WHAT’S INSIDE · 2015. 9. 5. · Doc Severinsen, whose perform - ance is made even more special...

September 2014

TAKEONE!

President’s message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Norsk Høstfest: Nordic style shows . . . . . 3

Picture this:MidsummerNight 2014. . . . 4-5

Norsk Høstfest: Nordic celebration . . . 6-7Scandinavian heritage:Where is Vinland? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

SHAmemorials, membership form. . . 10-11

Leif Erikson’s Viking settlement?. . . . . . . . 12

Scandinavian Society reports . . . . . . 12-15

Tracing Scandinavian roots . . . . . . . . . . 16

WHAT’S INSIDE

• September 2014 • SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE NEWS

by Gail Peterson, presidentScandinavian Heritage Association

Summer is coming to an end andonce again it has been a busy one.We had our annual Midsummer

Night celebration on June 20 (seepages 4-5 for pix), and once again wehad a rain interruption, but it clearedand the event went smoothly afterthat.

Thank you to Dan Hansen for lin-ing up all of the entertainment for usonce again. Music was providedthroughout the evening by the CityBand under the direction of JerrySpitzer. The band was an integral partof the flag ceremony at 7 p.m.

Other performers included AdrianBrown, Denby Forest and Johnny ColeMurdock. In addition, there weredemonstrations such as rosemaling,knitting, etc. The sauna was steaming,and in use during the evening.

A special thanks to Bruce Carlsonfor being in charge of the sauna andthe bonfire—each year the bonfire isone of the highlights of the evening.

Sponsors for our food includedVerendrye Electric, MDU, Xcel Energy,MidContinent and SRT. Thank youagain to them also.

SHA Park scene of numerous eventsOther events were “Get Out and

Play,” and amovie sponsoredby Visit Minot.Visit Minot willalso sponsor anevent at the park for the North DakotaLeague of Cities convention on Sept.26. The Cal Ripken player tournamentpicnic was held at the SHAPark onJuly 31—about 300 were served at thatevent.

“Rock the Leaves” had its annualevent the weekend of Aug. 16 and 17.There was a good crowd despite therainy weather on Aug. 16.

We have several guided toursscheduled during Høstfest week.

It takes the cooperation and dedica-tion of many volunteers to keep thepark staffed and the buildings avail-able throughout the season. Thank youto all of them.

Still looking for volunteersWe are always in need of more vol-

unteers to have everything covered.The last day the park buildings will beopen this season is Oct. 5.

Please support our advertisers—they help cover the cost of this publica-tion. The park is dependent ondonations and memberships as well asour advertisers.

Happy fall, happy Høstfest! Wehope the coming winter will be betterthan last year. •

President’s MESSAGE

Gail Peterson

Raindidn’tdampensuccessofSHA’sMidsummerNight

Scandinavian Heritage NewsVol. 27, Issue 68 • September 2014

Published quarterly byThe Scandinavian Heritage Assn.

1020 South Broadway701/852-9161 • P.O. Box 862

Minot, ND 58702e-mail: [email protected]

Website: scandinavianheritage.org

Newsletter CommitteeLois Matson, Chair

Al Larson, Duane BrekkeJo Ann Winistorfer, Editor

701/[email protected]

Al Larson, Publisher – 701/852-5552

SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGEASSOCIATION

1020 South Broadway • P.O. Box 862Minot, North Dakota 58702

Phone 701/852-9161

2014 OFFICERSGail Peterson PresidentVirgil Rude Vice PresidentMarion Anderson SecretarySue Weston Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORSThree-year terms ending January 2017

Jerome Jorgenson Lois MatsonBob Sando Ernie SellandLes Streige Joan VartyNeil Zimmerman

Three-year terms ending January 2016Marion Anderson Liz GjellstadJana Hennix Terry MattsonGail Peterson Sue WestonVirgil Rude

Three-year terms ending January 2015Myron Anderson Eva GoodmanErv Johnson John SinnDoris Slaaten Robert WhetterJo Ann WinistorferOne-year appointees to January 2015

Randy Burckhard Adelaide JohnsonMarilyn Wagner Curt MedalenConnie LowmanEx-Officio Members

Mark Anderson, Past PresidentBruce Christenson, Past PresidentCarroll Erickson, Past PresidentAllen O. Larson, Past PresidentRoald Mattson, Past PresidentGeorge Officer, Past President

Directors EmeritusMarian Bergan, Director EmeritusDoralyn Brown, Director EmeritusHelen Haaland, Director EmeritusJeanne McNea, Director EmeritusJim Maragos, Director Emeritus

CCAALLEENNDDAARR •• FFaallll 22001144

• Sept. 30 - Oct. 4—Norsk Høstfest, State Fairgrounds, MinotStars include Doc Severinsen (with the Minot Symphony Orchestra), Daniel

O’Donnell, Josh Turner, Daniel Bradbery, Gaither Vocal Band, Herman’s

Hermits, Bill Engvall, Merle Haggard, Jennifer Nettles, BJ Thomas

Plus free stages with Diamond Rio, Bjøro Haaland, Mollie B & much more!

Next newsletter deadline: Copy and pictures Nov. 15; printing, Dec. 1, 2014

SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE NEWS • September 2014 • Page 3

Above: Jessica Rakness and baby Eastonof Burlington model sweaters belongingto Jessica’s aunt, Jill Aarseth of Minot.Right: Kari Files, Minot, wears aHardanger bunad belonging to hermother.

