Landingslaget I Amerika Til Land
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l a n d i n g s l a g e t ’ s LL AA NN DD -- II -- AA MM EE RR II KK AA LANDINGS LAGET 106th YEAR 1910-2016 October 2015 President’s Hilsen Fra ERIC GOPLIN To all Land members and especially those who went to Norway, A favorite memory of mine during our visit was Jackie playing I am hoping you had good travels to your homes. For Jackie and Helge’s grand-mother’s grand piano! The piano hadn’t been me, our first trip to Norway was very fulfilling! The first days we played for years. During her playing, Helge just put his head back traveled with our bus-mates to many destinations. What we saw on his chair and listened. He thanked Jackie many times for every day was nothing short of fantastic! But what stood out the playing. most to me was that I was able to be part of a group of people Another memory. We were ready to board the bus from who were so kind and genuine. I got to witness some pretty Ringelien Gård. Tone, a woman who was our guide at the significant events for some of my bus-mates. Rich Mulder got to Fluberg Church, came up to me and told me how I had inspired see a portrait of his 6x grandparents. Shirley Ball bumped into her to commit to rekindle relationships with family of hers who travelers from her home state of Montana and had a beer with live in different parts of the world. them. We went to Sandra Hendrickson’s cousin’s farm for afternoon coffee and desserts, and we witnessed Ben’s search for So, finally my thoughts, Norway was beautiful. The Askeladden a special engagement ring. Those events were special! Reiser Tour Company was the greatest. The food was always delicious and the accommodations were fit for a king. The fjords, When we got to Dokka and Lands Museum, I was privileged the rivers and the mountains were all amazing sights, and hard to to meet my relative Harold Asotogard (photo below). He was describe to people just how beautiful they really are. But the most more than accommodating and took Jackie and me to what I had important memories for me were the people we met; developing wanted to get to – Store Goplin! We got to the farm and he even new friendships with my bus-mates and the people at Lands took us into the old farmhouse where my great great grandfather Museum who were perfect hosts and made us feel at home. and family had lived. It was a significant moment for me. To see where he came from and to where we live today. The Since our time at Land, I am sad to report that Einar T. significance of retracing my great great grandfather’s journey Enderud’s mother passed away on September 10, 2015. Einar is didn’t really sink in until the next day at Ringelien Gård. All of a the fellow who does extensive genealogy work for us and works sudden it hit me, for what they left and endured on their journey. closely with our Land genealogist, Larissa Reutgen. Sincere Sailing for 6 weeks to America that only took us 10 hours. A condolences to Einar and his family. sincere thank-you to Harold for making this a reality. I’d also like to add a note about the 2015 Stevne. My mother One pleasant surprise for Jackie and me was to be invited to reported to me that her name was not included in the list of stay at our bus driver’s house. He attendees in the Landingslag Newsletter. Soooo, what’s a presi- announced early on that he was a dent supposed to do farmer. It wasn’t long before he when his 91 year-old- and I were exchanging farming mother tells him her stories and comparisons. Being name was omitted? I men of the soil we had a kindred hereby want you all to spirit, if you will. Hectares or know that my mom, acres, kilos or pounds, we still Adeline Goplin, compare farming practices. We attended the Stevne in enjoyed a taste of Norway through La Crosse. I was very the eyes of a down-home rural glad she was able to be setting; no traffic and no crowds. there, thanks Mom! HILSEN FRA LANDS MUSEUM av Alastair Brown I began working at Lands Museum in June 1988. Almost immediately I had to sit down with representatives from Nordre and Søndre land municipalities to plan the first ever visit to Land from Landingslaget in America. I am now the sole survivor of all five of the lag’s visits. It is an ageing thought. Jeg begynte å jobbe på Lands Museum i juni 1989. Nesten med det samme måtte jeg sette meg ned med representanter