Indianapolis' Circle City Lodge - Sons of Luren Velkommen til vårt sammenkomst!

July-August, 2014 NATO to be Led by Jens Stoltenberg, Former Issue 23 Volume 4 Prime Minister of Norway Inside this Issue Calendar 2 Former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg , 55, has been elected Litt av Hvert 2 as the 13th Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Birthdays 3 commonly referred to as NATO . The news was announced in late March after Normandy 3 Learn Norwegian 3-4 rumors spread that Stoltenberg was the clear choice for the position. Unanimous Bygdelager 4 support from international leaders such as Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and Rosemaling Class 4- 5 David Cameron made the outcome a clear choice. Stoltenberg will succeed Recipe-Sweet Soup 5 Happy 4th of July 5 Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former Danish Prime Minister, on October 1st. District Convention 5 Norsk Computer 5-6 Formed in 1949 with the goal of containing the, then Soviet Union, NATO Book Review 6-7 Carving Class 7 has faced many global security issues since then. Today it faces new challenges Member bio 7-8 in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and Stoltenberg is prepared to lead the coalition of 28 countries in its mission of 'safeguarding the freedom and security President of its members through political and military means.' "The Ukraine-Russia crisis Tim Lisko 304/444-6454 shows need for continued strong [and] determined leadership," remarked the [email protected] current NATO leader, Rasmussen, who has held his position since 2009, "I've known Jens Stoltenberg for many years [and] know he's the right man to build Vice President on NATO's record of strength and success." Dagrun Bennett 317/736-5025 Stoltenberg served as Prime Minister of Norway and leader of the Labour dbennett@ Party for nine years until his 2013 election defeat to Erna Solberg. During his franklincollege.edu two non-consecutive terms in office, Stoltenberg worked directly with Russian Treasurer leaders on various matters including settling a border dispute for the Barents Sea Burt Bittner in 2010. He also became well-known with NATO leaders during his response to 317/842-4042 the terror attack on Norway in July of 2011 that left 77 people killed. During a [email protected] memorial speech following the tragedy, Stoltenberg promised to work for more

Membership and Editor democracy, openness, and humanity, but without naivety. Jerry Rud While he is no stranger to national security, Stoltenberg's past experiences 765/653-3636 jlrud@ with Russia were a key contributor to his endorsement for the role, mentioned by cinergymetro.net diplomats as being a "last-minute sweetener".

Stoltenberg has created a reputation for himself that has put him in the right place at the right time. He is a pragmatic and consistent leader who favors both military strength and valuable discourse. "It takes a lot more strength to be patient than to be angry," said Stoltenberg.

Calendar The Emergency Number Worldwide for mobile No Sammenkomst in July. See you August 8th. phone users is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an No July Board Meeting. See you in August 18th. emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for July 16 (Wed.) - Noon Member Luncheon you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed Location and host to be announced. even if the keypad is locked. As you may know, Dagrun Bennett represents August 8 (Friday) 6:30 pm Monthly Sammenkomst Norway on the Nationalities Council of Indiana , King of Glory Lutheran Church which is comprised of 27 member nations and End-of-Summer Picnic promotes a basic understanding of the culture of $6 for adults 16 and older people from these countries. This organization acts (free for 15 and under) as the hosting group for the International Festival Program: Tales of the District 5 held each November at the State Fair Grounds and Convention by delegates Tim promotes awareness by spreading the word of other Lisko, Jim Nelson and events which focus on other cultures. This group Lindsay Hadley invited people representing many nations to march in the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade , including August 18 (Monday) 6:30 PM Board Meeting several from our lodge. We thank them for Ruby Tuesday Restaurant near representing us so well. Michigan Road 9106 Wesleyan Road 317/228-9630

August 20 (Wed.) - Noon Member Luncheon Location and host to be announced

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LITT AV HVERT (A Little of Everything)