Norwegian bunads, Nordic folk cos-tumes and beautiful hand-knitNorwegian sweaters take the spotlightat Norsk Hostfest via three fashionshows that combine visual presentationwith oral story-telling skills.

SSTTYYLLEE SSHHOOWWSS FFEEAATTUURREE NNOORRDDIICCCCOOSSTTUUMMEESS,, HHAANNDD--KKNNIITT SSWWEEAATTEERRSS

The hour-long style shows begin at11 a.m. Oct. 2-4 on Hostfest’s SkienMezzanine. All three style shows willfeature models ranging in age from in-fants to octogenarians wearing thefinest in Nordic clothing. While bunadsare strictly representative of Norway,the style show also features folk cos-tumes indigenous to Denmark, Finland,Iceland and Sweden.

This is a time to learn about Norwe-gian bunads, Nordic folk costumes andNordic hand-knit sweaters and theirhistory, as well as interesting triviaabout the person, the bunad and thehand-knit sweater. Some of the bunads,folk costumes and hand-knit sweatershave been passed down through gener-ations and are very valuable in dollarsand sentiment.

NNOORRDDIICC AANNTTIIQQUUEESS OONN DDIISSPPLLAAYYFor the third year, a special program

will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 11a.m. on the Skien Mezzanine, featuringunique Nordic items such as antiquefamily pieces or family heirlooms.

Owners or family members willshare the heirloom’s history with theaudience in a Nordic “Show and Tell”session.

If you have a Nordic garment or spe-cial item you would like to have in-cluded in one of the programs, contactthe Høstfest office at (701) 852-2368. •

SCHEDULEAll four hour-long programs begin at 11a.m. on Skien Mezzanine, Oct. 1-4, asfollows:• Wednesday, Oct. 1: Scandi navianUnique Antiques over 100 years old• Thursday, Oct. 2: Nordic hand-knitsweater program• Friday & Saturday, Oct. 3 & 4:Norwegian Bunad & ScandinavianFolk Costume Style Show

Spotlight on Nordic costumes, heirlooms at Norsk Høstfest

for Reservations,call 701-837-1010

Walk-Ins Welcome

10 North Main St.Minot, ND 58703Open Tuesday–Saturday5:00 pm – Close

“Good Foo

d,

sNiceDrink

s”

Cell: 701.212.0019 Studio: 701.858.0550

Jewelry Handmade by Michele, Danielle, & Kaitlin Feist

Old Gringo Boots, Clothing, Art Decor and more!

THE HEART of acommunity isreflectedin thequalityof itsparks.

M I N O T P A R K D I S T R I C T420 Third Avenue SW • 857-4136


PPIICCTTUURREE TTHHIISS!!Midsummer in SHA Park

Here’s what you missed if youweren’t at SHA Park on June 20!

—PHOTOS BY JO ANN WINISTORFER—

Lots of folksenjoyed a mealserved under theNordic Pavilion.Grand finale of theevening: the tradi-tional MidsummerNight bonfire, lit byBruce Carlson.

Events includeddemos, flag display.


WE THANK OUR SHA PARK GREETERS . . .for providing park tours all season, including during Norsk Høstfest.Thanks for welcoming visitors, showing them around the park andmaking them feel at home!

“Come on in, the steam’s fine...” Bruce Carlson (black trunks), Velva, got the SHA Park’s saunaready for anyone wishing to try it out. Assisting him was his dad, Howard, from Rock Lake. The“newbie” partaking in his first sauna (solid blue trunks) is Col. Jeff Neischel, vice commander ofthe 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base. He came through the initiation in good shape.

Three guys in a sauna...

SUPPLYING THE TOOLS FOR YOURBUSINESS FOR OVER 65 YEARS17 East Central Ave. • 838-8624

Bradley Thomas • Bryan Thomas

We are proud of ourSwedish Heritage

via theQuist and Chelgren (Johnson)

lineages.

FAMILYTHOMAS

Funeral Home

Caring for you through allthe stages of your life.

Phone: 701-858-6700Toll Free: 1-800-841-7321www.centerforfamilymedicine.net

1201 11th Ave. SW • Minot, ND 58701

Full Service Pharmacy


Norsk Høstfest is pleased to an-nounce its main stage entertain-ment lineup for the 2014 edition ofNorth America’s largest Scandinavianfestival, which runs Sept. 30 - Oct. 4.

The 37th annual Norsk Høstfestkicks off Tuesday evening, Sept. 30,with a 7 p.m.opening ceremonyfollowed by theHøstfest Eve Con-cert, this year fea-turing DocSeverinsen withthe Minot Sym-phony Orchestra.

Scheduled toappear in TheGreat Hall of theVikings over thenext four days andnights are Daniel O'Donnell, theGaither Vocal Band, comedian Bill Eng- vall, country legend Merle Haggard,Josh Turner with special guest Danielle

Bradbery, singer BJ Thomas, ’60s popband Herman’s Hermits starring PeterNoone, and country music artist Jen-nifer Nettles.

David Reiten, Norsk Høstfest presi-dent, says: “We like to think we’re of-fering something for everyone this

year, from return-ing favorites tonames new to theGreat Hall stage—like the legendaryDoc Severinsen,whose perform-ance is made evenmore special withthe involvementof Minot’s ownsymphony.”

