Lillian Henriksen (May 21, 1936 – April 7, 2023)
Lillian was a Wife, Mother, Aunt and Sister-in-Law of fishermen. She fell in love and emigrated from Norway as a young woman. Her husband Soren went to Alaska in the 1980s when the local fishing industry was struggling. She, her family along with her recipes were featured in a 1960’s article in the magazine Better Homemaking.
“What was he like? He’s not a big talker. No. I loved him very much. We had good times together.”
“My life has been great. Sure, there was problems. But that was just life and you got to go with it and make the best out of it and keep going.”
“So, when I wanted to talk Norwegian, I just walk to Fairhaven and all the friends I need…And that’s what I did and I made a lot of good Norwegian friends.”
“I was really, really homesick and my husband said, ‘Why don’t you go back to Norway for a trip?’. I said, ‘Are you kidding? If I go back there I’ll never come back to America.’ So, I stuck it out. And I never regretted it.”
“My mother cried…She said, ‘I’m not gonna stop you. Because when I was a young girl, I had a guy, and he was going to go to America. And he wanted me to go with him’. Her father said no. So, she ended up living in Norway.”
“Eventually I had four children. And I kept myself busy with keeping these kids going. And that was my job. And that was my thing.”
Award from the Seafood Processors Association of New Bedford to Lillian’s husband, Captain Soren Henriksen, and Crew of the F/V Explorer for assistance rendered to the survivors of F/V Snoopy, July 23, 1965
Scrapbook Articles
Better Homemaking Magazine
Lillian and her family were featured in an issue of Better Homemaking Magazine. She also provided some delicious recipes.
Fishing Gazette, July 1980
Lillian’s husband, Captain Soren Henriksen, is featured in this article in Fishing Gazette about the technology upgrades on the F/V Westport.
Newspaper Clippings
Read a series of newspaper clippings provided by Lillian that relate to her husband’s fishing activity.
Fishery safe from offshore drilling (The Standard-Times, August 8, 1979)
Glint of early morning sun on masts (The Standard-Times, August 1, 1965)
New scalloper added to city’s fishing fleet (The Standard-Times, March 15, 1978)
8 Killed by blast at sea; 4 Saved (The Standard-Times, May 1965) (incomplete article)
