SIGDALSLAG SAGA VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 February, 2013 Volume 33, issue 1 Sigdalslag Saga Since 1911 Serving Norwegian-Americans of Sigdal, Eggedal and Krødsherad ancestry Sigdalslag Saga-February 2013 Inside this issue: The Sigdalslag board meeting was held at Jean Knaak’s home this January. Being the new kid on the block, I tried to keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut. President’s letter 2 Mostly, it worked pretty well. While there, I discovered the Sigdalslag books and 7 Lag Stevne 3 purchased a set. Now it is hard to get anything done because they keep opening up. The Calvin Jokstad 4-6 books contain so many interesting and moving stories. Our emigrant ancestors were Sebjørn Flatin 7 very brave and hardy to leave the beautiful country of Norway behind and begin again, Stories from 1914 8 often in extremely primitive and harsh conditions. It is a wonderful tribute to them to Vesterheim Event 9 tell their stories. Scott Brunner is diligently working on the new Sigdalslag book but Landmark Event 9 needs our help. If you have stories to tell, please send them his way. The current set of Stevne Info 9 Sigdalslag books is available for purchase on the Sigdalslag website, www.sigdalslag.org Nordic Genealogy under the SHOP section. Conference 10 One of the major expenses for the lag is the mailing of the Saga. Please consider Mindekirken 11 receiving the Saga via email. The size of the file is approximately 3MB so if you have NAGA Info 11 high speed internet it should show up very quickly. The Saga also arrives in full, glorious color, and I know that we Norwegians like color, just not so much in our food. If you choose to receive it digitally, contact Earl Knutson at [email protected]. He will take Velkommen, nye lag care of that. medlemmer! It was great to get acquainted with the wonderful Sigdalslag board. I was happy to meet Jan Johnson, who opened up a whole new world of Norwegian events to me. • Lauri Shoemaker There are so many Temple, TX wonderful things •Shirley Berg organized to help Willmar, MN us discover and •Rosalie Johnson also celebrate the Willmar, MN •Debbie Gross rich Norwegian Hampshire, IL culture and history •Charles Johnson that we share. You Carver, MN will find •Bruce Morey Billings, MT information about •Knut Jellum many of them Skotselv, Norway throughout the •Phil & Lori Kugler newsletter so Erhard, MN please make your •Gregory Lund Frederic, WI plans to attend. •Priscilla Kachmar Till next time, January Sigdalslag Board attendees: Edmonton, Alberta Jean Borgerding •Janis McAdoo l to r: Earl Knutson, Marlys Larsen, Jean Knaak, Jan Johnson, Irving, TX Jean Borgerding and Dale Buisman PAGE 1 SIGDALSLAG SAGA VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 Fra Presidenten, 2013 Sigdalslag Officers Best wishes from Sigdalslag as we look forward to an interesting year! The Sigdalslag Executive Board met on Saturday, January 12, 2013. It was a good JEAN T. KNAAK, President 2456 Arkwright Street meeting and you are being well served by your board members. New this year are St. Paul, MN 55117 Jean Borgerding, editor, and Daniel Flatin, webmaster. 651-483-9261 [email protected] The 2013 Stevne will be held from July 11-13, 2013 at the Holiday Inn & Suites, St. EARL O. KNUTSON, Cloud, Minnesota Information for the Stevne is posted at www.7lagstevne.com. The VP 1/Membership conference chair will be posting more information as it becomes available. The theme 722 Second Street SW Willmar, MN 56201 is For God and Our Country---Norwegian-Americans in the Civil War. There will be 320-222-1613 special programs on Norwegians in the Civil War plus a genealogy and a culture track. [email protected] The registration form will be in the May newsletter and on our website in the near KAREN OLSON, VP 2 future. P.O. Box 225 Northome, MN 56661 Some really good tours are planned on Thursday and Friday. The Thursday tour [email protected] includes the St John’s Bible, which was a special exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of MARLYS HONRUD LARSEN, VP 3 Art and now resides at St John’s as well as the Stearn’s County Museum. The Friday P.O. Box 217 tour includes Fort Ripley and the Charles Lindbergh house. The banquet is scheduled Spicer, MN 56288 [email protected] for Saturday evening with part of the entertainment being Furuleiken Spel og Danselag, a music and dance group from Gran, Lunner, and Ringerike in Norway. JANICE JOHNSON, Treasurer Friday evening entertainment includes Streng og Belg, a string group from Hadeland 8451 Nicollet Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55420 with a Friday evening buffet available. If you go to the website there is a full listing of [email protected] classes