Since 1911 October, 2003 Volume 23, Issue 3 Sigdalslag Saga Velkommen, nye lag Serving Norwegian-Americans of Sigdal, Eggedal & Krødsherad ancestry medlemmer! x MICHAEL KENDALL Hillsborough, NC x JAN DUTTO N Report from the 7 Lag Stevne (2003) Minneapolis, MN x DO N & CA MILLA DOCKEN Winona, Minnesota - Winona State University - July 9-12, 2003 Northf ield, MN by Marilyn Moen x DONNA M. GILBERY Yakima, WA Forty-one Sigdalslag mem- x MARY BETH MCCULLAGH Scottsdale, AZ bers were gathered on the beautiful campus of Wi- x TOM O'K ELLEY Tacoma, WA nona State University, x BRIAN O 'KELL EY Winona, MN for the 7 Lag Silv erdale, WA Stevne July 9-12, 2003. x ROSE ENSMINGER The theme of the Stevne Walcott, ND was Rivers, Rails & Trails. x LOWELL & BARBARA TORKELSON The 7 Lag Stevne includes Willmar, MN the Land, Hadeland, x KAREN JEAN KA SLIN Nu medal, Ringerike - Photo by Marilyn Moen KAUTZ West Bend, WI Drammen, Sigdal, Telemark, WSU campus from the bluff & Toten lags celebrating our x CRISTINE BERG PRUCHA tude of information available. Lee Rokke, LaCrosse, WI Norwegian heritage from these areas in Nor- Sigdal genealogist, provided assistance and x NORVAL G. GILBERTSO N way. Some 275 persons attended the Stevne in Pueblo, CO Winona. many resources to those searching the Sigdal x DONALD MOE area. Burnsv ille, MN The genealogy room was set up in the library at Some of the special events and tours included a x CYNTHIA DELANO Winona State. For the first time the genealogy Winona, MN room was available on Wednesday afternoon Steamboat River Cruise on the Julia Belle x LORRAINE ROSEANNE and evening as well as Thursday and ending at Swain, stained glass company tour, tour of the DA HL noon on Friday. Each lag was well represented city of Winona, organ concert & church tour, Woodbury , MN with excellent persons to help search the multi- and rural churches tours of Southeast Minne- x MERRIA M FI EL DS BLEYL sota. The movie “Cool and Crazy” was en- Placitas, NM joyed Thursday evening. x MA RILY N ST EV E NS Oakdale, MN On Friday the opening ceremony was held with x BARBARA & CARTER BERG greetings from each of the lag presidents, Center, ND including Earl Knutson, the president of Sig- dalslag. The Story of Early Doctors was presented by Christine Midelfort and Pastor Gifts and Memoria ls Ron Nowland gave a slide show on Vikings in Istanbul. Saturday evenings program included $ 20 Memo ria l fo r Ha ro ld Ande rson, give n by Irene Photo by Marilyn Moen (Continued on page 3) Navarre WSU Library Page 2 Sigdalslag Saga V olume 23, Issue 3 2002-2003 Sigdalslag Fra Presidenten: Officers EARL O. KNUTSON President 722 Second Street SW Willmar, MN 56201 320-222-1613 [email protected] Greeting to our members! CAROL MEADE VP 1 6929 Park Ave. Time marches on - the 2003 stevne is now history. Those who Richfield, MN 55423 were able to attend will agree, I’m sure, that Winona State 612-243-3924 University was a very nice site for the stevne. [email protected] However, only a few of our membership are able to attend our stevner. Our membership at the end of June, 2003 was GARTH ULRICH VP 2 253, which amounts to about 400 persons since spouses are Box 28, Spalding SK automatically members. Only 41 persons, about 10% of the SOK 4CO, CANADA membership, registered this year at the Sigdalslag desk. 306-633-2274 The stevne is a nice experience featuring both scholarship [email protected] and camaraderie, so it would be nice if more members could participate. JUDY SOSTED VP 3 1118 Lia Court Those that did not attend the stevne can catch up to some extent from the articles and pictures in this newsletter. Northfield, MN 55057 Those with internet access can also check the "stevne" [email protected] section on our web site, www.sigdalslag.org. DON SKADELAND Treasurer One of the things decided at Winona is to send free copies 10642 “O” Street of the 2004 Saga to prospective members. We hereby ask the Omaha, NE 68127 membership to nominate persons to receive these sample 402-331-5906 copies. Descendents of emigrants from Sigdal, Eggedal and [email protected] Krødsheread, Norway eligible for these nominations. Nominations should be sent by year’s end to our Secretary, AMY MICHELSEN Secretary Amy Michelsen. 