VOL XXII NO 2 M4 Y 2002 www.sigdalslag.org Serving People with Ancestry in Sigdal Eggedal and Kmdsherad since 1911 St. Olaf College Chosen For 2002 Stevne July 11-1-3 Sigdalslag invites its members and friends to the campus of St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, for the 7 Lag Stevne July 11-13. The theme, Join Hands and Dance, embodies the spirit of the event with talented Norwegians and Americans coming together for this annual celebration. Outstanding musicians and d~ncers will perform at three stevne programs. It is the 16th year that groups with origins in Land, Hadeland, Numedal, Ringerike-Drammen, Sigdal, Telemark, and Toten have collaborated to plan the 7 Lag Stevne. .. , Vocalist Kristen Bergland, a soprano who A Youthful, Award-winning Fiddler s Club of Ba, Telemark loves to share her songs with audiences, joins the dancers of the Dassell Leikarring, Dassell, MN, Friday night and Saturday evening the Junior Spelemannslag of Ba, Telemark, Norway, will provide the featured entertainment following the 5:30 PM banquet which will be held off campus. means additional work for the get there. Sign in at the tterboe Hall is the air Y 7 Lag planners, lag volunteers, genealogy desk before you conditioned residence hall with and treasurers; therefore, note begin to use the wide variety an elevator that will be your that after June 28, 2002, all of resource materials and films comfortable home when you fees become non-refundable. that are best accessed during choose to have convenience the stevne. and many amenities on campus. A full meal package Registration envelopes, which includes meals with including your residence hall Genealogy-related classes will beverage and tax is available keys, will be available Thursday be Thursday only, but research from lunch ~Thursday to lunch at 8 AM in the entrance level continues through noon Friday. Saturday. Cash payment for of Buntrock Commons, the new Docents from the Norwegian- individual meals is also activity center built in 1999. American Historical Association available, providing that an (Someone will assist with room will offer tours of NAHA's accurate estimate of which check in Wednesday evening archival holdings both meals you will eat is filled out from 6-9 PM; check the bulletin mornings, but you must check on the registration form, found board at Buntrock for most this:- on the registration form. on page 10. Sunday breakfast current information). is available. For readers not familiar with With vendors of arts and crafts NAHA, here is a paraphrase of Your diligence is asked in near the genealogy research its purpose: It was organized sending all fees by June 18 to space in Buntrock Ballroom, in 1925 to locate, collect, the lag treasurer who is listed most stevne attendees will be preserve and interpret records on the registration form. This headed for the third level as and stories of Norwegian- change from previous years soon after 8 AM as they can Americans,(Continued page 6) FRA PRESIDENTEN This will be the last issue of SA GA under the Norwegian Stevner, Incorporated, and the two current editorlpublisher, Marilyn Somdahl. She representatives to Bygdelagenes Fellesraad shall has done this job and the newsletter mailings be appointed by.the president with the approval since October 1987 and from 1982-1995 she of the other elected officers. was also president. She has set an awesome example of ARTICLEV - MEETINGS, Section 1, change the volunteer service to the word "recommended" to "determined". Sigdalslag. Tusen takk, Marilyn! I feel certain that she ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE BOARD, Section 5, will continue to serve in many change "finances" to "non-budgeted ways, including assisting the disbursements". Also, rearrange the sentences new editor. as follows: The treasurer and one other Board Oneof the big tasks facing member shall be authorized by signature card to the Sigdalslag this spring is to disburse funds. The treasurer shall be authorized find a person to take over the to pay all bills approved by the Executive Board newsletter, or by the annual budget. All non-budgeted Our bylaws state that the disbursements shall be approved by the president Lag shall publish three and one other board member before they are paid newsletters (February, May, by the treasurer. October) each year, and I believe that this activity is a "vital sign" of the health of our Lag. The ARTICLE VIII - PUBLICATIONS, to read as editor serves in an appointive position, so I am follows: Editors for special publications shall be contacting persons on a list compiled by the appointed by the president with the approval of Executive Board at their January meeting. Each the Board. one that is interested also needs adequate time to determine how this important job could fit into ARTICLEXI - DISSOLUTION,Section 2, add the their lives. