Lodge Meetings
Saturday, November 20, 7 PM
The Paddle Pilgrim
Adventurer, author, and speaker David Ellingson will talk about his adventure paddling the Sogne and Hardanger Fjords in Norway. Dave is an entertaining speaker and author and recently published the book “Paddle Pilgrim: Kayaking the Fjords on Norway”. Dave is a
Kayaker who paddled the Mississippi River (2350 miles) and the Erie Canal/Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty (500 miles) and the Sogne and Hardanger Fjords in Norway.
Lutheran pastor who has served on college campuses, congregations and in regional leadership
Master Gardener and creator of the Rooftop Garden on the college parking garage.
Former distance runner (Boston Marathon and Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run) and Hawaii Iron-Man Triathlete
Husband and father of five grown children residing in Edmonds, Washington.
Sunday, December 12, 2 PM
Norwegian Christmas
We will continue our tradition of sharing our Christmas with our friends in Norway.
Norwegian History Roundtable (NHR)
Sunday, October 24, 3 PM
The Story of “Roosevelt’s Vikings” - the 99th Infantry Battalion
In the Footsteps of Norwegian War Sailor and WWII Combat Veteran Hans A. Larsen
Join us on the Norwegian History Round Table to learn about the 99th Infantry Battalion - the famed Norwegian-American army unit which fought in Europe during world war two. A large number of the battalion’s members were Norwegian sailors - one of them was Hans A. Larsen from Tønsberg, Norway.
Presenting the battalion story will be the Norwegian journalist and author of “The Canal Drive: The 99th Infantry Battalion and the Liberation of Belgian Limburg”, Antoni Pisani - while relatives of Hans A. Larsen will share his story; nephew Ove Vennerod, daughter Rita Kurtz and son-in-law John Lunde.
Hans left Norway in 1939 to join the Norwegian Whaling Fleet. The following spring Hitler invaded Norway and he was now unable to return to his parents and siblings. He arrived in New York and found work. Later joined the 99th Infantry Battalion and trained with them in the Rockies - skiing and hiking in preparation for action in Norway.
In this session, we follow in the footsteps of Hans and the battalion - during training in the US and Great Britain, the fighting in Normandy, Belgium, and Germany. And we learn about Hans’ and the other men’s long-awaited return to Norway in 1945.
Sunday, November 21, 3 PM
The Finnmark Witch Trials
A joint program from the Reading Circle and NHR
See information below in Reading Circle. Zoom information will also be sent to NHR mailing list.
No December Meeting
Reading Circle
Sunday November 21, 3 PM
The Finnmark Witch Trials
A joint program from the Reading Circle and NHR
We’re all familiar with the Salem, MA witch trials of 1692-93, but did you know there were witch trials throughout northern Europe in the 17th century, and that in the remote region of Finnmark, Norway, over 100 “witches” were tortured to death or burned at the stake during that time? Dr. Liv Helene Willumsen will discuss the Finnmark witch trials at a joint Zoom meeting of the Reading Circle and the Norwegian History Roundtable on Sunday, Nov. 21. Dr. Willumsen is Professor Emerita of History, University of Tromsø, and translated the Finnmark witchcraft trial transcripts to English. Her publications include Witchcraft Trials in Finnmark, Northern Norway and Witches of the North, Scotland and Finnmark. The Reading Circle learned about these fascinating and appalling events thanks to the historical novel The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, who cites Dr. Willumsen’s “invaluable” research. You might want to start reading this novel now, before the meeting. The Zoom link will be emailed to the newsletter distribution list shortly before the meeting.
Tuesday, December 14, 7:30 PM
“One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway by Åsne Seierstad”
Genealogy Interest Group
The Genealogy Interest Group (GIG) usually meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at 3 PM Eastern time. We continue to meet by Zoom for now. Members will be notified when we resume meeting at Norway House. Members with all levels of expertise are welcome — from novice to expert. If you are not already on the GIG mailing list and want to receive an email with the Zoom please contact Joel Myklebust at Genealogy@NorwayDC.org .
Meetings will resume in 2022.
We currently have commitments from 4 speakers for 2022.
Beth Sparrow, president of the Nebraska State Genealogy Society, will speak about DNA.
Michael Swanson, Archivist, Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota
Whit Athey, physicist and genetic genealogist, will speak about Y chromosome analysis.
Jørn Øyrehagen Sunde, Professor in legal history at the Department of Public and International Law, University in Oslo, will speak. about the Rosendal Barony and its relationship to tenants in western Norway in the 17th and 18th centuries.