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May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1961-1974

Tangen Tribune Christmas Greeting Page 2

over their woolly suits wallowed in snow; there was the wonder of an unusual winter of above-zero weather (zero Fahrenheit, that is); the 3 p.m sunset drew me out of the house -- in spite of my love for the indoors -- to see the vivid colors of the sky.
   THE SPRING brought me out of my comfortable Oslo hibernation to see the people of Feiring again, to share the fun of my accumulated family history with my relatives, to enjoy spring butchering, the lambing season, the wild flowers. In May I went back to Oslo to meet my college friend of 1925 days, Hazel Hegland of St. Paul, as she came to enjoy Norway with me, to see all we could in the 15 days of her stay; Oslo, trips to Bergen and to do birdwatching and seaside living at Gudrun's cabin at Helgeroa, the parade on the nations' birthday (17de Mai) from the windows of the Parliament building with a genuine MP as our hostess, Fru Johnnesen, one of relatives of Molly Baker lent me while I was in Oslo), the American Lutheran Church and its people and activities.
   HOME AGAIN June 1st to the USA by Icelandic Airlines for three months of visiting: with Cousin Dolores in New York; with sister Gladys and her family in St. Paul; with Hazel again; with my sister Minnie in Sac City where I bedded down to real home living in June and July; with Mary Lou McGrew in Cedar Falls; with Uncle David Tangen and cousins Maleda and Hilda on my father's side showing me where our Feiring relatives had lived when they first came from Norway to Wisconsin between 1868 and 1895 and gathering more family history; with Moms cousins, Esther Galstad in Onalaska, the Kokkebys in Coon Valley, and Florence Larson in St. Paul.
   HOME AGAIN August 1st to the sisters and brothers in Minnesota, Gladys and her people big and little, Clara and her family with one foot on the farm and one in Menahga where they are building a house; Oray and his family in the excitement of seeing Sonja about to become a teacher and Carla about to go to Grand Forks to the University; Lloyd and his family, now complete with granddaughters, attending the wedding of Roger to Kathy Wilson; Chester and Mildred watching their youngest sons growing into manhood; Alvin and his family now living in their beautiful new mobile home.
   One August 14th Orays took Minnie and me to Shamineau Acres Resort where we spent two weeks and where on the 22nd we hosted the Tangen families' reunion, keyed this year to Oray and Lorine's 25th wedding anniversary. Also Uncles Christ and David represented the oldest generation and told us much of our grandparents' people and so helped to link the Norway relatives to us today.
   HOME AGAIN (for why isn't the home of the spirit as much home as the place where your physical body finds its people?) to the fellowship of Mary Lou McGrew, at Shamineau but especially as she performed the loving act of carrying me back to my job in old Mississippi. It was an experience of grace as we shared our thoughts and "explored the meaning of love and acceptance", as she said. We stopped overnight in Columbia, Missouri, and continued where we had left off in Iowa City, sharing our thoughts and rejoicing in the fellowship of Joy Block.
   HOME AGAIN to Rust College, received, welcomed, reunited with College friends and with those at Asbury Church which works hand in hand with the college. 
   HOME AGAIN to the Leontyne Price library with its beloved staff, to the beautiful building, to my new assignment as acquisitions librarian, a most welcome change. And do I am here again where work is fun and where at Christmas I move into a tiny apartment which I may call home during the following years when I hope to be useful to the College.
Joy to you all - 
May

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over their woolly suits wallowed in snow; there was the wonder of an unusual winter of above-zero weather (zero Fahrenheit, that is); the 3 p.m sunset drew me out of the house -- in spite of my love for the indoors -- to see the vivid colors of the sky. THE SPRING brought me out of my comfortable Oslo hibernation to see the people of Feiring again, to share the fun of my accumulated family history with my relatives, to enjoy spring butchering, the lambing season, the wild flowers. In May I went back to Oslo to meet my college friend of 1925 days, Hazel Hegland of St. Paul, as she came to enjoy Norway with me, to see all we could in the 15 days of her stay; Oslo, trips to Bergen and to do birdwatching and seaside living at Gudrun's cabin at Helgeroa, the parade on the nations' birthday (17de Mai) from the windows of the Parliament building with a genuine MP as our hostess, Fru Johnnesen, one of relatives of Molly Baker lent me while I was in Oslo), the American Lutheran Church and its people and activities. HOME AGAIN June 1st to the USA by Icelandic Airlines for three months of visiting: with Cousin Dolores in New York; with sister Gladys and her family in St. Paul; with Hazel again; with my sister Minnie in Sac City where I bedded down to real home living in June and July; with Mary Lou McGrew in Cedar Falls; with Uncle David Tangen and cousins Maleda and Hilda on my father's side showing me where our Feiring relatives had lived when they first came from Norway to Wisconsin between 1868 and 1895 and gathering more family history; with Moms cousins, Esther Galstad in Onalaska, the Kokkebys in Coon Valley, and Florence Larson in St. Paul. HOME AGAIN August 1st to the sisters and brothers in Minnesota, Gladys and her people big and little, Clara and her family with one foot on the farm and one in Menahga where they are building a house; Oray and his family in the excitement of seeing Sonja about to become a teacher and Carla about to go to Grand Forks to the University; Lloyd and his family, now complete with granddaughters, attending the wedding of Roger to Kathy Wilson; Chester and Mildred watching their youngest sons growing into manhood; Alvin and his family now living in their beautiful new mobile home. One August 14th Orays took Minnie and me to Shamineau Acres Resort where we spent two weeks and where on the 22nd we hosted the Tangen families' reunion, keyed this year to Oray and Lorine's 25th wedding anniversary. Also Uncles Christ and David represented the oldest generation and told us much of our grandparents' people and so helped to link the Norway relatives to us today. HOME AGAIN (for why isn't the home of the spirit as much home as the place where your physical body finds its people?) to the fellowship of Mary Lou McGrew, at Shamineau but especially as she performed the loving act of carrying me back to my job in old Mississippi. It was an experience of grace as we shared our thoughts and "explored the meaning of love and acceptance", as she said. We stopped overnight in Columbia, Missouri, and continued where we had left off in Iowa City, sharing our thoughts and rejoicing in the fellowship of Joy Block. HOME AGAIN to Rust College, received, welcomed, reunited with College friends and with those at Asbury Church which works hand in hand with the college. HOME AGAIN to the Leontyne Price library with its beloved staff, to the beautiful building, to my new assignment as acquisitions librarian, a most welcome change. And do I am here again where work is fun and where at Christmas I move into a tiny apartment which I may call home during the following years when I hope to be useful to the College. Joy to you all - May