[00:00:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: This is an oral history interview for Nordic American Voices Oral History Program at the National Nordic Museum. We are at the National Nordic Museum today. It is June 20th, 2026, and we have the pleasure of interviewing Tor Henry Tollessen.

[00:00:31] Tor Tollessen: Correct. How about that?

[00:00:34] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Welcome. We are delighted you are here, and we get to hear your life story, both the part in Norway and also your illustrious life here in the Seattle area.

[00:00:50] Tor Tollessen: Thank you.

[00:00:50] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So why don't you start by telling us your full name, and tell us when and where you were born.

[00:00:59] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. That's a... The name is a strange one 'cause, you know, that, uh, I was born right after the war, September 7, 1945. So when, uh, so, uh, right after the war closed, the, the Second World War. And there's an old history there, you know, so you have to have a name after your grandparents or great-grandparents.

[00:01:19] So, so I, my name was baptized Tor Henry, which is after Tollerson Hannah, was my grandparents. But then the pra- pre- uh, preacher there says, "No, you need also the father's name." He, he was, his name was Anders. So I had, uh, name Tor Henry Anderson Tollerson, which is my, uh, my, my surname. And then the farm I'm from is Akre.

[00:01:44] So I'm just like a Spanish lord, Tor Henry Anderson Tollerson Akre. And I had no idea I had more than three names, you know, till I got my passport, you know, and birth certificate. But here, you know, you sign everything, uh, uh, owning a boat, you have to have 30 pages of signing, so I had to change my name. So, uh, when I become a citizen in 1972, I, I ha- my name is Tor H. A. Tollerson. Okay. Um, so, and like I said, I was born in Karmøy, and, and, uh, um, an island. There w- there was a brid- there wasn't even a bridge when I was born. They, they made the bridge when, uh, in 1955, and I was 10 years old. And, uh, uh, Kon- uh, Kronprins Olav, uh, he was, he was, uh, Kronprins at the time. He came to cut the, the slefa, opening the bridge.

[00:02:44] So, uh, three of us buddy, two, and my brothers, we decided to go and see that. That's about, uh, bus trip of about an hour almost from, from my island to the, to the, between Haugesund and, uh, Saur. And, uh, so there was lots of people, so we couldn't get, so we climbed on the outside of the fence of this bridge.

[00:03:04] It be... You know, we got all the way, almost all the way to where he cut the rib- but the police come and got us, pulled us over - ... and shipped us back again. So we were close to Olav, I mean, to Kronprins Olav, which I told him later when I met him.

[00:03:21] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Did you get to see the ribbon cutting when he-

[00:03:23] Tor Tollessen: Oh, yes, yes

[00:03:24] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... oh, you did

[00:03:24] Tor Tollessen: But, uh, I was next to that. We were, uh, but 10 minutes before the, the opening, we were probably three feet away, four feet away. We was right there on the outside of the bridge, you know. But then come and police came and took us and-

[00:03:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Okay

[00:03:38] Tor Tollessen: ... shipped us down to the mainland.

[00:03:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good.

[00:03:40] Tor Tollessen: Anyway, so I, uh, at the time, uh, we only had, uh, seven years of schooling. It was mandatory. Uh, probably when you were growing up also. And, uh, we started seven and was finished at 14. And of course, we also went Saturdays, so we, we had some... And we only had two months vacation, so we had a lot of hours in there, which we needed 'cause

[00:04:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:04:06] Tor Tollessen: We fe- there wasn't that much education on the island. But I went on, uh, after, after school, I went on to weld school, they call it, which a few of us went, you know, to...

[00:04:18] And then I went into electronic, uh, uh, electrical. So I had a technical school after. So when I, I, uh, became 19 and were finished, I got a degree in that te- technical course and, or school. And, um, at 19, so I figured, boy, I'm, I'm, I'm pretty sharp. So I went to New York, and I had a guarantist, you know, the, somebody had to put up $300.

[00:04:45] So, uh, so you could come, uh, I mean, if something goes wrong, they use that $300 to ship you home. So my dad told me, he says, "My cousin," uh, my, my dad's cousin guaranteed for me. But he, he was a big boy in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He had a big New Bedford Ship Supply. So he says, "Oh, now you go and thank him.

[00:05:06] Thank him in the hand, look him in the eyes, thank him, and don't ever ask him again. If you got in trouble, for, find, find a plank." He said, "Find a frigging plank and paddle home." Sorry, language. I m- I m- I, he, he, he, he didn't mean it literally, but I mean the- No ... no, no, don't ask for help. Don't ask for help.

[00:05:27] That was a shameful thing.

[00:05:29] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:05:30] Tor Tollessen: So, as a matter of fact, when I got there, uh, uh, I had $100... We had to have $100 when we came, and I needed, uh, s- s-... $36, something like that, for ticket to, uh, New Bedford. There was no, there was no airplane there, so I had to take a bus to, to Rhode- from Rh- Rhode Island into New Bedford.

[00:05:51] And I got to the store, that New Bedford Ship Supply, and I met some friends, uh, kids that was a little older than me, and they were in s- b- buying gloves to go fishing, scallop fishing. So I asked them, "How, how about job?" "Nah, we, we, we have 12 people, you know, so we're full, but sometimes we have a shack, uh, kinda like a trainee type of deal.

[00:06:14] Um, you know, so, and the skipper, he's, he's coming, uh, uh, also picking up gloves." So I ask him. So I went over to him, happened to be Coronet-

[00:06:25] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:06:25] Tor Tollessen: ... Which was a big sponsor here. Um, so he says, "Who are you?" I says, "Well," I told him. He says, "Oh, yeah, I went to school with your aunt. You're hired," he said. I, I was there two hours, and I had a job.

[00:06:36] Yeah, I went fishing that same day. How lucky to run into Coronet. Yeah, kind of. That, that's what I'm saying. It isn't how good you are.

[00:06:43] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:06:43] Tor Tollessen: You know, I thought I was a sharp guy, you know, but it had nothing to do with my schooling. I had to do my, I had to go fish scallop. Yeah. No- nobody wanted to hire me as chronically electrically.

[00:06:53] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good.

[00:06:54] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:06:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And then?

[00:06:56] Tor Tollessen: And then. So I was there, and then of course I was gonna go to the Technical High School in Trondheim, and I had a year to do it in. So I figured, well, America it's, um... Yeah, I gotta tell a cute story. I figured America, greatest land in the world, you know? And then I was on fishing boats since I was, uh, 12, 13, 14 in the summertime.

[00:07:17] And in America, I says, "That, that fancy land, I probably ha- get my own stateroom. Maybe I get a TV in my stateroom," I was thinking. You know, when I come on board, it was a brand-new boat. It was a wooden boat and built in 1965, you know, just earlier than that, that year. I didn't even get the frigging bunk. You know, there was only 12 bunk on it.

[00:07:38] I was the 13 guy on board, so I had a hack bunk they call it. Somebody else slept, and we have shifts, you know. So our shifts-

[00:07:44] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Sleeping.

[00:07:44] Tor Tollessen: ... So somebody else slept it, and then, then I got to-

[00:07:47] Daniel Kaylor: Switch out

[00:07:48] Tor Tollessen: ... but, so I got a warm bunk all the time. Yeah. Anyway, so I had an idea of, of, uh, making $10,000 and a car, American car. So I was gonna go to Trondheim and impor- uh, impress the girls, you know, 'cause, uh, I had hair, but I wasn't that impressive, so . And, uh, and I didn't make that, so, but I, I did, when I finally got home, took me a few years, four years, then I had an American car and $10,000.

[00:08:21] But I, uh, scallop was a boring fishery, so I heard of king crab in Alaska. So I figured I s- I s- was there for a year, saved up some money, and bought a ticket to Seattle and, and start looking for a job in Alaska. And, uh, I didn't get one. There was, uh, tremendous ... There was few yo- jobs and very well paid. So I got there on the, on the, on the docks, you know, and I found a friend there, and he says he knew I was electrical, so I, I got the job.

[00:08:57] I think he paid me $1.60 an hour. Journeyman scale was $3.60, but anyway, so I, I took anything. You know, I had to eat. I, I took in on a hotel up there in, uh, in Ballard Avenue. Uh, King Hotel was the name of it. Seven days, seven days a, a week cafe, $1 a day per night. There was 20 rooms and one bathroom. We had, well, had a, we had a sink in the ba- in the, in the room though, so, and I stayed there for six months before I went on.

[00:09:30] So I went, uh, on the, on the job here and, uh, then, uh, uh, Olaf Lunde, Lunde Electric, he, uh, he wasn't even there at the time. He was in California, but anyway, his foreman came and, you know, so I, I needed parts so, so when I was done with that, the job, he says, "You wanna go work for us?" I says, "Well, I was gonna go fishing, but, uh, I, I have to eat, so yes."

[00:09:55] So then I got a raise, I got a journeyman scale, and I got $3.60 an hour. And I worked there for a full year, almost a full year, and I think I had about 12, thir- 13, 14,000 with overtime. So then I finally got the king crab job, and I went fishing king crab, and I think I made $36,000 in, in three months. So I went from full year 30, 13,000 to king crab 36,000 in three months.

[00:10:25] Daniel Kaylor: And Colin, the crab fishing wasn't boring like-

[00:10:28] Tor Tollessen: No, it wasn't boring either. Of course, for sure. That was climbing-

[00:10:32] Daniel Kaylor: Like scallop

[00:10:32] Tor Tollessen: ... but, but, you know, when you were 20 you can, uh ... I could hang after one arm, no problem-

[00:10:36] Daniel Kaylor: Yes

[00:10:36] Tor Tollessen: ... at all, so we could climb. So, uh, next year, as later met Olaf, you know, and, and, uh, Lunde, and so I was gonna go, uh, fishing then I had, then I gotten a job, so but I was gonna take three months of the year only, the peak of it, you know, 'cause, you know, I mean, I for one thing, I got seasick and I wasn't, you know, I didn't wanna be a fisherman the rest of my life, but the money I couldn't say no to So I says, "Olaf, I, I'm gonna go fishing here now after I've been there for 10 months." He says, "Well, no, I, I just gave you a raise." I, he made me a lead man. Uh, that was, uh, not so good 'cause here I'm Norwegian.

[00:11:17] I was the youngest one there, and then I was in charge of four people, you know, and, uh, and so... But he gave me 15 cents a raise, an hour. So I said, "Olaf, you know," I told him the same story, the numbers. He said, "Well, pack your bag." So I guess I'm fired, which I wasn't gonna leave for another two weeks, you know?

[00:11:37] So I took my stuff, and I went outside the building over there on 24th and Market Street. He says, "Where are you going?" I says, "Well, didn't you fire me?" "No, that was a few minutes ago. You stay till the mess," and so on. And we did that for, he fired me nine times. I never been fired b- except by Olaf, but not one time, nine times, but he hired me 10 times.

[00:12:04] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:12:04] Tor Tollessen: So, so that's, that started with, um, with, um, king crab industry. Now, that, and that was with, uh, John Shung.