In addition tothe Great Hall en-

tertainment, Norsk Høstfest offers freestage acts several times each day dur-ing the festival. Patrons will see a re-turn of many of their favorites such as

Norsk Høstfest: Top Nordic celebration

GREAT HALL ACTS

Peter Noone ofHerman’s Hermits

Jennifer Nettles

BJ Thomas Josh Turner w/specialguest Danielle Bradbery

Daniel O’Donnell Gaither Vocal Band

Bill Engvall Merle Haggard

Doc Severinsen, former leader of the JohnnyCarson Show band, will perform with theMinot Symphony the evening of Sept. 30.

Velva / Minot852-0406

1-800-472-2141www.verendrye.com

Quality Service at Affordable

RatesRESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIALINDUSTRIAL • FARM

Specializing in Boiler, Control Systems,Data, and Communications

701-852-4445 holmeselectric.com

your dreamhomewith

NATURALGAS...

because it’syour money.


SOME OF THE FREE* STAGE ACTS OCT. 1-4

*...WITH PRICE OF A HØSTFEST GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET ($36)

Bjøro Haaland Williams & Ree

Nordic Tenors Arto and Antti Järvelä Norse Halling Dance Ricky Nelson memories

Ljom, Nor. musicians Brynolf & Ljung magic Mollie B. Shelby Huston on fiddle

Bjøro Haaland and Williams & Ree.Diamond Rio performs for the firsttime at Høstfest. New talent includesthe Nordic Tenors, Swedish magiciansBrynolf & Ljung, and Finnish musi-cians Arto and Antti Järvelä. FormerSecret Service agent Clint Hill and au-thor Lisa McCubbin are back with apresentation and their most recentbook, “Five Days in November.”

Besides great entertainment, Norsk

Høstfest will spotlight Scandinavianculture, artisan crafts, Nordic shop-ping, nightly dances, and of course,great authentic Scandinavian cuisine.

Tickets include VIP seats priced at$82 and regular seats at $62. HøstfestEve Concert tickets are $36, as are gen-eral admission tickets. Fans may ordertickets online at hostfest.com, by call-ing (701) 852-2368, or in person at 1020S. Broadway, Minot ND 58701.

Diamond Rio

Our reputationshines as brightlyas our diamonds.

Fred, Jr. & Sheri Lien701-838-5151

107 South Main StreetMinot, ND 58701

172 Guest Rooms

ND’s Largest Hotel Convention Center

Oasis Bar & Casino

Free High Speed Internet

Fitness Center

Whirlpool

Large Indoor Heated Pool

Laundry Facilities

Ground Round and Pavilion Restaurants on Property

Holiday Inn Riverside, Minot

2200 Burdick Expressway E Minot, ND 58701 T:701-852-2504 Reservations: 800-HOLIDAY

your dreamhome with

NATURALGAS...

because it’s your money.

WESTLIE

North of theSHA Park at500 SouthBroadway

Minot852-1354

magazine.It’s colorful! It’s fun! It’s newsfrom Denmark, Finland, Iceland,Norway & Sweden (in English).

4 issues/year only $19

See samples/order online: www.scandpress.comCall free 1-855-675-7226

Creative Printing 852-5552


Settlements of North America.” Thetitle may be misleading, since theseNorsemen were “Christian colonists”rather than “pirates,” as the name“Viking” suggests. But it is an excitingcommentary on the saga of Erik theRed written by Icelandic scholars inthe Middle Ages. Pohl claims that thissaga is highly reliable. It has 60 hand-drawn maps to show Norse locations.

Most of the proposed sites for theNorse settlements in North Americasuggest the Maritime Provinces ofCanada. Pohl, however, claims thatthey followed 3,000 miles of coastline

The Scandinavian Heritage • 35

by Pastor Arland Fiske

For many years, people were skep-tical about the Leif Erikson storyof discovering America. In recentyears, new evidence has come to lightwhich leaves little doubt that Norse-men not only arrived in America, buthad settlements in what they called“Vinland the Good.”

People, however, are still curiousabout Vinland’s location. Do we haveany idea where the Norse explorerstouched the North American conti-nent? Frederick J. Pohl has written anintriguing book entitled “The Viking

down to Florida.The first known Norseman to see

the New World was Bjarni Herjulfsson,who discovered it by accident whensailing from Iceland to Greenland. Leifthe Lucky, son of Erik the Red, pickedup on his story and spent a wintersomewhere in the new land. He madethree landings with a crew of 35.

Departing from Brattahlid in theEastern Settlement of Greenland (actu-ally the southwest tip of the island),Leif sailed past “Helluland” (“FlatRock Land”) and “Markland” (“Forest-land”) until coming to “Vinland,”which Pohl identifies with Cape Cod.There he built a campsite near a plenti-ful source of good drinking water, tim-ber and defensive positions, in casethere should be hostile natives. It wascalled “Leif’s Shelters” and was 18 feetwide and 52 feet long, large enough tohouse 36 men. It had sod walls, likehouses in Greenland. Nearby was ashelter for his ship.

The name of Leif’s place has cometo be called Vinland because therewere many grapes there. One of hissailors was from Germany and knewhow to make wine. No doubt thismade the winter seem shorter.

The next summer, Leif returned toGreenland. He never made a secondtrip to the New World, since his fatherdied (possibly from pneumonia) andthe leadership of Greenland fell to him.

