The Opdalslag

Founded 1920, reestablished in 2002.




Some history of the reunions of Oppdal descendants in America:

It was in the Yankton, SD area that many of our forefathers settled when they emigrated from Oppdal, Norway at the end of the 1800's. It was here that descendants of the over 2,000 Oppdalings, who immigrated to the United States, gathered three weeks ago. The Opdalslag was reactivated eighty-three years after it was begun in Seattle, WA. 

In August of 1920, Erik H. Loe was responsible for beginning the organization in Woodland Park in Seattle, WA. Although a Trondelag had been in existence, the Oppdal people decided that they should have their own lag. The first year the lag had 68 members, but soon it became one of the largest lags in the United States. The Opdalslag had its largest membership in 1931 with 401 members. In 1925, five years after the Opdalslag was organized in Seattle, WA, the many Opdalings who had settled in the Midwest near Yankton, organized their own lag.

At the library in Oppdal, there is enormous meaningful information contained in the 13 yearbooks published, by the lag, between the years 1922-1941. In these yearbooks there are about 1000 pages containing interesting stories of the lives and experiences of the Opdalings who left Oppdal, and about those who died far away from their homeland. Obituaries have a special place in the yearbooks. They also have fascinating histories or stories of the Opdaling's new lives as well as nostalgic remembrances of the homeland they had left.

The homeland was unable to support the steadily growing population. Census numbers from 1800 on in Oppdal climbed so dramatically that it became necessary for many to say good-bye to friends and relatives to seek a new life in America. Many of them never returned. In 1865 there were 4500 inhabitants in Oppdal. Fifty years later the numbers were 3760.This decline was caused by the massive emigration. The Opdalings settled in two places in USA: Snohomish County in state of Washington, and on the prairies in the territories between Sioux City, Iowa, Sioux Falls and Yankton, SD. 


Scandia Lutheran Church in Centerville, S.D.

Opdalslag Group Picture 17 September 2011 Centerville, SD at Scandia Lutheran Church

2011 group photo

Group Picture Sept. 17, 2011
Names by Rows

Row 1: Pauline Strait, Peggy Nyhaug, Edla Aune, Harold Nyhaug, Evy Kuecker, Judy Johnson, Doris Bryant, Helen Bak and Lillian Johnson.

Row 2: Arlene Johnson, Verna Nelson, Audrey Larsen, Ken Mjoen, Norma Jensen, Norma and Russ Nyhaug, June Munkvold,
Sherree Schmiedt, Deb and Steve Lamb.

Row 3: John Reese, Robert and Dorothy Rice, Mary Rist, Mary Kepp, Helen Glish, Maureen Sliper, Mildred Schill, Joann Johnson,
Dorothy Husher and Mavis Overgaard.

Row 4: Jim Olson, Hazel Haugland, Eunice Mansfield, Ronda Nelson, Howard Reese, Nancy Rasmussen, Delores Cleveland,
Mary Ann Peterson, and Carol Broderson.

Row 5: Paul Miller, Edward Mansfield, Gary Larsen, Helmer Haugland, Mark Rasmussen, Bob Sliper, Joel and Stephanie Fagerhaug,
Harley Johnson, and Verlyss Jacobson.

 

 

Opdalslag Charter members

                 Names for 2011 Charter Members Picture

Front Row: Evy Kuecker, Edla Aune, Harold Nyhaug, Judy Johnson and Lillian Johnson.
Back Row: Howard Reese, Norma Nyhaug, Ken Mjoen, Peggy Nyhaug, Carol Broderson,
                  Mary Kepp, Russ Nyhaug, Deb and Steve Lamb, John Reese, Verna Nelson,
                  Sherree Schmiedt, and Pauline Strait.