[00:12:13] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:12:14] Tor Tollessen: I went with John Shung, and later I fished with Maggie and Corey Nash, too. And he was a good, uh, donator here, too. I, I have a huge story about that, by the way. Yeah. I, I c- uh, you, you tell me. I-

[00:12:29] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Please

[00:12:29] Tor Tollessen: I'm jumping all over the place here.

[00:12:30] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: No, we, we want to hear anything you have to tell us.

[00:12:34] Tor Tollessen: But, uh, m- fast-forward for 50 years when, uh, when, uh, I was on the board for the Nordic Museum, National Nordic Museum at, uh, Nordic Heritage Museum at that time. So we were gonna try to bum money, don- f- get people to bon-, donate money.

[00:12:52] So I was Captain Sig. He was the, the, the fancy, uh, Deadliest Catch captain, you know, so he decided we can put a dinner together. He w- him and his wife was gonna put up the dinner. I'm gonna invite a whole bunch of rich fishermen, crab fishermen, so we had about 28 people over there as guests and all line up in two tables.

[00:13:13] And so I was gonna stand up, and the, the reason for you being invited to a, to a free dinner, you know, 'cause most of these, uh, guys, fishermen are from Sundvoe. Well, John Shung's from Sundvoe, and they, they don't know how to swim 'cause- ... they, they go this all the, all the time, you know? They, they want everything.

[00:13:34] But anyway, so I was do, standing up, and John Shung was there. Eric Breivik, uh, was there. Maynard Langseth, uh, Co- Corey, anyway, so, uh, I stood up and explaining this is the purpose of having here, so we can, uh, get a little tax write-off money, you know? Most of you pay too much taxes you claim anyway, so why not donate some?

[00:14:00] So, uh, so, um, uh, John says, "How much are you gonna give?" Well, I'm not in your guys's, uh, range, you know, but there's a story in the Bible I, I, I, I, I caught onto. The, the widow. The widow gave four pennies. All she had, she gave four penny. All of what she owned she gave to the mission. And, uh, and, and the rich guy gave many denarius.

[00:14:25] And who gave the most? She gave, you know. I'm in the same situation. I will give relative to me, so maybe I'm gonna put in 10, 20,000 I said. But think of it, it's a relative, you know? Yeah. So, so, so Eric was next, you know, next to me, and John was on the seat. Well, so he says, Eric says, "I gonna pay... I'm gonna match John, Shung."

[00:14:51] 'Cause he figured he's the cheapest guy there, so he was gonna give as a match. "Okay," John said, "$1 million."

[00:14:59] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[00:14:59] Tor Tollessen: What? Are you crazy, Eric? But then he already said it in front of 28 people, so he had to commit to the million dollar too. He never thought.

[00:15:08] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Wow.

[00:15:09] Tor Tollessen: They had the money, but, you know, instinctively of giving it away, you know, at first you, you create money. When you come from nothing and you have a little bit-

[00:15:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah

[00:15:16] Tor Tollessen: ... you wanna make sure your next generation or third generation is taken care of, so.

[00:15:20] Daniel Kaylor: So you're gonna tell us how this continues with the rest of these-

[00:15:24] Tor Tollessen: No, no, that was, that was the two big ones. Wow. So we got some money. We got quite a bit of money actually, so.

[00:15:30] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: I think that is so wonderful, and that you related it to your own story and-

[00:15:38] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Well, and they knew. I mean, they-

[00:15:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... and then asked for their participation.

[00:15:42] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Doesn't matter.

[00:15:42] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So good.

[00:15:43] Tor Tollessen: But you know how it is making money. If you make a dollar, it doesn't matter. The one that, uh, saves, uh, 99 cents is still gonna be richest in the, in the purse.

[00:15:52] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:15:52] Tor Tollessen: But in life maybe.

[00:15:54] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Exactly. Good.

[00:15:55] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:15:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So what year was that?

[00:15:58] Tor Tollessen: Uh, this was, uh... That was the f- Well, the first drive to get money, the only one that had given money before that was Einar Petersen and those guys when we bought the property here, you know- Yeah ... for the, you know. So this must have been, uh, what, at least 10 years prior to the building.

[00:16:17] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:16:17] Tor Tollessen: You know? So that's the-

[00:16:18] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: I think our main-

[00:16:20] Tor Tollessen: You were there

[00:16:21] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... fundraising started in 2008 when the economy was-

[00:16:26] Tor Tollessen: Yes, yes, I was there. I think I-

[00:16:28] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... so bad ...

[00:16:28] Tor Tollessen: I've been, I've been, I've been here two terms now, so-

[00:16:31] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:16:31] Tor Tollessen: This is my second term, so that's, uh, is it nine, nine years or? Yeah. So, so I, it, it's my 17th or 18th year, so-

[00:16:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah

[00:16:39] Tor Tollessen: so that was in that time.

[00:16:40] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good.

[00:16:41] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, so that could be... Yeah

[00:16:47] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Ok..

[00:16:47] Tor Tollessen: and then of course, of course, what the biggest boy, you know, was, uh, Alan, you know?

[00:16:53] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Alan Osberg.

[00:16:54] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. And, and of course Einar was there. He was the vice president. He was, you know, I did a lot of work for him, you know, and he had a lot of boat, and his, his, uh, father was a good friend of mine, you know, Einar Sr.

[00:17:07] So, uh, so there, I got a good story there too. Uh, when they bought the boat, you know, at that time I had Lunde Marine Electronics, you know, which I started, you know, with, with partners. And, and so they were gonna b- build a restaurant, the fancy new crab boat or dragger. And so, uh, we were just starting. We started in '77, I think, Lunde Marine Electronics, and this was '78.

[00:17:37] So he came and, uh, won the prize for this, uh, all the new electronics on the boat. So, uh, which was, uh, I can't remember, a quarter million, you know, say. And, and but, uh, the biggest competitor, the biggest electronic dealer, was Northwest Instrument. So they went on over to Northwest Instrument. Um, Einar Jr., Because he, he was, uh, he wasn't quite Sundmaring, but he was a Nordlending. So he went this, you know, I think, eh. So, so I think, uh, they went over, they had a price for me, and he went over to Northwest Instrument, and, uh, I think it was 6 to $10,000 cheaper than me. So Einar, Einar, of course, figured the, the cheapest place is what they're gonna buy.

[00:18:24] So, so Einar, uh, you know, "We'll go back to Tor again. Maybe we can get it under that." So, uh, so he came back and told him that was, uh, 8, $10,000 cheaper. And he says, "Well, I guess I can match." You know, uh, you know, I don't, I, I'm not a businessman. You know, I'm just a technical guy, you know, and, and this is how much it's gonna cost us.

[00:18:45] I figured we need a certain amount to pay it all, all of that stuff. So he said, "But I can match that, you know, for, you know, 'cause I figured, you, I'll get you back next year maybe." So, so I did. And then Einar Jr., you know, uh, he went back to Northwest again. And, uh, and, uh, the owner of, uh, of, uh, Northwest, he says, "Well, uh, I, I don't wanna do that."

[00:19:13] He says, uh, you know, "W- of course, for one thing, Tor, they, they, they can't do the job, and you just started up. You can't do the job in the first place." So, and I, of course, I've taken care of old man Einar's boat, Susan, and, uh, for two years by that time myself, you know. And so he said, he grabbed Einar, his son, "Come over to me.

[00:19:34] Write him a check." He, he made me write a check. Says, "You know, we don't need that, uh, Einar. No, you're not gonna get the, uh, stuff for another three months. Write him a check," he told him. Young Einar had to write me a full check for the full sum, and the full sum that I originally ... So sometimes, uh, being the cheapest isn't all that best.

[00:19:56] Not that best. Yeah.

[00:19:58] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: How great.

[00:19:59] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, so a lot of good stories like that, and, uh, peop- people, you know, wanted, they wanted you to succeed. They wanted to help you, you know? And, uh, then you don't know when you're learning the business, and as a goal, I was a engineering type of, uh, technical type of guy, not a business guy, so you had to learn.

[00:20:19] And when you screw up, you have to do better next time.

[00:20:21] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah.

[00:20:23] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:20:24] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So what drew you to Seattle?

[00:20:27] Tor Tollessen: Uh, king crab, Alaska. Okay. You know, like I, I was gonna go back to school, but I had a year. But of course, when I finally come back, you know, they didn't know about, you know, I was, I was stricken from the lines, you know, 'cause there was supply.

[00:20:44] I mean, you, uh, you, hard to get into the technical school in them days, you know. So but, uh, but, um, king crab, uh, did the trick. And, and like I says, that took me to get my $10,000 in American car. I bought a Chevy Chevelle Malibu, and I drove it from, uh, New, uh, h- from here to New York and put it on American Li- uh, you know, American Line to ship it to Norway.

[00:21:10] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Did you sell it to Norway or take it with you?

[00:21:12] Tor Tollessen: No, I, I, I'm, I was on the boat myself, and then, uh, for 300, for $400, you could ship your car.

[00:21:19] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:21:19] Tor Tollessen: Uh, 350, and for $50 you could take it back again. So I took it to Norway, had it there for a couple months. I was vacationing. And then I took, sailed it back to New York, and I drove from New York to, to Seattle.

[00:21:34] And it took me, uh, I think I, I drove eight hours to Chicago, and I bought a hamburger and a milkshake. And then, uh, then I, when I started there, I drove for 33 hours straight and, uh, to ... And I still ha- had the bite of my hamburger left when I got to Seattle. And I ate No- No-Doz, you know, 'cause I was falling asleep.

[00:21:55] And when I come, you know, I, I was engaged at the time, so my, my w- wife now, and she w- took me right to the hospital because I was shaking. I couldn't control anything.

[00:22:06] Daniel Kaylor: Oh.

[00:22:07] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So how did you meet Ingrid, and when was that?

[00:22:11] Tor Tollessen: Uh, that was in, I can't help, excuse me. I came. I was a year on the East Coast and I came here in '66, July. And, uh, she was a high schooler. She was just, uh, finishing high school, a senior in high school. And her dad had, uh, the Ballard Tavern. Inky Bo- Bo was his name. He was an old American football s- uh, player. He was born in Norway when he was nine years when he came here, in Bergen area.

[00:22:49] And then he, he was a quarterback for the Oregon Ducks. And so he was a, uh, you know, he was a pretty famous quarterback. He was a professional player after that. But anyway, so he had a tavern. He broke his leg, so no insurance for those guys, so he had to ... Di- different story. So he had the Ballard Tavern, like I said, and lots of Norwegian hang out there, you know, 'cause he could speak a little Norwegian, and lots of fishermen here in Ballard.

[00:23:15] So h- her, her, Ingrid's mother, she was born in Leipzig, Germany. She came here as a seven year, seven, seven-year-old, and he was a nine-year-old. And she didn't drive. And, uh, the, the, the summer I went, uh, Inky went to Alaska for three months, uh, in the fishing camps there. So her, his mother and her, her grandfather and they hired a girl to ro- rotate the shifts.

