A sister’s story in Harstad
Signe was born in Vadsø on 29 August 1897 and grew up in the Tana area. Her confirmation record places her at Masjok in July 1912.
On 11 December 1916, she married Albert Martin Hansen in Tromsø. By 1920, they were living in Harstad with their children Arne and Aase. Albert worked as a plateworker. Later records connect the family with Seljestad.
Her son Arne, born on 12 February 1917, became an engineer in the merchant fleet and served during the Second World War. He was later known as Arne Heiaker: a note added to his baptism record records authorization to use Heiaker instead of Hansen.
Signe died on 26 August 1983, just before her 86th birthday. Her family’s newspaper notice names Liv and Kjell as children and remembers her as a grandmother and great-grandmother. Those connections are helping us trace a branch of the family we would love to know better.
Finding the family connections
Do you remember Signe, Albert or their children? A photograph with names on the back, an old letter or a story from a visit could help connect the Tana and Harstad sides of our family.
Help tell this story
If you have a photograph, letter or memory to add, I’d love to hear from you. You can share things just for the family archive; nothing is published without permission.