Ole Ingvald Kvamme Just before dawn on Friday, December 28, 2007, Ole Ingvald Kvamme, at 104 years young, slipped peacefully into the presence of the Lord he loved and faithfully served. Ole was born in Bergen, Norway on October 4, 1903, the 7th of 13 children born to Ole J. and Ingeborg Haugland Kvamme; he was the last survivor of his siblings, having lost his youngest sister, Ragnhild Ronhovde, of Bergen, this last August. In 1923, at age 19, Ole immigrated to Tacoma, leaving Oliva Thunes, his fiancee, in Bergen until he had earned enough money to send her a ticket! She arrived here in 1924 and she and Ole married in 1925. In 1926 Ole began what was to become a 46 year career with the Mutual Fir Column Company. His first assignment there was as an unskilled lumber piler. Over the years, through sheer determination and a number of largely self taught skills, he rose to become the firm's chief "set-up" man, a position which gave him the responsibility of developing custom cutter heads for the firm's automatic lathes, stickers and other lumber production equipment. Ole and his late wife Oliva, who passed away in 1978, were very proud of their 6 children -- Marvel Smythe, Bernice Rupp Johnson, Edith (Dean) Stageberg, Ida (Jim) Hagen, Reuben (Clarine) Kvamme and Jo Ann (Dale) Glass. Also surviving Ole are cherished descendents: 18 grandchildren 38 great grandchildren, and 4 great great grandchildren. He was predeceased by 3 sons-in-law, Richard Smythe, Kenneth Rupp, and Harley Johnson and grandchild, Robyn Rupp Gollatz. Ole was devoted to his church, Life Center First Assembly of God, where he had been a member for many years and rarely missed a Sunday service until recent months. Over the years he had taught Sunday School and was pleased to have been a member of the board that invited Fulton Buntain to Tacoma as pastor in 1968. The family expresses sincere appreciation to sisters Edith and Ida who graciously cared for Dad in their homes for 2 years and 6 years respectively, thus enabling Ole to have, in his words, "a comfortable old age." Also, thank you to Dr. Richard Waltman and his staff for their many years of caring and skilled assistance to Dad. Please join us in a celebration of Ole's life on Friday, January 4th at 1:00 PM at Life Center First Assembly of God, 1717 South Union Avenue in Tacoma. Family graveside services will be held at Mountain View Memorial Park on Friday, January 4th at 10:30 AM. Contributions in Ole's honor may be made to Life Center First Assembly of God. Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home. 584-0252.


Published in the News Tribune (Tacoma) on 12/31/2007.