[00:23:40] So, uh, the afternoon shift was, uh, her mo- uh, Margot, was ... And then she didn't drive, and they lived up on, uh, up in, uh- Third Avenue over there, 44th and Third Avenue. So he ca- she came and picked her up, but she was too young to go in, so he sat in the, in the bar, in the, in the street in the car. And me and my, and my cousin, Jonas Jacobson, which, uh, knew them, you know, knew her.

[00:24:09] And so she went on a hot summer day, and she had shorts on. And so I, I went over. I came from my hotel, King Hotel, and I was gonna go and have, have something to eat at the smoke shop. At Smorg- at Smorgasbord. And, uh, and, uh, so, so I stuck in, uh, my head in the window just, uh, after she- Una's introduced us. I says, "Well, I like your legs."

[00:24:36] You know? I said, "Beautiful legs." You know, I mean, I, I, I, I wasn't trying to flirt. I, I just liked her legs, you know? Red hair and, and leg. And, uh, and of course she thought I was a maniac, you know? But I- ... I went there. I, I didn't drank- drink at the time, so I went to a bar and had Pepsi Cola. And her mom really liked me, so she-

[00:24:58] Daniel Kaylor: Oh, good

[00:24:59] Tor Tollessen: so she kind of, "Go after that guy. Go after that guy." So I had a lot of help from my mother-in-law.

[00:25:05] Daniel Kaylor: Which is good, I guess.

[00:25:06] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, which is good, yeah. I mean, uh, uh, her father, he, I don't think he agreed with me at, uh, unless I fixed something for him.

[00:25:13] Daniel Kaylor: Oh.

[00:25:13] Tor Tollessen: But her mother was always agreeing with, almost. So the famous mother-in-law, that, mine was the best one.

[00:25:20] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Oh, good.

[00:25:22] Daniel Kaylor: She didn't follow that stereotypical mother-in-law-

[00:25:27] Tor Tollessen: No. No, exactly

[00:25:28] Daniel Kaylor: ... story?

[00:25:28] Tor Tollessen: I cannot remember that she, she, uh, she might not always agree with me, but she never talked aga- against me. But, you know, they had an old house, and I was good with my hands, so I fixed a lot of stuff, plumbing and electrical.

[00:25:42] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: That helped.

[00:25:43] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, that helped.

[00:25:44] Daniel Kaylor: So you never got out, back out on a boat?

[00:25:48] Tor Tollessen: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:25:49] Daniel Kaylor: Oh, you did go-

[00:25:49] Tor Tollessen: So, oh, yeah, I, uh, ended up owning, uh-

[00:25:52] Daniel Kaylor: You did ...

[00:25:52] Tor Tollessen: Quite a few boats with John Chong. Uh, part own.

[00:25:54] Daniel Kaylor: Oh, okay.

[00:25:54] Tor Tollessen: I, I never owned a boat completely except for a little one. But-

[00:25:58] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Tell us the succession of, of that.

[00:26:03] Tor Tollessen: Well, I, I, like I said, I, I went, uh, with John Chong on the Olympic, you know, which, it was a highliner. And, and I got to choose ... John was such a good engineer. He had a skipper's license and a, and a engineer's, uh, license, but he couldn't do both, you know? So, and, and he was afraid of electrical, so he, uh, so he could, so I didn't know nothing about engines at the time, but I would took care of electrical. So he, I- ... because of that reason. And then we become friends. And, and, uh, when he bought another boat, I was part of that boat. So I had, I had three, three or four boats, uh, together with him, a- as, as, as a small part own, 20%, 30, 33%, 30%, you know?

[00:26:47] And then I was, uh, partner with, uh, Magni Ness on, uh, in about, also a small percentage, you know? Is that Cory Ness' son? No, brother. Brother. He was, uh- Okay ... Cory Ness- He, he was the first job I had in New Bedford. He had the Viking Queen there. Yeah. And then so I came here in '66, and he came here with a boat in, in '68 and start fishing scallop here.

[00:27:10] By that time, Mag- Magni and Rudy Peterson, they were the highliners. Sammy Elder from the Sundava. And, you know, they were the, the two high- hardest. They, they, they caught the most crab and make the most money. And I think, uh, Magni ended up with about, uh ... I think he had nine boats, uh, at one time. But John Chung was right behind him, and I think he had seven.

[00:27:34] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Is that right? Oh, good.

[00:27:35] Tor Tollessen: Oh, yeah, with, with partners. You know, normally they ... You're with only three or four-man crew-

[00:27:42] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:27:42] Tor Tollessen: In the days and make good money. You know, you could ... Olympic, I think, was paid for in a little over a year. The, the, the cost of building the boat was paid for, you know, and then the boat only took, uh, about 60% of prices.

[00:27:57] Daniel Kaylor: For those that don't know, what do- what is the meaning of highliner-

[00:28:01] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:28:01] Tor Tollessen: y- y- yeah, highliner is the- ...

[00:28:03] Daniel Kaylor: In relation to ...

[00:28:04] Tor Tollessen: yeah, those, those are the best, the, the 8-10% of the best boats, you know.

[00:28:09] Daniel Kaylor: Oh, okay.

[00:28:10] Tor Tollessen: 'Cause I mean, it's on, on a limited quota, so, you know, I can get 100,000 pounds. Uh, you ... or you can get 200,000 pound. You get 300,000, you're the highliner. The rest is, uh-

[00:28:21] Daniel Kaylor: So it's a-

[00:28:21] Tor Tollessen: And the peddler is the one that's in the bottom, and course lots of people-

[00:28:25] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Uh-huh.

[00:28:25] Tor Tollessen: ... Are good fishermen. But-

[00:28:26] Daniel Kaylor: So it's a monetary and a-

[00:28:29] Tor Tollessen: Exactly ...

[00:28:30] Daniel Kaylor: Best catch-

[00:28:31] Tor Tollessen: Best catch ...

[00:28:32] Daniel Kaylor: Based-

[00:28:32] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, because the money, uh, money was the same, the same price for everybody. You know, we had at that days was nine cents a pound. Uh, then we went to twen- 12 cents a pound, and then we got up to 18 cents a pound when I fishing. I fished for that for 19 season.

[00:28:45] Daniel Kaylor: But why is-

[00:28:46] Tor Tollessen: But now, now, the last, uh, the king crab was paid, they got 27 or $28 a pound for live crab this year.

[00:28:55] Daniel Kaylor: But, so how does this matter? Why, what's the-

[00:28:59] Tor Tollessen: Well, it's, it's, uh, all, all about mon-

[00:29:02] Daniel Kaylor: Other than the status?

[00:29:03] Tor Tollessen: All about money. Yes, stat- status is-

[00:29:05] Daniel Kaylor: Money, status ...

[00:29:05] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. If, if you're highliner, uh, uh, uh, for example, you are the sort of ... You were good last year and the go year before that.

[00:29:13] Daniel Kaylor: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:13] Tor Tollessen: You know, you, you, you pay the same amount to crews.

[00:29:17] Daniel Kaylor: Yeah.

[00:29:17] Tor Tollessen: But some crew is bad, some is not so g- so, so good, and some is p- bad. But, uh, all the good crews wanna go with the highliner. Course, so you the, you are the one that catches the fish, the skipper. The rest of us, you know, we would ... To get a s- share that, we get equal share. So we wanna, we wanna hi- hire. If you are become reputation of a good, uh, engineer, a good deckhand, good cook, you wanna go with the highliner. It's 'cause we don't know, had no diploma at sea.

[00:29:47] Daniel Kaylor: No.

[00:29:48] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Hard work.

[00:29:50] Tor Tollessen: Hard work, yeah.

[00:29:51] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. So you went from first scallops-

[00:29:54] Tor Tollessen: Yes.

[00:29:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... Then to crab.

[00:29:56] Tor Tollessen: Yes. Uh, uh, a- a- and, and also, uh, we, uh, we, uh, then the trawling came about, the pollock trawling, the, the codfish. So I was into that, too, for a couple years. I fished for, uh, when I was a partner with Magni Ness on, uh, on Aurora, I think I fished there for three years total. I mean, uh, 'cause I, I, I, I had Lunde Marine Electronic at that time, but I had a partner there, so he took over that m- uh-

[00:30:23] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:30:24] Tor Tollessen: ... Shop, and then I went. But, of course, my... I didn't like it, and my wife didn't like it, so I... But I had to 'cause we had a big loan on it and paid a big, uh, big, uh, y- interest. We went up to, was it 20, 22% we paid?

[00:30:40] 22% on a loan.

[00:30:42] Daniel Kaylor: Yikes.

[00:30:43] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. And, uh, yeah, so anyway. Anyway, I guess that's all, all is a- a- about money in the fishing industry. Well, well, most business is all about money, you know, but, uh, in, in, in many industries you can have a good living. You go home at night and sleep at night. Over there, you can't. Uh, you know, you become a family.

[00:31:07] You spend, uh ... The crab fishermen in them days, they fished 10 months of the year. And, and you become family with the one that you live with for 12 years. You, you knew your, your roommate or your fishing mate better than you did your family, your wife and your, your children.

[00:31:23] Daniel Kaylor: Right. I always, on a personal note, I always thought I was the only person in Ballard High School that either didn't work on a fish boat or work in a cannery.

[00:31:34] Tor Tollessen: Right.

[00:31:35] Daniel Kaylor: But I'd hear these stories about-

[00:31:37] Tor Tollessen: Right ...

[00:31:38] Daniel Kaylor: Making big money, you know?

[00:31:39] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah.

[00:31:40] Daniel Kaylor: Friends of mine. But-

[00:31:41] Tor Tollessen: Yeah ...

[00:31:41] Daniel Kaylor: On the flip side, apparently it was-

[00:31:43] Tor Tollessen: Right ...

[00:31:44] Daniel Kaylor: When you, when you're getting a share-

[00:31:47] Tor Tollessen: Yeah ...

[00:31:47] Daniel Kaylor: Of, there may not be a profit.

[00:31:50] Tor Tollessen: No.

[00:31:51] Daniel Kaylor: Then you're-

[00:31:51] Tor Tollessen: That, that, that has happened one time too, to me even

[00:31:55] Daniel Kaylor: So that tips the balance.

[00:31:56] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah. You could, course, I mean, it, uh-

[00:31:58] Daniel Kaylor: The good years ...

[00:31:58] Tor Tollessen: King crab was pretty steady, and dragging is pretty steady. But, uh, but things right now, it isn't, uh, it isn't a luxury anymore 'cause you have a quota set now.

[00:32:09] Daniel Kaylor: Mm-hmm.

[00:32:09] Tor Tollessen: So if you don't get the fish in that quota, you know, then y- you lose money. And I, in, in 1967, I think, I was, I, I, I, before I went crab fishing, I went to job in the Bristol Bay fishing salmon, and I was gonna get a third of the share.

[00:32:30] Uh, the, the, the, the, the, my partner, the one that had the, the, was owned by Queen Fishery, he was a No- no- Northerning, by the way, that owns Queen Fishery.

[00:32:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yeah?

