[Ed Note. To put the 30 crowns and 26 crowns Iver mentions into perspective, Sigurd says in his letter a bag of corn seed costs over 20 crowns and a letter in 1919 from Svein Skaar claims that Iver got 2000 crowns from the insurance company following the death of his son Sigurd]

Solaas 22nd October 1911
Beloved Son Allert !

I received your letter twenty days ago, so it is not too early to write back to you. I was very surprised as I saw that the letter contained a proof of so much money you would help us with. As then IVAR [Edvard, his youngest son] got the Letter at the post office in Skor and then said that I shall come down to receive money from America. I went and had the money counted up, every crown and ears, as per the proof. You can imagine that I was happy although the money is a loan from you. I will therefore wish and pray that the Lord will give you good health and his help to get back here to us, and we have a lot to thank for, we are all at good health.

Now the summer is over, and I must say that we have had a medium year. Presently I have worked at the same (?) and I had thought to complete it this autumn. This summer I hired a man a few days to help me with the land reclamation, as there are very big rocks in the soil, which all went into the drainage ditches. I have reclaimed over 2 maal [about 1/2 acre] of land, and I reaped much ... and corn this harvest.

Just now we are repairing our part of the fences. We are replacing 100 m agains Skaard , and (I) bought 70 m net and fence posts from HANS SOLAAS [Ivar's cousin and the owner of the larger, adjoining Solaas farm] this summer. So most of the money you sent us has to be used for paying bills. Now I`ve been at an auction in Hovlandsmarken and bought 8 pinetrees which cost over 30 crowns. They must be taken to Loneland to be sawn there. HANS bought 1 pine tree for himself, (but) he has not clad his house with boards, so he`ll probably sell whatever he finds of timber.

Grandmother there home (with ANNE and HANS) [Anne is the name of Hans's wife and also of his mother] travelled to Bergen with IDA and RASMUS this summer, they were visiting a trip. Now she`s gotten so ill that they expect the death to take her any day. Our OLUFINE [later Olga Mortenson -- 16 years old at this writing] has gone to serve in Bergen this vinter, did MEKELI travel to Ole Politibetjent (Policeofficer) Sørensen Skar.

Mother is alone on her part, it is a really needed that SIGURD [14 years old] is a Confirmant this spring. We have received a letter from OLUFINE since she left, she`s well off she says and asks us to send her best wishes and ask where you are living. But I today, Sunday 19th onwards, came to think of it that we have received a postcard from you for which I have to say many thanks. You ask where they live at Bortnem . MARTHE [Ivar's oldest daughter - about 27 years old at this writing] and DANKERT were here 8 days ago they were all at good health [A letter to Alert from 'Bortnem' on 2/18/1912 is postmarked Dale and signed Danker and Martha Bortnem]. This summer as I was down there, I promised each of their two boys a lamb [Martha eventually had 3 boys, Sigrid, Ingolf and Alfred], which they were here and received: Together they have received a sales bill for the farm ... After they have costed (repair expenses) to the houses, the debt will be 26 crowns ... shall they pay for the farm, so you see it`s not much substance there. And they have been living here at our cost all of their time and so has MARTHA, she`s even opposing mother ... they are not allowed to loan any more money on their farm, and wants us to lend them money since they know that I have paid myself free at the Bank in Dale. I`ll not do that, I have a hard time to save myself. Even I am in debt. MARTHA had a sheep and a lamb so she has already received her inheritance. We have to be very successful if 7 children [Martha, Alert, Dorothea, Lovisa, Olufine, Sigurd, Edvard] shall become so much each.

If you have or get money then it is better not to lend them away. When you then come home and shall use your money you`ll understand that it will only be a misery to reclaim the money, but for me you may do as you like. Think how useful it would have been to buy a mowing machine for our farm here [had Alert talked of the mowing machine he used in North Dakota?]; this if you are thinking of coming back, and then you will have your three years military service, and if we live that day will I not be in health to mow by hand. This summer I laid down a lot of ( work??in the farm) and will still continue to do so.

A loving embrace from us all
Ivar Anfindsen

( Upside down:) We have received the pictures of uncle Ole
Give our best regards to the uncle.

[Uncle Ole Waagseth was dead about a year by this time -- a letter to Alert dated 10/31/1910 mentions that uncle is dead. Martha's letter to Alert about 4 months later makes reference to Ole being dead. Surely Ivar knew of Ole's death by now since he's obviously received a letter from Alert. Could this uncle be Henry Waagseth, Ole's brother?]