Lillemor

Born: 10 Dec 1927

Married: Per Gunnar Henriksen on 19 Sep 1975 at Oslo, Norway

Died: July 1999, Oslo, Norway

Inger-Mari Strand was the youngest of Einar and Sigrid's children and the only one to be born in a hospital.  She married Per Gunnar Henriksen in Oslo, Norway.  They had no children.  Inger-Mari served an LDS mission in the 1950s.  She had a gift for languages, and part of her missionary experiences included teaching Norwegian classes for the English speaking Elders.  She also proof-read the Book of Mormon prior to its publication in the Norwegian language (Norsk Bokmål).  Inger-Mari spoke Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, German, English and French.  From what I understand, she could pretty much also take shorthand dictation from any of them. 

Like her brother Per, Inger-Mari graduated from college.  This was unusual for the time she lived in and a credit to her parents for their encouragement.  She had a sharp intelligence.

 Like her brothers, she was tall, approximately 5' 11", and very fair in complexion.  She usually dyed her hair with a red tinge and was very particular in her dress.  She could be very funny and had a lovely singing voice.  Everyone close to her called her Lillemor, with the exception of the people she worked with, who generally called her Inger Marie (not Mari).

Lillemor spent a few years in the United States at the end of the 50s, serving as the secretary to the president of the Utah-based Genealogical Society.  A working professional all her life, she was hired by NATO upon her return to Norway, and served as a secretary to various Generals throughout her long career there.  She often told us that were war to be declared, she would immediately be in uniform, with the rank of a lieutenant. 

Lillemor was kind and generous to a fault.  She and her husband, Per Gunnar, were a delight to be around and very openly in love.  She nursed him through the cancer that eventually took his life.  They met later in life, and had a very short time together here on earth.

She passed away from complications with pneumonia in 1999.