By Eva Nielsen It’s 10:30 on a Friday morning and O & H Danish Bakery in Racine, Wisconsin is out of pecan kringle, their most popular flavor.“Wehadonehundredpecankringlesthismorning,butthey’realreadygone,”saysthewomanbehindthecounter. Nottoworry:therewillbemorereadyintheafternoon.Andifyoucan’twait,well,therearelotsofotherflavors—apple,raspberry,almondmacaroon,andcreamcheesetonameafew.Notinthemoodforkringle?HowaboutsomeSevenSistersCoffeeCake,adonut,pumpkinbread,Danishsweetrolls,achocolate éclair? Acrossthestreetatcompanyheadquarters,EricOlesen,ajointownerofO&HDanishBakery,isalarmedbythepecankringleshortage:“Ohno!That’snotsupposedtohappen!” Hewouldknow.EricOlesenandhisfamilyhavebeensup-plyingRacineresidentswithkringleforoverfifty-fiveyears.O&HDanishBakeryis,obviously,aDanishbakery.Butit’salsoanevolvingAmericanbusiness,whichnowshipsbakedgoods to people’s homes and to stores all over theUnited

across Oceans, across Time,across Generations®:

America letterThe Danish immigranT museumHer Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, ProtectorMember of the American Association of Museums

– continued on page 4

Winter 2006 Vol. XX, No. 2

An InternationalCultural Center

Your Museum in theHeart of the Continent

BOX 470 • ELK HORN, IOWA 51531®

– continued on page 6 Christian Olesen, pictured here in the 1930s, started working in a bakery soon after his arrival in Racine, Wisconsin.

By Eva Nielsen Rita Neergaard Hansen of Kenosha, Wisconsin has made anincrediblegifttoTheDanishImmigrantMuseum.Ritahascontributedinhernameandthatofherlatehusband,Roy Hansen, $250,000 for the museum’s Holger Danske EndowmentFundinsupportofcollectionscareandinter-pretation.Further,Ritahasgivenanadditional$50,000toupdateandredesignpartsofthepresentpermanentexhibitAcross Oceans, Across Time.Rita,too,hasdonatednumer-ousartifactstothemuseum’scollection—artifactscollectedthroughoutherlifeandthelivesofherDanishimmigrantfamily. There’smore.Rita(asshepreferstobecalled)hastakenthe time to share her history with the museum, telling stories ofthepeopleandplacesthathaveclearlymadeforarichninety-threeyears. ItwasRita’sfather,her“Pop,”ChristianwhocamehomeonenightwiththebrightideaofimmigratingtoAmerica.Thoughhisparents,PederandKirstenSimonsenNeergaard,

Rita Neergaard Hansen’s Beautiful Danish Heritage

The Olesens

Pictured here with John Mark Nielsen, the museum’s executive director, and Barbara Lund-Jones, curator, Rita Neergaard Hansen (center) considers her gift to the museum as a way to extend her “beautiful Danish heritage way out into the distance.”

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Director’s Corner By John Mark Nielsen

InSeptember,Ihadtheprivilegeof visiting withRita Neergaard Hansen in person forthefirsttime.Of particular in-terest to me was

the time she spent in Iceland during the early years ofWorldWar II. Iceland,then a part of Denmark, played a stra-tegicrole in theconflict,providinganairbaseforplanesprotectingtheconvoysplyingtheu-boatinfestedwatersoftheNorthAtlantic.Ritawas there as partoftheAmericanlegation.Herrolewasto provide clerical support. She tooktheopportunitytolearnaboutIceland’srichheritage.AsastudentofIcelandicFamilySagas(IwroteaPh.D.examonthe subject!), I was impressed by theintellectual curiosity of this layperson andhighschoolgraduate.Herintellectandvivaciousnesshasnotbeendimmedbyherninety-threeyears! IwasvisitingRitatothankherforherwonderful gift of $300,000 and her gener-ousintenttocontinueprovidingforthemuseumbyincludingitinherestate.Inmakinghergift,shehasbothinvestedinthepresentandthefuture.Fiftythousanddollarsofhergiftwillenabletheupdateand redesign of the present permanent exhibitAcross Oceans, Across Time.ThisexhibithasnotseensubstantivechangesinceTheDanish ImmigrantMuseumopenedtothepublicin1994.Muchhasoccurredintwelveyears.Newresearchcontributestoourunderstandingoftheimmigrant experience; new attitudes havearisenconcerningtheroleofim-migrationinbothAmericanandDanishlife;newtechnologiesenablemuseumsto engage visitors inmore immediateways.Hergiftwillallowustotellthisstoryinnewandexcitingways. TheDanishImmigrantMuseumcon-tainsoverthirty-fivethousandartifactsandwecontinuetogrow.Thiscollectionrequires care, which of coursemeanscontinuing costs for personnel and the controlledenvironmentinwhichartifacts

arepreserved.Ritawantstobesurethemuseum has the funds to assure the care of the collection, so she designated $250,000tohelpendowcollectionscare.Indeed, her gift increases the Holger DanskeEndowmenttoover$1.2million!Already, theannualearnings from theendowment are helping to meet operating expenses.Rita’sgiftisaninvestmentinthemuseum’sfuture. Buthergiftisnottheonlyone.SeveraldaysbeforevisitingRita, themuseumreceivedacheckintheamountof$75,000from the estate of Dolores Gregersen Connelly.DoloreswasanativeofruralCass County, Iowa who spent much of her professional life as an accountant in HawaiibeforeretiringtoAtlantic.Atthattimeshebeganworkingasavolunteeratthe Family History and Genealogy Center (FHGC)where she quickly became aloyalandvaluedmember.Sadly,cancerstruckandthoughshestruggledvaliantlyandwithdignity,thediseasetookitstoll.Dolores had made provisions for themuseum in her estate, stipulating that theproceedsbeinvestedintheHolgerDanske Endowment, the proceeds ofwhich are to support the operation of the FHGC—anothergenerousgift,anotheraffirmationofthemuseum’smission. Dolores believed in what MicheleandthevolunteerstaffaredoingattheFHGCandwaswillingtoprovideforourworkeventhoughsheknewshewouldnot see the fruits of her gift.Rita hasbeenabletosharewithusinherlifetimeand I know she feels a satisfaction in beingabletoparticipateincontinuingto fulfill ourmission.As shehas saidonnumerousoccasions,“Themuseumismysecondhome.”Itis,indeed,anditistoothe“home”forDoloresandforsomanyothers,preservingthelegaciesofthosewhoarerememberedandthosewhoareourmembers. Our future depends on the willing-nessofmemberstoconsiderprovidingfor The Danish Immigrant Museum.Thiscanbedoneinvariouswaysthatmaybenefitnotonlythemuseum,but

also thedonor. I inviteyoutocontactThomasHansen,themuseum’sdirectorofdevelopment,ormetoconsiderhowyou too might assist us as we continue to share the legacy and continuing in-fluence of Danish culture as realized in the experiences and contributions of Danish immigrants, their descendents and Danes living in America.

Admission& Hours

Admission(IncludesBedstemor’sHouse)CurrentMuseumMembers:FREEwithMembershipCardNon-Members:Adults,$5Children(ages8-17),$2

museum Hours:Mon.-Fri.:9:00am-5:00pm;Sat.:10:00am-5:00pm;Sun.:12:00noon-5:00pm

Business Hours:Monday-Friday:8:00amto5:00pm

FAmily History &GeneAloGy Center

Hours May-Oct.:Tues.,Wed.,Fri.,9:00am-5:00pm;1st&3rdSaturday:

9:00am-5:00pmNov.-April:Tues.,Wed.,Fri.:

10am-4pm

Other Times By AppointmentAllfacilitiesareclosedonNew

Year’sDay,EasterSunday,Thanks-giving&Christmas.

(Local weather conditions may cause occasional closures.)

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Nationally Known String QuartetPartners with The Danish Immigrant Museum TheUniversityofIowa’sMaiaQuar-tetispartneringwithTheDanishImmi-grantMuseuminanextendedresidencyduringthe2006-2007academicyear.Theproject, which includes performances of musicbyScandinaviancomposers,hasbeen organized in close collaborationwithJohnMarkNielsen,themuseum’sexecutivedirector. TheElkHornresidencygrewoutofaplannedfestivalofScandinavian/NordicmusicthattheMaiaQuartetwillcoordi-nateontheUIcampusandintheIowaCitycommunityinFebruary2007.Quar-tetmembers—violinistsTriciaParkandZoranJakovcic,violistElizabethOakesandcellistHannahHolman—areallonthefacultyoftheSchoolofMusic. TheMaia Quartet is making threevisitstoElkHornthroughouttheschoolyear, each culminating in a perfor-mance.Duringtheirvisits,thequartetwill perform in elementary schools in Audubon,ElkHorn-Kimballton,ExiraandHarlan—allschoolswithstrongtiesto theDanish community.During theresidencies, the quartetwill introduceelementarystudentstochambermusicin a program that integrates the music of Danish composers with the fairy tales ofHansChristianAndersen. ThefirstresidencyalreadyoccurredNovember9-10withperformances inExiraandElkHornschools.Studentswere then encouraged to bring theirparents to a concert designed for fami-liesheldtheeveningofNovember10attheElkHornLutheranChurch.Theresidency also included a visit to theSalemLutheranHome,aseniorcenterfacility.

