Gunda A Birkeland

Gunda Amanda Ougendal was married to her cousin Johan Sofus Birkeland in 1922. Gunda and Johan ran a farm at Birkeland, just 2 miles from Åvendal. Nowadays it is run by their youngest son Jonas.

Johan also hunted and kept silver-foxes because of their furs and it proved to be prosperous as the farm at Birkeland itself was small and gave limited outcome.

During the last war Johan and two of his sons, Gudmund and John, were involved with the Norwegian Resistance Movement, and in 1944 they had to flee Birkeland to avoid being captured by the Germans. Weapons and supplies brought over from England by fast MTB-boats were taken ashore in nearby Vatlandsvika by Norwegian patriots, but the German's sniffed up what went on. Gudmund discovered the German's and fled away while Johan and John were not present when the feared pack rolled into the court-yard at Birkeland.

Their cousin Kristian Birkeland, also involved, was not so lucky. He was caught and tortured to death by the Gestapo as they showed up at Birkeland that faithful day, his ashes being spread at sea to show what the German's thought about patriots.

Gestapo Head Officer Hoelcher involved himself personally in catching the fugitives, but Johan and his sons held out until the end of the war, hiding in a cave by the sea near Birkeland. Gunda would get them supplies, and Jonas, then 10 years old was always angry that there were "mice" stealing the food at night.

Gunda died in 1989.