fra Nordre og Søndre Land kommuner for å planlegge det første besøket noensinne av Landingslaget i Amerika til Land. I dag er jeg den siste overlevende fra alle fem turene. Det er en aldrende tanke. We wondered at the time whether the lag would ever come back. Then in 2010 we were uncertain whether the centennial visit would be the last. I don’t think there is any reason to doubt that the lag will be back in 2020, - as long as someone in America is willing to take the awesome responsibility of organizing a tour. There were many new faces this year, including several young ones, so the lag is good at renewing itself with new members. Perhaps the tours help create interest in the lag? Vi lurte den gangen på om laget noensinne ville komme tilbake. I 2010 var vi usikre på om jubileumsbesøket ville bli det siste. Jeg tror ikke at det er noen grunn til å tvile på om laget kommer tilbake i 2020, - så lenge noen i Amerika er villig til å påta seg det fryktinngytende ansvar av å organisere en tur. Det var mange nye ansikter i år, inkludert flere yngre, så laget er flink til å fornye seg med nye medlemmer. Kanskje turene hjelper til å skape interesse for laget? There is one major difference between 1989 and 2015: in 1989 there were still members who could speak Norwegian because they had grown up with the language at home. But one thing that has never changed through the years is the groups’ enthusiasm, and 2015 was no exception. We did our best to tire you out this year, but you are a tough and cheerful lot, and interested in everything. We at the museum had great fun being with you, and of course we look forward to seeing you all again in 2020! Start planning Sandra. Det er en stor forskjell mellom 1989 og 2015: i 1989 var det fremdeles medlemmer som kunne snakke norsk, fordi de hadde vokst opp med språket hjemme. Men noe som ikke har forandret gjennom årene er gruppenes entusiasme, og 2015 var ingen unntak. Vi gjorde vårt beste for å slite dere ut, men dere er en tøff og munter gjeng, og interessert i alt. Vi på museet hadde det veldig moro med å være sammen med dere, og selvsagt ser vi fram til å se dere alle igjen i 2020. Start planleggingen Sandra! Ed note – In the column to the right are photos of ‘Alastair at work’ during our visit. Top to bottom: 1 – Alastair and Virgil Thorstenson getting acquainted at Lands Museum; 2 – Alastair leading a walk at Kittlebu, with Garry and Jack Rossing, followed by Erin Reps, Gayle Rehn, and Larissa Reutgen; 3 – Geir Loeng and Virgil enjoy Alastair having fun with Art Paulson. 4 – Alastair with a group on the porch at beautiful Ringlien Gård. Our hostess at her home was Aud Sigrid Holst in the blue dress. 2 THE 2015 LANDINGS LAG TOUR TO NORWAY BY SANDRA HENDRICKSON The 2015 Landings Lag tour to Norway is now history. For to Europe. The mines were in use for 333 years, from 1644 to 1977. many of our travelers it was a trip of a life time. It is nearly Norway emerged from this dark period of history in 1814 impossible to put into words the feeling one has when first when it was handed over to Sweden as “spoils of war.” Denmark touching the earth at an ancestor’s home. When people are lucky had chosen the losing side in the Napoleonic wars, and as a enough to find a building from their ancestors’ time still in use, consequence lost its hold on Norway. At Eidsvoll we learned crossing that threshold can give them goose-bumps. Seeing a about the process of creating the constitution (the 2nd oldest in the letter written in a great-great grandparent’s hand, or seeing the world), and about the establishment of the union with Sweden. spinning wheel bearing great-grandmother’s name touches a This period of time when Norway was in a union with Sweden visitor in ways they cannot fully explain. was also the time when many of our ancestors immigrated to the Most of our travelers had such experiences. Additionally, United States or Canada. those who were able to go on the extended tour experienced the This was a period of a nationalistic spirit in the country. It history of Norway in a “nutshell”. You may have heard of, or was the period of great explorers, composers and writers, like perhaps been on, a one-day tour called “Norway in a Nutshell”; Roald Amundson, Edvard Grieg, Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne however our historical “Norway in a nutshell” was a week-long Bjørnson.