If you have a item regarding one of our members that you Photo by Dagrun Bennett would like to put in this section of the newsletter, please send Circle City Lodge members and friends who marched in the it to Jerry Rud ([email protected]). Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade: (left to right) Mary Bittner, Chelsea Courtney, Erik Bennett, Mitch Bennett, and Dana Evers. Correction from the last issue of Luren : "Irene Walker" should have been "Irene Nelson". More photos of the Parade at: https://plus.google.com/photos/105760106019612668963/albums/60173857 90019359169 News from Bill and Tove Hoffmeister: Although they miss friends and other things in Sharon Harruff's father, Einar Ingvold Nels Indiana, they are settling in to life in Texas. Tove still Simonson, passed away June 9 in DeWitt, Iowa. We has some health challenges, but they are working with extend our condolences to Sharon and her family. fine doctors. Bill has set up a wood-working shop, Condolences may be expressed and a photo tribute joined a woodworking club that makes wooden toys, viewed at http://www.schultzfuneralhomes.com . and is making a cherry bedroom set. They are enjoying time with Marianne and her family. Mai- MISSING: Our blue wooden attendance sheet Kristin has completed her studies at Loyola of MD holder with a rosemaled wooden cover. If you have any and is now a speech therapist. idea of its whereabouts please call Tim Lisko (304/444- 6454). 2

Reflections on Normandy

by Roy Samuelsen

June 2, 2014 was 70 years after the invasion at Normandy Beach, France. As I was watching the commemoration of this momentous event with authentic footage of the actual landing, they also showed a very special little episode which touched me deeply. They showed a small bent over man walking with a walker flanked by two very tall African American soldiers in full uniform who had Gratulerer med ddagen!agen! obviously been assigned as his escort. As they walked very slowly Happy Birthday! one of the escorts bent down and said: “It is a real honor for us to be with you today sir,” where upon the old soldier who was probably in July his mid to high nineties and obviously one of the soldiers who took part in the invasion stopped and looked up at his escort and said: “ Ben Olsen III 1 No, it is I who is honored to be with you two. It is you whom we Lauren Lorraine Soares 3 shall rely on to keep us free.” It was a tender moment. William Hunter Robbins III 6 I have been to the Normandy beaches twice. The first time on Marcia Garner 7 June 6, 1954 as part of an honor guard representing the First Infantry Jerry Rud 8 Division. I served at the time in German as a “BIG RED ONE” or Caitlyn Alvar 9 First Division military policeman and was honored to be part of a Cade Rogers 11 chosen platoon to march in the in the honor guard from our division Jillian Kjarum Seidel 11 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the invasion. I was also Lorraine Baugh 12 chosen to carry the “guide-on” or division flag as we marched. Harlan Rolfson 12 The second time was as a tourist. Each time I walked out on the Christian Jacobs 16 wide beach, I was amazed at the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers Grant Penman 20 as they exited their landing craft and made their way across the beach Norm Harruff 21 under heavy enemy fire. With heavy casualties they eventually Amy Dougherty 22 managed to establish a beach-head from which they could further Ted Danielson 23 penetrate into France and beyond. Because of their bravery this Barbara Rekstad Brooks 26 terribly costly war eventually came to a close. The once heavily Glenn Carlstrand 26 fortified concrete bunkers are still there for all to see. Haley George 27 Rhoda Warren 27 ______Dharma Rodgers 30 Lily SX Sivertson 30 La oss lære norsk Robert Grosskreutz 31 (Let's Learn Norwegian)