The Maia Quartet, pictured here, is partnering with The Danish Immigrant Museum to bring the music of Scandinavian composers to the Elk Horn area this academic year. The musicians (from left to right) are Tricia Park, Hannah Holman, Zoran Jakovcic, and Elizabeth Oakes.

Thesecondandthirdvisits—sched-uledforFebruary13-14andApril13-15,2007—willculminateinconcertswithcommentary, one at Grand View College inDesMoines and the other atDanaCollegeinBlair,Nebraska,bothschoolswith strongDanish-Lutheranheritage.The programs for these concerts willinclude performances of complete works bytheDanishcomposersfeaturedintheprecedinglecture-demonstrations. The Maia Quartet is a 2006-2007

recipientofaChamberMusicAmericaResidencyPartnershipProgramGrant.FundinghasbeenprovidedbytheNa-tionalEndowmentfortheArtsandtheChamber Music America ResidencyEndowmentFund.TheMaiaQuartetisamemberofChamberMusicAmerica.AdditionalfundingfortheperformancesintheElkHornareahasbeenmadepos-siblebyagiftfromDennisAndersen,a formerboardmemberfromAtlanta,GeorgiaandanativeofElkHorn.

The Danish Immigrant Museumparticipatedinthisyear’sIowaMuseumAssociationandAssociationofMidwestMuseums Annual Conference, heldinDavenport, IowaSeptember 26-29.JohnMarkNielsen,executivedirector,presented at a session called “EthnicMuseumswithDiverseAppeal.”Rep-resentatives from Vesterheim Norwe-gian-American Museum in Decorah,Iowaand theOneidaNationMuseumin Oneida, Wisconsin also presented.Nielsen’spresentationfocusedonTheDanish ImmigrantMuseum’s“TributetotheRescuersEssayContest”andon

Museum Participates in Professional Museum Association Conference

themuseum’spilotprojecttouseLego®blocksasatoolinteachinglocalhistoryinDanishAmericancommunities. It was also announced at the confer-encethatAngelaStanford,TheDanishImmigrantMuseum’scollectionsman-agerandregistrar,hasbeenelectedtoatwo-yeartermasvice-chairoftheBoardofDirectorsoftheMidwestRegistrar’sCommittee,aregionalgroupthatservesnumerousMidwestmuseums and his-torical institutions.Angela also servesas secretary on the Board of Directors oftheHistoricalAdministrationProgramAssociationatEasternIllinoisUniversitywhereshedidhergraduatework.

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Olesens . . .continued from page 1

StatesandCanada. It started when two Danes, Christian Olesen(the“O”)andhispartnerHarveyHoltz(the“H”),openedtheoriginalO&HDanishBakeryin1949.Christian,EricOlesen’sgrandfather,washimselfaDanishimmigrant,arrivinginRacineas a 14-year-old. Christian joined hisfather,AntonOlesen,whowasalreadylivingintheUnitedStates. Anton had left northern Jylland in1921,hopingforabetterfutureinAmer-ica.HehadbeenapostmaninBørglumandwashavingdifficultyearningenoughmoneytosupporthissixchildren.Withthedeathofhiswifeandnoforeseeableimprovementinhiseconomicopportuni-ties,AntondecidedtoimmigratetotheUnitedStates.Antonleftthechildreninthe care of his parents in Denmark and set out, eventuallymakinghisway toRacine.There,heworkedforafarmer(earning $32 monthly, $30 of whichhesentbacktoDenmarkeachmonth),didotheroddjobs,eventuallyearning

enoughtobringhischildren—includingChristian—totheUnitedStates. Soon after his arrival in the early1920s,Christiangot a jobworking inaRacinebakerywherehe learned thetrade. In 1949, after years of bakingexperience, he and Holtz opened theoriginal O & H Danish Bakery on the north side of Racine in what was then aBohemianneighborhood.And,sincethattime,thelivesoftheOlesenfamilyofRacinehavebeendeeplyintertwinedwiththeirbakingbusiness. As soon asO&HDanishBakeryopened, Raymond Olesen, Christian’s son,wasinthebakerytoo.“Ourfatherwas a 16-year-old when the bakeryopened,”EricOlesenexplains.“Sohebegan helping while he was going toschool, cleaning and doing those things thatkidswoulddointheirparents’busi-ness.Andmy father chose, insteadofgoingontocollege,totrybakingforayear.Andhefellinlovewithbaking.” In1963RaymondandhiswifeMyrnapurchasedHoltz’sshareofthecompany.Meanwhile,theirthreeboys,Dale,Mike,andEric,weregrowingupinthebakery,learningastheirparentsworked.“They

taughtustheloveofbaking,thepassionforbaking.Takeprideineverythingyoudoand,aboveallelse,trytoenjoyit,”saysEric. Theboyslearnedfromtheirgrandpar-entstoo.“Iremember,”Ericsays,“asachildgoingintothebakery.Iwasn’ttallenoughtoreachthebenchwheretheydidtheirwork,somygrandma[EuniceOlesen]wouldturnoverabakerypailand I would work next to her and we wouldmakemarzipan.” Andtheytalkedbakingathome.“Somanytimesourmealswereaboutourbaking.Itwasourbusiness,sonotonlydidwetalkaboutbaking,butwewerealso eating what we were producing as well,”Ericexplains.“Ifyoutakepridein what you do, you want to consume it andyoucan’tbeafraidtobecriticalofit.” Their parents, through example,showedtheboyshowtoprepareabusi-nessforthenextgeneration.Ericfeelsthat his parentswere deliberate aboutputtingmoneybackintothebakeryinorder tomake it a healthyworkplace.“Our parents recognized that puttingmoney back into the business createdopportunity for their three sons,”Ericsays.“Andtheirthreesons,then,atthepointintheirliveswhentheyhadtomake

– continued on page 5

Three Generations of Olesens: (from left to right) Dale, Eric, Christian, Ray-mond, Myrna, and Mike Olesen and their kringle in 1989. Christian and a partner, Harvey Holtz, opened the first O & H Danish Bakery in 1949.

A pretzel-shaped kringle topped by a crown is a symbol that often hangs outside bakeries in Denmark. This one hangs in the O & H Danish Bakery on Racine’s north side.

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Olesens . . .continued from page 4

adecisionabouttheirfuturescouldseeafutureinthisbusiness.” Andthat’swhatDale,Mike,andEricsaw:afutureinthebusiness—adiffer-entfuture,however, thantheirparentsenvisioned. Ericandhisbrotherswantedtoopenanother store in Racine, one on the south side of town. They also felt that thefamily’smailorderbusinesscouldgrowand they suspected that grocery stores mightwanttoselltheirfamouskringle.Ericexplainsthathisparentssupportedthebrothers’ideaswithpatience,withtime, andwith capital. But theywereclear:itwastheirchildren’sjobtomakethevisionareality. Anditisvision,accordingtoEric,thateachsuccessivegenerationhasneededtokeepO&HDanishBakeryvital.“Oncevisionisestablishedthechildrenneedtoshowthattheyhavethepassionandskillstoaccomplishthevision,”Ericexplains.“Then…the existing generation needstotrustthatvision,trusttheability,andrelease.Myfatherhadallthosethings:hehadchildrenthathadpassion,vision,abilityandthenhehadthetrusttoreleaseandletitgo.It’sassimpleasthat,yetit’sasdifficultasthat.” As it standsnow,all threebrothersjointlyownthetwoO&HDanishBak-eriesinRacine,aswellasthethrivingmail order and wholesale businesses.Thebrothersandtheirspousesworkinthe company, using their skills in ways thatcontinuetoevolveasthecompanygrows. Andthenextgeneration?Well,KevinOlesen,Mike’s23-year-oldson,oneoftheoldestmembersofthenextOlesengeneration, has recently chosen to make acareerinthecompanyaswell. So,isthiswhatAntonOlesenhadinmindwhenheleftDenmark,envision-ingafutureforhisfamilyinAmerica?Probablynotexactly.ButitisclearthatChristian, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have built onthatinitialvision.Andthey’remakingsomethingdelicious.

What Aboutthe Kringle?

