åtskilliga punkter i bibeln, undra och gå i vördnad förbi.  Vad mänsklighetens djärva bergsbestigare i de andliga upptäckternas värld icke förmått, det må vi vardagsmänniskor resolut låta vara. 

Du finner kristendomens målsmän vara ofullkomliga, kanske något än värre.

Alldeles riktigt!

Ock dock:  genom alla motsägelser och invändningar nalkas till min vardag, om min själ vill vara sig själv, en underbar makt.  Det är kristendomen själv, uttryckt i vardagsproblem, upplysande och förklarande det ofta komplicerade nuet.  Vi förstå bättre oss själva, vi första kristendomen och överhuvudtaget tillvaron bättre, om våra vardagsproblem börja klaras upp.

Det är vardagsproblemen, som vi öppet och ärligt skola tala om.  Julius Wellhagen

Julius Wellhagen: I can not give you the old recipe : to be still, to dream by candlelight , to rest yourself , etc. The now pulls an all the power .

The Husmodern Subscription I have was in part a gift to my mother from her Aunt, Faster Emilie, the gift began at the start of 1937 and ended two issues in to 1939.  (Another subscription began in the late 1940s.) Included is an article about the visit to the United States by Kyrkoherde Wellhagen and a return to Julius Wellhagen in their last 1938 number.  Then the magazine begins a series of meditations by him.  Below I include the translation by Google of his December

article. 

 

EVERYDAY CURE OF SOULS
The housewife , no. 52 1938 Page 31

" Only the religious man is modern ," says Reverend Wellhagen

Everyday pastoral care becomes the subject of a series of articles , written specifically for the housewife of the vicar , theol Lic . Julius Welhagen Överum . Already in his introduction below to get a firm, safeguarding the feeling that behind Erden is a man who speaks and thinks independently of dogma, a Christian man who has a deep and extensive theological and social knowledge unites modern , practical outlook on life. The teachings he represents and the help he offers is aimed at everyday people, like Jesus' own preaching did. That there is a deep need of just this kind of religious illumination of the everyday problems of life do we have long ago received evidence on the amount of letters to the editor from weary , doubting , anxiously inquiring people , who in their vicinity miss someone to turn to

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or perhaps not be able to confide in directly to a human. For them - and for us all to crave something tangible for the soul while we strive in our borgertliga nutrition - should this new title in Husmodern in 1939 to be of inestimable value . And with that , we leave the floor to the vicar Wellhagen , who call this his first article for

We need to speak out with one another.

When I wanna talk about high matters and deep questions , I call the reader non fellow Christian , non sister , non jordevandrerska but in short, you .

I myself am a priest. But do not think of my name. It is my intent and my words shall speak to you. I am not the town priest , or the opposite , non- fashion preacher for the day or a särgångare , non- high-church or lågkyrklig , neither one or the other group one . I am simply a Christian without AFFECTATION and manners . But I 'll say this , I want to give you something of the spiritual security , some are UTI concepts äktkriset and äktsvenskt .

I suppose you sometimes found Christianity heavy, hard to understand , incomprehensible. Just like myself. A book of self- testimony of Moses and Jeremiah over Paul. Augustinius , Luther , and Soderblom would convince you of religion stumbling blocks. During my student years at the University , I had incomprehensibly difficult to be edified by what priests , professors and preachers preach . They were good men all of them, but actually I do not remember more of what made an impression on me

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than I could nedtckna (down cover?) at quarter past one sheet - a spiritually white leaves by sphagnum time? By no means . A thousand times no means .

I felt that life path went right through my life , straight ignenom those of a critical student rather gray söndagardna , right through the ancient wisdom saturated cathedral. And what was! The road did about everything : little things turned into context , coincidences of life lines, discouragement to joy and happiness to deep and salutary woe, threw away discarded burden on the heart , and put on new ones. And what was the Strangest of all: they were carried away by such a man was , forward, upward . One day was not like the other. Christianity was a miracle of a small poor human lives. Since then I've learned to understand two things. One : only the modern man can be religious and only the religious man 's mother. The second : I have to dedicate so much of Christianity, that my spirit can give, but no more , if I may be lucky in that I thus owns.

I can not give you the old recipe : to be still, to dream by candlelight , to rest yourself , etc. The now pulls an all the power . Home , associations, tasks and professions from spawning to special interests pushing förvärsarbete require Dig. You are no longer the quiet schalettgumman but set to struggle burning and grim earnest. It is impossible to rule world escape. And it would be a little religious to deny you the lovely parcel to tighten

( Cont. a page . 48. )

forces , fight, work , operate the trowel in the world , faith, hope , burn.

But your world is often gray , monotonous, kompliderad . You need help. For weary mothers have we rest home . For worn souls needful something , but it is allowed to be effective , practical, reaching down to you, where you walk and stand . I do not think you come to church or meeting house in the first blow . Nor are you particularly helped with that someone forced you Christianity.

Backwardness and were yourself ! Clear up that thing with your inner world !

You are interested , doubting , wondering in religious matters . Well, always something .

Outside my window shoot twelve rose stalls out roundel . One of them sends out final rose even in December. You agree well with me that it'll be the rose circle and not a blast cluttered potato . Right now as I type gleams evening star forward of the mountains. The gaze is drawn there, I do not know why.

You do not subscribe to all that the Bible says , rebelling against much of the Doctrine of the Faith . To say nothing of deeper things such as the concepts of sin , forgiveness, and the like.

Quite right ! Great theologians have had to stop at several points in the Bible , wonder and reverence go by. What mankind bold mountaineers in the spiritual discovery the world has not been able , let us everyday people resolutely let be.

You can find Christian guardians be imperfect , maybe something worse .

Quite right !

Ock though: by all the contradictions and objections approach to my everyday life , my soul wants to be herself , a wonderful power. It is Christianity itself , expressed in everyday problems , illuminating and explaining the often complicated present. We understand better ourselves, we first Christianity and unremarkable life better , about our everyday problems begin to be cleared up .

There are everyday problems that we openly and honestly talk about school . Julius Wellhagen