Kåre Åsen was born in 1942 in Støfringsdalen, Norway. He grew up on a farm with his parents, four siblings, grandmother and farm animals. As a child, he attended a small local schoolhouse that had no running water or indoor plumbing. His daily life involved helping with chores on the farm like caring for animals in the winter and working in the fields during hay season in the summer. By his early teens, he and his friends would spend their free time fishing, hiking and building canoes.

1. My Grandfather Kåre
My Grandfather is named Kåre Åsen, and was borned 17 march 1942 in Støfringsdalen in Jølster.
He had four siblings.
In Støfringsdalen, it is two farms, and lays ca. 1 kilometer from the main road. There he grew up
with father Nils, Mum Kirsti, his brethren, and his grandmother. On the farm his family had ten to
twelve cows, ca thirty sheeps and two – three pigs.
The most important resource source was milk and meet. The milk was in cooperation with
neighbors driven with horse to the dairy on Vassenden, ca four kilometers each way. The horse was
the most important vehicle on that time.
The school started when he were seven years in Eikås schoolhouse. There were 2 km walk to
school, sometimes he used kicks.
The school house was a traditional wooden house with 2 classrooms and a gutted room on the attic.
Heating was wood. A woman who lived close to the school showed up every morning when it was
cold and fired in quarries so that it was good when they arrived at school at 9 O'clock. It was a
outhouse on the outskirts of the playground. And there was no running water in the school.
In 1 and 2 grade, it was school 2 days per week, The teacher was named Kristiana. The 3. grade
and the 4. grade worked in pairs in about 3 days, and 5 6. and 7 in about 3 days a week. The teacher
from the 3 to 7 class named Eirik Hjellbrekke, he was an ardent goalkeeper, and a teetotaler.
There were differences in everyday clothes, school clothes / weekend clothes. when he came home
from school. He dressed himselves to everyday clothes because there were various duties and had to
save the school clothes. His mother sewed, knitted most of the clothes to the five boys herself.
He played a lot of things that they found. And with the help of the father who was very handy. It
was skiing off the rails and tobogganing in winter. Fishing, swimming, and hiking on the summer.
Arrow and bow and slingshot was popular. When he arrived at 12-13 years of age, he and his
friends built theirs own canoe in three.
He got time to play, but in older age he had duties to do. They took care of the barn and the animals.
In the winter it was work in the forest.
In the summer it had been for weeks with hay and silage. The smaller grass had to be taken with the
scythe.
Until the 50s there were tractors and cars, and the horse were less used.
Why do i live on Klævold?
I live on Klævold because my mum and dad got a question if they wanted to take over the farm on
Klævold. And since dad always had wanted to take over a farm, my mum and dad moved.
Why am I named Årdal?
I am named Årdal because my dad and his ancestors grew up there.