IfyougotoDenmarktoday,youwillnoticethateachbakeryhasapret-zel-shapedkringletoppedwithacrownhangingoutsidetheshop;itisthesymbolofaDanishbakery. But,wait, inRacine,Wisconsinthekringleismadeinanoval,notapretzelshape.Whathappened? Here’sthestory.AccordingtoEricOlesen,ajointownerofRacine’sO&HDanishBakeries,yearsagoinDenmark,Danishbakerswentonstrike,demandingtobepaidinmoneyratherthaninroomandboard.ManyDanishmerchantshiredAustrianbakerstoreplacethestrikingDanes.Whenthestrikewassettled,DanishbakersadoptedapastrymakingtechniqueoftheAustrianbakers,modifyingittosuittheirowntastes.WhathasresultedisDanish pastry or Wienerbrød(“Viennesebread”)—alight,tender,flakeypastrythatismadebyrollingbutterbetweenlayersofdough. Kringle(andmanyotherbakedgoods)ismadefromWienerbrød. Thenamekringle,Ericsuspects,comesfromtheshapeofasailor’sknotusedinScandinaviacalledakringle. AsDanesimmigratedtoAmerica,theybroughttheirrecipeswiththem.AndRacinewasapopulardestinationforDanishimmigrants.(Infact,accordingtoEric,inthe1940sthewestsideofRacinehadagreaterconcentrationofDanesthananyothercityintheworldoutsideCopenhagen.)AtsomepointRacinecustomersstartedrequestingkringlewithouttheoverlappingpartsfoundinthepretzel-shapedkringle;thesecustomerswantedeverypieceofkringletohavelotsoffilling.ThebakersofRacinecompliedwiththisrequestand,sincethen,theRacinetraditionistomakekringleinanovalshape. EricnotesthatRacinebakershavemodifiedkringleinotherwaysaswell.AtO&HDanishBakery,forexample,youwillfindmanydifferentkringlefillings—blueberry,pumpkincaramel,maplewalnut,forexample—inadditiontothecustomaryDanishalmondfilling.KringlemadeinRacinealsohasicingontop,ratherthanthetraditionalgranulatedsugartopping. Ericexplainstheevolutionofthekringleinthisway:“WeofDanishheritagehavealottobeproudof:weappreciategoodthings,we’reproudofwhatwemake,wewanttodothebestwecanatit,andwewanttoshareourskillswithothers.That’sevidenttodayinsomanythingsthatcomeoutof Denmark and likewise so many things that come out of companies here intheUnitedStatesthathaveDanishroots.Butatthesametime,we’recognizantofwhoweareservingascustomers.” Anditispossible,too,thattheseDanishAmericanbakershaveinflu-encedDanishkringle.OnatriptoDenmark,filledwithbakeryvisits,Eric,hiswifeandchildrennotedthatkringleinCopenhagenisverysimilartokringlemadeinRacine—lotsoffilling,avarietyoffillingchoices,andic-ingontop.Theruralbakeriestheyvisitedtendedtohaveverylittlefillingintheirkringle,onlythetypicalalmondfilling,andusuallythetraditionalgranulatedsugartopping.

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werefarmersintheGrenaa-ÆbeltoftareaofJylland,theyhadnointentionoflettingtheir17-year-oldsongotoAmericabyhimself.AccordingtoRita,Kirsten,astrong-willedwoman,said,“Wecan’tletChristiangoalone.We’llallgo.” So they went. Christian, his parents, and two youngerbrothers sailed fromDenmark in 1888 on theThingvalla, dockinginCanada.There,themenwerehiredbytheCana-dianrailroad,probably,Ritathinks,tolayrailroadtrackswestacrossCanada.Meanwhile,thefamilylivedinaboxcar.Themen were assigned certain sections of the railroad and, when thatsectionwascomplete,thefamily—andboxcar—moveddownthetrackstothenextsection. Once they completed the job across Canada, the fam-ilyheadedsouthintoWashingtonState,workingtheirwayslowlybackeast.Alongtheway,ChristianbefriendedNativeAmericans.“Popwasthekindofmanwhowasfriendswitheverybody, wherever he was,” says Rita. Christian tradedwiththeNativeAmericanswho,accordingtoRita,especiallywantedafifty-centpieceorachawoftobacco. ThefamilysettledinKenoshaasmanyDanesdidinthosedays,drawnparticularly—Ritabelieves—bytheabundanceoffactoryjobsinthearea. WhenKirstendiedin1905,Christianwrotetohisaunt,Kirsten’shalf-sisterMaren,herself awidow,asking if shemightcometoKenoshatokeephouseforthefamilyofboys.Marenagreed.Whenshearrived,ayoungwomanwhoMarenhadworkedwithinaDanishchildren’shome,OliviaPoulsen,askedifshemighttravelalong. Olivia’sparentshadpassedaway.ThoughshehadmanybrothersandsistersinDenmark,shewascuriousaboutAmer-ica.So,whenMarenannouncedshewasgoingtoAmerica,Oliviatraveledalongwithher.

Rita . . . continued from page 1

InKenoshaOliviarentedaroomandworkedintheGreen-leafInn—cooking,Ritathinks—untilshemarriedChristianNeergaardin1907. In1908,Kirsten,Rita’soldersister,wasborn.Then,in1912,Ritaarrivedonthescene.Ritatellshappystoriesofgrowing up on a farm outside Kenosha with Danish family andfriendsnearby.Sheremembersridingwithherfatherinamuskmelon-packedwagontotheKenoshafarmer’smar-ket.SherecallswatchingareturningbattalionofWorldWarIsoldiersmarchingdownthewoodplankroadbythefarm.Shetellsofrushinghomeafterschooltositandchatwithhermother.“Thosewereprecioustimes,carryingmeallthewaythroughmyninety-threeyears”Ritasays.“Itwasthetwilightoftheday.” Itwasin1930thatRita’smotherdiedfromseriousburnsincurred in a baking accident, leavingRitawithwhat shedescribesasan“invisiblescar”shehascarriedeversince.ItwasthedaybeforeRita’seighteenthbirthday. Thefamilywasdevastated.Ritasayssheandherfatherfellapart;Rita’ssisterKirstenheldthingstogether. A high school graduate,Rita struggled for a time. Shewantedtoattendnursingschoolsothatshecould“dosomegood.”ButitwastheGreatDepressionandthefamilyneededRitatoearnanincome—somethingshecouldn’tdoduringthethree-yearnursingprogram.Ritasaysinretrospect,“ThatwasGod’swayoftellingmewhathereallywanted.”RitafeelsthatGod wanted her out in the world, crossing paths with people andplacesfarandwide.Andthat’swhathappenednext. Kirsten came home one day, announcing that she’d seen anadfortheCivilServiceExam.SheconvincedRitatotaketheexamwithher. Rita and Kirsten passed the exam and within three weeks bothwerecalledfordomesticCivilServiceinWashington,D.C.ThefamilyleftforD.C.becauseherfatherfelt:“WhenUncleSamcalls,you’vegottogo.” Itwasonleavefromhercivilservicejobin1929thatRitavisitedDenmarkforthefirsttime.Inthosedays,Ritasays,DanishimmigrantsrarelyreturnedtoDenmark—mostlybe-causeofcost—butRitatriedtoconvinceChristiantotravelwithher.Hewashesitant,sayingallthepeopleheknewweregone.AccordingtoRita,hesaid,“Yougo.Andyoucomebackandtellmeallaboutit.” RitafeltaconnectiontoDenmarkimmediately.Shere-membersespeciallythemomentwhenshemethermother’syounger sister,MetteMaria. Her Uncle Peter had pickedher up at the railroad station with his wagon and two small horsesanddrivenhertotheirhome.“WhenIsawher[Mette]standing in the doorway with the door light shining down on her,itwasjustlikeIsawMomagain.Itwaswonderful.Andwhenshe[Mette]sawme,shethoughtitwasjustlikewhenMomleftforAmerica.” Ritaevengottovisitthelandthathergrandparents,KirstenandPeder,hadfarmed.SheremembersthefarmershowingheraroundthelandandthenservingherølandWienerbrød (beerandDanishpastry)—acombinationthatRitafoundodd,but“awfullygood.” BackinWashington,D.C.,Rita—likehermother—feltthecraveofadventure.In1940withtheoutbreakofWWII,Rita

Rita Neergaard Hansen and her late husband Roy Hansen met in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1931. Nearly twenty years later the couple finally married.

– continued on page 7

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wenttoReykjavik,IcelandwiththeStateDepartment’s Foreign Service.At thetime,IcelandwasstillpartofDenmark.“Legally,”explainsRita,“we[theU.S.]weren’t allowed in to Denmark, so we setupourconsulateinIceland.” Rita served in Iceland, which sheloved—though it was considered a“hardshippost”—fortwoyears.Then,shewasaskedtofillasecretarialposi-tioninStockholm,Sweden,notaneasyplacetogettoduringWWII. Rita set out, the only passenger on a trawler traveling fromReykjavik toAberdeen,Scotland.Shesaidshespentmostofthetimeonthebridgewiththecaptain who would entertain her with storiesandsongs.“Then,”shesays,“allofsuddenhewouldstop.”Thereweretwo guide ships ahead of the trawler, detecting mines in the sea surrounding Iceland and signaling the captain when tochangetheship’sdirection.Ritacon-tinues,“Iwasprobablytoostupidtobenervous.Isn’tthatsomething?” When Rita reachedAberdeen, shehadorderstotraveltoLondonbytrain.Once there she stayed in a hotel where sheremembersclimbingintothebath-tubjustastheairraidsirenswentoff.“AndIthought,well,Ican’tdoanythingaboutthisnowsoIhadbetterfinishthebath.” Next,RitawasorderedbacknorthtoSaintAndrews,Scotlandwheresheanda young British man were the only two passengers on an airplane to the British legationinStockholm.TheplaneleftlateatnightandwasblackedoutastheyflewovertheseaandoverGerman-controlledNorway.Ritasays,“Itwasawonderfulfeelingtopullbackthe[airplane]drapesandseethelightsofStockholmbelow.Wefeltaliveintheworldagain.” AftertheWar,RitaandKirstenwerebothaskedtogotoDenmarkonseparateAmericanForeignServiceassignments.Ritaworkedandlivedtherefrom1945to1950.Herjobwasinthevisapermitoffice in Copenhagen reviewing ap-plicationsmadebyAmericanstotravelfrom Denmark, many of whom needed totraveltoGermany. Rita says of Denmark at the time: “They had nothing. They really hadnothing.” In1950Ritalefttheforeignservice,returning to Kenosha to marry a man she had met nearly twenty years earlier, Roy

