Category Archives: Kaare Nevdal

In Memoriam Kaare

Leave a reply

Updated 15 March 2021

Kaare Nevdal 1920—2021


On Saturday, March 13, 2021, Kaare Nevdal, 100, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, brother and friend passed away at his home in Rockford, IL, with his children by his side. Kaare was born in 1920 and raised in Ytra Arne, Norway, surrounded by the love of parents, siblings, and friends in this small town just outside Bergen.

In 1941, after one year of living under the Nazi occupation, he escaped by boat to the Shetland Islands and enlisted in the Royal Norwegian Air Force in exile in London. While training in Toronto, Canada, he met his wife, Muriel Jones. They immigrated to Rockford in 1948, and raised three children, Karen, Sandra and Mark.

Kaare’s first job when he came to Rockford was at Ingersoll as a pipefitter and then a draftsman. He sold real estate in the evenings and eventually was employed full time for Lutheran Brotherhood as an insurance salesman. He then worked for Home Life of New York (Phoenix). In 1976 Kaare became certified as a CLU (Certified Life Underwriter).

The family joined Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in 1952, where Kaare served as Chairman of the congregation several times, taught Sunday School and remained a member for the rest of this life. Kaare was a past President and an active member of the Rockford Kiwanis Club for 56 years.

He was also a member of the World War II Combat Flyers Club. Kaare regularly and openly spoke of his many blessings. One of his final blessings he considered to be the wonderful care he received from Heartland Hospice, the family expresses special thanks to Robin and Rosa for their loving care.

Special thanks also to Vicky of Siena of Brendenwood, he really treasured her friendship and support.

Kaare is survived by his children, Sandra Rogers (Doug) of Marietta, GA, Mark Nevdal (Sue) of Davis, IL; grandchildren Eric Nelson (Mary), Jennifer Serrano (Jacob), Todd Rogers (Keri), Jake Nevdal (Kara), Aaron Nevdal (Kristen), Ben Nevdal (Breezy), and Luke Nevdal; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Kaare’s surviving siblings include his sister, Halldis, 96 and Arne, 83, who live in Norway. He was predeceased by wife, Muriel, daughter Karen, brothers Birger, Arnold, Johannes and Knut.

There will be a walk-through visitation from 11:00 to 1:00 on Thursday, March 18, 2021 with masks and social distancing required at Fred C. Olson Chapel, 1001 Second Ave, Rockford, IL. A funeral service with only family in attendance will be held at 10:00 pm prior to the visitation.

Those wishing to view the service may do via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88284365919?pwd=a1hoazhxTThELzVaOU5jZU03V3UwQT09

Meeting ID: 882 8436 5919

Passcode: 097363.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Kaare’s name to Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607; Lutheran World Relief, 700 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21230; or Vets Roll, 1777 Gardner St., South Beloit, IL 61080. Please share your memories by posting on his tribute wall at www.olsonfh.com.

Original post

I have just received the sad news that my friend, even if we never meet, Kaare Nevdal passed away in his sleep, at home, yesterday morning. He had been brought home after a few days in the hospital after falling and broken his hip. His son and daughter with in-laws where at his side. He was very satisfied with his life here on earth and lately he had express no higher wish that the Lord would come and take him on the eternal flight. Greatly missed already , what a Guy he was !!

David Wold

People are still remembering Little Norway in Illinois

1 Reply

Updated 17 January 2021 with this contribution from David Wold

Like to share with you the recognition from elected officials that Kaare
Nevdal received on his 100th Birthday. I think is a nice tradition and hopefully a tradition that would be carried on by future elected officials.

Honor and service , this case by Allied Forces, should be recognized now and
forever. “we where all in it together”.

David

P.S. Kaare shared with me last week that he did fly in total 67 flights as
escort of the Convoys or delicate flights from Scotland to Sweden during the
war in 12 different types of planes.

Photos courtesy David Wold

20210112_13362820210112_13361320210112_13345820210112_13354920210112_133521

Source:

http://www.torskeklub.com/history/witnesstowar.pdf

Story by Jon McGinty
Layout by Scott Schwalbach

Kaare (pronounced CORY) Nevdal, Rockford, Ill., was just 19 when the Germans invaded his homeland of Norway on April 9, Life in his small, west coast village near Bergen soon became intolerable under the occupation.

By the following spring, he decided to escape to England. I couldn t stand not to be free, recalls Nevdal. We had to carry identity papers everywhere, and someone was always watching us. If I stayed much longer in Norway, I knew I would end up in jail.

After one escape attempt was thwarted by a North Sea storm, Nevdal succeeded in reaching the Shetland Islands by fishing boat on March 15, He went to London to enlist in the Royal Norwegian Air Force, and the Norwegian government-in-exile sent him to Toronto, Canada, for training.

While in Canada, Nevdal visited his aunt in Rockford, who sent a picture of the two of them to Nevdal s family in Norway, claiming it was her and her son, in order to fool German censors. This was the first indication his family had that Nevdal was still alive. He also met his future wife, Muriel, in Toronto.

After completing his training as a radio operator/gunner in 1942, Nevdal was sent to Iceland where he joined the 330th squadron of Coastal Command. He flew on long, tedious anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic, first in N3PB Nomads, then in PBY Catalina float planes.

In March of 1943, Nevdal was transferred to Scotland in the Shetland Islands. From there he flew patrols along the Norwegian coastline in huge, four-engine Sunderland flying boats. The Germans called them flying porcupines because they had so many guns (18) on board.

One purpose of these flights was to keep German submarines from surfacing, thus slowing them down and making it difficult for them to attack Allied shipping on their way to Russia. But in May of 1944, Nevdal s plane caught one on the surface. We dropped depth charges on the sub from about 50 feet above the water, recalls Nevdal, but it took two attacks. All the time they were shooting at us and we were shooting at them. The nose gunner was killed during the battle. The attack was successful, and on May 16, 1944, the U- 240, a type VIIc German submarine, sank to the bottom with all 50 crewmen.

Later that year Nevdal was again re-assigned, this time to a special unit which flew civilian aircraft in and out of neutral Sweden. His unit carried VIPs, spies, and important documents between Stockholm and St. Andrews, Scotland. We had BOAC uniforms and British passports, says Nevdal. Sometimes we even transported escapees from Norway.

Since Sweden was neutral but blockaded by belligerents, some consumer goods were available in Stockholm that were unattainable in war-rationed Scotland. Nevdal s cousin s wife asked him to bring her a girdle on one of his flights. Kaare Nevdal was in Norway when the Germans invaded his homeland in (Jon McGinty photo) I had to smuggle it out by wearing it under my uniform, says Nevdal. It was very uncomfortable. I gained lots of sympathy for ladies who wore them.
Nevdal recalled a Norwegian poem he copied when he reached England the first time. Its meaning could speak to the motivation for many veterans of World War II.

Kjemp for alt som du har kjart Do om see det jelder Da er livet ie saa svart Doden ikke heller

Fight for all that you hold dear Die if it s that important Then life will not be so hard Neither will be death

Nevdal s Aunt in Rockford, Ill., sent this photo of the two of them to Nevdal s family in Norway to let them know he was still alive. Northwest Quarterly Spring

Kaare Nevdal