Born in Norway, Inger escaped shortly after the Nazi occupation in 1940, traveling alone, for the most part, for nearly two months through war-torn Europe and eventually joining her fiancé, George in Italy where they were able to get passage on the last ship allowed through the Strait of Gibraltar to America. They lived first in San Francisco, moved to Burlingame and finally settled in Morgan Hill where she lived the rest of her life and raised their seven children. She was a partner to her husband in many projects including hand colored photography, leathercraft, the invention of the ExpoDisc for cameras, writing recipes for The Mexican Cookbook, teaching cooking classes at DeAnza College and later helping one of her daughters run a small day care center.

Having ended her formal education when she left Norway, she was very modest about her talent and her knowledge, all the while having learned to speak Norwegian, English, Spanish, German and some French. She studied art at the San Francisco Art Institute and she and George took classes in ballroom dancing, ballet and fencing, and even entered dance competitions where they specialized in the Tango. She loved to play cards and do jigsaw puzzles. Her gift-wrapping was a work of art, and so were her birthday cakes and Christmas cookies. She did beautiful embroidery and knit many sweaters and mittens for her children as they were growing up. In a nutshell, she was smart, capable and talented.

As a young girl she worked as a governess in England for a while and later, back in Norway, in a dress shop where she was immediately asked to model their latest fashions. When the war broke out it put a stop to plans to take her to Paris to model, which was fortunate, because it was on her way home from work that she met the love of her life, on the tram heading to his hotel just down the line from her family home. They both would tell you it was love at first sight.

She helped her children care for their own children and was caregiver to her mother-in-law and one of her sons-in-law. She never lost her temper and always lit up when any of her children or grandchildren came to visit. Her extraordinary beauty was matched by her sweet disposition, kind heart and generous soul.

She saw her husband and three grandchildren pass away before her and is survived by seven children, fifteen grandchildren, twenty great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren and their spouses.

A celebration of her life will be held on August 17 at Hecker Pass Winery in Gilroy at 6pm. Please let the family know if you will be attending. You can email sylviamyrvold1@gmail.com