NORWEGIAN VOWELS August The letters in Norwegian include nine vowels. The first five are the same as English: a, e, i, o, u. "Y" is Constance Danielson 3 always a vowel in Norwegian, unlike in English where it Julane Lund 4 can be a consonant or a vowel. Then there are three Max Elliot 4 vowels that are not used in English: æ, ø, and å. Chad Sivertson 8 Typing them on a personal computer Myra Ahrens 9 Shirley Beetham 10 Windows allows you to type characters that are not Sharon Harruff 11 found on the keyboard by holding down the Alt key while Pamela Baker 12 keying a sequence on the numeric keypad to the right of Andre Wiley 16 the keyboard. For some of the Norwegian characters Kathleen Krueger 17 there exist both 3-digit and 4-digit sequences that seem to Liesl Mork 19 Madeline Roberts 19 work. Make sure you have NUM LOCK on. Lindsay Hadley 23 William Stanley Pederson 24 Alt Sequences (hold down ALT key while typing the numbers) Jens William O'Brien 25 Character 3-digit 4-digit Susan Fleck 30 æ 145 0230 Ileen Smith 30 Æ 146 0198 Matthew Roberts 31 ø ---- 0248 Ø ---- 0216 å 134 0229 Å 143 0197 3

Typing them on a Smartphone In order to type the non-English vowels on your smartphone, go to Settings, then General, then International, then Language, then select Norsk (bokmål). Once you do this the non-English vowels will appear as part of your on-screen keyboard. In order to revert back to English, repeat the process and select English as your language.

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Cherish Your Roots Even More: Join a Bygdelag

If you are looking for a deeper connection to your Norwegian roots you may want to join a group that shares historical information on a specific community in Norway. Bygdelag are organizations comprised of descendants of emigrants from Norway to North America. Every "lag" (literally means "team" or "layer") seeks to preserve and strengthen bonds with its home district or community-of-origin in Norway. There are 29 that are currently active in the United States.

Commonality for the group is not the current residential area of the members (as in our lodge), Above: Three Rogaland pieces by Lois Mueller but rather the area where their families lived before emigrating. Update on Rosemaling Class This ( http://www.fellesraad.com/ ) is a link to the Norwegian-American Bygdelagenes Fellesraad There is new information regarding the (NABF), which is the national council for all of the rosemaling class that was mentioned in the last currently active Norwegian-American bygdelager. issue of our newsletter. As mentioned the class will Select the "lag information sheets" button to see a be held September 10, 11, and 12, 2014 (9 am to 4 list of all clubs in the U.S. with listings that allow pm) The location will be at the Art Sanctuary in you to chose the one that fits your family. Martinsville. The full address is: 190 North Founded in November 17, 1916, the Fellesraad has Sycamore St, Martinsville, IN 46151. If you been continuously active in the bygdelag movement want to learn more about this location see this for over ninety years. website: http://artsanctuaryindiana.com/ Motels As one might expect the main form of in the area are Holiday Inn Suites, Best Western and communication is the lag newsletter since members Hotel 8. may be separated by distance, but they usually have an annual meeting. There are annual dues that This year the class will take Rogaland flowers range from $5 to $25 per year. Any questions that apart, petal by petal, and leaf by leaf, and put them you may have will likely be answered by reading back together in a "sampler" design. the information on the website.

The cost of the workshop will depend on the ______number of artists who enroll. A $50 deposit will 4 hold a place for you. Please get your deposit to Pete Bullard (3284 Mt. Zion Rd., Morgantown, IN 46160) by July 3rd and make checks payable to Lois Mueller .

Lunch can be a pitch-in or brown bag or ordered-in, but will be decided later.

If have questions beyond the content of this article please contact Pete Bullard at [email protected] or 812-597-4932 .

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Søt Suppe (Sweet Soup) Happy Fourth of July!!!!

by Gunhild Kvistero ______(from Kitchen Magic , a cookbook prepared by the Jevnaker Lutheran Church women in rural DISTRICT CONVENTION HELD JUNE 2525----29292929 Montevideo, Minnesota). Tim Lisko, Lindsay Hadley, and Jim Nelson have 8 cups water just attended the Sons of Norway - District 5 Convention 1 cup prunes in Delavan, Wisconsin. We hope they had a great 1/2 cup raisins (or currants) experience and look forward to hearing about it at our 1/2 orange (cut in slices) August Sammenkomst . 1/2 lemon (cut in slices) 2 sticks cinnamon ______1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt orwegi 1/2 cup large tapioca Boil water, sugar and salt. Gradually add tapioca and remaining ingredients. Simmer 1 hour Two Norwegians are Behind the or until tapioca are clear. To shorten cooking time, World's Smallest Computer soak tapioca in 1/2 cup water for 1/2 hour before adding to liquid. Serve hot or cold.

