Lag Celebrates 90Th Anniversary
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VOL XXI NO 3 OCTOBER 2001 , Serving Norwegian-Americans of Sigdal-Eggedal & Kwdsherad ancestry since 1911 SigdaI Registers 63 At Rapid City Stevne Lag Celebrates 90th Anniversary Shirley Augustine, MN Lincoln Klabo, Fairfax. VA, presented a video featuring 'Gunhild Bergan, Norway highlights of the Norway 2000 trip for Sigdalslag's 90th David & Jane Chell, CA anniversary program, following the business meeting. Duane Ellingson, SO Besides other tourist destinations, the Sigdal, Kr"dsherad, Bonnie Fingerhut, SO and Eggedal ancestral areas provided Olaug Skalland Finsrud, Norway special cultural activities. A photo of trip .. 'LeRoy & Val borg Flagstad, SO participants appears in this issue. Ellen Kringstad Glood, SO Wayne & Shirley Gunderson, MN A four-generation emigration skit was Twila & Arvin Halvorson, MN presented by Erik Meade, his children, Walt & Joanie Jellum, CA Alexis and Roger, and his mother, Carol Corrine Lesteberg Johnson, MN Calvin & DeVon Jokstad, NO Meade, who organized the program. Lincoln and Marlene Klabo, VA (pictured, next page) Garth Ulrich took a Earl and Betty Knutson, NJ cameo role of ship's captain. Song Gladys Kringstad, NO sheets were provided and taped patriotic 'Gloria Kringstad, NO anthems and Norwegian folk songs were • Darrel & Donna Kutenkamp, MN sung. Line Klabo Paul Larson, IA Eric & Charlotte Linden, IA As a special 90th anniversary tie to our Dan & Ruth Manning, NE Sigdalslag history, Dr. Sidney A. Rand, a third generation lag Carol Meade, MN member, urged member support for the Norwegian-American • Erik Meade, MN Historical Association at St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, •• Alexis & Roger Meade, MN (which he once served as president). He is a grandson of Amy & Michael Michelsen, MN the founding lag president, A. B. Pederson of Rothsay, MN. "infant Maren Michelsen, MN Rand, also former US Ambassador to Norway, was a co- Dr. Harry & Irene Navarre, NM presenter of a keynote forum along with Acting Consul Art & Sue Ann Peterson, CA General Ole 0veraas of Minneapolis. Cliff & Cyndy Peterson, CA Dr. Sidney Rand, MN President Earl O. Knutson called the business meeting to David & Lee Rokke, MN order 9:30 AM. Francis Turmo presented the incumbents as Don & Lynn Skadeland, NE nominees for re-election to one-year terms. All were elected 'Torstein & Bj"rg Skalland, Norway •• Per Helge Skalland, Norway without opposition (see page 12). Appointed positions are Marilyn Somdahl, MN the editor, genealogist, and historian. Diane & Dale Snell, WA 'Robert & Sandra Towne, TX Proposed changes to the by-laws (published in May) were Francis & Linda Turmo, NY discussed, but a motion for postponement was seconded Garth Ulrich, SK, Canada and passed before any action was taken. Action was taken, Lisa Wagner, WY however, changing dues in standing rule # 1. Member dues Hazel Wennerberg, MN increased slightly for the first timE! since 1987. US and Addie Williams, MN foreign postal rates and higher production costs go up at least annually. NEW RATES become effective January 1, PLUS multi-lag members 2002. *" *" *" Exhibitor Encourage interested relatives to join before the end of the .. *" Children year, and please check YOUR mailing label to be sure to send • Attending 1st US stevne in your renewals. Birthday and Christmas gift memberships may please someone interested in our Norwegian origins. --m FRA PRESIDENTEN: Faith of Our Fathers In the Rugland skit presented Saturday morning, Carol PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE Meade fits the old-style Norwegian white "ruff" or priest's collar (a honeycombedlook) The 2001 Stevne, held at Rapid City, SD, is to the black robe now a thing of the past. I was glad to see that worn by grandson, over 60 Sigdalslag members attended, including Roger Meade. five from Norway. And 24, including Betty and myself, took Both belonged to part in the Black Hills bus tour Carol'sgrandfather. Pastor Jacob Friday. Saturday morning there Rugland,who began were 50 who attended our his lutheran parish business meeting, for which I ministry In 1899 at am grateful. We had a lively Barnesville, MN. discussion of lag business, Besides one parish including possible changes in in Iowa, he served the by-laws. Members were at Robinson, Carpio, and Belfield, all in also entertained by Lincoln NO, and in Klabo's videotaped highlights Moorhead,MN. He of the 2000 Norway trip and by died in 1947. the Meade family's emigration The three- skit. We closed by singing generation skit depicted leaving Norway and the several Norwegian songs. immigrant experience in America. Roger's father, Turning to the present, our new web site-- Erik, his sister Alexis, and Garth Ulrich also had www.sigdalslag.org -- is now in operation. Check