[00:32:39] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Anyway, so, uh, so th- they owned the boat, so the, the boat took a, a third, and he took a third, you know. And he had a link, so he got, so he got about 60%, and I was gonna get a third.

[00:32:54] But anyway, so, uh, so when the season was over, it was a lousy season, so we only had about $700 stuck with for two months up there, and then $700 and, uh, uh, the fare up there was about $150, $60. So, uh, and, and my partner, Jakob, uh ... Anyway, he, he had bought net to get there, and he paid $700 for the net, so I actually made more money than he did.

[00:33:23] So he figured that was, uh, that's unfair. So I had to pay for, he took a third of the, of, of my share to pay for his nets which I thought was very unfair. And of course it wasn't done, but you know, I can see his point. I, um, he was the boss and took the risk and, uh, make less money than I did.

[00:33:43] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So what's the difference in experiences necessary for scallop, crab, salmon, halibut?

[00:33:52] Tor Tollessen: Oh, com- completely. For example, you have a scallop. If you are o- quick on your hand, open up scallop, the ... Then you're a good crew member 'cause you can open ... If you can open three scallops to my two, you're much better than me.

[00:34:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:34:06] Tor Tollessen: So you, you get the best jobs, you know? Uh, um, uh, uh, s- uh, salmon, if you are on sailboat, for example, then there's a, then there's a big open seven people.

[00:34:18] But on a gillnetter, there's only two, or maybe now they have three and four there, too. So you get the percentage. If you own the boat, you know, you take a, a big percentage. If you are boat, boat puller, so, so to speak, you get 20%. So there, there too it's important. But, uh, those jobs, the, the so-called highliner, like, uh, Einar Langeset, and he was a highliner in that field.

[00:34:43] He was a ... And he always could choose who he wanted to, 'cause he made good money. Bert Isaacsen is another one, another good salmon fisherman. And of course, they, they wanted people that could open up, clean the net, take the salmon out of the net without breaking the net much. So they wanted, uh, the, the, the best reputation guys.

[00:35:02] But like I said, no, no diploma, so it's just word of mouth.

[00:35:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:35:07] Tor Tollessen: A- and who you like, uh, how you get along with people and so forth.

[00:35:10] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So what's the difference between a trawler, a seiner, and what else?

[00:35:16] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah. A trawler is a dragger, kinda like. The, you have a boat, and you have a net behind it. And you're gonna open up a big net, and you, you go through the water and three knots, uh, uh, five mi- mi- six miles an hour, three knots an hour, four knots an hour.

[00:35:31] And, uh, if you hit the s- hit the fish, go, they goes into net, and then you haul it, take it on board, all that. So that's a trawler.

[00:35:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So does that mean all kinds of fish?

[00:35:40] Tor Tollessen: Yes. Uh, you after pollock, you after certain, uh, uh, species of fish. For example, now there, there's a lot of salmon in the summertime, and, and there's a protection against that.

[00:35:54] So if you get too much salmon in one of those trawl sets, uh, they cut you off. So then they m- have to move to a different area. So, uh, now they have escape for salmon, certain escape that the salmon can go out, you know, could they ... But salmon, uh, most fish when, uh, they are after food, the pollock and the codfish.

[00:36:15] Uh, uh, codfish is all the way on the bottom, and the pollock is right above. C- 'cause, uh, the, the, the cannibals, you know, the codfish will eat the one-

[00:36:25] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah.

[00:36:25] Tor Tollessen: ... That are smaller. You know, the pollock too, they eat themselves, you know, if they small enough. So, so, so you, you have the level of, of from the bottom to mid-water trawler.

[00:36:36] You can lift it and sank it a little bit.

[00:36:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Okay.

[00:36:39] Tor Tollessen: That's a dragger or a trawler.

[00:36:40] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:36:41] Tor Tollessen: You know? Of course, cra- crab, uh, fishing is, uh, is pots. You drop pots-

[00:36:46] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:36:46] Tor Tollessen: Overboard, and you have bait in it. Then the crab crawls in, and you haul up to, to that. Uh, a long line is, uh, typically in northern Norway, you know, sky fish.

[00:36:56] Uh, there you have a big, long line, maybe that, uh, 10 miles long in some cases, uh, uh-

[00:37:02] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm-hmm ...

[00:37:03] Tor Tollessen: Or many sections, two, two, two, two and two and two miles.

[00:37:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:37:07] Tor Tollessen: Then you have every six feet, you have a hook off that strong line, big line, and a small, and a hook on it, I mean, bait on it. So they sit on the bottom, not, of the bottom, and the, and the fish come and, uh, bite on it.

[00:37:23] So then you haul it up. They're hooked on this.

[00:37:25] Daniel Kaylor: So they're, but they're not trawling. They're, it, they're not-

[00:37:28] Tor Tollessen: No, no. They, they're working ...

[00:37:29] Daniel Kaylor: It's not-

[00:37:29] Tor Tollessen: They come after the bait and they hook, get hooked on the bait and then-

[00:37:32] Daniel Kaylor: But that line is not moving though?

[00:37:33] Tor Tollessen: N- no, no, no.

[00:37:35] Daniel Kaylor: No.

[00:37:35] Tor Tollessen: No, that's, that's a, a, anchored, yeah. Yeah.

[00:37:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Okay.

[00:37:41] Tor Tollessen: So of course you have drift lines too, so you can drift. There's the, you know, you, halibut for example. That, that, that's on the bottom. That's only fished by, in the early days, by all of these old schooners here, these wooden s-

[00:37:54] Daniel Kaylor: Yes ...

[00:37:55] Tor Tollessen: they're all 100, 100 years old, many of them. They're still working. But they're well built. They're, they were built as sail schooners, and they had the little engine-

[00:38:04] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh ...

[00:38:04] Tor Tollessen: Little gas engine in the end when they come in to a harbor so they could come in, you know, and maneuver-

[00:38:10] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:38:10] Tor Tollessen: Without the sails.

[00:38:11] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Mm.

[00:38:13] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:38:13] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So you have been the owner of several boats.

[00:38:18] Tor Tollessen: Part owner.

[00:38:19] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Part owner of several.

[00:38:21] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:38:21] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And for all the different kinds of fishing?

[00:38:25] Tor Tollessen: Yes.

[00:38:26] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:38:26] Tor Tollessen: Yes. I had, uh, yeah, I had a long liner, part of a long liner, part of a crabber, part of a gill netter. I, well, I owned a gill netter. And what else? Uh, yeah. I, I did four different kinds, I think.

[00:38:42] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Whoa. That's fantastic.

[00:38:44] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:38:45] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So there are some stories you are very well known for.

[00:38:54] Tor Tollessen: Talking too much?

[00:38:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: No. Not, not nearly enough for us, I'm sure. But, um, you have been, um, known for a fire, uh... You didn't start it, but you were known about rescuing-

[00:39:14] Tor Tollessen: Oh, yeah, yeah ...

[00:39:15] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: A fire. Tell us about that.

[00:39:18] Tor Tollessen: Well, I was, I was, it was kind of a fire. That was on, uh, Northern Aurora. We had a, a ammonia refrigeration unit, so, um, and we had an engineer, full-time engineer.

[00:39:28] We were 20 people on the boat, and all of a sudden that, uh, ammonia expanded and it leaked, sprung a leak, and ammonia is a very poisonous type of deal. So, um, Magni Ness was the skipper on the boat, so he put it on autopilot a- against the wind, so everybody w- went on the bow. 22 people sitting on the bow going into Bristol Bay.

[00:39:53] And after... And including me. And the engineer, you know, we have the gas mask, but he got panicked and he forgot the gas mask, so he was on the bow, too So, I mean, after an hour there, I says, "Well, uh, you know, I mean, if, if sooner or later we gotta have hit shore or we ran out of fuel." So, uh, we, I took a blanket, one of those bla- uh, big blanket, and I dipped it in the water, uh, uh, and wrapped it around me and got in, you know, 'cause, you know, it's dark, you know, but, uh, you, you know, the boat is small, so you, you're familiar with it.

[00:40:26] So I got to the valves and I could shut the valve off so the ammonia didn't leak and, and so the, so that was the-

[00:40:33] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:40:33] Tor Tollessen: There was a fire that caused it, you know, the-

[00:40:35] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:40:36] Tor Tollessen: Uh-

[00:40:36] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: -So you saved the crew and the boat.

[00:40:38] Tor Tollessen: Well, yeah, I would save, uh, myself, too.

[00:40:41] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah. Exactly.

[00:40:43] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Well, I mean, we, it, it, I don't know. We- may- maybe the am- ammonia tank would have gone, uh, loose. I, I, I didn't think that technical. I just, uh, we, we were in, uh, in a rescue mode, panic mode.

[00:40:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:40:56] Tor Tollessen: Sitting on the bow, working against the sea.

[00:40:58] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Do you, do you think your technical education and experience-

[00:41:03] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah ...

[00:41:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Was-

[00:41:05] Tor Tollessen: Well, that was the gr- uh, that was the background.

[00:41:07] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:41:08] Tor Tollessen: But, you know, I mean, uh, when you are working on a small, um, uh, island, fishing and farming is the only thing, basically the main industry. So you get, you get, uh, common sense. ""Bondevit," we used to say.

[00:41:21] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:41:21] Tor Tollessen: "Bondevit," the farm sense.

[00:41:22] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:41:23] Tor Tollessen: So you, you know, you adjust to, uh, uh, uh... I have a problem, for example, if you buy, buy, uh, um, kinda garden sheds or swings for the kids, you know, from, uh, you know, put it together.

[00:41:36] I never look at the instruction. I always try to do it. W- when I really a bit in trouble, then I might have to read the instruction. But I wanna, I wanna figure it out myself without, uh...

[00:41:46] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:41:48] Tor Tollessen: So, so it's, it's good and bad, I guess.

[00:41:51] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good. Good.

[00:41:52] Daniel Kaylor: And guys never read instructions anyway.

[00:41:55] Tor Tollessen: No. No, uh, especially with the, when they're built in Japan, 'cause they were the Japanese go, uh...

[00:42:01] Oh, I have a cute story about that. We had, uh, in, uh, the Captain Sig, the famous, uh, you know, his uncle, Carl Johan Hansen. You know, he was a fisherman. So, and I was selling, uh, electronic equipment and so Lo- Lowrance and, and, uh, uh, uh, GPS positioning system. So instead of navigate and read the, with the radar how much to, uh, to a point and so, so forth, you could tell you right there w- with a number, and then you could go on the chart, this is where we are, you know?

[00:42:33] And, and this, uh, machine was made by JRC, Japan Radio Company, which is made in Japan, was always together with radio in American, uh, uh- Marine contractor, I mean, a contractor. So, so, uh, and the, the, the so-called book that came with it was, uh, translated from Japanese to English by a Japanese guy. So I couldn't understand, nobody else could understand it.

[00:43:02] So this, uh, Carl Hansen, he made a kinda list checklist, one sheet, one, two, three, four, five. A, B, C, D, you know, and everybody liked that thing. So I had to print up and, and JRC, Raytheon got a hold of it. C- can we use that as a, a... and put the, put it in a, sell it with the product and put it in plastic, you know, so you can read it?

