Maren Ueland interred at Time Church

Time church.Photo: Pål Christensen / Stavanger Aftenblad / Pool / NTB scanpix

A crowded Time church in Jæren took a final farewell with Maren Ueland, the 28-year-old student who was killed in Morocco before Christmas.

Among those present were Minister of Health Bent Høie (H), who spoke on behalf of the government, and Morocco’s ambassador to Norway, Lamia Radi. About 40 students whowere friends of the deceased at the University of Southeast Norway also participated in the ceremony.

  • Maren was first and foremost their daughter, their sister and their granddaughter. But I think many of us feel that she was also a little bit ours too – even though we didn’t know her. She was one of our great young people who freely and fearlessly explore the land and the world, said the minister.
  • Norway is small. The world is small. There are many who mourn over Maren, in many countries, he added.

Maren Ueland and Danish Louisa Vesterager Jespersen studied together and were on holiday in Morocco when they were killed before Christmas. They were found killed in the Atlas Mountains on Monday 17 December.

Louisa Vesterager Jespersen was interred from Fonnesbæk church in Jutland on Saturday 12 January.

Memorial words from Morocco
In a statement to NTB ahead of the funeral, Morocco’s ambassador to Norway, Lamia Radi, said that the kingdom of Morocco and the Moroccan people are very shocked and upset by the barbaric killings.

“In a time filled with pain and sorrow, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Moroccan Government and people, I want to give my heartfelt condolences, sympathy and solidarity to the families of the victims and their friends,” she said.

She opened her words of remembrance by reading a verse of scripture from the Qur’an, stating that the ones who engage in terrorism have nothing to do with Islam. Furthermore, she quoted from a memorial book published in Morocco.


Maren Ueland’s sister read words of rememberance, before Bryne’s parish priest Stein Ødegård spoke.

United in grief

Many are taking part in our farewell with Maren. An entire nation is affected by something that should not have happened to one of ours. We are all different, but here and now we are deeply united in a shared grief. We will follow Maren to her last resting place and take care of her in our hearts, said Ødegård.

One of the 28-year-old’s fellow students and several girlfriends from Bø completed their rememberance words by reading Einar Skjæreasen’s poem “I want to the forest”, reflecting Maren Ueland’s proximity to nature.

The Vamp singer Jan Ingvar Toft sang “Hvem kan seile foruten vind “, “13 Bumblebees” and “Girls in the countryside”.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today