Personal life

He was born in Faaberg

Fåberg

Fåberg is a village and former municipality in Oppland county, Norway.The parish of Faaberg was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . On January 1, 1964 Fåberg was incorporated into the neighboring municipality Lillehammer. Prior to the merger Fåberg had 13,381 inhabitants.The district...

 as a son of educator Matias Skard

Matias Skard

Matias Skard was a Norwegian philologist, educator, psalmist, essayist and translator, a brother of folklorist Johannes Skar....

 (1846–1927) and his second wife Nilsine Kristiane Myhre (1860–1891). He was a nephew of Johannes Skar

Johannes Skar

Johannes Skar was a Norwegian folklorist, a brother of educator Matias Skard. His main contribution is the work Gamalt or Sætesdal , a collection of eight volumes of folklore from the valley Setesdal.-References:...

, Christopher Bruun

Christopher Bruun

Christopher Arndt Bruun was a Norwegian priest and educator.-Early life:He was born in Christiania as a son of jurist Johan Peter Bruun and Line Stenersen . After his father died when Christopher was three years old, the family moved to Vang, Hedmark, then to Lillehammer in 1850...

 and Per Bø and a half-brother of Olav Skard

Olav Skard

-Personal life:He was born in Østre Gausdal as a son of educators Matias Skard and his first wife Marie Bø . He was a nephew of Johannes Skar and Per Bø and a half-brother of Torfinn, Bjarne, Eiliv and Sigmund Skard...

 (whom Matias had by his first wife) and Bjarne

Bjarne Skard

-Personal life:He was born in Levanger as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . The family moved to Kristiansand in 1901. He was a nephew of Johannes Skar and Christopher Bruun, a brother of Eiliv and Sigmund Skard and a half-brother of Olav and Torfinn Skard...

, Eiliv

Eiliv Skard

Eiliv Skard was a Norwegian classical philologist.-Personal life:He was born in Levanger as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . The family moved to Kristiansand in 1901...

 and Sigmund Skard

Sigmund Skard

Sigmund Skard was a Norwegian poet, essayist and professor of literature.He was born in Kristiansand as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . He was a nephew of Johannes Skar and Christopher Bruun, a brother of Bjarne and Eiliv Skard and a half-brother of Olav and Torfinn...

 (whom Matias had by his third wife). Torfinn's mother died in childbirth after having him.

Torfinn married Aagot Sofie Lien (25.8.1898–1973) in December 1922 in Solum

Solum, Norway

Solum is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway.The parish of Solum was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 3,557. Solum is located west of the city Skien, and encompassed districts such as Nenset, Tollnes,...

. When Sigmund Skard married Åse Gruda Skard

Åse Gruda Skard

Åse Gruda Skard was a Norwegian psychologist, and a pioneer in the field of the bringing up of children. She lectured at the University of Oslo from 1947 to 1973. She edited the magazine Norsk Pedagogisk Tidsskrift from 1936 to 1970. She wrote 24 books and almost 2,000 journal articles...

, Åsa became Torfinn's sister-in-law, and he was therefore also an uncle of Målfrid Grude Flekkøy

Målfrid Grude Flekkøy

-Personal life:She was born in Oslo as a daughter of Sigmund Skard and Åse Gruda Skard . She is a sister of Halvdan Skard and twin sister of Torild Skard. Through her mother, she is a granddaughter of Halvdan Koht and Karen Grude Koht, and through her father she is a granddaughter Matias Skard and...

, Torild Skard

Torild Skard

Torild Skard is a Norwegian psychologist and researcher, feminist, politician for the Socialist Left Party, civil servant and former high-ranking United Nations official . She served as a Member of Parliament, President of its upper chamber and Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice...

 and Halvdan Skard

Halvdan Skard

Halvdan Skard is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was born in Oslo as a son of Åse Gruda Skard and Sigmund Skard, and through Åse the grandson of Halvdan Koht and Karen Grude Koht. He has two sisters Torild Skard and Målfrid Grude Flekkøy, who are twins, and himself has a twin...

.

Career

Torfinn Skard was an apprentice in horticulture at three different schools between 1907 and 1911, studied at two different folk high schools and studied at the Norwegian College of Agriculture from 1917 to 1919. He worked at Telemark School of Agriculture and Domestic Sciences from 1919 to 1958. He also led Telemark Agricultural Library from 1936 to 1958. He wrote several historical books about Norwegian horticulture, as well as the textbook Dyrking av grønnsaker, frukt og bær (1937). His main work was Hagebruk og gartneri i Norge (1963). His own book collection was donated to the Norwegian College of Agriculture. In 1961 he was awarded the King's Medal of Merit. He died in June 1970 in Skien

Skien

' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....

.