 

List of Charter Members                             

Edla Aune
Carol Broderson
Pat Bruegmann
Dick and Arlene Fossum
Lillian Johnson
Judy Johnson
Mary Kepp
Evy and John Kuecker
Steve and Deb Lamb
Marjore Lee Lindsay
Eunice and Ed Mansfield
Ken Mjoen
Verna Nelson
Harold and Peggy Nyhaug
Russ and Norma Nyhaug
Virgil and Darlene Pederson
Earl Reese
Howard Reese
John Reese
Sherree Schmiedt
Vance and Virginia Sneve
Pauline Strait

 


View a photo album of recent events - Click here

These pictures are from Opdalslag Stevne beginning in Sept. 2008. 


ORD FRA PRESIDENTEN


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Well, I thank you all for the honor of serving as the President of the Opdalslag. I guess since I had ancestors from three different lines that were members, it is only natural that I continue the tradition. Unfortunately, I missed out on much of the Norwegian culture as I was growing up, but I remember the family reunions of the Munkvolds’ and Husbys’. There was the great food, running wild with my 1st and 2nd cousins, singing the Doxology at the meal. Being the oldest of my siblings by several years, I remember many of those that are now gone and I guess that is one of the reason I became interested in History and Genealogy. I urge you to write down things that you remember as a child; about your Norwegian ancestry especially. Even things that you think are not important. As an example, my mother and her brother and sisters would fight over who got the skim off the top of the warm milk. My grandfather playing baseball in the Center Point-Midway-Irene area in around 1913.

My main concern, however, is the dwindling numbers of members and the average age. We must encourage the younger folks to get involved so that they can carry on the culture of Norway and the culture of the new Americans our ancestors where and how that culture changed over time.

A big Thank You to those that put so much time into the lag, especially Evy Kuecker for the Aarbooks and genealogy work she has done.

Paul Miller, President

 

Message from Opdalslag Committee Members

Our Opdalslag is in need of younger members in order to keep our organization going. We enlist each of you to identify and encourage potential members (relatives or not) to become interested in membership in our organization. This is a wonderful Lag and it takes many people to make an organization. Many of our members are getting up in age and it would be nice to invite potential members to join our Lag. It is a joy to keep up on genealogy and our Norwegian heritage. This is one way to keep in touch with our Norwegian relatives and friends.




Beautiful Views of Norway

 

 

 

 

 


 

STEVNE

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

OPDALSLAG  HERITAGE  FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 8 & 9, 2012

CENTERVILLE, SOUTH DAKOTA

SCANDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH & FELLOWSHIP HALL

 

Saturday, Sept. 8th  

TBD

 

Sunday, Sept. 9th

 

TBD

 

Click here for a printable 2010 schedule of events!

 

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR BOTH MEAL FUNCTIONS!

No meal tickets will be sold at registration table.
For more information on lodging,
or for pre-registration materials, contact:
Pauline Strait,
158 West Lake Drive,
Arlington, SD 57212,

Phone:     (605) 983-5488;
E-mail:    phstrait (at) gmail.com.

Downloadable forms are also available from www.opdalslaget.com.

PRE-REGISTRATION FORMS ARE DUE BY AUGUST 30TH

Click here for a printable 2012 registration form!

Our dues run from Sept. 1 through Sept. 1 and the dues are $10 per person or $15 per couple.
 Dues are to be sent to Pauline Strait the secretary. Her address is:

Pauline Strait
 158 West Lake Drive
 Arlington SD 57212


HISTORY

1933 Opdalslag

The Oppdalslag met at Zion Lutheran Church, rural Volin, on the 24th and 25th of June, 1933. The meeting was very good and well received. The weather on Saturday was quite cool so many people came that first day. Registration began at 10 o'clock and many yearbooks were distributed. After lunch, which was served by the women of Zion congregation, the business meeting began at 2 o'clock conducted by the president, Pastor J. B. Reese. The secretary's report was read and approved, likewise the treasurer's report. The members of the museum committee from the preceding year remained the same, because they had nothing to report. The following people were elected for the following year:

President-Pastor J. B. Reese, Mitchell
1st Vice president-A. H. Hagen, Irene
2nd Vice president-Martin Bjorlo, Wessington Springs
3rd Vice president-Chris Nyhaug, Volin
Secretary-S. O. Vognild, Irene
Financial secretary and treasurer-O. I. Sneve, Irene
Directors-H. O. Vognild, Volin and H.B. Reese, Wessington Springs
Editor of the yearbook-Mrs. Kristine Haugen, Sioux City, IA. It was decided that H. B. Reese would help gather material for the next yearbook which would come out in two years providing that the officers feel that it will be economically possible.
Resolutions committee-Mrs. Martin Bjorlo, Miss Guri Back and Haakon
Melemseter.