Rita . . . continued from page 6Hansen. Roy—thesonofDanishimmigrants—andRita hadmet in 1931 in a youngpeople’s group in their local Danish church.Andtheirrelationshipgrewfromthere.“But,”saysRita,“Royalwayssaidourmarriagedaywasthedaywemet.” RoyattendedbusinessschoolinMil-waukeeandwasworkingforAmericanBrass, a Kenosha company, when he was drafted.Heservedinthearmyforfouryearsduringthewar—inGermanyandinJapan.Allthewhile,Ritasays,Kenoshamothers were reaching out to Roy, trying togethimtomarrytheirdaughters.But

RoywaitedforRita. Theymarried.Roycontinuedwork-ingforAmericanBrassandRitaretired.“I felt that thismarriagewasmynewcareerand I lovedeverybitof it.Webothlovedeverybitofit.” RitastilllivesintheKenoshahouseshe shared with Roy who passed away in 1991. “But, really,” she says, “themuseum,tome,ismyhome.”Throughthegiftsshe ismakingtoTheDanishImmigrant Museum, Rita says, “I’mextendingthisbeautifulDanishheritagewayoutintothedistance.Andthat’swhatIlikeaboutit.It’sagoodfeeling.”

Volunteerspotlight:Roger Parker

TheDanishImmigrantMuseum’svolunteerspotlightisonRogerParker,Sr.,along-timeElkHorn,Iowaresi-dent.ParkergraduatedfromElkHornHighSchoolin1947andservedintheU.S.Armyfrom1951-1953duringtheKoreanconflict.ParkerandhiswifeJoAnn married in 1958; they haveonedaughterandtwosons.Heisnowretiredfromfarming. Parker isalsoaskilledcarpenter.So, hoping to make the museum’sshopmoreefficient,managerPamelaParker asked her father-in-law if he

could create a better workspace inthepackingroom. Parkercameupwithaplan,gotthe supplies, and started in on the project, which he estimates took ap-proximately 40 hours of labor—alldonated.Theendresultisabeautifulcabinetthathasplentyofstoragespaceand is easy to stand at when wrapping gifts or packaging merchandise for mailing. Thanks,Roger,foryourtimeandyourfantasticwork!

Roger Parker of Elk Horn, Iowa donated his time and expertise to build a cabinet for the museum shop’s packing room.

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America letterPublishedThreeTimesAnnuallyByTheDanishImmigrantMuseum2212Washington,POBox470

ElkHorn,Iowa51531712-764-7001 800-759-9192

FAX712-764-7002EvaNielsen,editor

www.danishmuseum.orgemail:info@danishmuseum.org

Board of DirectorsPresident–KaiNyby,LaPorte,IN

Vice-President–MarcPetersen,Omaha,NESecretary –JulieJorgensen,Wayzata,MNTreasurer–JohnMolgaard,Atlantic,IA

Dr.RonaldBro,CedarFalls,IACarloChristensen,Glendale,CALoisChristensen,ElkHorn,IA

Ane-GretheDelaney,Wayzata,MNDr.GordonEsbeck,Tipton,IAMarkFrederiksen,Papillion,NE

KennethGregersen,ArnoldsPark,IABridgetJensen,Houston,TXErnaJensen,DesMoines,IAHaroldM.Jensen,Ames,IA

PederKirkegaard,LakeGeneva,WIKurtKlarskovLarsen,Oneonta,ALDagmarMuthamia,LongBeach,CA

MarkNussle,PalosPark,ILBenedikteEhlersOlesen,Eugene,ORLynetteSkowRasmussen,Johnston,IATheHonorableConsulAneliseSawkins,

Minneapolis,MNLindaSloth-Gibbs,Yuma,AZ

HarrietAlbertsenSpanel,Bellingham,WAJanetM.Thuesen,Sausalito,CA

Ex-Offi cioVern Hunter, Fargo, NDNilsJensen,Portland,ORDennisLarson,Decorah,IA

StaffExecutive Director:Dr.JohnMarkNielsen,

director@danishmuseum.orgDirector of Development: ThomasHansen,

developmentdirector@danishmuseum.orgGeneral Information & Inquiries About Volunteering:info@danishmuseum.orgGroup & Special Tours:TerriJohnson,

secretary@danishmuseum.orgWall of Honor, Donations, Memorial Gifts & Memberships:DebLarsen,develop-

ment@danishmuseum.orgBookkeeping & Financial Inquiries:Jen-niferWinters,acctng@danishmuseum.org

Collections & Exhibit Questions:BarbaraLund-Jones,M.Phil,curator@

danishmuseum.orgArtifact Donations & Museum Loans:

AngelaStanford,M.A.,registrar@danish-museum.org

Museum Shop:PamelaParker,giftshop@danishmuseum.org

Donation of Books & Library Questions:MicheleMcNabb,MLS,librarian@

danishmuseum.orgGenealogical & Translation Inquiries:

genealogy@danishmuseum.orgVolunteer Coordinator: JoycePetersen

Custodian: TimFredericksenInterns: Katherine Fox, collections and KarinaPetersen,marketing/tourism

ManyvisitorstoTheDanishImmi-grantMuseumarefamiliarwiththesmallred building located on our grounds.Known as the Jens Dixen House, it has itsownspecialpath,whichbeginsatapointbehindthemuseum,curlsarounda berm and leads to themodest frontdoor.Anumberofvisitorshavetakenthispath,butonlyafewhaveseentheinterior of the cabin.This is about tochange.ByTivoliofnextyear(Memo-rialDayweekend), themuseumplanstoopentheDixenHousetothepublic. TheJensDixenHousebeganitslifeas a homestead shanty on the plains of NorthDakota.Itwasmovedtothemu-seum grounds from the Kenmare area andrestoredbytheCedarValleyDanes,asupportgroupforthemuseumbasedintheCedarFalls,Iowaarea.Currently,asmallexhibitinsidethemuseumprovidesan overview of JensDixen’s life anddocuments the restoration of his shanty house. Dixen, who emigrated from Denmark in1880,playedakeyroleinfoundingtheBrorsonHighSchool,aDanishfolkschool near Kenmare, North Dakota.

The Jens Dixen House, a homestead shanty moved to the museum’s grounds from North Dakota, will open to the public Memorial Day weekend 2007.

Dixen moved into this shanty housewhen he arrived in Kenmare around1901.With the blessing of the area’sTrinity Lutheran Church, he soonestablished a school for boys in hishome.Havingundergonealifealteringreligiousconversion in1884,Dixen’steaching focused primarily on spiritual training.Dixen’seffortsweresuccess-ful, his school grew, and Brorson High Schoolwasbuiltin1905toaccommo-datemorestudents.Dixenwaschosenastheschool’sprincipalandservedinthatcapacityfrom1905-1907andagainfrom1910-1914. Brorson was never a Danish folkschoolinthetypicalGrundtvigiantradi-tion,butwasinsteadareligiousschool.TraditionalDanishfolkschoolsfocusedonhelpingstudentsrealizetheirpotentialandcontinuethecultureandvaluesofthemotherland.ButBrorson’sadmittedpurposewasevangelicalinnature.Mostfolk schools dealt with the physical life and not the after-life, whichwasBrorson’sfocus. Thoseofuswhoareworkingonthefurnishings of the Jens Dixen House are

seeking to combinean understanding of Dixen’s life and personality with a knowledgeofimmi-grantfrontierfurnish-ingsofthattime.Itisour goal to capture, in sofaraspossible,theunique stampof in-dividual personalityuponlivedspaceandavailable furnish-ings. Research intoDixen’s diary entries iscurrentlyinprog-ress so as to identify specificreferencestohis life in the North Dakota shanty and to acquire a bettersense of Dixen as a person.

