July 21, 2007 at 09.13.00   Reidar Oftebro  ( reidarof AT online.no )   

Congratulations with the silver medal!
We want to congratulate 3-5-7-2-2-2 Ingunn Opsal on her good result during the European Championship in Athletics for juniors in Hengeloo, the Netherlands: number 2 (silver medal) in the 5000 metres.

Heia Ingunn!

Best wishes from Grethe and Reidar

July 11, 2007 at 08.32.00     Kruger family  ( graelin AT telkomsa.net )

An enormous thank you to Garry Oftebro, for a tremendous effort and for a wonderful Oftebro reunion in South Africa. It really exceeded all expectations and was an experience of a lifetime, which will stay with us forever. Garry made a gift for each family of glitterstone, and I told him that ours now hangs in our dining room, a visual reminder of the Oftebro spirit alongside another; the Lyngdal group photo from 2004. I can't help but think how proud Ommund, Christian and Berte Marie would be to know that the seeds of love, hope and faith that they came to share in South Africa were certainly enacted during this reunion and will continue to strengthen in future friendships. Thank you to each of you who attended, as with out you there would be no reunion. Till we meet again! Love from Pieter, Tessa, Graeme & Lindsay.

July 3, 2007 at 16.37.00   Rick Hollinbeck

We send greetings to all the Oftebros who are gathered together in Africa this week! I wish we
were able to make the trip this year, but don't be surprised if you see us over there one of these
years.

- Rick, Marty, Mesa and Skyler Hollinbeck

April 10, 2007 at 1.08.00   Torstein Oftebro ( torstein.oftebro AT lier.online.no )

Slektskomiteen har på lager et mindre parti T-skjorter som er blitt til overs etter slektsstevnet
i Lyngdal i 2004. De er av størrelse M og L. Vi deler ut skjortene gratis til medlemmene av slekten
men kan ikke påta oss kostnader ved forsendelse.
Dersom du er interessert, ta kontakt med oss i Lier på e-post adressen ovenfor.

Dec 20, 2006 at 19:41:36 Perry & Valerie (poftebro AT pris.ca)

Merry Christmas to all our family around the world.::We wish everyone a happy & healthy 2007. And a very succesful reunion in Durban!

Dec 20, 2006 at 15:28:23 Laila Sandvik (laila.sandvik AT chello.no)

Hello every Oftebro around the world!::::We are wishing all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM Stavanger!::::Our branch is limitted, so every one is wellcome to take contact so we can be aquainted with other Oftebros.::::We hope seeing a lot of you in Durban in June. Our flight is booked and confirmed! ::::Greetings from Laila and Frode Sandvik

Hello all Oftebro relatives,::::Harold and I live in White City, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a quiet little bedroom community just outside Sakatchewan's capital city, Regina. I am newly retired from a 32 year career in teaching and Harold works at Canadian Blood Services in Regina.::::We are busy getting ready for the upcoming Christmas season. The Christmas lights are up and the Christmas shopping and baking is in full swing!::::We are looking forward to reading messages from all of the Oftebros around the world. ::::Merry Christmas everyone!::::Hilsen, Leone and Harold

Hello Extended Oftebro Family::::What a great way to send massages around the world! My husband James and I immigrated to the UK (from South Africa) earlier this year and are thoroughly enjoying our new life here!If any family are ever passing through London, we would love to meet you so please let us know.::::In the run up to the Festive season London really comes alive and the decoration of the city is wonderful! I wish you all a early festive greeting!::::Kind Regards::::Lorel