18730 Roanoke St. NW The big news from Winona was that the 2004 stevne will be Anoka, MN 55303-8971 held in Willmar, Minnesota, and that Sigdalslag is the 763-753-5484 host! (There are seven Lags that join together for these [email protected] stevner, and it’s our turn.) Our Executive Board has already held a special meeting (September 13th in Willmar) LEE ROKKE Genealogist to start planning.10. Wish us luck, and plan to come! The 13465 Garden View Drive dates are July 8- Apple Valley, MN 55124 952-432-9767 Ha det bra! [email protected] Earl O. Knutson President, Sigdalslag MARILYN MOEN Co-Editor 32557 Clay Bank Road Erhard, MN 56534 [email protected] CINDY PETERSON Co-Editor/ Editor’s Corner... Publisher 3520 Banyan Street What a joy to fill up the front page margin experiences of finding your family’s history, or Santa Rosa, CA 95403 with the names of so many new members! W e your trip to Norway, or about some Norwegian 707-573-1504 welcome you warmly and hope that you find your custom that your family has preserved. W e are [email protected] membership fulfilling and find the Saga enlight- linked by our an cestry and can b e surprised by ening and informative. To the new members that the common threads of our modern lives. For submissions or questions, I mistakenly omitted in the July issue, I apologize. This issue is being accompanied by our new please contact Marilyn Moen Tusen takk to those of you who have shared directory! Thanks to all who worked so hard in or Cindy Peterson with our members your stories and articles of producing this useful publication. interest, I hope that it inspires others to share Cindy Peterson theirs as well. Please do tell us about your own co-editor/publisher Sigdalslag Saga V olume 23, Issue 3 Page 3 Stevne Report... (Continued from page 1) cers, members talked about the various Winona fiddlers, Wegeland Dancers, farms in Norway their ancestors came and Janet Martin. Janet who has written from, the Hamar Lutheran Church numerous books including Cream & chartered by Sigdal emigrants and Bread, A Norwegian Distionary had the others from Norway, a video of the audience in laughter much of the eve- building of a Norwegian Log Church ning. near Willmar, MN. Saturday night the event culminated by the Banquet, Bu- Saturday the various lags held their nad parade and entertainment by Tina & annual meetings. The Sigdalslag group Lena. also took a formal picture (also avail- able for purchase, see page 4). The The next 7 Lag Stevne will be held in meeting also included election of offi- Willmar, MN and will be hosted by Sigdalslag. This will be an Photo by Be tty K nutson opportunity for many of us to be involved in the fun! Plan to attend. Photo by Marilyn Moen Clockwise from top: The Comedy act of Tina and Lena: The rarely seen back side of the banner: Mike Block and Cal Jokstad lead the Banner Parade: People at work in the genealogy room: (bottom) Bunad lineup after the banquet Photo by Marilyn Moen Photo by Marilyn Moen Photo by Be tty K nutson Page 4 Sigdalslag Saga V olume 23, Issue 3 Sigdalslag Annual Meeting July 12, 2003 Winona, MN open and he is looking for The meeting reconvened at for deceased members and oth- someone to commit to the posi- 0920. Earl reported that Sig- ers of Sigdal ancestry: Linda The annual meeting of the tion through 2011, the centen- dalslag has to date 254 member Block, Jeanine Gail Omoth, Sigdalslag was held at Winona nial of the founding of Sigdal- households and only a small Rosanna Gutterud Johnsrud. State University in Winona, slag. Earl reported that while fraction of these attend the Minnesota on July 12, 2003 in there were no first time atten- stevne (approximately 15%). The minutes of the 2002 busi- conjunction with the Seven Lag dees present at this stevne, Earl extended a special wel- ness meeting were accepted as Stevne. While waiting for any there were 41 people who reg- come to new members who printed. latecomers, Lee Rokke passed istered their attendance with joined since the 2002 stevne. President Earl shared the re- on greetings sent to the lag Sigdalslag. Of these, 27 people Secretary Amy Michelsen read fro m member Irene Navarre, attended this annual meeting. these 24 names along with their port of the audit performed by with Irene’s deep regrets for town of residence. None were Elaine Lange. It was accepted missing this stevne due to her The meeting adjourned for 30 present at this stevne. Amy as printed. Appreciation was husband Harry’s health, this minutes while all present reminded us that standing rule shown to Don and Lynn Skade- being the first stevne she formed up for a group picture 1 in the bylaws state that mem- land for their maintaining and missed since 1975. taken outside. The portrait was bership includes spouses, as reporting the financial records. taken by local photographer, some people may not be aware Treasurer Don Skadeland re- President Earl Knutson offi- Mark Miranda, and orders were of it.