for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. DALE BUISMAN, Secretary 38265 Great Oaks Court There is great special programming for kids for the entire conference. Our family has North Branch, MN 55056 had personal experience with bringing grandchildren to the Stevne. It has been a real 651-277-6885 bargain and lots of fun, much like a mini-Norwegian Camp. Bring your children and [email protected] grandchildren! GARTH ULRICH, Genealogist 3099 Dunn Drive Our lag meeting will be Saturday afternoon, July 13. We will be offering hospitality in Prince Albert, SK S6V 6Y6 CANADA my suite on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings so look forward to visiting with [email protected] you. DIANNE SNELL, Historian We are delayed with the Sigdalslag book and need additional family histories. If your 31326 122nd Court SE Auburn, WA 98092 history has not been previously published, please consider writing and submitting it. 253-351-0926 Please feel to contact me or another board member for assistance. The directory of [email protected] the Executive Board is in the newsletter. JEAN BORGERDING, Saga Editor 509 8th Avenue NE I look forward to seeing you at the Stevne. Please feel free to email me at any time Minneapolis, MN 55413 with questions or concerns at [email protected] or call 651-357-6139. 612-379-4280 [email protected] Hilsen, DANIEL FLATIN, Webmaster 58 Pennsylvania Ave. Jean Flemington, NJ 08822 908 265-7632 [email protected] [email protected] PAGE 2 SIGDALSLAG SAGA VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 7-Lag Stevne July 11-13, 2013 Holiday Inn & Suites St. Cloud, Minnesota The program for this summer’s 7-Lag Stevne is beginning to take shape. The class schedule is full of interesting and informative classes, not only about the Civil War but also about genealogy and the history and culture of our immigrant ancestors. To name just a few: Torbjørn Griepsland will travel from Norway to tell us about Norwegian-Americans in the Civil War and the plight of the prisoners of war at Andersonville. Stephen Osman of the Minnesota Historical Society will talk about Minnesota in the Civil War, and Gene Estensen will explore the role that the Scandinavian Regiment (15th Wisconsin) played in the conflict. Verlyn Anderson will uncover the stories of Norwegians during the U.S. Dakota War of 1862. Author Candace Simar will talk about the impact and aftermath of the Civil War and Dakota War. In genealogy, Marilyn Sorenson will teach you the tricks of researching your Norwegian ancestors on-line, while Dale Hovland details how to find invaluable information available on Norway’s Digitalarkivet. Dag Rossman will bring Norse Mythology to life, and Bev Stadum will share her experiences as a Norwegian-American adapting to life in Norway. And that’s only a few of the subjects we’ll explore in 33 class sessions from Thursday through Saturday morning at the stevne! Get help with your Hardanger project or learn the basics in a Hardanger seminar with Betty Knutson. Try out finger weaving, make a Norwegian Christmas basket, or learn about rosemaling in one of our craft offerings. Furuleiken Spel og Danselag will be joined by instrumental group Streng og Belg to provide authentic Norwegian folk entertainment during both the Friday and Saturday night programs. On Thursday, you’ll be able to get a taste of local culture at the Stearns County Museum or St John’s University. Along with the Depression-era exhibit at the museum, you’ll get a chance to munch on popcorn while watching a “Little Rascals” short – the actress who played Miss Crabtree was a St. Cloud native! At St. John’s, you’ll learn about the years-long effort to create an illuminated Bible, using the original methods perfected by medieval monks. On Friday, have lunch in the mess hall at Camp Ripley, followed by a visit to the Civil War Exhibit at their Military Museum. On the way back to St. Cloud, we’ll stop at the Charles Lindbergh House in Little Falls. Kids will have a full schedule of free activities, including their own tour on Thursday to Stearns County Museum and St John’s Arboretum. We’ll teach them some basic Norwegian words and phrases, tell them about the mythology of runes and help them write their name in runes, help them find where their ancestors lived in Norway, and much more. Chris Nelson, who began his career as a popular elementary teacher and is now Chief of Education Service at the VA in Madison WI, has agreed to keep the young ‘uns active and in line. Working folks can arrive on Friday night and enjoy the buffet dinner and program and then take in classes, the genealogy room, and vendor area on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon the lags will hold their meetings.