The task of further exploration waspicked up by Leif’s brother Thorvald.He took a crew of 30 men and found“Leif’s Shelters.” Their first job was togather up food and fuel for the winter.

In the spring of 1007, they began thecoastal exploration, which requiredtwo seasons. Leaving the majority ofhis men behind to plant crops and cuttimber, Thorvald started to explore thenew land. An accident broke the keelof the boat, and they were strandeduntil they could cut a new one fromthe forest.

Then came a historic meeting. TheNorsemen encountered Native Ameri-cans, whom they called “Skraelings,”meaning “Shriekers” or “War Whoop-ers.” It was the first time that Euro-peans coming from the east metAsiatics coming from the west. It wasalso a tragedy. Finding nine nativesasleep under their boats, they capturedeight. Prisoners, however, can be in-

Where is Vinland?

LLeeiiff EErriikkssoonn’’ss VViinnllaanndd vvooyyaaggee


Author Arland Fiske

Editor’s note: This column is the 35th in aseries by former Minot pastor, ArlandFiske (now living in Texas), retired fromEvangelical Lutheran Church ministry.Fiske has written nine books on Scandina-vian heritage. The chapter reprinted hereis from “The Scandinavian World.”

PHOTO

BY M

ARY PAT

FINN-H

OAG

convenient, so they killed them. Butone escaped and returned with a warparty. Thorvald did not seem to havethought about retaliation and took anap. Getting to their ships in the nickof time, they ably defended themself—except for Thorvald, who died from anarrow wound. He was the first Euro-pean to be buried in America, with across planted at both his head and hisfeet.

A year later, the Norsemen returnedto Greenland. It had been Leif’s inten-tion to establish a Christian colony inVinland. The family’s immediate con-cern was to bring back Thorvald’sbody so it could be buried in conse-crated ground, since it was impracticalfor a priest to travel to Cape Cod. Thistask fell to the other brother, Thorstein.His journey was also tragic. Becominglost at sea, he became ill and died thefollowing year in Greenland.

This did not end the Norse journeysto the New World, though only a fewof these explorations have beenrecorded. In addition to the sagas, let-ters sent to the Vatican comfirm thisevidence. Bishop Gnupsson of Green-land visited Vinland in 1117. Otto ofBremen, a well-known historian, wrotein 1076 about “Wineland,” based on in-formation he had received from theDanes.

In addition to Pohl, Gwyn Jones, anoted Celtic scholar from the Univer-sity of Cardiff in Wales, has written“The Norse Atlantic Saga.” He con-tends for a smaller area of Norse ex-ploration. James Robert Enterline’s“Viking America: The Norse Crossingsand Their Legacy” has an epilogue byThor Heyerdahl which attests to exten-sive knowledge of the New World in11th- and 12th-century Europe. Heyer-dahl also researched the information inthe Vatican Library.

The most publicized place forNorsemen in America is L’Anse auxMeadows in Newfoundland, whichthe Canadian government has set asideas a national historical site. It waslikely occupied for just a short time,but archaeological evidence points to aNorse settlement. It probably shouldnot be identified with Leif Erikson’s“Vinland,” the location of which maynever be known. That there was such aplace, however, should not bedoubted. Back in Europe, all of theNew World was called “Vinland.”(See article on page 12 for more infor-

mation on Leif Erikson and L’Anse auxMeadows.)

A SINCERE A SINCERE

...to our ...to our ADVERTISERS!ADVERTISERS!They help make

this publication possible!

LL’’AANNSSEE AAUUXX MMEEAADDOOWWSS,, NNEEWWFFOOUUNNDDLLAANNDD

mainstreetbooksminot.com [email protected]

106 Main St. SDowntown Minot

839-4050M-F 10 am - 6 pm Sat 10 am - 5 pm

Sun 12 - 4 pm

COMMUNICATION

YOU

COUNT ON!

mainstreetbooksminot.com [email protected]

106 Main St. SDowntown Minot

839-4050M-F 10 am - 6 pm Sat 10 am - 5 pm

Sun 12 - 4 pm


When a friend or loved one hasjust passed away, it’s often astruggle to come up with a fitting trib-ute to that person’s memory.

Making a gift donation in that per-son’s honor to the Scandinavian Her-itage Association is one way toacknowledge how much the deceasedmeant to you. It’s also a way to keepthe heritage of our immigrant ances-tors alive and well through our beau-tiful park in Minot’s heart.

There are many ways to give a me-morial to Scandinavian Heritage Parkin a loved one’s memory. For example,you can choose to support a specificproject, such as our Heritage Housemuseum. Or, you can choose an ethnicgroup’s project within the park (suchas the Danish windmill, Swedish Dalahorse, Gol Stave Church, etc.). Or,consider a memorial brick in the pathleading to the Heritage House. Youcan also give a donation directly to the

Your gift to SHA keepsNordic heritage alive, well

association to be used where needed.Contributions of $1,000 or more are

ackowledged with a plaque on theScandinavian Heritage AssociationWall of Honor. Lesser amounts of $25or more are recognized in the GoldenBook of Memory in the SHA head-quarters building.

It’s a good idea, too, for each of usto sit down with our families to dis-cuss where we would like our ownmemorials to go someday. We shouldwrite down our wishes so that otherfamily members have the informationand can follow through with ourwishes. Remember, too, that placing anotice in an obituary indicating wherememorials are to be sent helps otherswho wish to honor the deceased.