Variations: use other dried fruits such as apricots, cherries, or cranberries. Instead of sugar sweeten with a fruit juice such as grape or cranberry. Grape jelly can also be used as a sweetener. Experiment on the amount of alternative sweeteners to suit your taste.

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Norwegian TV moguls $$$ Fundraising Ideas $$$ Stig Eide Sivertsen and Hein Espen Hattestad are The Executive Board would like to know any ideas going to take on the world using a computer that you have to raise money for our lodge. Please let weighing less than an ounce. Tim Lisko (304/444-6454) or Burt Bittner (317/842- Finansavisen reports that Sivertsen and 4042) know if you do. Hattestad have backed Norwegian technology 5 company FXI Technologies with 5.25 million memoir of surviving Auschwitz as a young boy," the book kroner to bring the world's smallest computer to the details Tommy's experience beginning in 1944, when he was only ten, and was taken with his family to Auschwitz. mass market. As Holocaust literature, the book is excellent (the foreword is by Elie Wiesel) but I recommend it also because of the A year ago FXI Technologies started sales of the Norwegian twist. I found this book at Goodwill (where I always mini-computer Cotton Candy, which weighs less look at the used books, hoping to find something great) and was than an ounce and at just over 3 inches, is about the intrigued by the title, which is partially a reference to the author's narrow escapes in the concentration camp. He was size of a thumbdrive. According to Finansavisen it "lucky," several times eluding death when other imprisoned plugs into any free-standing monitor or TV to children his age lost their lives. The title also alludes to his function as a full-fledged computer. FXI mother's visit to a fortune-teller, who predicted that little Technologies published a video to explain how their Tommy was "Ein Gluckskind," a lucky child, and that he would "Any Screen Microcomputer" fits into the user's "emerge unscathed" from future disasters (p. 30). "None of us knew at the time, and I only found out much later, technology needs. that the fortune-teller's prediction about me would sustain my mother's hopes in the years ahead, when we were separated. "When two TV people like us get into this, you Even after the war, when friends tried to convince her to give understand that we think this is very interesting," up searching for me . . . she would reply that she knew I was Stig Eide Sivertsen told Finansavisen. Sivertsen joins alive" (p. 30). as a smaller investor and is chairman of the board, In January 1945, the Auschwitz prisoners were sent to while Hattestad's company Exoid Ventrue enters another concentration camp called Sachsenhausen. First Tommy rode in a freezing cattle car, and then was force- with 5.25 million crowns that will be issued to the marched with other prisoners to the new camp. By then both his company in 3 installments. The current net worth of feet were severely frostbitten. He was put in the infirmary and the company is estimated at ten million crowns told they might have to amputate. He was terrified, knowing ($1.66 million). from his Auschwitz experience that "if you couldn't work, you Sivertsen and Hattestad know each other well would be killed." When he awoke from surgery and saw his bandaged feet, he thought the worst. But he had only lost two from the time that they were top managers of toes. Norway's major television distributors. Hattestad Now comes the Norwegian connection! While recovering in was Head of Viasat for many years, while Sivertsen the infirmary, he met a Norwegian named Odd Nansen, who led competitor Canal Digital via the holding spent three years at Sachsenhausen and later wrote a three- company Telenor Broadcast. The two battled for volume memoir called "Fra Dag Til Dag" (1947). There is an abbreviated version in English, "From Day to Day." years over customers of satellite television, but also Odd Nansen, visiting another Norwegian in the prison worked together during the large channel switch with infirmary that day in January 1945, spied young Tommy and channels TV3 and TV2 in the mid-2000s. LAPTOP befriended him. "Mr. Nansen returned a few days later with magazine published a review of the FXI Cotton cookies, a picture book with big letters, and a pencil. 