From a CuratorialPerspectiveBy Barbara Lund-Jones

mezzanine • Fitness, Form and Rhythm in Motion: The Danish Gymnas-

tic Tradition in the United States(May2006-March6,2007) • From Postcards to E-mail: Family and Friends Stay in

Touch(March30,2007-February25,2008) • Across Oceans, Across Time, Across Generations (March18,2008-February16,2009) lower level Gallery Danish American Artist Series: • RickMarzullo.............. July20,2006-January3,2007 • ElmerPetersen............. January18,2007-July5,2007 • CynthiaMcKeen.......... July29,2007-January2,2008 • JuliaLarsenMaher....... January17,2008-July7,2008 • JensT.Carstensen........ July24,2008-January5,2009 • Tobedetermined......... January16,2009-July7,2009 • EvelynMatthies........... July23,2009-January4,2010 Bro Alcove • Paintings of Edward Matwijkiw(June1,2006-November8,

2006) Bro dining Area • New,enlargedexhibitofartworkbyEdwardMatwijkiw

(May3,2007-October29,2007);manypieceswillbecre-atedspecificallyforthisexhibit

main Floor Front • Introductorylead-intothegymnasticsexhibitonthemezza-

nine,August3,2006-March6,2007 • The Work of Helle Jørvad, Danish Goldsmith and Designer,

May24,2007-January19,2009

mezzanine

Scheduled exhibits at The Danish Immigrant Museum

9

InNovemberoflastyear,collectionsintern Katie Keil discovered that twoplastic trolls in thevisual storageareawere“weeping,”oroozingaclearliquid.Knowingthatthisliquidandthefumesitemitscanbetoxic,KeilandAngelaStan-ford, the museum’s collections manager and registrar, removed the trolls fromstorage to a safer location away from

Two trolls in The Danish Immigrant Museum’s collection are part of an experiment to see how best to slow the deterioration of plastic artifacts.

A ‘Weeping Trolls’ Updateotherartifacts. Sincethen,thetrollshavebeenpartofanexperiment.Inhopesofdiscover-inghowbest toslowthedeteriorationofplasticartifacts,StanfordcontactedChristinaKastellwiththePutnamMu-seumofHistoryandNaturalScienceinDavenport,Iowa.Kastellrecommendedleaving one troll exposed to standardroom temperature and placing the second ina freezer.Stanforddid thisandhasbeenmonitoringthetwotrollsforninemonths. Here are the results: the troll in the freezerhas stoppedoozing.The areascoveredwith the liquid are no longersticky, but, rather, are hard and solid.Thismethodseemstohave“frozen”thedeterioration process. There has beenlittle change to the troll left at room temperature.The liquid-covered areasarestillthere,buthavenotspreadfurther.Theareasareslightlysticky. ThisinformationisbeingsharedwiththePutnam,astheytooareconductingexperimentsondeterioratingplasticsre-movedfromtheircollection.TheDanishImmigrantMuseumisplayingasmallroleintheirresearch.Hopefully,ourex-perienceswillassistthePutnamastheytrytodiscoverwaystoslowthedeterio-rationprocessinplastics—informationthatwillhavelong-termbenefitsforthemuseumcommunityasawhole.

Become amember ofThe DanishImmigrant

Museum today!it’s easy to do, call1-800-759-9192 or

go online atwww.danishmuseum.org

10

TheDanishImmigrantMuseum’songoingexhi-bitionseriesonDanishAmericanartistscurrentlyfeaturestheworkofRickJamesMarzullo,focusingonhisremarkablepapercuttings.ACalifornianative,Marzullohasbeenpursuinghisartisticinterestsforoverfourdecades.Knownworldwideasamasterpaper cutter, he also paints in oil, acrylic and water-color, and has created and designed in many other mediums, including stained glass, wrought iron, ceramics,woodcarvingandembroidery. Marzullo’sfavoritemediumofexpressiondur-ingthelastfifteenyearshasbeenpapercutting,atraditionalDanishartform.“Ibegancuttingin1967after seeing thesilhouettecutteratDisneyland. Iwasfascinatedbyhisabilitytoeffortlesslycutoneprofileafteranother.” Usingscissorsandpapertocreatehisdetailedpieces,Marzullooftenenhanceshispapercuttingswithwatercolor details.His papercuttings are alloriginaldesignsandone-of-a-kindpieces.“Ineverdoduplicatecuttings,butImaycreatecuttingsonasimilartheme.Somecuttingsmaytakehundredsofhourstocreate,andsometakemefifteenminutes.It all depends upon how intricate the design is and howlargethefinalpiecewillbe.” Marzullo’swork is featured in the permanentcollectionsofGrandViewCollegeinDesMoines,Iowa;theElverhøjMuseumofHistoryandArtandtheHansChristianAndersenMuseuminSolvang,California;andatHyldgaardsmindeatRebildNa-tionalPark,Denmark. TheMarzulloexhibitopenedJuly24,2006andwillrunthroughJanuary3,2007.

Rick Marzullo’s exquisite papercuttings are currently on display at The Danish Immigrant Museum. Papirklip, as it is known in Denmark, is a traditional Danish art form.

The Papercuttings ofRick Marzullo on Display

Imagine walking into The DanishImmigrantMuseumandseeingamousescurryundertheVictorBorgepiano.OrhowwouldyouliketobelookingatadisplayofpeltsusedbyDanishsettlersandcomeawaywithfleas?ThankstotheeffortsofAngelaStanford,TheDanishImmigrantMuseum’scollectionsman-ager and registrar, all our exhibits arepest-free. Stanfordrecentlyattendedaworkshopcalled, “TheAssessment and Care ofTaxidermy and Natural Items,” spon-soredbytheIowaMuseumAssociation.

Taxidermy Workshop Proves UsefulThemuseumhasahandfuloftaxidermyspecimens in the collection—stuffedbirds, horns, and bones, for example.And, if not cared for properly, theseitemscanattractinsectsorrodents. AmongthethingsStanfordlearnedat the workshop: How to tell which items are most at risk: For example, if the marrow is not properly cleaned out of a specimen’s bones,feetandbeakorifskinshavenothadallofthefattytissueremoved,theseitemscanattractpests.

How to handle taxidermy and natural historyspecimens:It’simportanttobecareful around these artifacts not only becausethey’refragile,butalsobecausethey’re sometimes treated with danger-ous chemicals to “pest proof” them.Occasionallyevenoff-marketproductssuchasDDTandarsenicareused. How to clean taxidermy and natural history specimens: Cleaning such arti-factsisatimeconsumingprocess,butcan make an extraordinary difference in theappearanceofapiece.

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AtChristmas,ourcelebrationsareoften peppered with traditions learned fromparentsandgrandparents.Hereare only some of the Christmas tree ritualsandornamentsyoumightfindinaDanishorDanishAmericanhomethisDecember. In Denmark, the Christmas tree is often purchased and decorated in the daysjustbeforeDecember25.Usu-ally, the whole family decorates the tree,butsometimestheadultsdecorateitthemselvesasasurpriseforthechil-dren.

WOVeN HeARTBASKeTS

Accordingtohistorians,HansChristianAndersenmadetheoldestwovenheartbasket,agreenandgoldone,in1861.WovenheartbasketsarestillfoundonbothDanishandDanishAmericanChristmastrees.IntheUnitedStates,wovenheartbasketsare almost always red and white, the col-ors of the Danish flag.InDenmark,however,itiscommon to seebasketsinother colors as well.

A Christmas Tree, Danish-StyleORNAMeNTS WITH A

MIlITARy THeMe In1864theDanishmilitaryexpe-rienced a tremendous defeat, losing alargeswathoflandtoGermany.Thisprovokedfeelingsofnational-ity among the Danes; this mood was reflectedontheChristmastreewhereornaments in Danish colors, Danish flagsandminiaturesofmilitaryequip-mentlikedrumsandtrumpetsbecamecommon.

DANISH FlAgS OftenDanishAmericansputsmallDanishflagsontheirChristmastrees.In the past, this was a tradition in some Danishhomes,butismorecommoninDanishAmericanhomes,perhapsasawayofhonoringthehomeland.SomeDanishAmericanfamiliesstringbothDanishandAmericanflagsontheirtrees,celebratingbothaspectsoftheiridentities.

Nisse Anisseisanelf-likeChristmascharacterwhousuallylivesinbarnsorattics, taking care of people and farm animals.Itiswisetocareforthenisse atChristmasbygivinghimporridgeor other treats; if you don’t, he will makelifemiserableforyouwithhismischief.InDenmarktodaythenisseisaChristmassymbolascommon as Christmas trees or SantaClaus.DanishAmeri-cans often put nisser around

orontheChristmastree.

PaPiRkliP It is a proud Danish tradition to make papirklip, small,exquisitepaper cuttings used to decorate at Christmas andEaster.Trees,hearts,

angels, and nisser are common papir-klipornaments.

WOVeN RIBBON STARS Smallwovenribbonstarsareex-tremelypopularonDanishtreestoday.Normally, families make the stars themselves,buttheycanbepurchasedpre-madeaswell.

CANDleS Originally, a Danish Christmas treewouldhavebeendecoratedwithcandles.Itwasn’tuntil1914inCopen-hagenthatthefirstDanishChristmastreewasdecoratedwithelectriclights.Danes today sometimes still deco-ratewithcandlesandsomewillevendecorate with electric lights too, so theelectriclightscanbeusedoncethecandlesburndown.

kRæmmeRhusDanes also decorate with kræmmer-hus,alittleroundconeofpaper.Theseconesandthewovenheartbasketsareoftenfilledwithsweetsforthechil-dren.