And finally, the ultimate gift is tobecome a benefactor of SHA throughyour estate. It’s a way for you to leavea lasting legacy to your Scandinavianheritage as well as a memorial to you

or a family member.We hope you will consider the

Scandinavian Heritage Associationwhen you discuss memorial donationsor estate gifting. For information, con-tact the SHA office at (701) 852-9161.

Legacy Tax Creditbenefits giver, charity

Anticipating next year’s taxes, it’snot too early to consider giving agift donation to the Scandinavian Her-itage Association than right now.

Making it more advantageous is alaw passed by the North Dakota Legis-lature to improve the quality of life inour state. Senate Bill 2160 (SB2160) es-tablishes a Legacy Tax Credit that al-lows individuals, businesses, trustsand estates to take advantage of a 40percent state tax credit for contribu-tions of over $5,000 to qualified chari-table endowment funds.

Even better, the unused portion ofthe state tax credit can be carried for-ward for three years.

Depending on your tax bracket,your contribution to the ScandinavianHeritage Association can make aneven greater impact on the communityand cost you less.

The table on page 11 was preparedby the Minot Area Community Foun-dation. It shows the tax benefits forgivers in different tax brackets.

Check with your accountant or taxpreparer for details, or contact theSHA office. •

• • •

MEMORIALS:Undesignated memorials• June Keating-Given by Robert & JillKeating

• Robert Donovan-Given by Ramona Buettner

•Mike Berg-Given by Ramona Buettner

Heritage House memorials• Larry Erickson

-Given by Eva Goodman

Arne Braaten memorial• Suzanne Harr

-Given by Carroll & Noreen Erickson

Finnish Society memorial•Wayne Hill-Given by Myron & MarionAnderson

DONATIONS:•Moostash Joe Tours• Virgil Rude•Myrna & David Demers

22 00 11 44 MM EEMMOORR II AA LL SS AA NN DD DD OONNAATT II OO NN SS

NNEEWW SSPPOONNSSOORRSS

A special note of thanks tolongtime SHA Newsletter adsolicitor/volunteers Carroll andNoreen Erickson. Their efforts,along with that of our advertisers,have enabled us to continue pro-ducing a high-quality magazineon your behalf! Beginning withthe last issue, our new ad collec-tor is Duane Brekke. His contactnumbers are 701-852-2453 and(cell) 701-833-9278.

Thank you, Carroll and Noreen Erickson!

• Judy A. Ross • Ron & ConnieLowman

• Gertrude Sundsted


Page 12 • March, 2007 • SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE NEWS

Coming soon: Audio tours of SHA Park!Plans to have an audio tour system in place in Scandina v -ian Heritage Park by this summer are progressing nicely.The system will involve the use of around a half dozenMP3 players, each containing recorded descrip-tions of the park’s features.

“Each system will look like a smallWalkman, complete with headphones andneck band,” says Mark Anderson, SHA pres-ident. “There will be five or six available,and people can rent them for a nominalcharge to carry with them on a self-guidedtour.”

A joint project between the ScandinavianHeritage Association and the North DakotaCenter for Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD),the players are designed especially for visuallyimpaired park visitors.

But anyone can use them to enhance their tour experi-ence, according to President Mark, noting,”It’s a positivething on a number of different levels.”

Already, the text for the soundtrack has been written and isin the editing process.

Still to be decided is whether the audio player’srecording will be coordinated with a circle tour of

the park, or whether different stations along theroute would have numbers, enabling the user

to simply push a number to synchronize thetract to describe that particular park high-light—or both!

The next step is to raise funds to offsetthe cost of the pro j ect, which is expected torun between $2,000 and $2,500.

President Mark is busy these days send-ing letters to friends, fraternal organizations

and businesses to see whether they would liketo help sponsor the project. How about you? If you, your business, your orga-

nization or anyone you know would like to give a dona-tion, please call the SHA Office at (701) 852-9161.

Thank you!•

THE SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE PARK, the only park in the world representing all five Nordic countries, hosts thousands ofvisitors each year from around the world; as well as providing a picturesque setting for weddings and family gatherings.As a member of the Scandinavian Heritage Association, You help support:

SUSTAINING MEMBER$35.00 per year

Will receive the SHA MembershipPackage, which includes:

• Membership Card good for 10% offScandinavian Gift Shop items

Join Us In Preserving the Traditions of Our Proud Heritage

• Interpretative Tours of the Park• The Heritage House Museum• Local School Field Trips• The Annual “Midsommar Natt”• “Arts in the Park”• Seminars on Heritage and Culture• The on-going preservation and pro-

motion of Scandinavian traditions,positive values and ethics

• And much, much more!

Name (please print)____________________________ Phone _______________

Address__________________________________ E-mail___________________

City_____________________________State_______ Zip___________________

I/We wish to support the Scandinavian Heritage Association at the level checked below:� Sustaining Member � Sponsor Member � Benefactor Member � Yes, I/We give permission to print our name in the SHA publications� Please contact us. � I/We would like to become Volunteer(s) at SHA.� Check enclosed $________ � Credit Card: � MasterCard � Visa � Discover � Am. Exp.

Card Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Exp. Date_______Name on Card(please print) __________________________ Signature____________________________

Please mail to Scandinavian Heritage Assn., P.O. Box 862, Minot, ND 58702. Thank You!

