Family was from Gausdal, Norway-near Lillehammer. My mother’s family names were Iverslie, Mouder, Bjorge, and Torgerson. They were merchants in Norway and my grandfather owned a hardware store after coming to the States.

No, I have never been to Norway. I would love to go though.

I like hearing the programs, socializing, and everything to do with crafts.

I love the baked goods the most-lefse, krumkake, and sandbakkels.

Came from Gausdal, Norway-close to Lillehammer. My mother’s family names were Iverslie, Mouder,Bjorne, and Torgerson. They were merchants in Norway and my grandfather owned a hardware store after coming to the States.

No, I have never been to Norway. Would love to go though.

Enjoy the Norwegian programs, socializing, and anything to do with crafts.

Love the baked goods the most-lefse, krumkake, sandbakkels.

They were from Haugesund, Norway. Grandparents were Jorgen and Gunild Christopherson. They worked on fishing boats and attended the Skar Church.

Yes, in 1979. Visited Oslo and Bergen.

Eating Norwegian food, especially the Norwegian Lutefisk Dinner, and also talking to other members.

Creamed cod.

My ancestors came from the Vestfold region near the towns of Sande and Skoger, Norway. My great-grandmother came from the mountain town of Al, Norway. They were farmers and steelworkers. They emigrated in 1870 and settled in and around Thor and Vincent, Iowa.

Yes, my wife Jan and I visited in 2023. We arrived in Bergen and then traveled by train to Drammen, Norway. We visited the Lutheran church in Sande, Norway, where my great-grandfather and Grandmother were married. We also visited the Old Skoger church, where my grandfather was baptised. Additionally, we visited Oslo and many other towns in Norway.

I'm new, and so my knowledge of the lodge is limited.

My favorite is Lefse, but I also like most of the Norwegian cookies. I also loved the salmon with dill and Norwegian meatballs.

Hi Harlan, I submitted my text a week or so ago but couldn't find my photo. Now that I've found my photo I can't seem tofind the text to add the photo to... Would you please be kind enough to help me solve this? Sorry to be such a problem child...
JoAnn K.

Ralph's ancestors lived in Telemark and Buskerud on his mom's side and immigrated to the United States in 1879 and 1851. On his dad's side they were from Bergen and Sweden. The immigrated in 1876. Carla's ancestors immigrated from Nittedal in the early 1800's.

We have visited Norway 3 times and have another trip planned for the summer of 2026. The first trip we did Norway in a Nutshell and also visited areas where our ancestors lived. Our daughter Kirsten was in grade school at the time and got to ride an Icelandic pony. Our next visit was when our daughter went to Colorado State University. She did a semester abroad at the University of Oslo and we joined her there for her 21st birthday. Our last trip was on a Viking cruise. All of the trips have been joyful!

When moving here it was important to us to connect with the local community. Joining Sons of Norway has been a great way to meet people with similar interests. We love the meeting presentations and the friendly comradery. Ralph enjoys taking photographs and Carla loves the book club!

Lefse. When we started dating, we discovered that both our moms made lefse at Christmas. This was a unique bonding experience! We have continued to make lefse with our families and still use the grill Ralph's mom used, the stick his mom had as well as the one my dad made for us. We moved to Colorado in 2023 to be near our daughter and have continued the tradition with her and her friends.

My grandfather, John Hagen, came from Hallingdal, Norway, in 1882 with his parents, Tollef and Birgit (Doklien) Hagen, his two brothers, Nels and Knute, and his sister, Margit. They pioneered in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. They lived for some time in a dug-out in a hillside, and one of their items of furniture was a boat used as a bed. One of their usual food items was bread, spread with lard and molasses. Eventually they settled in he Mouse River Valley near Minot, ND. My grandfather eventually homesteaded on a quarter (160 acres) of land about 3 miles east of Minot at the turn of the century.


My grandmother, Marit (Pladsen) Hagen was born Feb. 26, 1884, in Gudbrandsdalen, Norway. In the spring of 1902 she came to the United States, traveling alone by boat at the age of 18 years. She supported herself by working in private homes and also at a restaurant for some time. She attended a country school one winter in order to learn to read and write the English language. She eventually saved enough money to help her father and mother, Syver and Thora (Kveen) Pladsen, to come to this country and get them settled on a homestead.

No

The community spirit and learning about things Norwegian.

Most sweets but especially lefse.