Hello Oftebro relatives worldwide.::It is great to notice all the warm greetings, criss-crossing throughout the family, as a result of the “family greetings relay race” launched by the Oftebro family committee. Not everybody, who has been challenged, has found it natural to respond by leaving his/her greetings in the guestbook, and/or by challenging a new person/family to do the same. This has resulted in a number of “loose batons” that never found a hand to be left into. ::::On behalf of the Oftebro family committee we take this opportunity to pick up a handful of these “loose batons” and forward them to a corresponding number of persons/families, hoping these persons will leave their messages in the guestbook, and hoping they in due time will all challenge new persons/families to take part in our little game:::::1. Tim and Hisako Oftebro. Please tell us about your life in Japan! And how are your triathlon competitions coming along, Tim?::::2. Leane Oftebro. Have you given any song concert in Saskatchewan or British Columbia or elsewhere recently? Please let us hear news from you!::::3. Lorel (Stander) Ward. How was the story about the mug of Zulu king Cetshwayo, that had been kept for generations in your family? Does this story go all the way back to your great, great, great grandfather, missionary Ommund C Oftebro? Please let us hear news from your life in GB.::::4. Olaug Asheim Furnes. What is the family news from Stavanger, Norway? Did you enjoy the beautiful summer in your Lyngdal cabin this season?::::5.Leone (Oftebro) and Harold Owchar. How are Canadian teaching and Canadian blood services coming along in Saskatchewan these days? And what other news?::::Grethe and Torstein Oftebro, Lier, Norway.::

Hello from Oslo. It’s great seeing the good response to the greetings relay. I’m a member of the informal Family Committee, and find a lot of pleasure in keeping close contact to new family members. We really hope many of you will look into Oftebro.com now and then, and finally we may succeed in making the home page a natural place to visit for this huge family.::::The winter is getting closer here in the Oslo area. After a warm and sunny summer, my family can’t wait starting the x-c skiing season at our cottage in the mountains close to Lillehammer, some 2 hours north of Oslo. It’s a good life. I send the baton on to the western part of Norway, to my second cousin Knut Sømme in Stavanger. ::

Hello from Maine U.S.A.:: It has been wonderful to learn of all our relatives all over the world. Thankyou to all who have done so much work to bring us together by e-mail and or reunions.:: My Mother, Pearl, who is the daughter of Carl Foss is 85. She is enjoying learning about her very large family through my e-mail and through the family book. We will look forward to reading the guest book and hearing from more family. :: My husband Greg and I have 5 grandchildren ages 6months to 7 years old. We see them as often. We will be enjoying winter soon. Hopefully, we will have enough snow to do a lot of x-country skiing.:: I don't know who to send this to but hopefully someone will pick up from here. Sandy

Hi.::I got the baton from my aunt Olaug a couple of weeks ago. At last, here I am!::Our oldest son Tobias came home to visit us this weekend. He is studying in Stavanger this year, and he returns to Stavanger tomorrow in time to reach his classes. ::Thorjus, our 18 year old son, have just arrived from a school trip to St.Petersburg with his history class. Boring long distances with bus, a nice ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki, hours waiting at the border to get in to Russia, marvellous Winter Palass and poor people.::Life in Mandal is safe and secure!::Our youngest son Markus looks forward to wintertime and snow. I rather have summer all year!::Next weekend my husbond Geir and I are going to a nutrition course. One of the lectures is Dr.Paul Clayton - a member of the Oftebro family visiting the reunion in Lyngdal! ::I let the baton go to my cousin Olav Erik Areklett. ::Didn`t you visit Iceland together with a group from K.G. - your working place.::Randi Haaland Due ranhaala@online.no::::

It is a pleasure to read all greetings and shortletters in the guestbook. Grethe and I are living quietly here at Hvalstad, Norway. News after the reunion: Henrik Oftebro Enge, son of Yngvil (our daughter) and Espen, was born 28.10.2005. Tomorrow we plan to take the train to Stavanger, to celebrate Henrik`s one-year day. I want to send the baton to one of the families who were not invited to the reunion in Lyngdal, simply because we had not "found" their adress at that time. As you know, Carl Martin Johan Foss - son of Karen Sofie (Oftebro) and Nils Tobias Larsen Foss - immigrated into USA. I hope that Sandra Batten, Carl`s granddaughter, will send us a greeting from Maine.