M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I O N

• Membership Pin (initial membership)

• The Scandinavian Heritage News, offi-cial newsletter of the Association

• Invitation to Annual Banquet and otherSHA events

• Annual SHA Gift Packet

• Logo window Sticker

SPONSOR MEMBER$100.00 - $499.00 per year

Receives the SHA Membership Package,plus:

• Recognition in Newsletter (one issue)

• One (1) Complimentary Ticket to theAnnual Banquet

BENEFACTOR MEMBER$500.00 and above per year

Receives the SHA Membership Package,plus:

• Recognition in Newsletter (one issue)

• Two (2) Complimentary Tickets to theAnnual Banquet

M E M B E R S H I P C A T E G O R I E S


Iceland’s Bardar bunga volcano hasbeen erupting since Aug. 29, withlava shooting out of the ground onthe Holu hraun lava field abouthalfway between that volcano and aneighboring volcano called Askja.The lava has flown out of Bardar-bunga’s collapsed crater, known as acaldera, in a nearly 30-mile-long dike.

Icelandic Heritage Society NEWS

Bardarbunga Volcano eruptsThe flow of

molten rock, ormagma, out fromunderneath thevolcano, throughthe dike and out ofthe ground has beenso significant that thecaldera itself—which sits underneath

land, then sailed to the coast of Labradoron the Canadian mainland.

From a land they called Markland(“Woodland”), which is possibly BelleIsle, an island between Labrador andNewfoundland, the Vikings arrived at aplace they called “Vinland,” or “land ofthe vine.”

Boasting wheat fields and grapevines, the place was probably a spot onNewfoundland’s northeastern tip.

There, Erikson and his crew built asmall settlement they called Leifrsbudir,or “Leif ’s booths” (or “Leif ’s shelters”).

In the 1960s, remains of a Norse set-tlement were found at L’Anse aux Mead-ows in northern Newfoundland. It iswidely accepted as evidence of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact.

The Norse settlement at L’Anse auxMeadows has been dated to approxi-mately 1,000 years ago (carbon datingestimate 990-1050 CE), an assessmentthat tallies with the relative dating of ar-tifact and structure types.

Today, the area mostly consists ofopen, grassy lands, but 1,000 years agothere were forests useful in boat-build-ing, house-building and for iron extrac-tion.

The remains of eight buildings werelocated. They are believed to have beenconstructed of sod placed over awooden frame. Based on associated arti-facts, the buildings were variously iden-tified as dwellings or workshops.

It was named a World Heritage siteby UNESCO in 1978.

—From Scandinavian Press,Fall 2014

(See page 8-9 for more information onLeif Erikson’s voyage)

Leif Erikson (circa 970-1020) was theson of Erik the Red. Of Norwegianheritage, Leif was born and raised in Ice-land. His father was a Viking explorercredited with founding the first settle-ments in Greenland—after being ban-ished from Iceland for murder.

According to the Groenlendingasaga, Leif heard of a land to the westfrom an Icelandic trader who was blownoff course, and set out to find it.

Sailing westward from Greenlandwith a crew of 35, he probably landedfirst on the southern part of Baffin Is-

L’Anse aux Meadows...

LEIF ERIKSON’SViking settlement?

Oct. 9 is Leif Erikson Day. Its honoree discovered North America around the year 1000 – five centuries before Columbus.

L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS


SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY NEWS•••Thor Lodge Sons of Norway NEWS

HHØØSSTTFFEESSTT:: RRiigghhtt ttiimmee ttoo jjooiinn uuss!!Dakota, I think it’s be-cause they might notknow about them,haven’t looked for them,

or haven’tbeen invited.

I’m interestedin seeing that the peopleliving in our communitybenefit as much as possiblefrom what it has to offer.

SONs 200 agrees! Inhonor of the Bicentenary of

Norway’s Constitution, Norsk Høst-fest, Sons of Norway International andThor Lodge #4-067 are inviting newmembers to be a part of SONs 200.Our goal is for you to be an active partof our community.

SONS 200 benefitsHave you seen the first-class enter-

tainment the Norsk Høstfest offers atthe Great Hall of Vikings? Have youbeen to the SHA Park for a summerstroll? Would you like to know moreabout traditional Norwegian culture?

Anyone who is not already a Sons ofNorway member is eligible to be a SONs200. In 2014, unique benefits include:

• An exclusive commemorative pin• A discount at the En To Tre lunch

buffet.

Those who join beforeHøstfest also receive:

• An invitation to Gov.Dalrymple’s Reception, Tues-day, Sept. 30, 5:30 p.m. at theHoliday Riverside

• An invitation to H.E.Norwegian Ambassador KareAas’s Reception, Wednesday,Oct. 1, 10 a.m., at the VIPRoom, Norsk Høstfest • Free Høstfest General Ad-

mission with any Høstfest Universityenrollment.

Those who join during Hostfest alsoreceive:

• An invitation to attend Meet-and-Greet with SON International Presi-dent Eivind Heiberg, Saturday, 10 a.m.

• A limited edition rosemaledChristmas ornament.

I look forward to seeing you atNorsk Høstfest. Now is a good timefor those interested in heritage andcommunity involvement to join us atSons of Norway and Høstfest, cele-brating Norway’s Constitution Bicen-tenary.

Check out SON-sponsored OsloHall at Høstfest. You’ll find lefse-mak-ing demonstrations and an opportu-nity to sign up as a new member.