[00:43:24] Yeah, of course. It, it was mine. Carl Hansen was willing with. So one of the vice president called me, "Are you sure you want everything in here, Tor?" I says, "Well, why not?" "Uh, did you see the last point?" "No." "And if this shit doesn't work, send it back to Lunde."

[00:43:45] That was my buddy that said that.

[00:43:46] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Oh, my.

[00:43:49] Tor Tollessen: So sorry, sorry for the, the, the-

[00:43:50] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, that's, that's perfectly okay ...

[00:43:52] Tor Tollessen: I, I don't swear, but, uh, uh, S-H-I-T is, uh, isn't a swear word in Norway.

[00:43:58] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: It's not.

[00:43:59] Tor Tollessen: That's sheet, that's dirt.

[00:43:59] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: It's not. Yeah. Right. Exactly. That's good. So...

[00:44:04] Daniel Kaylor: They put a, they put a footnote in, footnote in the transcript.

[00:44:08] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:44:08] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, exactly

[00:44:09] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Exactly.

[00:44:09] Daniel Kaylor: Or quote marks.

[00:44:10] Tor Tollessen: So they didn't put that in there.

[00:44:12] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:44:12] Tor Tollessen: Mari-Ann, are you sure you want everything in there?

[00:44:14] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. So another story about you is you jumping overboard and saving a crew member.

[00:44:24] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, that, that's true also. You know, we-

[00:44:27] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Tell us about it ...

[00:44:28] Tor Tollessen: Well, I, I think I've been in, at sea at, at least three times, situation that I probably shouldn't come back from.

[00:44:38] So I do believe high, uh, in a higher power. God, I mean, it's, uh, uh, it wasn't my ability that was c- uh, circumstances and so forth. This one here was a big storm. We were, uh, again, with Magni Ness, a big boat, 155 feet, uh, big. And there was a, was a, was a small gale, big wind in the Bering Sea, in the middle of the Bering Sea in, in the fall.

[00:45:07] So but, you know, I mean, if the highliners all have to fish in bad weather, you know, you can't go to harbor, then you beco- don't come b- become a highliner. So it was a big seas, and I, at that time, I was down in the... I was engineer also, so I was down below. And the boat was heaving a little bit, and, uh, and they were hauling gear.

[00:45:26] And a big one of those, every, uh, 20 or 30 seas, you have a big one coming, you know? So a big one come on the side. There were four guys on deck, and, and green sea over. And one of the guys on deck, Sigmund Ingebretsen, he, he was in the middle of it, so the sea took him, moved him over 32 feet with the width of the boat and over the railing on the other side and, and, uh-

[00:45:52] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[00:45:52] Tor Tollessen: Together with, uh, some plastic bags and some, all kinds of things. So, uh, so, um, as a matter of fact, who was on board? There was, uh, was another Nor- Norling, uh, not at the time, was Betty Ness, Betty Ness Libbey. She was a, he was a cook on the boat. Oh. You know? Ingrid Jensen was also, they rotated cooking on the boat.

[00:46:15] Anyway, so, so she come hollering down to the engine room and says, "Uh, Sigmund, you f- we lost a guy overboard. You gotta come up here." So I, I, uh, I came up, and Magni had seen the, what happened, so he, he let go of the line, turned around, and came o- over to him. But, like, it was the big waves, you know? So he was laying up there, and then everybody had thrown bag overboard, you know, these float bags.

[00:46:41] But the guy... This is about, um, probably 10 minutes after it happened. I got up at least eight, 10 min- eight minutes. And normally that's, uh, 33 to go, thir- 34 degrees water, so you, you pass out after seven to 10 minutes So, uh, so, uh, uh, I figured it doesn't make sense to the guy, the, the reason he was afloat, he had y- the yellow oilskins, and he had a belt around the oilskins, and he had boots on here.

[00:47:11] So when he fell overboard, he, the, the, the water in there was trapped, so he flo- was floating like a life vest. So he was floating and bobbing in the water 'cause he had a lot of air.

[00:47:23] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:47:23] Tor Tollessen: 'Cause he tied it around him, so all the air was, uh, was still there, so he was still floating, uh, head over water, so. So anyway, I mean, uh, we, we didn't think, you know, but anyway, we had one of those life rings.

[00:47:36] So we had a guy that was almost a two meter and 190, a huge, huge guy on board. Utto Holgersson was his name. So I gave him the list of, "Don't let go. You know, I'm gonna jump over with the ring underneath me and try to get it, so d- don't let go 'cause I, I wanna come back , you know?" And of course, that doggone r- bunch of rope is tangled up.

[00:48:03] But he held. But I, you know, I mean, it was just like that. So I, I, the ring, I just r- when it hit the water, I just went to it. My hand went up, and then I went under it, and the float was sitting here, and I was floating out in the water.

[00:48:17] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Ooh.

[00:48:18] Tor Tollessen: So I, I, um, swam out to him, you know. And as I, as I got out there, there wasn't that m- much.

[00:48:26] There were a couple of three minutes, then he disappeared, you know, 'cause the wave. The w- We had a big boat, and the, the wave was so deep that, uh, they had the floodlights. You know, when we, when my, I was in, in the bottom one, and I couldn't see the light. I could see the light above me, you know? Anyway.

[00:48:47] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm.

[00:48:48] Tor Tollessen: So then he disappeared. And, and, uh, I was, you know, like a few minutes is all it takes, so I figured, well, I better go up. I lost him, you know? And as I turned around, all of a sudden he popped up right in front of my nose.

[00:49:02] Daniel Kaylor: Oh, my.

[00:49:03] Tor Tollessen: And so that's the, the almighty.

[00:49:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[00:49:06] Tor Tollessen: So I got him with me, and I swam him to the boat, and they threw a line down to us 'cause we were over about 10 feet above the waterline.

[00:49:13] Yeah. So, and I, and I wrapped... I couldn't... I was so numb, I couldn't even tie a knot, you know? So I wrapped it around us, so, so they were hauling us up, and we got halfway up there, and the boat was rolling over, you know. Then, then my, my hand gripped, and we, we, we slid down the side of the boat. And as I slid down, the water, the boat came back, and the slinger churl, they're kinda like the, kinda like a keel on the side.

[00:49:41] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yeah.

[00:49:43] Tor Tollessen: So he got caught underneath it. So the second time, so the boy there, uh, I lost him again. But, uh, that, that, you know, like I said, I was so weak I couldn't even think straight. So he says, "Put a, put a ladder down," you know. We had a l- aluminum ladder so they, so we could climb up, you know. And, and the boat roll up again, and here he pops up right next to me.

[00:50:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[00:50:07] Tor Tollessen: Second time. So that's why I got the rope, and I wrapped him around it, and I got a half hitch there, so they hauled him aboard.

[00:50:14] Daniel Kaylor: Oh.

[00:50:15] Tor Tollessen: And, and I went over to the ladder. I was gonna climb the ladder. I couldn't climb. I was... I couldn't. So I stuck my hand up on the side of the, the last, the fork, you know. So I was, I was hanging there till they come and got me.

[00:50:29] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, my goodness.

[00:50:29] Tor Tollessen: So.

[00:50:30] Daniel Kaylor: Uh.

[00:50:31] Tor Tollessen: So he was out, and we thought we lost him 'cause he, uh, he, uh, with no breath or couldn't feel pulse or anything. And but then we had a captain skipper on board, and he, he says, "Well..." He come with a mirror. So he, he put a mirror up on him, and you could see. So, so there, there was a, there was a-

[00:50:50] Daniel Kaylor: Breath.

[00:50:50] Tor Tollessen: Breath there. So we put them into, uh, the bunk where the skipper was, right, skipper cabin. And a couple of the girls, we had five girls with us, just go, you know, go. So they took their clothes off and put body to, put a, put, put body on each side of him. And-

[00:51:07] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Wow.

[00:51:08] Tor Tollessen: ... And about, uh, an hour after, he come to. Next day he was out fishing again.

[00:51:14] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Really?

[00:51:15] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:51:17] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh my God.

[00:51:17] Tor Tollessen: And we, we had two Japanese, uh... We, we sold the crab to the Japanese, then we had two technician aboard was gonna make sure that, that we did it right. Young guys. So, uh, so the next morning, for example, I, I couldn't even ... Then the girls took me to the shower and put me under the shower, and, and I, I, I

[00:51:37] All I remember is said, "Hold it, hold it. Don't take, uh ... 'Cause, you know, I, I'm just like a girl now. I'm, I'm so cold, so I don't wanna, I don't want you to see. Don't take my clothes off." Kidding, you know. Supposed to kidding.

[00:51:49] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[00:51:51] Tor Tollessen: But then, uh, next morning, we, uh, we, uh, um, up on the front we had the, we had individual staterooms to some, and then the Japanese, uh, they were four and, or, uh, two and two.

[00:52:04] And then we had two showers. So I was gonna ... So I had, uh, so we had to walk from our stateroom into the showers. So I had my, my, uh, my towel over my head, and I have one of those Ita- uh, European, kind of like, uh, Tarzan underwear type of deal.

[00:52:19] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yeah.

[00:52:19] Tor Tollessen: Uh, it, it was popular at the time. So, uh, one of these, uh, I, I, we call him Alex, and he says, "Where are you going? Where are you go to-" So I said, "No, I will go ... It's, it's doggone warm in here. I want to take a swim. Come on." I, I...

[00:52:32] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[00:52:32] Tor Tollessen: "No way." So he went into this room and locked the door. He thought we were crazy enough to, to go swim. I had no intention to go.

[00:52:40] Daniel Kaylor: No, no, no.

[00:52:41] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, my goodness.

[00:52:43] Tor Tollessen: So you gotta have a little sense of humor otherwise you-

[00:52:45] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:52:46] Daniel Kaylor: Right. So.

[00:52:46] Tor Tollessen: There's not entertainment other than work and sleep.

[00:52:50] Daniel Kaylor: Mm-hmm.

[00:52:52] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Wow.

[00:52:52] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:52:52] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So you have had a very, very interesting and very-

[00:52:58] Tor Tollessen: Very fortunate and lucky incident, many of them ...

[00:53:02] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: But don't you think it also has to do with the fact that you, you had education? You, you knew?

[00:53:09] Tor Tollessen: Well, you know, you believe. I mean, you, you, you come from an island. I mean, there's, uh, there's always hope. You, you're alive- Yeah ... you hope.

[00:53:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:53:17] Tor Tollessen: You know? Uh, you know, it ... Uh. And that story, of course, uh, is told on the island, my local area. And, uh, and, uh, and we have, uh, th- the flu of Fieranova isn't that great like in up north, you know?

[00:53:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Sure, yeah.

[00:53:37] Tor Tollessen: But there's about, uh, three feet.

[00:53:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm-hmm.

[00:53:38] Tor Tollessen: So there's a little, uh, o- outside my, uh, my condo, I have the, the beach. There's my, my private beach that used to be my grandfather, which I bought.