Oct 23, 2006 at 09:02:09 GARRY OFTEBRO (garryo AT mweb.co.za)

Hello to all !!! What a wonderful idea to have this relay working - WELL DONE !!!::::This reply is in response to the challenge from my brother Mark and Michelle in Zimbabwe. I recently visited them on a ten day trip which was wonderful and an amazing eye opener to the current Zimbabwe situation. We began with a weekend in Bulawayo where Mark was competing in an Inter-National POLO-CROSS Tournament, playing for Zimbabwe against South Africa. Mark was named "The Flying Moustache" when he again earned MAN of the MATCH as they annihilated the South African team. ::We then spent four days on a house boat on Kariba, which was wonderful and well worth a visit, as is the whole beautiful country despite it's economic and humanitarian turmoil.::I now challenge Thelma Piccionne (nee Oftebro)and my sister Lucille Garritsen (nee Oftebro).

Oct 22, 2006 at 20:41:09 Tessa Kruger (graelin AT telkomsa.net)

Hello everybody! The relay is really on; less than a 5-hour change of the baton! Quicker on the internet than by car, Port Elizabeth is just under 1000km from Durban.::Great news & congratulations Perry & Valerie - Landon is fortunate to have such wonderful grandparents.::I challenge my brother Warwick Hojem in Auckland, New Zealand to continue with the baton. Warm "Oftebro" greetings, Pieter, Tessa, Graeme & Lindsay Kruger.

Oct 22, 2006 at 16:07:26 Colin and Barbara Langeland-Hansen (barbara AT augusta.co.za)

Hello from sunny South Africa. My viking husband Colin has just returned from foreign shores again. He has been in India finding factories that will make shirts for our clothing business -had a successful trip but is glad to be back home again. We would like to challenge Garry Oftebro from Durban and Tessa Kruger from Port Elizabeth to pick up the baton. Colin and Barbara Langeland-Hansen

Oct 21, 2006 at 12:12:24 Jørgen Myrland (jorgen AT myrland.com)

Oct 18, 2006 at 17:17:42 Einar Oftebro (eoftebro AT yahoo.com)

Siden er et flott alternativ!::Selv skal jeg prøve å følge litt med fra tid til annen, ::må løpe nå... på jobb...::::;)::::Einar

Oct 18, 2006 at 14:27:23 Tina de Freitas (tdefreit  AT telus.net)

Hi from Canada!::It is great keeping in touch with some of my Norwegian relatives. This summer I met my cousin Gry for lunch in Barcelona, Spain!! It is a small world. I challenge one of my cousins that I met at the reunion to reply to this post.::Tina (Opsal) de Freitas

Oct 16, 2006 at 15:44:29 Olaug Oftebro Areklett (ragare AT combitel.no)

Hello everybody in the great Oftebro family!::::Who am I?::I have two brothers, Reidar and Torstein Oftebro, and they were both active in planing the great Oftebro Reunion.I agree with all the positive words that have been said about this reunion, and I say like Deena Streek from Canada: “It was huge!” The only negative comment I have heard conserning the arrangement was that we lost a little bit of contact with each other because of this hugeness. Therefore I think this guestbook is a very positive idea for those who feel the wish of a closer contact to members of the great family.::::I am sorry that my sister, Gudrun, didn´t live to see the reunion. When she joined Reidar, Torstein and Reidar´s wife, Grethe on a trip to South Africa in the year of 2000 to visit the places where the missionaries Ommund, Christian and Berte Marie Oftebro (Hojem) did their work, the thoughts of an Oftebro Reunion already had started. But unfortunately Gudrun died in 2002. I have one sister left, Karen Oftebro Haaland, and I intend to ask her daughter, Randi Haaland and her family to send a greeting.::::Olaug Oftebro Areklett, Mandal, Norway::

