Heritage

In the United States most people are of mixed ancestry- and I am no exception. I am 1/2 French and 1/2 Norwegian (with perhaps a smattering of other nationalities- but none that my living relatives will admit to)
My mother was born in Paris, and I visited often as a child. She moved to the United States after marrying my father. I grew up speaking french (not well) and traveling to France regularly to visit cousins and my grandparents. Now it is time for me to look at the other side of the family tree- my father (Paul Kraabel) is from Norwegian stock. My great grandfather immigrated to North Dakota in the late 1800's from Lillihammer Norway. Between 1825 and 1925, more than 800,000 Norwegians immigrated to North America—about one-third of Norway's population with the majority immigrating to the USA, and lesser numbers immigrating to Canada. With the exception of Ireland, no single country contributed a larger percentage of its population to the United States than Norway.