[00:53:46] And so, and outside there, there's a little flu, kind of like a little rock. And in flow, uh, in high water, you know, you don't see this, only, only water. But in, in, uh, in, uh, shallow water, you know, you can see a little bit. So I always have my swimming route when I go there. So I, I come out there, and then when I, when I come over to this rest, you know, that's the furthest away.

[00:54:09] Then I come and crawl up there and sit and rest a little bit. So that was, uh, it was one of these small, uh, uh, shell. They were hard to sit on, so I s- I, I stood up there. And of course, the water came to here. So one of the people up on the, on the, on the... He's a writer. He write a lot of books, this guy. He s- saw me out as he took a picture, you know, and he has probably 3,000 followers on the, on the inter- on his, uh, FaceTime or Facebook or whatever you do it.

[00:54:39] Daniel Kaylor: Facebook.

[00:54:40] Tor Tollessen: So he sent it out. Says, "Oh, boy, oh, boy. Here I look out the window, and here I see a guy walking on the water." And he took, took a picture of me from long distance. So I went run down there, "But, but don't worry," he says, "It was only Tor Tollessen," he said. It wasn't

[00:54:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, it was, it was only Tor Tollessen.

[00:54:57] Tor Tollessen: It wasn't, it, it wasn't, uh, a guy that can walk on water, you know?

[00:55:02] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, my goodness. Oh.

[00:55:05] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:55:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Wow. So when did you give up fishing?

[00:55:12] Tor Tollessen: Uh, I fished, uh, 19- 20, 20 season, three full years and, uh, 17 seasons, so I haven't fished since, uh, 80- Boy, that's about 30 years ago. But, uh, I'm 80 now, so I was 50 years when I gave up fishing.

[00:55:29] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm-hmm.

[00:55:30] Tor Tollessen: But, but like I said, part-time. The three years-

[00:55:33] Daniel Kaylor: Yeah.

[00:55:34] Tor Tollessen: I fished full, I was in '70s, uh, '77, 8 to 9, '79. And, uh, then from then on, I only fished, uh, in the, uh, last few years I fished Bristol Bay, which is a, a small gillnetter type of deal. Kinda like a hobby fishing, you know? And as I, as I, that too is, uh, spoiling sometimes. As a youngster, I could sit and fish all day long.

[00:55:57] I, I, I, I loved fishing with a rod. I made my own, my own, um, fishing gear. I can, I remember, you know, you have a, a, a fruit box, you know, kinda like an empty sh- uh, and then I put a handlebar in it, and we made sand and then we, we could have, uh, the, the sand, this, uh, ro- ro-, uh, ro- rope, uh, o- sand. What is the sand that, uh-

[00:56:22] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Sand that, yeah.

[00:56:23] Tor Tollessen: The, that, uh-

[00:56:24] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Fishing line.

[00:56:25] Tor Tollessen: ... Fishing line.

[00:56:25] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:56:26] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Yeah. But, and I, and I made, I took a rind from a s- from a pork, a raw rind, and make it, uh, around my, uh, my, uh, my hook. It had a little lead ball on it, so I, I swang it. I swang it out there.

[00:56:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[00:56:39] Tor Tollessen: Then I take it in a distance. So I got fish every time, you know, leave and s- and small sake.

[00:56:45] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:56:46] Tor Tollessen: And, and I remember out on the island, you know, right outside where Captain Sig has that, uh, that salt, uh, the, the big, uh, saltery he bought and fixed up. Uh, so there was a British guy you see on TV, you know, you had a deal here with, you know, hooks on it, flies on it-

[00:57:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yeah ...

[00:57:05] Tor Tollessen: you know. We, I only seen it on TV, and he had a big cast on. Sw- Never got one So I probably was 12 years old, 11. So he asked if he could use mine, you know. So I, I started English, we start English before, so, so I knew a little bit English. So he did, and he, he got a big, a big, uh, Tobler Torsk, you know, so he was all excited. So, so he says, "No, no, he didn't want to give me. "I didn't, he didn't wanna give me back the box." So he gave me his rod, his fiberglass rod. And, uh, so we trade.

[00:57:40] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm-hmm.

[00:57:40] Tor Tollessen: We, of course, you know, I traded.

[00:57:42] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Wow.

[00:57:43] Tor Tollessen: So I had paid probably around 50 cent for the whole thing, you know. That's, uh, not even that, three, three, uh, uh, about 30 cents. So I came home, and, uh, and I was so proud.

[00:57:55] You know, "Look, Mom, what I got. I traded an English, uh, fool, English fool, you know, I mean." So, "Are you crazy? You, you go back, you give it back, you know. You're not gonna, you know, have a bad reputation. We don't take advantage of people." So I had to bicycle. I spent an hour to find him again. He could have left the place.

[00:58:14] And when I found him, I says, "No, I couldn't take it. My mom, uh, my mom just, uh, I couldn't take it." Uh, so he says, "Well, I, I'm not gonna give you back your box. Well," he says, "But, but I can give you money." Okay, so I took the money, and I got $5, $5, I mean, I count. So I could buy 10 of them, but I didn't tell-

[00:58:31] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[00:58:31] Tor Tollessen: I didn't tell my mom that. I, but I get... So I went and bought myself one, and I could buy a-

[00:58:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, wow ...

[00:58:38] Tor Tollessen: Two on top of that. I know.

[00:58:41] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: What a fun experience.

[00:58:43] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[00:58:43] Daniel Kaylor: Yeah.

[00:58:44] Tor Tollessen: Small little stories that pops up, you know, when you think.

[00:58:46] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yes, yes. Right.

[00:58:48] Tor Tollessen: It, it's funny, I was 19 when I left America. No, I mean, in Norway, and I've been, uh, fishing for, I've been, uh, in Iceland two years, in the North Sea two years, so four years.

[00:59:00] And I'm, uh, so every summer since I was 13, I, I went, uh, uh, at, at sea.

[00:59:07] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:59:07] Tor Tollessen: Uh, fre- freighting or, or, or, or fishing. And, uh, so, so, but so actually I was only in Norway probably four out of those 18 years since I was born, probably 17 years, you know.

[00:59:20] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[00:59:21] Tor Tollessen: And, and now I'm 80, and I still, I've been here since I was, uh, 65.

[00:59:25] But, uh, I still feel like Norway, I have spent more time in Norway, right? 'Cause, 'cause you remember the c- childhood, all the, you know, the, when you go to school with all your buddies and, uh, uh, friends. So here it's, uh, goes faster when you get older.

[00:59:43] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Do you still have family in Norway?

[00:59:45] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah. My mo- both my parents, uh... but I, uh, my, my, uh, they live long. They live to 100 years. I have, uh, two, three grandun- uncle up to, uh, to be 100. And my great-grandmother was 100, and my grandmother was 100.

[00:59:57] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, my.

[00:59:59] Tor Tollessen: But my gra- grandfather, my father's dad, he was only 54. So they all set to live it.

[01:00:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Wow. Well, Tor, what in your, in your life so far have we not touched on that has to do with Seattle and fishing and the waterfront and so on that you can think of that we should know about?

[01:00:28] Tor Tollessen: Oh, boy. With sports? I, no, two things-

[01:00:35] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Tell us ...

[01:00:36] Tor Tollessen: Two things. I, I have spent, uh, the last, uh, 20 years, I probably spent, uh, $20,000. I have a lot of, uh ... I didn't go to dentist for 10 years when I was fishing. Couldn't afford it or didn't have time or anything. So once I start going, of course, it was bad, so now I have, I have at least six stent that I drilled in there, so that's the bad portion of going fishing, you know what I'm saying?

[01:01:04] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah.

[01:01:05] Tor Tollessen: But, but, yeah, still waiting for our next one, or I have one more. I figured, uh, I, you know, there's not many year left, but I can at least, uh ... I'm, I'm not allowed to-

[01:01:14] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yes ...

[01:01:15] Tor Tollessen: Smile, you know?

[01:01:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[01:01:16] Tor Tollessen: 'Cause I get that. You know, that, that was, uh, oh, yeah, then, and then sports. You know, I loved playing soccer. I, but I never have, had practice.

[01:01:27] I mean, I, 'cause I always worked, you know, for the team, so I was, uh, never went to practice. So I, you know, when the, I, I ... If I had time, I went to the games. You know, I played the game. But as, after I came back here, I played with this, uh, SAS Vikings. I played there for four years here as a, you know, as a-

[01:01:46] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good.

[01:01:46] Tor Tollessen: Open league, and as a 30-year old, 40-year old, 50-year old, had different leagues. So, uh, so a couple of these professional British, uh, players, Alan, uh, Hudson, Alan Hinton, for example-

[01:01:57] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm-hmm ...

[01:01:58] Tor Tollessen: He was the coach of Seattle Sounders for many years. So he, he played, uh, played, I played against him. They have a team in Bellevue after they retired.

[01:02:07] They stay here and played with the old boys, you know? And then, of course, I played with him on his team later on. So, so, uh, but, of course, we knew about them. So he was a s- a left winger and striker. You know, and Bobby, uh, what, uh, Bobby, uh, Scottish player, he was also ... They, there was three le- Scot- Sounders that ex- sta- uh, ex- uh, retired Sounders that played on this team, and we normally beat them.

[01:02:33] Later, Olsen-

[01:02:34] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: What?

[01:02:35] Tor Tollessen: ... That, uh, Scottish player.

[01:02:35] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yeah.

[01:02:35] Tor Tollessen: He was the, he was-

[01:02:36] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah ...

[01:02:36] Tor Tollessen: A big player. He was a beautiful player, left winger.

[01:02:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yeah.

[01:02:39] Tor Tollessen: You know? So Alan was striker, so I was, was m- my job, I was a sweeper to watch him. And, uh, in the second quarter, you know, he didn't do anything, you know, 'cause I, I was the lousiest soccer player, but I was quick, so I could, I, you know, I, and still-

[01:02:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh

[01:02:55] Tor Tollessen: After I got older, I was still quick. So, uh, Alan asked me, "What team did you play on when you were young?" "No, I played on Okker. It's, it's a third division team, and I play, I think I have a couple, two or so games." But can you imagine, Alan, if I grew up with you- You probably wouldn't ha- make a living at soccer."

[01:03:15] Says, "What do you mean?" Says, "Look at that, you can't do anything. If I was growing up with you, you wouldn't have even gotten to the f-". So he didn't say anything, and then there was all a b- ball coming against him. He took it, and I was right behind him. He took it, laid it down, turned around. He pulled my pants right over my behind.

[01:03:32] He pulled my shorts. I didn't have it... You know, we had sk-

[01:03:36] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah.

[01:03:36] Tor Tollessen: So I am standing still. He went in and scored and then come back, "That's why I would be a professional," he says. "The, uh, everything counts."

[01:03:45] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, God. Oh my goodness.

[01:03:48] Tor Tollessen: Can you imagine that?

[01:03:49] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[01:03:49] Tor Tollessen: He, he pulled the pants right off of me on the spot- on the s- but not, there was nobody watching but, uh-

[01:03:54] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:03:54] Tor Tollessen: But, uh.