'You need Candy, calling it "not just a[n] intriguing mobile to learn to read and write and to draw pictures,' he said." Later Tommy learned that the Norwegian and Danish inmates device but the beginnings of a powerful new at Sachsenhausen received food packages from the Swedish platform." Red Cross, which they then shared with other inmates. ______"He sounded very much like my father when he kept saying that the Germans would soon lose the war, that I would then go Jean Tygum's Book Review of: to school with other children, learn to read and write, and be reunited with my parents. Mr. Nansen also spoke frequently of A LUCKY CHILD his wife and children in Norway. He expected to see them as by soon as we were liberated and promised that I would get a chance to meet them" (p. 102). When the war ended in Europe in May 1945, Tommy was "A Lucky Child," published in 2009, is a Holocaust memoir sent to a German orphanage, where he remained until his by Thomas Buergenthal, who was born in 1934 in mother located him, another "lucky" event in his life. But he , grew up in Poland and Germany, and who in didn't forget the kind Norwegian and a few years later, sent a 1951 came to the United States and eventually became a letter addressed only to "Odd Nansen, Norway," which did reach its intended destination. (An architect, fine arts painter, sketch artist and author, Odd Nansen was active in politics, so he was not hard to find. He was also one of the founders of UNICEF.) It turned out Odd Nansen had also been trying to find Tommy (he dedicated his own memoir to "the brave little boy" recovering from surgery at Sachsenhausen). In 1951, when lawyer, law professor and judge. Subtitled "A 6 Tommy turned 17 (there is a photo of Tommy and Odd Nansen Member Bio: Rhoda Warren on p. 185), the two old friends were reunited. "My trip to Norway was filled with one adventure after another. For one thing, I had never flown in an airplane before, which in I was born in Park Rapids, Minnesota and grew up in itself was a thrilling experience. It was followed by a press Crookston, Polk County, Minnesota, in the Red River Valley conference at the Oslo airport, where I had to answer hundreds close to the North Dakota border. This is one of the of questions. The Nansen family, including Mrs. Nansen and Minnesota counties most heavily populated by Norwegian their four children--Marit, Eigil, Siri, and Odd Erik--treated me immigrants; most of my childhood friends and much of the like a beloved, long-lost family member. Mr. Nansen also community are of Norwegian descent. arranged for me to meet many former Sachsenhausen inmates My Norwegian heritage comes through my mother’s who knew me from the camp, among them--if I remember mother’s family. The family tree has been traced back to the correctly--a prime minister and other high government officials farm Ronnebergshaugen, located 3 miles northwest of and leading personalities. Brummunddal, near . It was purchased in 1797 by "I felt very important, of course, although I most enjoyed being Peder Larsen, then was passed to his oldest son Lars Pedersen, able to swim with the Nansen kids in the Oslofjord, which who passed it to his oldest son Kristian. This farm was abutted the Nansen family property. I had never even been near subsequently sold in 1829. My great-great grandfather Hans the sea, and the Oslofjord and the surrounding mountains were Larson Gordon, brother to Kristian and the family’s second a very special experience for me. I also went with the Nansen son, left this farm and moved for a while to the Valdres valley, family to their cottage in the mountains. . . . Fun conversations where he met his wife Chersti (or Kjersti) Nielsdatter. They and reminiscences enlivened our dinners. I even learned some moved to the Ringsaker area, to the peninsula surrounded by Norwegian words because it was decreed that one day a week Lake Mjosa, to work on the Senstad farm, and were married in the dinner language would be Norwegian, and if I wanted to 1847 at Nes, . Their oldest, Lars, my great- eat, I had to ask for the food in Norwegian. That proved to be a grandfather, was born July 28, 1847 on the Senstad farm. strong incentive to learn the necessary words" (pp. 184-5). Hans then worked the Odegaarden farm, between In 1951 Tommy