Also, Thor Lodge is offering Lap-skaus, sandwiches and Vestland’sLefse at their Stabbur booth.

See you at Høstfest. For more infor-mation call 852-2368 or 720-2755.

by Rob Odden, presidentThor Lodge 4-067 Sons of Norway

Greetings from Thor Lodge. I hopeyou have had a fun summer. As fall begins, we are looking for-

ward to Awards Night at Thor LodgeSept. 15. Another leaf turning this au-tumn is SONs 200!

The Scandinavian presence inMinot and Ward County is evidencedin our community in the ScandinavianHeritage Association Park, the annualNorsk Høstfest, and the five Nordicsocieties, one of which is SON ThorLodge.

Times are changing. The ways peo-ple choose to communicate and con-nect, change. We live in a beautifulcommunity with a lot to offer. Whensome people say there aren’t interest-ing things to do in Minot and North

the Dyngjujokull glacier—has sunkby more than 61 feet, the largestamount of subsidence observed inany volcano in Iceland since such ob-servations began around 1950.

Scientists studying the volcanofrom the air and the ground have hadto contend with hazardous plumes ofsulfur dioxide gas streaming from thefissure in the ground.

The gases may pose a health haz-ard to populated areas downwind ofthe eruption, and have been detectedas far away as Norway.

Far left: A person standsin front of the lava flowand massive smokeplumes of the Holuh -raun Fissure, near theBardarbunga Volcano,Iceland, on Sept. 2, 2014.

Near left: Aerial view ofthe lava fountains andmassive plumes nearthe Bardarbunga Volcano, Iceland, onSept. 1, 2014.


Swedish Heritage Society-NWND NEWS

by Ila Lovdahl,Swedish Heritage Society, NWND

VÄLKOMMEN TILLBAKA TILSKOLAN! Welcome back toschool!

In schools in Scandinavia andAmerica, many children ages 5 to 16are required to go back to school thisfall. The excitement of the first day ofschool happens only once each year!

How we remember our first daysof school, walking to a rural school,catching a ride with the neighbor’smother, climbing on the bright, shinyyellow school bus which would trans-port us to another world. Little didwe know how precious our educationwould become.

In Sweden, children from the ageof 1 can be admitted to forskola (pre-school). Pre-schools help provide anenvironment that stimulates chil-dren’s development and learning andenables parents to combine parent-hood with work or studies. Forskoleklass (pre-school class) is

similar to our kindergarten, generallyat age 6. Grundskola is compulsoryschool from ages 7 to 16. Many stu-dents will continue with Gym-

nasieskola (uppersecondaryschool), ages 16to 19. At thislevel, the stu-dents may focuson subject mat-ters which are vo-cational or are footsteps to Hogskola(university school).

Many Americans find the cost ofdaycare and baby-sitting extremelyexpensive. In Sweden these costs arepaid for by the higher tax system. Nochild gets left behind to be under-nourished, unstimulated or ignored,because these programs are availablefor all.

About 20 years ago, I went to thefirst day of school with my husband’s7-year-old Swedish relative. Emiliewas so excited! I do not speakSwedish, nor could she speak English.

When we had shopped at localstores in Malmo, Sweden, I kept try-ing to buy her pencils, crayons, mark-ers, folders and erasers. She wouldjust shake her head. I really did notknow what to think; I thought maybethe theme she liked was not in thatstore (like the current movie

“Frozen”). Was I ever surprised tofind that when we went into herclassroom, all of the class’s supplieswere there, and each student receivedwhat they needed.

How fair, I thought. No one wouldhave a fancier folder than another stu-dent; nobody would be jealous of herbackpack, because they all had simi-lar ones provided by the school andthe socialistic system.

I have not researched more ad-vanced grades, but I feel I can say thateveryone gets a fair, equal start. Afterall, who wants to be on the bottom ofthe class when you have only been inschool for one day?

This way of a fair approach to allstudents stayed with me for years tocome. I taught school for 32 years. Ioften had my own folders, notebooks,pencils and markers for the studentswho came to school empty-handed.

As I would quietly give those stu-dents their materials, I would thinkback on sweet Emilie who was happyas she could be to be considered onthe same level as all of her first-gradefriends.

Oh, by the way, in Sweden the stu-dents have the same teacher forgrades one to three; then the sameteacher for grades four through six.And what warms my heart is to re-member her saying, “I can’t wait foryou to meet Pia, my teacher.”

Yes, that is the tradition in Swedishelementary school, to call the teacherby her first name. Think of how we allwaited until our first report card tosee what the first name of our teacherwas!!!! Good school memories forthem and for us!

This fall, take some time and enjoya child’s excitement of beginning theroad to his or her life!

• • •The Swedish Heritage Society-

NWND will be enjoying a fun daySept. 20 with Delton and Vi Torno attheir Lake Metigoshe home. They willsupply meat and buns and encouragethe members to bring potluck or pic-nic food and hope for great weather.

Bev Jensen will send a postcardwith directions to their home in Sep-tember. We had so much fun twoyears ago that it makes us want to goback for more!!! •

Back to school in Sweden

Swedish school children interact with the teacher during class. All required supplies,from pencils to backpacks, are furnished by the government.