1n 1905, my grandmother, Olga Lyng, who was 9 years old at the time, came to America with her father, two sisters and two brothers, from a small village in the Stiklestad area. My grandfather had a small farm outside the village, but it was not producing enough to support his family so he had come to Minnesota 2 years prior to my grandmother's trip to start the homestead. The family took the train from Boston to Minneapolis, then a horse-drawn buggy to the homestead which consisted of fields of corn and wheat, a few cows and chickens and a dug-out in the side of a hill. My great-grandfather had the materials to build a "proper" wood frame house, but their arrival was later than anticipated and the winter came early, so the family spent the first winter in the dug-out. My grandmother told me how she and her sister, Julia, were so joyous when spring finally arrived. They pulled the log table out from the dug-out into the sunshine, opened the trunk, found a table cloth, took out "the good dishes" and proceeded to prepare their evening meal outside of the dug-out. My grandmother obtained a nursing credential and worked as a nurse until her marriage at age 19. The Minnesota farm proved to be successful and productive. My grandmother's siblings all settled in towns within 40 miles of the homestead. We had large family gatherings for all the holidays, birthdays, births, deaths and every other occasion that provided an excuse to be together. Although my grandmother and her siblings missed many things about their beloved Norway, they were all grateful for the bountiful life that America had provided for them.

A trip to Norway is on my bucket list...

I am honored to have been a Stein Fjell member for over 15 years and love the comradery and friendships that have developed over the years. I didn't know anyone when I first joined, and the Erdals quickly got me to volunteer in order to meet people. It worked! The more I volunteered, the more I learned about each event and committee, and I made such good friends as we worked together on various projects and events. I am so happy to contribute to keeping our Scandinavian heritage and culture alive for our future generations . I greatly appreciate the Sons of Norway values of "lifelong learning and service, having compassion for our members in need, fostering a community of generosity, and sustaining a link to Norway." Being a Stein Fjell member is a continual learning experience and an opportunity to meet and "commune" with others who have similar experiences and values. Stein Fjell has a lot of really nice people as members!!

Our family's favorite food was, of course, lefse. My grandmother and mother made stacks of lefse for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, and sometimes "just because". They were also accomplished cookie bakers and made stacks of rosettes, sanbakkels, krumkaka and spritz. At Christmas time, we ate their home-baked Julekake, romegrout and the smelly Lutefisk which, after a few years of exposure, we all came to crave. While living in close proximity to family, we had very traditional meals with potato klubb, pickled herring and pigs feet and tongue. Of course, there were always plates of cookies and often, lefse!

I married the Norwegian man

Not yet

The people!

Rommegrot, riskrem, cookies

My family comes from Fidjeland in rural Vest-Agder. After my great-great grandfather died the farm was sold so that my great grandmother Inger with her mother, Joren, and two brothers moved away. The brothers emigrated to the US, initially into Wisconsin and Minnesota but earned enough to buy land around Grinnell, IA and purchase tickets for 12 year-old Inger and her mother to follow them arriving in 1881. Great grandmother worked in her pastor's house caring for his children but moved with her mother after her brothers bought three parcels of land in South Dakota near Artesia that they homesteaded and still remains in the family. My current fourth-cousins live in Sandne and Bryne, Rogaland, Norway.

I was in Norway in 1977 and 1985 in Oslo. I first met my cousin in 2016 when we were in Stavanger. She arranged a family reunion in 2017 during which we toured parts of Norway over three weeks that hadn't changed much since the family emigrated to get a feeling for what the country was like at that time. Since then we've had separate trips to Oslo for Syttende Mai, Northern Norway to visit my wife's cousin's Sami friends, and this Summer sailed on Hurtigruten from Bergen to Kirkenes and back as tour guides for my sister-in-law.

I especially like the common Norwegian bond that we share and getting to know from where my fellow lodge members came and their emigration stories. I only knew great grandmother Inger in my grade school years and never learned much about Norway and its culture. Therefore being in the lodge with the members, the cultural offerings, and the great programs help to fill in these gaps.

Anything from the sea. Reindeer stew and Farikal are amazing. Of course, every kind of cookie.

They had a farm in Fidjeland Vest Agder that is still in the family. After great grandfather died from pneumonia he caught going to church in the Winter the oldest son

We’ve been there numerous times on a family reunion, see the northern lights and visit family

I have my great grandmothers porridge bowl carved by her father in 1872

All of it especially re

Our ancestors are not Norwegian but John's host family lived in Levanger and John's host dad came from Tromsø

We have visited Trondheim and Levanger and Oslo several times. We love the museums on Bygdøy!

Lefse, Kransekake, Jarlsberg, Gjetøst

Farm in the Oppland area

Yes. Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, Flam

Mom's Rosmaling and the friends we've met.

Lefse probably, but fell in love with Raw Balls.