As we drove up the narrow road and reached Grinde, the Norwegian flag, raised by Jon Erling and Heidi Oppedal, greeted us. Erik and Sidney had meet Jon Erling and his mother, Undis, in 1998. Undis, in a carefully detailed history of Grinde that she had prepared for us, ended with

April 2013 Erik Thompson - great grandson of Eirik O. Huke Grinde and daughter Brita Kristina, great, great grandaughter of Brita Eiriksdaughter Grinde, came from the U.S.A. to visit Grinde, and to find the farm which Eirik O. and Randi left - and where relative Ella Lunde lives now. Eirik was 40 when he left, Randi 31, and their daughter Brita 11 (oldest living child). At that time there were many children at Grinde, among them at the neighboring farm: John 18 years old, and sisters Brita 14, Johanna 11, Synneva 8, Kari 6. All these children lived together, played together, and went together to the school in Holūm. Now, Brita Thompson [Odegard] can meet a new Jon at the neighboring farm of her great-great-grandmother's farm, and her children Leif Kristian 13, and Lars Grinde 8, can play with Jon's children Tor Magne 11, Erlund 8, and Øvind 1½.

It's very special and great for us at Grinde to welcome the Thompson family.

And it was certainly very special for us to be in Grinde and to have such beautiful families to greet us! We thank them all for their wonderful hospitality.