Submitted by Pamela Orth

Each mid-October, Copenhagen’s fa-mous Tivoli Gardens is transformedinto an enchanted Halloween uni-verse. Pumpkins, smiling scarecrows,funny witches and Tivoli’s own “he-roes” help to create a funny scare forchildren of all ages.

The event runs from Oct. 10-Nov. 2.During Halloween in Tivoli, ALL rideswill be open. Inside the Main En-trance, Tivoli is setting up a HarvestFair containing all manners of excitingthings to do with the autumn season.

Around the mill, there’s a villagecontaining many fun activities for thechildren. They will be able to makepumpkin heads, brew magic potions,catch spiders and buy trinkets.

For more information, visitwww.tivoli.dk

Souris Valley Danish Society NEWS

AA TTiivvoollii HHaalllloowweeeenn!!

Dakota Finnish Society NEWS

Land of Midnight Sunby Marion Anderson, presidentDakota Finnish Society

Myron and Marion Anderson at-tended the FinnFest 2014 in Min-neapolis Aug. 8-10. It was held at theHyatt Regency Hotel in downtownMinneapolis. This hotel was recentlyrenovated by Finnish American Inte-rior Designer Michael Suomi in theScandinavian Nordic style. There wereother venues prior to Aug. 8, such as agenealogy forum, a business forumand a Finland education forum.

The opening ceremony on theevening of Aug. 7 was held at thebeautiful Westminster PresbyterianChurch, across the street from thehotel. If you are ever in the area, it iswell worth visiting. The organist,Melanie Ohnstad, favored us with amini-concert on the pipe organ priorto the ceremony officially beginning.

The master of ceremonies was K.Marianne Wargelin, who is an Hon-

orary Con-sul of Fin-land and theFinnFest USA board president.

Others with remarks were RitvaKoukku-Ronde, Ambassador of Fin-land to the United States, and JannaPalojarvi, director for InternationalRelations, Finnish Education and Cul-ture. Musical numbers were providedby various Finnish entertainers.

Throughout the three days therewere various seminars and mini con-certs by several performers in loca-tions close by. The “Tori” market- place had many vendors and a stagefor performances throughout the day.

It was fun to meet old friends andrelatives there—in other words, wehad a good time visiting.

The disappointment was that therewas no Finnish food available. Thehotel has food contracts and cannotallow anyone else to prepare foodthere. On Sunday morning, we were

served coffee and pulla (Finnish car-damom coffee bread) in the courtyardof the Westminster PresbyterianChurch—a popular spot that morning.

This is the 150th anniversary of thestart of modern Finnish immigrationto North America. Minnesota is thehome of the largest percentage ofFinnish-related persons in any singlestate in the USA.

Next year’s FinnFestFinnFest in 2015 will be in Buffalo,

N.Y., Oct. 8-12. The year 2015 is the150th anniversary of the birth ofFinnish composer Jean Sibelius andthe 75th anniversary of the openingof Kleinhans Music Hall, designed byFinnish architects Eliel and EeroSaarinen and considered“one of thegreatest concert halls in the U.S.”

See you at Høstfest!Hostfest will soon be here, so

plans are under way for our booththere. Stop by and visit and havesome mojakka (Finnish beef stew)and bread pudding.

Pikkujoulu will be in December—date to be announced later.•


Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMinot, ND

58701Permit No. 266P.O. Box 862

Minot, ND 58702

by Jo Ann Winistorfer

When you’re seeking your familyhistory, it helps to have an un-usual name.

Take Winistorfer, for example. Thefirst date I had with my husband-to-be, he was so impressed that I wasable to spell his last name correctly.(Evidently his other dates couldn’t!)

What he didn’t know—and doesn’tto this day—is that I checked thephone book for the spelling before ourdate. Thus I had it committed tomemory!

Even back then, I was interested ingenealogy. It intrigued me to learnthere was a little town in Solothurn,Switzerland, called Winistorf. Thename linked back into history.

I pictured a quaint chalet withgingerbread trim as the ancestralhome. Nick’s ancestors would bewearing knee-length pants with

decorative suspenders, long socks andbrimmed hats complete with feathers.They would be yodeling, their voicesbouncing back between Alps.

In reality, the family was from alush farming and cheese-makingsection of Switzerland, not anywherenear a mountain. The nearest large citywas Bern.

When I began working on Nick’s

Tracing your Scandinavian ROOTS • 46

What history lurks in a name?family’s history, I searched for a mapwith “Winistorf” on it. I finally locatedone with a scale enlarged enough thatI could make out the town. Barely! (It’sthat small...)

Another genealogy “habit” of mineis checking phone books for familiarsurnames when I travel. The Chicagotelephone book had a listing for thename “Winistorfer.”

I worked up my nerve and finallycalled the number. There had been afuneral in the family, and the womanwho answered was from Florida, intown for the funeral. She herself wasnot a Winistorfer, but she had familyconnections. She recognized some ofthe first names I blurted out. She alsotold me she had learned that a numberof Winistorfers in her family hadchanged their surname to “Winters.”

What a shame! To me, theyblockaded the biggest clue to theirfamily history.

Yet another genealogy “habit” ischecking for names on the Internet.One of my searches yielded the picturethat accompanies this article.

Cool, eh? •

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

WHAT’S INSIDE · 2015. 9. 5. · Doc Severinsen, whose perform - ance is made even more special...

Documents

Transcript of WHAT’S INSIDE · 2015. 9. 5. · Doc Severinsen, whose perform - ance is made even more special...