[01:03:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh my goodness. Oh.

[01:04:01] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, so I, I, I liked sports, and I had a good, good time with the, with the, the SAS Vikings.

[01:04:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good, good.

[01:04:07] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Uh.

[01:04:08] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Yeah. What about now? Are you active physically and-

[01:04:12] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, I was, I, I was, uh, skiing. You know, I love skiing, too, you know, and I skied, uh, and play soccer till, but then, uh, then the knee went out, you know, so I had put the...

[01:04:21] So that 10 years ago, so I, I played till I was 72.

[01:04:26] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, good.

[01:04:26] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, 72.

[01:04:26] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good. So your skiing, was that cross-country or downhill or-

[01:04:30] Tor Tollessen: No, downhill. I, uh, there was no hills in Norway.

[01:04:33] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:04:34] Tor Tollessen: And so no snow either much. I mean, in, in, on a island. In,

[01:04:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Near the island.

[01:04:38] Tor Tollessen: On island, on, uh, on the island.

[01:04:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yes.

[01:04:39] Tor Tollessen: Not in the, lots of snow inside. So and then, uh, then we went in there on the mainland, and we had, uh, had, couldn't afford the s- a ski lift. But we have a, they had a tractor for the good ones. If you, if you, they, you could hang on a rope behind the tractor, go up the hill, and if you, they took the, the 10 best ones down the hill. They got free ride up again.

[01:05:01] So I learned foot apart, tuck, and, uh, and, uh-

[01:05:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yep.

[01:05:06] Tor Tollessen: ... Uh, don't turn. Yeah.

[01:05:07] Daniel Kaylor: Don't turn.

[01:05:07] Tor Tollessen: So I always got a free ride up. But I was never a good skier, but I ha- I never, I, I could stay on my feet, you know?

[01:05:13] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah.

[01:05:15] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:05:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Wonderful. Um- You got involved with the museum very early. Why? What inspired you to get involved?

[01:05:29] Tor Tollessen: Well, I was involved, um, when they had the old school. I w- volunteered 'cause, you know, I mean, uh, you know, uh, Cory Ness, uh, Cory Ness is the one actually that, uh, got me involved there. He says... Then, uh, then, uh, then he wanted me to join the President's Club. I says, "Well, here, here I have to work, uh, for free, and then you want money on top of it?" So I didn't quite, but I think, "Well, why not? I do my s- little local duty," so.

[01:05:55] Daniel Kaylor: Heh.

[01:05:55] Tor Tollessen: And then, of course, it was more interesting, you know, and then, uh, then, uh, when Einar, uh, Junior came and wanted me to be on the, on the board, so I says, "Yeah, why not?"

[01:06:05] As a matter of fact, when, when, when he died or he, he retired, you know what I mean? He, he was sick.

[01:06:11] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:06:12] Tor Tollessen: So he was the vice president, so he, uh, he made me the vice pre- president. They made the vice president. So he says, "No, I, I can sit and talk, no problem, but I can't stand and talk." So, so that's when I got, uh, the lawyer, you know.

[01:06:25] He, he, he took my place, and so, but, uh, he la- later became the M- M- Malay- uh, no. What the heck was his name? He was the president here.

[01:06:35] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Malone?

[01:06:35] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, M- yeah, Tom Malone.

[01:06:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:06:40] Tor Tollessen: Um, but I've been, I've been active since then. I was, um, I always, uh... Alan was so booming, you know, and always had... But, uh, and I was always joking things, you know?

[01:06:54] So I, I, I... Normally you couldn't joke with Alan 'cause he was the ... But he, he, he was, had a good sense of humor, so normally what hap-

[01:07:01] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah

[01:07:01] Tor Tollessen: ... You know, to break the ice a little bit sometimes.

[01:07:04] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:07:04] Tor Tollessen: You need somebody to be silly.

[01:07:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So who was the president when you got involved then?

[01:07:10] Tor Tollessen: Um, um, Gertjan.

[01:07:13] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, I see.

[01:07:14] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:07:14] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Okay.

[01:07:15] Daniel Kaylor: Herman.

[01:07:15] Tor Tollessen: Herman.

[01:07:15] Daniel Kaylor: Yeah.

[01:07:16] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:07:17] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: When I started volunteering, it was, um- Who came after our Norwegian journalist... You're a historian.

[01:07:35] Tor Tollessen: To, uh, uh-

[01:07:36] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: I should look here.

[01:07:37] Tor Tollessen: Oh.

[01:07:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: I got involved when Svein Gilje-

[01:07:41] Tor Tollessen: Oh, yeah, yeah. He was the, he was the beginning. He- her- him and, uh, they, he was the SIS, uh, president. Uh, he was, uh, S- Svein-

[01:07:48] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: He worked for-

[01:07:50] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah

[01:07:50] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... As a journalist.

[01:07:51] Tor Tollessen: Y- yeah, yeah, yeah.

[01:07:52] When we started.

[01:07:53] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, as a journalist.

[01:07:54] Tor Tollessen: Yes, yes.

[01:07:54] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Right.

[01:07:54] Tor Tollessen: That's right.

[01:07:55] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And then, um, most of the time I was involved in the board, it was R. Swede from Magnolia.

[01:08:04] Tor Tollessen: Oh, yeah. Okay.

[01:08:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Um-

[01:08:06] Tor Tollessen: Yeah

[01:08:07] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... Can't read this far away. Um, anyway-

[01:08:10] Tor Tollessen: Nor- Norma, Norma isn't there. How come she isn't there?

[01:08:13] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Who?

[01:08:14] Tor Tollessen: Uh, Norma Gersen, is that the person I'm saying?

[01:08:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, Irma. Irma. She's the right there. Yeah.

[01:08:18] Tor Tollessen: Oh, it's the... Oh, yeah, there she is.

[01:08:20] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:08:20] Tor Tollessen: There she is.

[01:08:20] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:08:21] Tor Tollessen: Of course she is. Yes, yes, yes.

[01:08:22] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: But-

[01:08:23] Daniel Kaylor: Bertil Lund?

[01:08:23] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Bertil, yeah, Bertil.

[01:08:25] Tor Tollessen: Ber- Bertil, yeah.

[01:08:26] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, Bertil Lund.

[01:08:27] Tor Tollessen: He wa- he wa- he ca- he, he came, he was off, uh, I came around, uh, wh- when he stepped down, and, uh-

[01:08:33] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, okay ...

[01:08:33] Tor Tollessen: That's when I joined.

[01:08:34] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And then Olav Kvamme.

[01:08:35] Daniel Kaylor: Olav Kvamme.

[01:08:36] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Right. Yeah, yeah.

[01:08:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Came, yeah.

[01:08:37] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:08:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Right. And it was, it was very interesting to be on the board in those years.

[01:08:46] Tor Tollessen: Mm-hmm.

[01:08:47] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: I'm sure it is much more interesting now, but for me, coming sort of out of an educational career first, and then, uh, a career in marketing and sales-

[01:09:00] Tor Tollessen: Mm-hmm.

[01:09:01] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: -It was very interesting to... The difference between Bertil-

[01:09:05] Tor Tollessen: Mm ...

[01:09:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Bertil Lund-

[01:09:07] Tor Tollessen: Oh ...

[01:09:07] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And Olav Kvamme.

[01:09:09] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. R- yeah.

[01:09:10] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: It was a huge difference.

[01:09:11] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Olav Kvamme, he was, wasn't he a, a teacher?

[01:09:15] Daniel Kaylor: He was a, he was an assis- he-

[01:09:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: He was the assistant ...

[01:09:17] Daniel Kaylor: He ended up as an assistant superintendent.

[01:09:20] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:09:20] Tor Tollessen: Okay.

[01:09:20] Daniel Kaylor: Of Seattle schools.

[01:09:21] Tor Tollessen: Okay. That's, that's what he was. Okay.

[01:09:22] Daniel Kaylor: But he was-

[01:09:23] Tor Tollessen: Yeah ...

[01:09:23] Daniel Kaylor: He was really their l- what they used to call him s- refer to him as Senator Kvamme. He was the liaison between-

[01:09:32] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah ...

[01:09:33] Daniel Kaylor: School district-

[01:09:34] Tor Tollessen: He- ...

[01:09:34] Daniel Kaylor: The governmental relations be-

[01:09:36] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, okay ...

[01:09:37] Daniel Kaylor: A go-between-

[01:09:37] Tor Tollessen: I think he was big with the, uh, Bergen and Seattle Sister City Association.

[01:09:40] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yes. Yes.

[01:09:41] Daniel Kaylor: He was the president-

[01:09:41] Tor Tollessen: And never, uh- ...

[01:09:42] Daniel Kaylor: Of Seattle Bergen Sister City Association-

[01:09:44] Tor Tollessen: Right. Yeah, yeah ...

[01:09:44] Daniel Kaylor: Forever.

[01:09:45] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:09:46] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:09:46] Daniel Kaylor: Yes.

[01:09:47] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Well, Tor, what have we not learned from you that we should know about you or your life?

[01:09:55] Tor Tollessen: Um, uh, uh, probably 100 things, you know? But m- maybe it's good thing uh, you don't know everything.

[01:10:05] I, I remember we, we, I got a call from, uh, from my buddy, you know, he was 80 years old, you know, and we came together in 1965, and his granddaughter, she is part of a big ch-, uh, police chief, uh, in Haugesund area. And, and Captain Sig, you know, he, he always, uh, n- uh, he want to be on our good side, so she had come to him and wanted to tell story about her grandfather when he was k- 'Cause he spent 20 years, uh, from he was, uh, uh, 22, he was, uh, uh, 30, 40 here.

[01:10:38] Stories when he was, uh, uh ... So, so Sig came to me 'cause he was before his time, too. So we went out to the North- uh, Northwestern, and he, he filmed himse- ourself. I mean, he, he had a film, and then it was gonna be five minutes and it ended up in 15 minutes, but anyway. And I told stories about my buddy when he grew up.

[01:11:00] And of course, one thing, he was a very handsome guy, you know. I, I was the talker and he was the handsome guy, but I normally, I introduced him to most of the girls, and he ended up with them because he was the, you know. So he was engaged three times. Of course, nobody knew that. His granddaughter didn't know that until-

[01:11:16] So, but I mean, we didn't tell any bad story. All the, all the good story-

[01:11:20] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah ...

[01:11:20] Tor Tollessen: 'Cause when we came into New Be- this was New Bedford stories, you know, when we know him in New Bedford a dull town, so we went to Brooklyn. And, uh, you know, and then we had, and we came in there when the St. Patrick's Day one time.

[01:11:33] The, the Fourth and Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn was either Irish or you were Norwegian, you know?

[01:11:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:11:38] Tor Tollessen: So at St. Patrick's Day, and we had, uh, one of, uh, my buddies do, we had a, uh, convertible, Buick Skylark convertible. So we decided to by ourself, like we had a David Crockett jacket with orange, with ... And then a turtleneck, with a, with a black turtleneck and black pants.