Oct 16, 2006 at 03:13:14 Perry and Valerie (poftebro AT pris.ca)

Hello everyone! This relay should be very interesting.We visit this site often to try to keep up. Congrats Adam!::Our son Darren will be wed May 19/07. Our youngest Kaelyn has made us proud granparents of a lovely little boy - Landon. We have just been through a drought year worst in 40 years, poor farmers and ranchers. But snow today and every drop counts. Sorry to hear about the struggles of Zim. Seems our whole world is suffering with something or other. We would like to pass the baton on to Bjorn & Elly, Nils & Anette, and Milly in Washington State. We certainly enjoy hearing from you. How are the plans for the next reunion coming??

Oct 11, 2006 at 16:58:24 Mark & Michele Oftebro

Hi all. We are all surviving in Zimbabwe, although things are extremely difficult here. It is a shame to see such a beautiful country filled with amaizing wildlife, destroyed. ::We have located more relatives of the Oftebro familly, namely the "Stockhills". They have been in Zimbabwe from the early settler days, and were not aware of the great familly that they are part of.We have introduced them to the "familly tree", and shortly you should be seeing them on the mailing list, and actively taking part in the Oftebro communication.::God bless you all, and I would like to challenge my brother Garry Oftebro, Joann Bakken, and Colin and Barbera Hansen to pick up the "paper chase challenge".::

Oct 10, 2006 at 00:32:13 Joann Bakken (jmbakken AT sbcglobal.net)

What fun it will be to keep in touch with other Oftebros. Michele and Mark, here's my response to your challenge. ha ha-- I just returned from my high school 50 year reunion (my how time flies) and we all look pretty good. I'm now full-time care giver for my husband, Orley, and treasure the special times we share. I substitute teach when the opportunities come and son, David is available to be with his dad. Our family was recently here to celebrate all the August and September birthdays. What fun we have together!! Now I challenge my brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Dale Oftebro, to enter this race.

Oct 1, 2006 at 10:55:39 ole-kristian (ole_kristian_15 AT hotmail.com)

Great phage :) 1 year sinse we met and it feels like it was yesterday, hope we can re-do it sometime.I would also like to say that this phage is amazing.. keep up the good work!!

Sep 26, 2006 at 05:16:47 Adam & Allison West (west9997 AT bellsouth.net)

Hi!::As some of you know already, I married this past February in the Central American country of Costa Rica. We are now expecting our first child, a little girl, in early february 2007!! We are very excited to see a lot of old as well as new faces in Durban, SA next summer!!! Hope that all is well everywhere you all are:-)::Adam, Allison, and baby

Sep 25, 2006 at 22:02:07 Rick Hollinbeck (rickh-oftebro AT westernwares.com)

I think we are all in a little trouble with Villum (and that's not so good, I think!)::::I think often about the trip to Norway and all the interesting other Oftebros we met there.::::I thought I'd get the "baton" passing to several people at once that I've wondered about recently:::::Perry and Val - how is your Fall weather up there in Canada - we had our first big mountain snow already by Sep 23: (see skymesa.net/pix/MountainSnow-23-Sep-2006.jpg)::::Helge - how is your new clinic project coming along?::Say hello to your family for me!::::Mark and Michelle - how are you and your kids doing in Africa? My younger son is researching African history for a school project, something you would know a lot about!::::Hope to hear from anyone and everyone of us around the world!::::Take care...::Rick, Marty, Mesa, Skyler Hollinbeck::::

Sep 19, 2006 at 21:17:54 Torstein Oftebro (torstein.oftebro AT lier.online.no)

Where are you, "Oftebros"?::::Don't blame Villum and say he was lazy.::He, who multiplied like he was crazy!!::So why do his offspring::leave the Guestbook with nothing?::Your absences daily amaze me!::::Torstein Oftebro

Aug 15, 2006 at 06:34:57 Perry & Valerie (poftebro AT pris.bc.ca)

Great new website, keep up the great job.::We are excited about the possiblity of an reunion in SA

May 7, 2006 at 06:19:42 Nicole Oftebro (noftebro AT telus.net)

I am interested in my family background. I am so confused as to where i come in..