Julebukke Thetraditionofdecoratingthetreewithstrawgoatornaments—jule-bukke—originatedinSweden.Thejulebukke is often found in other places around the Danish home at Christmas. InDenmarkitwas—andis—aChristmasEvetraditiontojoinhandsand dance around the Christmas tree, singingcarols.MostDanishfamiliesstill honor the tradition and for many Danishchildrenthateventisonlyovershadowedbyanotherbigevent:openingpresents!

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By Thomas Hansen TheDanishImmigrantMuseumhasmuch to celebrate! On behalf of theBoard of Directors, staff, and dedicated volunteers,Iwishtothankallmuseummembers and donors for making thispastfiscalyearourbestfundraisingyearever. We are overjoyed and blessed bythewonderfulgenerosityof long-timememberandsupporter,RitaNeergaardHansen of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Hergift of $300,000 for the endowment and the redesign of our present permanent exhibit,Across Oceans, Across Time, is ahighlightinarecordyearincontribu-tions.Itisourhopethathergenerositywill lead others to consider how they might partner with the museum as we seek to expand our purpose, exhibits,facilities and endowment in the years tocome.Thankyou,Rita,foryourmo-mentousgift! The2006SummerAppealwasalsosuccessful. To date, more than 295membersanddonorshavesentingiftstotaling $50,100 to support our daily activities,torenewmemberships,ortohelpuscompleteseveralspecialprojects.We continue to receive gifts from thesummer appeal and certainly encourage suchcontributions. Themuseum’smembershipanddo-norstotalnowstandsat2,858,upfromwhat we reported to you in the summer issueofournewsletter.Wewillcontinueto work towards an expanded annual support base, allowing us to provideincreased programming and outreach, support for our collections/curatorialdepartments and our growing Family HistoryandGenealogyCenter. Duringthesummermonths,wehavealsoreceivedseveralmajorgiftsandin-kindgiftsforspecialprojects.Wewishto express our gratitude to the following foundations/companies and members/donorsfortheirspecialcontributions:• Bill andBernieceGrewcockFoun-

dationofOmaha,Nebraskafortheirgenerous support of completing our current kitchen and meeting room area.

From OurDevelopment Director

• Me r t a n dKaren Lundo f S i o u xFalls, SouthDakota for their support of the Family History and GenealogyCenter’sTenthAnniver-sarySpecialFund.

• BoardMemberMarkNussleandhiswifeLoriofPalosPark,Illinoisfortheir generous in-kind gift of twoVikingStorageShelvingUnits.

• Nilfisk-AdvanceAmericaofMinne-apolis,Minnesotafortheirin-kindgiftofaNilfiskModelGM-80MuseumKitvacuumcleaner.

• ThegrandchildrenofNielsChristianBrofortheircombinedgiftstopur-chaseanewtravelingdisplayunitinhonorofBro’sarrivalinAmericaonehundredyearsago.

• InmemoryofMarionJ.Walkerandinhonorofherbrother,AnkerJohnsonagenerousgiftof$75,000wasgiventothemuseumbyMarion’sgrandchil-dren, Britta Hansen Walker, Karma Walker andErikPeterWalker.Thisgift will assist us in underwriting fu-turemuseumprogrammingefforts.

It is also important to recognizeour Board of Directors and dedicated volunteers for their efforts this pastyear.Their extraordinary commitmentof time, skills and financial supporthelpedgreatlyinmakingthisourbestfundraisingyearever.AsItravelacrossthe country meeting with current and prospectivemembersanddonors,Iamproudtosharewiththemthatwehavestrongboardleadershipandcommittedvolunteers. Again,onbehalfofTheDanishIm-migrantMuseum’sBoardofDirectors,staff, and volunteers, thank you verymuch for your wonderful generosity during the summer months and in recent time!Wehaveanexcitingfutureaheadof us and we look forward to working withyouinmakingourambitiousgoalsareality.ComevisituswhenyouareintheElkHorn-Kimballtonarea.

Become a member of The Danish Immigrant

Museum today!it’s easy to do, call 1-800-759-9192 or go online atwww.danishmuseum.org

Additions to the Wall of Honor:May 1, 2006 – September 30, 2006 The Danish Immigrant Museum’sWall ofHonor provides families andfriendswithameansofpreservingthememory of those who emigrated from DenmarktoAmerica.Over4,500im-migrantsarecurrentlyrecognizedonthewall.Theirstoriesandthestoriesoftheirfamiliescontribute importantly to thegrowing repository of family histories at the museum’s Family History and Genealogycenter. If you would like to memorializeyourforbearersbyaddingtheirnamestotheWallofHonor,contactDebLarsen,membershipcoordinator.

Hans n. Brown and Anna maria (Jensen) Brown, Everett and Louise Brown, Panora, Iowa

sophie elizabeth seeman Buck-ingham, Albert Buckingham, Sioux City, Iowa

elna Gebauer Fugl, Todd & Diane Zygmontowicz, Troy, Michigan

steen Goddik, Johannes and Ro-elie Goddik, Dayton, Oregon

Jens Carl Jensen, Richard and Shirley Beck, Omaha, Ne-braska

nelse Jacob mouritson, Warren Kindt, Muskego, Wisconsin

Anna lydia norgaard, Caryl West, Harlan, Iowa

Peter sand, Richard Sand, Kansas City, Missouri

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– continued on page 10

InAugust,weexperiencedthelossoftwoformerboardmembersanddedicatedvolunteers: Virginia nielsen servedontheboardofdirectorsfrom1989to1995andleroy Pedersenservedfrom1993 to 1999. Each of them servedfor two terms.Theyboth lived inElkHorn,althoughVirginiawasanativeofKimballtonandhadlivedinnumerouscommunities throughout the Midwestwithherhusband,Clayton,aLutheranpastor;Leroywasalocalbusinessmanwho consistently worked to assure that the communitywas supportive of themuseum.Wearegratefulfortheirgen-erosityandservicetothemuseum.They

A&AFramingAtlanticFriendsofTheDanishImmi-

grantMuseumCarrollControlSystems,Inc.Childs&Hall,P.C.DanebodLutheranChurchDanishAmericanClubinOrangeCountyDanishAmericanClubofMilwaukeeDanishBrotherhoodLodge#14DanishBrotherhoodLodge#15DanishBrotherhoodLodge#39DanishBrotherhoodLodge#56DanishBrotherhoodLodge#348DanishClubofTucsonDanish Countryside Vines & WinesDanishMutualInsuranceAssociationDanishSisterhoodLodge#102,Heart-

land DistrictElkHornPharmacyElkHorn-KimballtonCommunitySchoolElkHorn-KimballtonOptimistClubElverhojMuseumofHistoryandArtExiraFamilyMedicineClinicFaith, Family, Freedom FoundationHardiMidwest,Inc.Harlan NewspapersHeart of Iowa DanesHeartlandDistrictoftheDBIAJacquelyn’sDanishBakeShoppe

Thank You businessesand Organizations Thesebusinessesandorganizationshavecontributedmembershipsofatleast$100.Werecognizetheirgenerosityandsupportineachnewsletter.

KesslerFuneralHomes,Inc.King of KingsKNODKnudsenOldTimersofTheDanish

LutheranChurchMarge’sHairHutMarne&ElkHornTelephoneCo.NebraskaDistrictofDBIANelsen & NelsenO & H Danish BakeryOlsen,Muhlbauer&Co.,L.L.P.OutlookStudyClubProongilyRebildNationalParkSociety,Southern

California ChapterRebildNationalParkSociety,Upper

MidwestChapterRedRiverDanesRingstedDanishAmericanFellowshipRoyalDanishEmbassyShelbyCountyStateBankSonsofNorwaySymraLiterarySocietyTheAmerican-ScandinavianFoundation,

Central IowaTheVikingClubofOrangeCountyWestergaardFarmsandScandinavian

Bed & Breakfast

MemorialsMay 1, 2006 – September 30, 2006

Memorials have been received inloving memory of the followingindividuals:

CathrynPedersenAndersenEllieAndersenJørgenHellerAndersenPoulDalbyAndersenJoAnnBollesenBarbaraChristensenArleneChristinsenAnitaDyrhkoopLucilleEricksonJohnEsbensenWilfredEskovDagny GudeJerry GudeDerward HansenKenneth HoeghLeonardandHelgaJensenMaryJensenThorvaldJensenMaxineJohannsenMattieJohnsonElsieJ.JuhlEdithJensenKeckLaverneKlindtHelen KnudsenGertMadsenMargaretMadsenCarrieMathisenBeverlyMattsonElsieR.McNabbSigurdA.MolgaardElcarA.NielsenNini Nussle NielsenVirginia NielsenSigneNissenJamesD.OlsenKenneth OlsonStigOrumAurealiaPaghLeroyPedersenMarlenePetersenJeannettePospeselEmmertSteen

In Memory . . .willbemissedverymuch. We also learned this summer that the followingmemberspassedaway:Bar-bara Christensen,wifeofcurrentboardmemberCarloChristensen,JoAnn Bol-lesen, wifeofArvBollesen,a formerboardmemberfromTustin,California,Poul dalby Andersen, who with his wife Judy,aformerboardmember,wastheownerandpublisherofBien, and former Danish Consul elcar nielsen who was consulfortheKansasCityarea.Alsoofnote, Gert madsen, husbandofJytte,current owner and editor of Bien passed awaythissummer.