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm word "monetary" to read: All remaining monetary hopeful, but not certain, that we can have a new assets . .. Add Section 3 to read: The person in time to produce the October SAGA. Executive Boardshall determine the dispositon of Another task facing the Lag is to field a slate real assets. of candidates for six offices and hold the election for these one-year terms Saturday at the stevne. COMING THIS SUMMER As specified in the bylaws, this task falls to the Nominating Committee which Francis Turmo has agreedonce again to chair. Marguerite Meadeand JUNE 15 - The Norwegian Glee Club Hosts Marilyn Somdahl have consented to serve with Regional SANGERFEST 2002 Concert him. If they ask you to stand for one of the open 350 male voices, soloists, positions, I do hope you will give it serious Augsburg Centennial Singers and thought. To date. two current officers (a vice Bloomington Symphony Orchestra president and secretary) wish to retire. 7 PM, Radisson Hotel South. 7800 Normandale Blvd, Once again, the bylaws were reviewed by the Bloomington. MN Send check for $ T5 ticket with SASEnvelope to Gary Rust, T217 E. T32 St, Burnsville, Boardat the January meeting. taking into account MN 55337-3946. Inciude your name and phone number. the motion for postponement which passed. following discussion at the 2001 stevne. The JULY 14 - 70th NORWAY DAY, Minneapolis. MN recommended changes. which will be brought to at Minnehaha Park, (south side of city) a vote in July, appear below. (Note that the • 10 AM Christian worship service current bylaws may be seen on the web site, • Purchase- ethnic & American picnic foods www_sigdalslag.org.1 or bring your own • Arts and crafts display and sales Ha det bral • National anthems led by Nordkap Male Earl Knutson Choir a'\d Norwegian Glee Club • Children'sparadeheadsafternoonprogram Changes Proposed in Bylaws of music, song and dance • Nestog's Old-time Orchestra. 5 piece dancegroupfrom Telemark,Norway ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS,Section 2, to read as The event is sponsored by the Norwegian National follows: The historian, the Sigdalslag SAGA League of Minnesota. editor, the genealogist, the representative to 2 English Translation of 1949 Book stevner, this volume is poignant because it Will Be First Sold at Northfield contains much about American descendants in military service in World War II. 1949 will be available at the Sigdalslaget - It also describes life during the occupation in Northfield stevne! Norway with the grand jubilation May 8. 1945, when the war in Europe ended. and again May At its ;neeting in January, the lag board heard a 17, the first time in five years when every report that the text and pictures had been Norwegian flag was flying simultaneously. submitted to the publisher for printing. A decision was made that the date of first sale would be Poems and verse written for annual meetings or made at the 2002 stevne at St. Olaf in July. special occasions occurred fairly frequently in the original volume, and are often best left in their As in the past, books will be for sale at the first language. Eva Aasand penned many of them SIGDAL registration table where you pick up your and set a few to music as well. She also wrote badges (and Ytterboe Hall keys this year). Try to a charming autobiographical account in prose. arrive before Friday noon or purchase one at the She had lived in Bellingham, WA, but she did not Sigdalslag annual meeting on Saturday. The stay in America; she returned to live in Norway. registration will be consolidated for all lag at noon Friday. Several articles from the book have appeared in earlier issues of this newsletter, including the Because the lag has been steadily gaining episodes of the fighting at Haglebu. Eggedal, members, the board authorized printing more during the last days of April 1945 when lives copies than for earlier books. In addition there are were lost. Another compared life in Eggedal many people who sent in material, so the length decades earlier with that of the 1940s. of the 1949 book fills the third volume by itself. Sigdalslag also published "yearbooks" in the This hardcover book will match earlier ones in language and tradition of Norway in 1914. 1920, size. color. and $25 in price, Dianne Enger Snell. 1929, 1932, and 1941. The first volume 'in Auburn, WA, did the word processing and Debbie English translation contained the two first books Jackson Shortino, Bellevue, NE. was the editor. and the remaining three are in the second volume. Dean Skadeland, Kansas City. MD, served as a Both volumes have sold out, but they are consultant. available at several college libraries and research centers, including Sigdal and Kmdsherad Lag History in English kommuner. Other locations that have earlier books are the National Library, the Emigrant Rosella Goettelman.