May 3, 2006 at 18:06:46 Robert Hollinbeck (Rhollinbeck AT mac.com)

My daughter Mara and I are planning our trip to South Africa. After looking at Inge's journal we are even more excited and hope to add to the family web site some of the experiences we will have on our visit during late May and early June. Bob and Mara Hollinbeck

Jan 25, 2006 at 22:43:24 Jonathan Stockil (jrstockil AT yahoo.com)

Only recently did I find out about the Oftebro family gathering. I am only sorry I missed out. Hope another one will be planned in my life time. Thank you very much Reidar Oftebro for tracking me down in West Virginia. We are from Zimbabwe, via Bertelsen (Natal) South Africa. Keep up the good work.

Jan 14, 2006 at 17:59:42 Frode Sandvik (frode.sandvik AT online.no)

Hallo all Oftebros!::We got the e-mail from Garry in South Africa about the Hollinbeck's visit. We concider joining the round trip in SA. Is anyone else concidering taking the trip to SA as well? Please, contact us. ::Best regards,::Laila and Frode Sandvik, Stavanger Norway

Jan 2, 2006 at 10:25:45 Garry Oftebro (garryo AT mweb.co.za)

We were priviledged to have Inge & Kari Oftebro (and their three children, Thea, Einar & Jens )visit South Africa from the 15th - 30th December 2005. We all shared wonderful times together, and it was very touching and Special to get to know them, share and experience various activities,duties, our country and culture with this wonderful family !! They managed to achieve, cover, see and get through a tremendous amount during their two week stay. ::::Amoungst various other activities and experiences (which I hope Inge & Kari will share with this family community), there were various family gatherings and fabulous christmas lunch Hosted by Colin and Barbara Langelen-Hansen, a kwaMondi Ceremony including the unveiling of a "Memorial Stone Plaque" to our ancester and founder of kwaMondi Church in Eshowe, Ommund Oftebro id:10 plus a very moving ceremony and church service (predominantly in Zulu !!! ) , the zulu traditional dancing ceremony AND a few days in the African bushveld with it's variety of animals , reptiles and birdlife !!::::We thank them all, for visiting South Africa and are the richer for having got to know them !!

Dec 25, 2005 at 15:57:26 Colin Hansen (colin.hansen AT collies.co.za)

It is Christmas in South Africa, and we have just had the pleasure of having Kari, Inge and family + Garry Oftebro and family for Christmas lunch. Although the weather is cold and rainy by South African standards, a very special time was had by all and Inge's children had a good swim in the swimming pool (They think it is warm).

Oct 28, 2005 at 14:30:39 Inge Chr Oftebro (inge.chr.oftebro AT dnv.com)

Just a short info, for those who are interested; My wife Kari,the kids and I are travelling from Norway to Durban, South Africa, arriving December 15th. We will stay in the region for 2 weeks, included Christmas celebration. Our primary contacts are the Langeland-Hansen's in Hillcrest. Besides relaxation and beach life, we hope to meet some of the family in the Durban area. Please e-mail me if some of you have any ideas that we should pursue. Inge Chr ;-)

Aug 29, 2005 at 01:16:09 Perry & Valerie Oftebro (poftebro AT pris.bc.ca)

Your folk are awesome and obviously tireless? Great site.::hard to believe it is all ready a year since we met. Our memories are as if yesterday. hello to everyone and thank you everyday for a great reunion.

Aug 15, 2005 at 06:09:35 Dale Oftebro (doftebro AT juno.com)

Wow! This is a wonderful website - so many good memories of a year ago when we all gathered. Our family is awaiting the arrival of a new member to add to the Oftebro family tree any day now! We will keep you posted. ::::Dale Grace Oftebro & family