Njal Undheim

March 23, 1934 – June 2, 2022

VIKING MAN ESCAPES WITH TREASURE...

a treasured life, that is!

VALLEY CENTER, CA – Njal Undheim, 88, modern-day Viking in a truly storied life, was born on the kitchen table at his family farm in Norway to parents Maria and Nils Undheim. He immigrated to the United States at age 19 to seek the Great American Dream—and found it!

On June 2, 2022, to the heartache of many, Njal escaped his earthly bounds and passed away at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, not from Loki’s ire, but due to complications arising from pneumonia.

As his story goes, he descended from the 1st king of Norway, Harald Hårfagre or Harald Fairhair. Njal, which translates to mean “Champion,” is a name that traces from the Old Norse language and appears in the ancient Viking sagas.

As a Christian and family man who resided in Vista, CA most of his life, he was a good neighbor, worked hard, and made many friends through his involvement in the Sons of Norway and community at large. He was good with his hands and an ingenious problem solver. If he couldn’t find the right tool, he’d make one to suit his needs.

Hailing from the Scandinavian culture and the Land of the Midnight Sun, you’re likely to develop the characteristics of your people. He had blue eyes and a huge heart, was into healthy eating, had a gentle soul, was pragmatic and sensible, trusted his fellow man and woman, and was generous with his time and care to help others.

Growing up in Norway, he was one of nine children who worked the farm, hunted, and fished for trout and eel at the nearby lake or river that traversed through the local community of farms. As a child, he had to endure the Nazi German occupation of Norway. Once, while eating at the kitchen table during a lightning storm, he was struck unconscious and fell to the floor, hit by a bolt of lightning that flashed out of the electric outlet. In his late teens, he went to agricultural college in Norway to further his knowledge of the agrarian society he lived in.

At the time, the oldest male had first pick as to whether they wanted to take over the farm from their father. Being the 2nd oldest son, and with no opportunity to acquire the farmstead, he voyaged to America on the SS Stavangerfjord. Looking out his cabin porthole, the first glimpse of America he saw was the Statue of Liberty.

Njal was sponsored by his uncle, Lars Soyland, and went to work for him on his chicken ranch in Vista. Being a new arrival in America and not speaking very much English, he joined the local Sons of Norway lodge to socialize with other transplanted Norwegians and American contemporaries exploring their roots. Through his involvement, he met his first wife, Jane Elizabeth Dobbins, an officer of the lodge at the time. Having impeccable taste, she married this sophisticated man with an accent. They raised two sons, Timothy and Robert.

After Njal’s sponsorship period ended with his uncle, he went to work for the Golden Arrow Dairy in Vista. After starting as the head milk bottler and ultimately advancing to the manager of the dairy, it closed after he worked there for 21 years. Being resourceful, he went to work for Pinamonti Construction as their foreman and hands-on facilitator, where he worked some 25 years until retirement.

Over the years, along with his family, Njal enjoyed the Great American Dream through holidays and picnics, family parties, RV getaways, trips to Norway, theatrical plays, cultural involvement, fraternal commitment, and all the things that nurtured the foundation of a happy life. As life progresses, even the greatest of unions can evolve and after 41 years of marriage, Njal and Jane went their separate ways, but remained close and caring over the remainder of their lives.

In due course, Njal met and married his second wife, Diane Lewis, and they lived on their ranch in Valley Center, CA. They enjoyed many adventures together including competitive sheepherding, RV camping, and exploring Norway. He really relished the life he built in Valley Center, but after being together nearly 27 years, Diane passed away in February. He was very sad at her passing, but was determined to carry on.

While Njal was resolved to write more chapters in the story of his life, this real Most Interesting Man in the World wasn’t able to complete the swan song of his choosing and now resides in Heaven, or in Viking lingo, has sailed onward to Valhalla.

Njal is survived by his children, Timothy and Robert; his grandchildren, Danielle, Natasha and Dane; two step-children; five siblings, nieces and nephews, and countless cousins still living in Norway, as well as many other extended family members, friends, and relations around the world that will truly miss him.

Family and friends can visit via RSVP with Njal’s kinfolk at the Sons of Norway (Norway Hall) in Vista on Saturday, August 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a private celebration of his life. Dress comfortably with a splash of color in recognition of his colorful life and all the lives he affected with his kindness.

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Lovingly Authored by Njal’s son, Timothy