roles. it out! It features a number of beautiful pictures and quite a lot of information about Sigdalslag and The wood-carved door of Rapid City's stavkirke was open. about our home districts in Norway. Thebuilding The web site was put together by our member was Ed Espe, Bemidji, MN, and it will be expanded and patterned updated from time to time throughout the year. after the If you have any suggestions, please send them to one near the webmaster, using the link provided at the Laerdal, bottom of the first screen. Norway, The future can be considered in two parts _ aka Borgund near term and far term. In the near term Church. It Sigdalslag faces a big challenge; to find a new heldevening editor/publisher. Marilyn Somdahl has served in vespers in this position since October 1987 and would like the summer to step down as of the 2002 stevne. What a job as she has done for Sigdal Lagl She served as lag well as president for 13 years, with an overlap of eight services on years in both positions. It may not be easy to Sunday. find someone with the skill and energy. that Rev.LeRoy Marilyn has shown, but we are going to try! One Flagstad, of our talented members who likes to write may a member, find stimulation in this way. (See the Want Ad). serves as In the long term we must start planning our its pastor lag's centennial in 2011. Surely we have to think and led a of something substantial to mark that occasion. forum. What will it be? A plaque? A monument? A statue? Where should it be placed? What will it Called the "Chapel in the Hills", this worship area cost and how shall we raise the money? Within is in great demand for weddings. Besides the a year I hope to form a committee that would stabbur which houses a gift shop, there is a identify worthy possibilities along with costs. museum which holds donated objects used by pioneers. (MDS photos! Ha det bra, Earl O. Knutson. President of Sigdalslag 2 Act now if you wish to be included: LAG SOLICITS DATA TO PUBLISH MEMBER DIRECTORY Suggestions for a pictorial membership directory were heard at the July 2000 stevne at Wahpeton, NO. The executive board applauded the concept in January and selected Garth Ulrich to spearhead the project. Walt Jellum and Dianne Snell have offered to assist. Details on content and desired length will be determined in coming months. Pictures and information from all members is the focus as the project begins. More about articles, length, and subject matter will be in future newsletters. Faith for the Future What is requested now will verify eXisting information from the membership application form (or correct it, if you Young now have data that was unknown when you joined the member lag). families attend Garth will forward an e-mail version of this form upon request to [email protected] the stevne: MAIL completed form with picture to Garth Ulrich, Maren Michelsen Sigdalslag VP, Box 28, Spalding, SK SOK 4CO, CANADA waves hello. as parents Amyand Michael smile. DIRECTORY FORM Member's Name (inclu·";d;<e;;--:;m;;a;;]ifAd';;en;;.-:;n;';a;;m;;eri',-'-··•.liif--;.a:;;p:;;p"lir;;c;;;ahbr.;le:'-)~-~~ Year of Birth __ ~=_ Paul Larson shows his Kvisle-Maakestad genealogical City & State of Birth ~------,----_ chart, held by tall Cal Jokstad. StatelProvince Year First Emigrant Ancestor/s left Norway __ ~~----,-_ 1) ( ) Resume normal activity 2) , (Where from? S - Sigdal E - Eggedal K· Krodsherad) PHOTO "If available, please include a picture for publication in the directory . (Head/shoulders; light backgrounds. preferred) Pray and IlWe hereby authorize any information on this form Praise to be.included in the Sigdalslag Membership Directory. (signature/sf 3 Almost 100 years ago Torvtaking The "huts" had first a plank roof, since they lay on corrugated iron. (The company operated four to five years before M<Jrch, the author, used an undated newspaper clipping as his source, so it is uncertain when operations ceased.) There was a reason and need for laborers that continued until they were finished with the peat harvest. They cut off the uppermost layer, heather and hillocks, partly grooved earth, and came down on the suitable peat. They had sharp edged cutting spades with which they cut through the peatbog and made chunks that were layers about 30 x 18 x 10 cm. (about 12 x 7 x 4 inchesl. The earthblocks were set up on the border or edge of the swamp on end, two and two stacked against each other like a little by AndreasMarch shock of grain. Otherwise blocks were placed on drying racks, on poles or stakes with pins Illustrated by Havard Stevern and translated by Marilyn through, or placed on long sticks to dry. Somdahl from an article appearing in Under Norefjell, No.1, 2001. which Stevern edits. It describes a way of The peat was driven down to the rural life and conditions long ago in Sigdal-Eggedal.