Aagot Marie Randby
By Constance Irene Lund
Aagot Marie Randby was born in Oslo, Norway, January 11, 1884. Her mother was Marie Darmody. Aagot was adopted by Ole and Lena Randby. When John Randby, the only son of Ole and Lena Randby was driving a hackney around the city of Oslo as a taxi service, he heard a baby crying many times on his route. He reported this to his father and mother. As his father was a constable, he was given permission to bring the baby home. She was later adopted by the Randbys.
Aagot's real father owned a shoe factory. Aagot managed to acquire many lovely things when she visited him. Among them were some high button shoes that she highly treasured.
At a very early age she had a lovely singing voice. She recounted many times to her children that she sang for the Prince of Norway when he docked. Platforms were built in the trees to watch the Prince ride by in his carriage. Aagot sang for the Prince as he approached his palace. Later when Evan Stephens (LDS composer and director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) visited Norway, he was very much impressed by her singing.
Aagot's mother was one of the early converts to the church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Her father never joined. He was the head of the King's Police Force and was very handsome in his regalia of braid and tassles. When Aagot heard the gospel from some missionaries she too wished to join the Church. She sneaked off to the Mormon meetings because her father objected to her joining the Church. Aagot was baptized 31 July 1899 in Norway. The young daughter came to Utah in 1901. Her father said he would clothe her in all of the beautiful clothes she would desire to prepare her for her journey, but after she left he would never support her financially again.
When she arrived in Utah, she disembarked in Ogden where it was muddy and rainy. She had been prepared for a city paved in gold in Zion. She started working as an assistant seamstress at a Walker Department Store. She sewed on buttons and altered clothing as a beginning.
One of the most eventful happenings of her life was when she was crowned Queen of the 88th Anniversary Celebration of Norway's Independence in Salt Lake City in 1902. It was at this celebration that she met Djalmar Lund and their courtship commenced. She loved hats and many times bought a new hat to wear on a date with Djalmar rather than buy herself a meal. Djalmar bought her pastries which many times was all she had to eat.
Aagot was endowed on the 27th of May and married in the Salt Lake Temple that same day in the year 1903.
Aagot was a soloist for many years in the Scandinavian Choir on Temple Square and gave many hours of valuable service as a soloist at funerals. She was the mother of two sons and five daughters: Aubrey Djalmar, Gordon Randby, Evangeline Priscilla, Thelma Eve, Margot Arvilla, LaVon Iris, and Constance Irene.
She was a very happy spirit singing around the house while she did her work. She had a rare sense of humor, was a comedienne perching silly hats on her head and pulling faces to delight her children. She loved to visit and was fun to be with and as a result had many friends and belonged to many ladies' clubs. She enjoyed associating with the ladies in the Relief Society and was a faithful attender in her own ward and the Federal Heights Ward where many of her more wealthy friends attended. Aagot was a faithful temple worker and as a child I remember her regularly preparing the temple clothes by washing and ironing them before she attended a session. My parents' diligence has been an example to me.
She sewed most of the clothes her children wore, making underwear from Hustler flour sacks and dresses from old pants of her husband. She sewed and designed her own hats from second hand ones. They were stunning. She was always very well dressed and fashionable. She also sewed baby bonnets which she sold and displayed in Mormon Handicrafts. She was very creative tatting handkerchiefs, making rag rugs, lamp shades, and jewelry from old buttons and beads. She made homemade bread and always had cookies in the cookie jar. She canned fruits by the hundreds of jars, pickles, chili sauce and jams and jellies. The aroma of good cooking always filled the air. She took great pride in a beautiful home and acquiring many lovely pieces of china and furniture because of her good management.
She loved dances and parties and while rearing her family took her babies with her in a buggy and bedded some of the younger children on the benches while she danced and joined in the fun. She and Djalmar attended many masquerades dressed to the hilt.
She desired the best for her children and wanted them to be educated and have the opportunity to be cultured. She urged them to study a musical instrument or take dancing.
Aagot devoted her last few years to Djalmar, who became blind. Until the end she was very alert, fun loving, and young for her years, never turning gray until her very last days when she fell and broke her hip. In the matter of a few months her health went downhill and she passed away on September 9, 1966, about two months after her dear Djalmar.