A motion was made to send a greeting with H. B. Reese to the Western branch when he together with his wife and son travel out there. Greetings to the Lag came from Even Satrum, Kidder, Johanna Hooker Nelson, Kendrick, ID, and Knute Lien, Oppdal, Norway. It was decided to send greetings to Ole Back and family because of Mrs. Back's illness, likewise to old Ingebrit Satrum of Canton. It was left to the officers to decide the time and place of the next meeting.

In the evening two hundred people enjoyed a sumptuous meal provided by the women. They had made all kinds of good Norwegian food including rømegrøt, gomme, and much more. During the meal Evelyn Vognild, June Pederson, Lillian Engen, and Mrs. Carl Wright provided beautiful music and Mrs. Fjaere sang beautifully "Kan du glemme gamle Norge." The president thanked the congregation for letting the Lag meet there and Pastor Fjaere gave a welcome from the congregation.

The evening program began at 8 o'clock with a song by the men's choir of the congregation. Dr. Einar Haugen, a professor of Norwegian language and literature from the University of Wisconsin gave a very good talk on Rolvaag and his writings. He reminded us that it was Rolvaag who through his writings had acquainted the world with the kind of people the Norwegian pioneers were and of what they had done out here on the western prairies. For it was from here that his ideas came that he used in writing his world famous stories. Sæterjenten's Søndag was played beautifully by Evelyn Vognild and Mrs. Carl Wright and short talks were given by Pastor Fjaere and Mrs. Kristine Haugen. Pastor Fjaere gave the benediction.

Sunday morning there were many people who came and the large church was overflowing for worship services. President J. B. Reese began by reading Psalm 90 and offering prayer. The Zion church choir sang and a collection was taken to defray the expenses of the lag. Pastor Fjaere preached the festival sermon using a text from Jeremiah: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." Many thanks Pastor Fjaere for the clear and good talk you gave us. The church choir sang another song and the benediction was given by Pastor Fjaere.

Sunday afternoon was spent in greeting and visiting with old acquaintances and friends.

Sunday evening there was music again by the aforementioned ladies. The resolutions were read by Guri Back thanking the pastor and the congregation and all who had taken part in the program and to the women of the church for their gracious hospitality. Then one of the Norwegian American films was shown-"A trip through the country of Norway." Pastor Fjaere closed with prayer. Coffee was served in the church parlor. Thanks to everyone who came and to help make this so festive and enjoyable.


Contact us:

 

* Secretary, 
   Pauline Strait, 158 W. Lake Dr., Arlington, SD 57212, 1-605-983-5488, 
   E-mail, phstrait (at) gmail.com 

* Newsletter Editors/Genealogist, 
   Evy Kuecker 3101 11th Ave., Kearney, NE 68845-3332, 1-308-237-5651, 
   E-mail:  evykuecker (at) charter.net

The officers of Opdalslaget are:

Other Officers:

* President, Paul Miller 
* Vice-president, Joel Fagerhaug 
* Treasurer's , John Reese 
* Advertising, Computer & Media Coordinators,
      Sherree Schmiedt and Evelith Kuecker 
* Historians, Mary Rist
* Past President, Howard Reese

Planning committee:

* Edla Aune 
* Carol Broderson
* Stephanie Fagerhaug
* Judy Johnson 
* Ken Mjoen 
* Harold and Peggy Nyhaug 
* Earl & Diane Reese


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Last updated 11/16/2011 08:22 AM -0700