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Descendants of Danish immigrant Niels Christian Bro gather for a group picture in front of the museum. The Bro family met during the traditional Sankt Hans Aften/Midsummer’s Fest weekend of June 23-25, traveling from around the U.S. to spend a few days in Elk Horn-Kimballton and the surrounding area.

In honor of Niels Christian Bro’s journey to America one hundred years ago, his grandchildren contributed funds to the museum in his name. Because of their generosity, a new travel-ing display unit (pictured at left) was purchased. It is now used to promote the museum at festivals, events and presentations around the country.

Bro Family HoldsReunion in elk Horn

TheCollectionsDepartmentrecentlyreceivedtwowonderfulequipmentad-ditionsintheformofgift-in-kinddona-tions. Nilfisk-Advance American, Inc., aDanishcompanywithU.S.headquartersin Plymouth,Minnesota, just donatedtheentirecostofabrandnew,special-izedvacuumforcleaningartifacts.Thisvacuum,theNilfiskGM-80,comeswithamicro-toolskit,whichcancleandelicateartifacts as small as jewelry, as well as largepieceslikerugsandtapestries.It

alsofeaturesaHEPAfilter,whichtraps99.999% of dust and other airborneparticles, making it clean and safe for staff touse.Thisvacuumwaspartofthe2005-06budget,but thanks to thegenerosity of Nilfisk-Advance, thosefundscanbeusedelsewhere. BoardmemberMarkNussleandhiswife Lori of Palos Park, Illinois pur-chasedanddonatedtwomuseum-qual-itycabinetsforthestorageofartifacts.The two cabinets were designed and

manufacturedbyVikingMetalCabinetCompanyinChicago,Illinois.Oneofthecabinetsistallandwellsuitedforseveralmedium-sizedartifacts.Thesecondisalower“flatfile”withdrawerssimilartoamapcase,makingitidealforflatstor-ageofoversizedphotographs,posters,prints,andotherarchivalmaterials. Nussle’sfamilyfoundedVikingMetalCabinetCompany;Nusslehimselfwasthelong-timechiefexecutiveuntilthecompanywasrecentlysold.

generous equipment Donations to theCollections Department

Two new interns, Katherine Fox and Karina Petersen, have joined the staff at The Danish Immigrant Museum. Katherine Fox arrived in August from her home state of Virginia where she just graduated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg. Kate has a bachelor’s degree in biological anthro-pology and plans to pursue a graduate degree in museum studies. Kate already has some experience working with historical materials. She was employed by James Madison University as the student preservation assistant in the Special Collections Department. There, she worked with a collection of over 4,500 rare books and numerous other archival materials. Kate assisted with monitoring the unstable environmental conditions these materials were stored in and researched the most appropriate and cost-effective methods for re-housing them. Kate also has experience with grant writing, digitizing collections, and fresco preservation. She worked for two months in Altamura, Italy as a conservation as-

IntroducingOur NewInterns

Karina Petersen (left) and Katherine Fox are interning at The Danish Immigrant Museum.

sistant, helping with the cleaning, sta-bilization, and restoration of the fresco located in the San Sepulcro Chapel in Altamura. Kate will be working directly with Angela Stanford in collections. She will assist with artifact processing, pest management, inventories, and numerous specific projects. Karina Petersen arrived in October from Denmark. She grew up in Sønder-lev, a small village between Hjørring and Lunstrup. After completing her stu-

dentereksamen at Hjørring Gymnasium, Karina attended Aalborg University, studying intercultural market communi-cation in English and German. She was an exchange student at the University of Montana for a semester in 2004. After completing her B.A. at Aalborg in 2005, Karina entered the tourism grad-uate program, which she will complete with an M.A. in 2007. Karina is the third intern to be at The Danish Immigrant Museum through the program. Since Karina grew up along the Sk-agerrak, Denmark’s north coast, she has always worked in tourism. Her parents managed a restaurant that is a part of one of the biggest resorts in Denmark, so she was introduced early to all aspects of the restaurant, from washing dishes to waiting tables. This led to opportuni-ties working in a large tourist-booking agency in Hjørring. Given her childhood experiences in a resort area, Karina said it was only natural that she would choose tourism as an area of study and work. Karina and her husband, Jesper Simonsen, enjoy traveling, camping, skiing, beachcombing, and visiting new countries. Jesper will join Karina for several weeks over Christmas. Karina’s tasks at the museum will focus on marketing and advertising. Already she participated on the newly formed Marketing Committee of the Board of Directors. She will also work on our website and learn about American marketing strategies. Terri Johnson will be working closely with her. We are pleased to have Karina and Kate at The Danish Immigrant Mu-seum.

15

Have youbeen to our

website lately?

www.danishmuseum.org

16

The Danish Immigrant Museum’svolunteerBoardofDirectorsmetinElkHorn-Kimballton,Iowafortheir23rdan-nualand74thregularmeetingsOctober19-21. Thetwenty-four-memberboardfromacrossthecountrybeganafullprogramofcommitteemeetingsThursdayafternoonwith theExecutiveCommittee, ledbyBoardPresidentKaiNyby, conveningboth that afternoon as well as Fridaymorning.CommitteemeetingstookplaceThursdayandFridayandNybycalledthe annual Board of Directors meeting toorderonSaturday. Allmembersoftheboardserveonatleast one of the following committees: Collections, Finance, Family History andGenealogyCenter,MuseumShop,Development,Marketing,Facilities,andNominating.

Board of DirectorsMeet in elk Horn

Seven new members began theirthree-yeartermswithanextensivemu-seumorientationpresentedbythemu-seumstaff.TheseinformativesessionswereagreathelptothenewmembersastheybecameacquaintedwiththedailyactivitiesandworkingsofTheDanishImmigrantMuseum. Inadditiontomanymeetings,boardmembersandspousesalsoparticipatedin thecelebrationsof theFamilyHis-tory and Genealogy Center’s TenthAnniversary Open House on October19,aswellastheAnniversaryBanquetheldOctober21inthenewlyrenovatedKimballton Town Hall. One of manyhighlights during the weekend was a trip to the new Danish Countryside Vines and Wines, located two and a half miles eastofElkHorn,ownedbyAlandCarolPetersen.

The Danish Immigrant Museum’s 2006-2007 Board of Directors BackRow(lefttoright):DagmarMuthamia,KaiE.Nyby,president,CarloChristensen,StateSenatorHarrietAlbertsenSpanel,KenGregersen,ConsulAneliseSawkins,Dr.GordonEsbeck,Dr.RonaldBro,DennisLarson,ex-officio,KurtKlarskovLarsen,JohnMolgaard,treasurer. FrontRow(lefttoright):HaroldJensen,JanetM.Thuesen(withhercompaniondog,Paaske),LindaSloth-Gibbs,LoisChristensen,ErnaJensen,Dr.JohnMarkNielsen,executivedirectorofTheDanishImmigrantMuseum,Ane-GretheDelaney. Notpictured:MarcPetersen,JulieJorgensen,MarkFrederiksen,BridgetJensen,PederKirkegaard,MarkNussle,Bene-dikteEhlersOlesen,LynetteSkowRasmussen;Ex-Officio:VernHunter,NilsJensen

Are youa DanishImmigrant or long-term Resident? You may not think you’re history yet,butyouwillbesomeday!Wewouldliketohavesomeinformationinourlibraryonmorerecentimmi-grantsor long-term residents fromDenmark. Ifyouwouldbewillingto fill out one of our “ImmigrantInformation Forms” or distributeit at meetings of your local Dan-ishAmericanorganization,contactthe Family History and Genealogy Centerforcopies.

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Erna Jensen (Des Moines, Iowa), Benedikte Ehlers Olesen (Eugene, Oregon), Marc Petersen (Omaha, Ne-braska) and Linda Sloth-Gibbs (Yuma, Arizona) were elected to second terms. A board member may serve two consecu-tive terms and then is not eligible for election to the board for three years.

The following individuals were elected to the museum’s Board of Direc-tors at the June meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They began their three-year terms with a daylong orientation at the museum before the October board meet-ing. Mark Frederiksen, a resident of Papillion, Nebraska, is an attorney specializing in intellectual property. He assisted the museum in obtaining legal trademark for the logo and iden-tifying phrase “Across Oceans, Across Time®.” Kenneth Gregersen, a native of northwest Iowa who now summers in Arnolds Park, Iowa and winters in Ari-zona, was named National Agricultural Communicator of the Year in 1989. He retired as senior vice-president for adver-tising, promotions, and public relations after a life-long career with Kent Feeds, Inc. of Muscatine, Iowa. Peder Kirkegaard was born in Denmark and first came to the United States in 1952 as an exchange student from Ladelund Landsbrugsskole. Later he came back to the U.S., married and was the owner of Waukegan Disposal Service. He has developed properties, most recently Trinity Mountain Estates in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Kurt Klarskov Larsen is “an American citizen by choice,” as he puts it. Kurt immigrated to Canada in 1952, following his military service in Denmark where he founded Blue Giant Equipment Company, Ltd. Later, he also incorporated in the United States and opened a factory in Alabama where he and his wife, a native of Scotland, now reside. Ane-Grethe Olesen Delaney, a resident of Wayzata, Minnesota, is a chemical engineer as well as a mother and homemaker. Her profession has taken her many places in Western Europe and the United States. Lynette Skow Rasmussen, a native of Des Moines, is a graduate of Drake University Law School. She serves as general counsel for the Rasmussen Group, Inc. (including Jensen Con-struction Company) and manages the Rasmussen Foundation. Janet Thuesen, now a resident of

Introducing the New Board MembersSausalito, California, returns to the board after having served from 1996-2002. She retired from Otto Kroeger Associates in Fairfax, Virginia, an international psychological consulting business. Her clients included the White House Staff and Executive Department and Depart-ment of Education.

