Anna Olava Lommen was born August 31, 1889 to Anna Margrethe Huglen Lommen and Ole T. Lommen. Olava attended Lutheran Normal School at Sioux Falls, South Dakota for four years. She graduated as valedictorian of the Class of 1910. Taught 10 years. Married at Little Rock, Arkansas April 6, 1918 to Solomon Hammersland who was killed in action at Chateaux Thierry, France on July 22, 1918.
Olava attended Harwell Business College in Little Rock and worked as steno and bookkeeper for Brandon and Turner Wholesale Stove Works. Finished course as Laboratory Technician at Glomset Laboratory, Des Moines and worked as Tech. in Jewish Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky fall of 1923. Attended Chicago Lutheran Bible School 1927-28. Spring of 1927 did Parish work for Moreland Lutheran Church, Chicago. Kept books for Hoffman Hardware Store on Madison Street, Chicago.
Olava then left Chicago because it became necessary for her to return home to help on the farm. She spent much of her life caring for her ailing parents and family. She was an active member of Stavanger Lutheran Church, Ossian, Iowa, being president of the Luther League for 10 years and a Sunday School teacher for about the same length of time. From the time that she returned home she carried a good deal of the responsibilities on the farm and milked the cows by hand for years. Some of the memories which Olava relayed to us about her early life included the facts that transportation as well as field work were done with horse power, milking was done by hand, and fuel consisted of wood cut from the timber. Her family usually had at least five work horses.
Olava attended elementary school about three-fourth of a mile northwest of her home. One thing she remembers about country school was facing the bitterly cold wind in the winter. It was an unforgettable experience. The teacher would look at the children’s faces to see if there were any white spots of frostbite. If any were found, the teacher rubbed them with snow. The first cars in Olava’s family were Model T’s. In about 1914, her brother Olai got his first car. Olava got her first car in 1924. She thinks she paid $320 for it.
Clothing styles have changed considerably. Olava’s sister, Barbra was a seamstress and she sewed many confirmation and wedding gowns. Men wore dark suits and for dress up they wore white shirts with stiff collars. Olava remembered that her grandmother (Mette Kloster Huglen) wore a black shawl and a black satin bonnet. Olava attended many basket socials and ice cream socials. In comparing life when she was younger with the present (1977), she gave this information to Lori Reyner for a school assignment. Olava says, “The modern conveniences are an improvement in some ways. Crime seems to have increased though. Now as in the past, it is necessary to pray for guidance and then trust in God who can and will help.”
From about 1950-1977 Olava lived in Long Beach, California, during the winter months and was active in St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. She made her home in Decorah (305 E. Broadway) until she became ill January 19, 1979. She died March 10, 1979 in the West Union hospital.