[01:11:56] And we took some, uh, live lobsters with us, I mean, in the, in the parade, you know. And of course, once people realized they were alive, they screamed. So wherever we came, there was screams. So we were ... I think there was a New York photographer that then got us in the paper, too.

[01:12:13] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, for heaven's sakes. Oh, fun.

[01:12:15] Tor Tollessen: And of course telling, telling stories to, uh, to, to his grandkids and, and he has a big family now. That was a big deal for them, you know, 'cause he's quiet, stoic guy, you know.

[01:12:27] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So do you have children and grandchildren here?

[01:12:30] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah. I have, I have, uh, uh, Andrew and, uh, Eileen, uh, two, a boy and a girl, and he is married. He's a technician, a engineer, a literary engineer actually. But he works for Lunde. And then, uh, my daughter, she has four kids, and her husband runs Lunde now. And, uh, and she's working down there too, so... And, uh, they have, um, the oldest one, he, he, he was gonna be a doctor and then of course, very sharp, school, school sharp, but he didn't have the practical.

[01:13:02] So after four years, he was still a prestigious co- comma lum something, comma.

[01:13:07] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm-hmm.

[01:13:08] Tor Tollessen: Anyway, but he figured it would take him too long. So he went back to University of Oregon and, uh, and, uh, got, uh, his, uh, uh, uh, ba- bachelor in, uh, computer science.

[01:13:21] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh.

[01:13:22] Tor Tollessen: And he got a fancy job, you know, right away. You know, make more than his dad his, the first year.

[01:13:27] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Sure.

[01:13:29] Tor Tollessen: So and then I have Emma, she's a, just a nurse. She works for UW down at Harborview, sixth floor in the burnt, uh-

[01:13:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Mm-hmm ...

[01:13:38] Tor Tollessen: She's the floor, floor, floor leader there. And, uh, she has actually, when, uh, when we were, I was one of the four... We had six, uh, shovels, you know, when we came down here to take the first shovel.

[01:13:53] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yes.

[01:13:53] Tor Tollessen: You know, she, sh- I was gonna be one of them, but she, she, uh, went to Norway, so she took my place, so she actually was the, got the, the-

[01:14:00] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: I remember that ...

[01:14:01] Tor Tollessen: Gold, gold. Yeah. Young girl.

[01:14:03] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Irma and I were side by side shoveling.

[01:14:05] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah. So, and she's interesting now. She's, uh, she's, um, you know, ready to start a family, so she will be a good, uh, add-on to the museum.

[01:14:13] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, good.

[01:14:14] Tor Tollessen: Bo- both of the two, two oldest one are very eager to.

[01:14:17] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Great.

[01:14:18] Tor Tollessen: And I have a younger one, uh, three, three, uh, ol- the three oldest ones are well educated, uh, uh, my dear, and, uh, fourth one, she was a little later, so she will be in junior in Boise State University.

[01:14:31] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Wonderful.

[01:14:32] Tor Tollessen: And she, too, is very interested in, uh, uh...

[01:14:35] They wanna be on the 17th of May committee and the museum.

[01:14:40] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, good.

[01:14:40] Tor Tollessen: And the museum.

[01:14:40] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, good. Good.

[01:14:40] Tor Tollessen: So, so they will be some young ones coming.

[01:14:41] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:14:42] Tor Tollessen: Hopefully.

[01:14:42] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: That's great. Get them involved.

[01:14:45] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah.

[01:14:46] Daniel Kaylor: Get m-

[01:14:46] Tor Tollessen: Yeah ...

[01:14:46] Daniel Kaylor: if they bake cookies, they can bake cookies for the Julefest.

[01:14:50] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, yeah.

[01:14:51] Daniel Kaylor: Too. Uh,

[01:14:52] Tor Tollessen: Uh, w- w- they're a good baker. I mean, my, my daughter, so she bakes, she... 7 asbestos, she makes it better. She's been donated, uh, for the at least six to eight, up to years 'cause my wife was-

[01:15:03] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[01:15:04] Tor Tollessen: On the committee for the-

[01:15:05] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, yes ...

[01:15:05] Tor Tollessen: For the, for the-

[01:15:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yes ...

[01:15:06] Tor Tollessen: uh, au- Auktion-

[01:15:08] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[01:15:09] Tor Tollessen: Every year, so.

[01:15:10] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Good.

[01:15:10] Tor Tollessen: They went for $3,400, so.

[01:15:12] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: That's wonderful.

[01:15:14] Tor Tollessen: One of the best is she's a good baker.

[01:15:14] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yes. Good.

[01:15:16] Tor Tollessen: So.

[01:15:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Did you know that that cake is called Klaefjukake?

[01:15:21] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, the, uh, uh, original, yes. It was that.

[01:15:24] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:15:24] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:15:24] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And that's my community, Klaefu.

[01:15:26] Tor Tollessen: Oh, really?

[01:15:27] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. And I am the ambassador for Klaefjukake to the United States.

[01:15:33] Tor Tollessen: Ah. Is that why your... So you're the one that put Klaefu up on the, on the Norwegian map?

[01:15:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: My sons.

[01:15:38] Tor Tollessen: Oh, your sons did.

[01:15:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: My sons. Botnes is there.

[01:15:40] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:15:41] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:15:41] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. No, yeah. So we have, you know, John Chung. I, I put the Kamai on, and John Chung, uh, uh, I had a boat with John Chung.

[01:15:48] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:15:48] Tor Tollessen: That, and then we sold the boat, and we took the money, and I, I'm, u- 20% was mine, and then he, instead of giving it to me, he, he, uh, put Kamai on there.

[01:15:58] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, good.

[01:15:59] Tor Tollessen: And he, he, he escort, uh, and Sitkellan is on there for him.

[01:16:01] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, I saw that.

[01:16:02] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:16:03] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: That's wonderful. Yeah.

[01:16:04] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:16:04] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Someone said to me, "Oh my God, you must be so important. Your- Botnes is there." And I said, "No, I'm not important. My sons made a donation."

[01:16:14] Tor Tollessen: Yes. Right. But that's the importance.

[01:16:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. Anyway. Is there anything else we should talk about or no?

[01:16:23] Tor Tollessen: I, I think that now we can sit here a little bit.

[01:16:25] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: This has been so interesting. Thank you very much-

[01:16:29] Tor Tollessen: Ah, you're very welcome ...

[01:16:30] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: For doing it. Do you remember that you and Ingrid and I were both at Viggo Ferder's house?

[01:16:37] Tor Tollessen: Yes, yes.

[01:16:38] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: A- And I said to both of you, "I need to interview you."

[01:16:41] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, that, that is true. That's right.

[01:16:43] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:16:44] Tor Tollessen: This, this, not this year, the year before I think it was.

[01:16:45] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, it was, yeah. Yeah.

[01:16:47] Tor Tollessen: Two years ago, yeah.

[01:16:47] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: At least one year. Yeah. Maybe three years ago.

[01:16:49] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, three years. Yeah.

[01:16:50] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:16:51] Tor Tollessen: Time go fast when you look back.

[01:16:52] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yes.

[01:16:52] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:16:53] Daniel Kaylor: And when you have more stories, you can come back and add to it.

[01:16:56] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:16:57] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, absolutely.

[01:16:58] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:16:58] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:16:59] Tor Tollessen: Well, if I, I can turn around here and come, I come with more stories, but no, I'm just kidding.

[01:17:04] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Oh, that would be lovely.

[01:17:06] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:17:06] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: That would be lovely. But thank you so much.

[01:17:08] Daniel Kaylor: The prev- the previous, the fellow that was just here.

[01:17:10] Tor Tollessen: Mm-hmm.

[01:17:11] Daniel Kaylor: It was like he had more, he had another story going before he got outside the door.

[01:17:15] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:17:15] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Yeah.

[01:17:16] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:17:16] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:17:17] Daniel Kaylor: And, yeah, we always say, "Well, you know, maybe we should just turn the camera, leave the camera running. Turn the camera back on again."

[01:17:23] Tor Tollessen: Yeah.

[01:17:25] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Before Allie, the, our museum girl, woman, who had to do with the oral history program, before she left, she said to me, "I want to interview you."

[01:17:37] Tor Tollessen: Mm-hmm.

[01:17:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: "I personally want to do it."

[01:17:39] Tor Tollessen: Right, right.

[01:17:39] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: She came to my house two hours one time, and two hours another time, and she said, "I'm leaving, otherwise I would be here for two hours more."

[01:17:51] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Yeah, right, right.

[01:17:52] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So that long, long, long interview-

[01:17:55] Tor Tollessen: Right, right, yeah.

[01:17:56] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: ... Is somewhere.

[01:17:58] Tor Tollessen: The thing, like when, when you immigrate that far, you know what I mean, we are 6,000 miles, 7,000 miles from , from our home, home place.

[01:18:04] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, exactly.

[01:18:05] Tor Tollessen: You know? So, and, uh, most of us come as young, you know, so we have-

[01:18:08] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah ...

[01:18:08] Tor Tollessen: to fend for ourself. You know, you didn't know. Yeah.

[01:18:10] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: So you came at 19?

[01:18:12] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Uh, well, I, I came in, uh, June, June, end of June, I think, and I, I was, uh, 20 in September.

[01:18:20] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Okay.

[01:18:21] Tor Tollessen: So I was, yeah, so I was 19.

[01:18:23] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: I came at 19 and a half.

[01:18:23] Tor Tollessen: Yeah, 19 and a half, 19 three-quarter.

[01:18:25] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: No, that's not correct. I started teaching in Norway at 19 and a half. I came here as- 22 and a half.

[01:18:35] Tor Tollessen: 22, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[01:18:37] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And I was going to be here one year too.

[01:18:40] Tor Tollessen: Yeah. Yeah.

[01:18:41] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And then I was going to go-

[01:18:44] Tor Tollessen: Yeah ...

[01:18:45] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: And continue my education, and instead I-

[01:18:47] Tor Tollessen: Now, that's, so- ...

[01:18:48] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Met this-

[01:18:48] Tor Tollessen: That was a good education, teaching in Norway. That, uh, uh, there was the, uh, how should I say? The respect for people was a lensman, a teacher-

[01:18:59] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:18:59] Tor Tollessen: ... And a p- preacher.

[01:19:00] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah.

[01:19:00] Tor Tollessen: A priest.

[01:19:01] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[01:19:01] Tor Tollessen: They were the three, uh, they, they were the three, and maybe a, a, a, a h- h- a skipper or some of those guys.

[01:19:09] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly.

[01:19:11] Tor Tollessen: But those were the respected, uh, profession in the old days.

[01:19:14] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Yeah. That's very true. Yeah. So, well.

[01:19:18] Tor Tollessen: All right.

[01:19:19] Daniel Kaylor: Okay.

[01:19:19] Mari-Ann Kind Jackson: Tusen takk.

[01:19:20] Daniel Kaylor: Thank you very much.

[01:19:20] Tor Tollessen: Now we gotta go see some, uh, World Cup.