Don’t miss this opportunity!Look for your copy of the Museum Shop

Christmas Catalog enclosed with this mailing.

– continued on page 19

amongtheloftypinewoodsofAskov,Minnesotaasthemuseum’srepresen-tativetotheone-hundredth-birthdaycelebrationof the foundingof thisDanish town and church. Besidestryingmyfirstrutabagamilkshake,I met with descendants of many of thefamilieswhostartedthecolony.Again,asmalltownpulledoutthestopstocelebratetheirheritage. Speaking of anniversaries, theFamily History and Genealogy Center iscelebrating its tenthyearasadepartmentoftheTheDanishImmigrant Museum. Volunteerswho worked in the library in theearly years tell me they started with

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Thomas Hansen, development director, visits with members of the Red River Danes in Fargo, North Dakota.

stAmtræFamily History & GenealoGy Center

genealogy@danishmuseum.org

News from the Family History & genealogy CenterBy Michele McNabb, librarian

Three of the four women who contributed so much to the founding and operat-ing of the Family History and Genealogy Center celebrate its tenth anniversary: Helen Stub, Margaret Christensen, and Mae Petersen (not pictured: Norma Lange Nelson).

Jandy Jorgensen and Thomas Hansen cel-ebrate Dagmar, Montana’s centennial July 7-9, 2006. Jandy was one of the organizers of this celebration that attracted over 2,500 people. Today, the population of Dagmar is seventeen.

Activity buzzes around ourFamilyHistoryandGenealogyCenterexhibittableattheIowaGenealogicalSociety(IGS)fallconferenceinMarshalltown.This type of event is a good place tonetwork,tolearnaboutnewresources,andtoadvertiseTheDanishImmigrantMuseum.DuringthepasttwodaysI’vespokenwithseveralformerpatronsandmetanumberofparticipantswithDan-ish ancestry, including a few museum members.I’malsomentallypreparingforgoingtoNorskHøstfest,thelargestannual Scandinavian festival held inMinot,NorthDakota,whereonceagainthemuseumwillhaveexhibitspace. Thishascertainlybeenasummeroftravel! In thepast fourmonthsFHGCstafforvolunteershaveattendedDanishDayinMinneapolisandtheScandinavianHjemkomstFestivalinFargo-Moorhead,North Dakota-Minnesota; and visitedFredsville, Cedar Falls and LeMars,Iowa; Chicago and Sheffield, Illinois;Dagmar,Montana;andAskov,Minne-sota.Thisyearwasnotableinthattwooftheselocalities,DagmarandAskov,celebrated the one-hundredth anniver-sariesoftheirfounding. InJuly,DevelopmentDirectorTomHansenandIdrovenorth,stoppingtovis-itwiththeRedRiverDanes,themuseumsupportgroupinFargo,NorthDakota.Afterbeingtreatedtoadeliciousdinner(includingacakeembellishedwithanimageofourbuilding!),weupdatedthegrouponcurrentmuseumexhibitsandfutureplans.Ourjourneythencontinuedon to Dagmar, where we were guests of the Dagmar Centennial Committee and JensandGertrudeSundsted.Jens,thesonofoneofDagmar’spioneersettlers,filledus in on the community’s local history andgaveusatourofhisfarm,includinghiscollectionofhistoricfarmequipment.Dagmar’s present population is less than two-dozen, but their well-coordinatedcentennial celebration pulled in some2,500visitors! LaterinthesummerIfoundmyself

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Wish list ThefollowingitemsarecurrentlyatthetopoftheFHGCWishList.Ifyou would like to make a donation of the following itemsor contributetoward their purchase, please contact MicheleMcNabbat877-764-7008orlibrarian@danishmuseum.org.

• FAMILY HISTORIES Has someone in your family written

a family history or compilation of familydata?Ifso,hasacopybeendonated to the museum? If not, we would very much like to have acopy.Nomatter theformat—for-mallypublishedvolumesorpho-tocopied material put together for family reunions—we take themall! Ifyou’renot certainwhetherafamilyhistoryhasalreadybeendonated,we’llbehappytocheckourfiles.

• BIOGRAPHIES, MEMOIRS And ColleCtions oF

FAmily letters Doyouhaveacopyofreminiscen-

ces written down by a Danishimmigrant or a transcription of family letters? Thesematerialsareinvaluableresourcesforfu-ture family historians since they will shed light on the personalities andconcernsofourancestors.

• DANISH NEWSPAPERS PuBlisHed in tHe u.s.

A number of Danish-languagenewspapers were publishedin various communities. Theycontain local news of interest to immigrants,includingobituariesand social notices.Many havebeenmicrofilmedbyvariousstatehistoricalsocieties.WehavealistofnewspapersfromMinnesota,Nebraska,WisconsinandIllinoisthat we would like to purchase for thecollection.Anaveragerollofmicrofilmcosts$70-80;thiswin-terwearestartingan“adoption”program in hopes of adding these titlestoourcollection.

activitiesand Newsfrom the

Family history& GenealogyCenter• DuringTivoliFest2006theFHGC

photo exhibitThere’sNoPlacelikeHomeattractedmanyvisitors.Photographs of the homes thatsome sixty Danish immigrants left behindandthehomestheymadein their new country showed many contrasts in architectural styles and standards of living. Nextyear’sphotographexhibitionwillfeatureimmigrantswhoservedinthe military, so start looking for thosephotographsnow!

• Running a library is not just amatter of putting books on theshelves and files in cabinets;thereisalotofbehind-the-sceneswork that requires significantinvestmentsoftimeandmoney.InSeptemberwewerepleasedtolearnthatlong-termsupportforouractivitieshadcomethroughagenerousbequesttotheHolgerDanskeEndowmentFund fromthe late Dolores Connelly, a longtime FHGC volunteer. Hergenerosity will help underwrite someofourday-to-dayexpensesformanyyearstocome.

• A reminder for fall and wintervisitorsthatFHGChourschangeat the end of October. FromNovember1toApril30weareopenTuesdays,WednesdaysandFridaysfrom10A.M.to4P.M.Appointmentsforotherdayscanbemadeinadvancebycallingthelibrary.

Long-time museum supporters Jens and Gertrude Sundsted hosted museum staff during the Dagmar, Montana centennial festivities.

tronshavegrownaswell.Nowwelooktothefuturewithsomedefinitegoalsinmind of materials we would like to add and new ways to assist people wanting to know about their Danish roots ortheAmericanbranchesoftheirDanishfamilies.Lookformoreinformationinupcoming issues of America Letter.

asinglebookcaseinthemuseumbase-ment.OurneedforspacegrewquicklyandsinceMarch2003 the libraryhashad its premises in a separate location onElkHorn’sMainStreet.Thelibrarycollection,thefilesonimmigrants,ourvolunteergroup,andtheassistancewecanoffervisitorsandlong-distancepa-

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Join us for Julestuen 2006!Spend a hyggelig day with family and friends at

The Danish Immigrant Museum’s annual Christmas celebration.

2212 Washington Street, P. O. Box 470, Elk Horn, Iowa 51531-0470Telephone 712.764.7001 • Toll Free 800.759.9192 • http://www.danishmuseum.org

Make Danish ornaments,

listen to Hans Christian

Andersen fairy tales, eat

Danish Christmas cookies,

shop in our museum store.

Friday, November 24 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 2510:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Danish immigranT museum®

The Danish Immigrant Museum’s 2006 Christmas card and ornament were selected from a photograph by Danish-born photographer Sisse Brimberg. Brimberg has been with National Geographic since 1976. Her photo-graphic studies of Denmark include National Geographic’s “In Search of Vikings” (May 2000) and “Civilized Denmark” (July 1998). Brimberg’s photographs have been exhibited worldwide, including a long-standing exhibit at The Danish

Immigrant Muse-um. Her ability to capture truth and beauty on camera has won her world-wide recognition,

2006 AnnualChristmas Card and Keepsake Ornament

Cards: $10.00 for a package of tenKeepsake ornament: $14.95

hope you will make this year’s card and ornament a traditional part of your Christmas holidays. Call 1-800-759-9192 to order your cards and ornaments.

including first prize from the National Press Photographers Association for her reportage on migrant workers, “Picture Story of the Year.” This is the museum’s eighteenth annual Christmas card and the seventh year for the keepsake ornament. We