and his mother emigrated to the United and Moelv, just south of the Brottum railroad States. He saw Odd Nansen one last time, in 1970, shortly after station. Their next five children were born at Brottum. Hans Nansen had published a memoir called "Tommy: En sannferdig and Chersti and their six children left in May of 1860 for fortelling fortalt av Odd Nansen," available only in Norwegian. America; here they had five more children. They first lived in Soon thereafter Nansen died (see pp. 188-9). Wisconsin and then settled in Minnesota’s Red River Valley Later Thomas Buergenthal said: "He had a profound influence in 1871. The family was instrumental in the founding of St. on me. He helped me recognize that hate and revenge had to be Petri Lutheran Church of Nielsville, Minnesota. Hans and overcome if we wanted to build a world in which the crimes Chersti are buried in the Augustana Lutheran Church cemetery that were committed in the Holocaust would not be committed just north of Halstad, Minnesota. The name “Gordon” was again and again against other human beings" (p. 3 of "A brief added by the family in the 1870s and is probably derived from conversation with Thomas Buergenthal" at end of book). the name of the farm they left in Norway. I have a wonderful "A Lucky Child" is a fascinating account of the war photo of this large family taken when the oldest, my great- experiences and lives of both persons--the author and the grandfather Lars, was a young adult. Norwegian who befriended him during World War II. (230 Lars Hanson Gordon married Ann Robele of Hallingdal, pages with foreword by Elie Wiesel, maps, photos and Study Norway on Dec. 29, 1879 in Traill County, North Dakota. Guide for readers. translated into a dozen languages. Available They had 13 children; my grandmother Luella May Gordon th at public library and from online booksellers.) was their 12 , born June 10, 1903 in Hillsboro, North Dakota. She and my grandfather Floyd Fradenburgh were married April 2, 1921 in Shevlin, Minnesota. My mother, Darlene Luella, is the third of their nine children. She married my Reminder - Harley Refsal's Figure father Murray Warren in Nevis, Minnesota on August 15, Carving Class 1947 and moved to Crookston in 1955. I am the second of their six children. The Gordon family began holding annual family reunions in 1937 and they continue to the present. They are usually held at Itasca State Park, Minnesota (headwaters of the Mississippi River) on Father’s Day. I left Minnesota to attend University of Wisconsin-Stout, and then continued living and working in Wisconsin for As mentioned in the March-April issue of the Luren, another 20 years. My Wisconsinite husband Jim Held and I Harley Refsal will teach a Scandinavian style figure have also lived in Cincinnati and now here in Indianapolis for carving class on August 9-10, 2014, at the Marc Adams the past 18 years. I am a middle school counselor in School of Woodworking, 5504 East 500 North, Franklin, Frankfort, Indiana. We have three adult children – two Indiana. To register call 317/535-4013 or go online at daughters in Wisconsin and a son in Terre Haute, Indiana, and three grandsons. www.marcadams.com . The cost is $275 plus $20 for Our family has retained a few Norwegian traditions over the materials. years, the most notable being lefse-making. Jim and I traveled to Norway (as well as Germany, Denmark and Sweden) in 2011

7 with a group from our church, Advent Lutheran of Zionsville, to learn about our Scandinavian Lutheran heritage. Related to this trip, we first visited Circle City Lodge in May 2011 in conjunction with our music director Phil Spray’s concert and CD release “The Vanishing Nordic Chorale”. I joined Sons of Norway following that visit. On that trip, our group visited many beautiful sites throughout various parts of Norway, although we did not visit the area from which my family came. I would like to go back and locate those family history sites. I am proud to call Norway my ancestral home. ______Mission Statement of Sons of Norway

The mission of Sons of Norway is to promote and to preserve the heritage and culture of Norway, to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries, and provide quality insurance and financial instruments to its members.

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