Our board of directors
2018-2019
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LeAnn Hookom Eden Prairie, MN Co-President lehookom@gmail.com
LeAnn grew up in Eden Prairie, MN. She works at Scherer Bros. Lumber as an estimator and sales assistant. LeAnn’s keeps busy with church activities, playing hand bells in the church hand bell choir, going on Rebuilding Mission Trips each year, playing guitar and piano, and all things Norwegian. She has traveled to Norway and Sweden many times and studied Norwegian Language for many years. Her Hedmark ancestors come from Grue. Kathy Johnson Madison, WI Co-President and Director of Membership kjohnson44@ameritech.net
Kathy Johnson grew up near Lakeville, MN, graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, and has lived in Madison, WI since 1967. She is a retired teacher, community volunteer, and president of the Sognefjordlag as well as membership chair of the Solørlag. Her husband Doug is also on the Solørlag board serving as treasurer. She is the mother of two, grandmother of three and is 7/8th Norwegian and 1/8 Swedish. She has connected with four sets of 4th cousins in Norway, and has visited there 5 times. |
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Marie Thompson Mason City, IA Vice President and Associate Director of Genealogy marthom@mchsi.com
Marie Thompson, became a member of Solørlag in 1986 along with her husband, Carlos, who has roots in Solør. Marie was born in McConnelsville, Ohio. After the first semester of the first grade she moved with her mother and brother to West Milton, Ohio and finished school there, graduating in 1956. She and Carlos have four sons, and seven grandchildren. When the youngest son was in sixth grade, Marie became a student at NIACC in a two-year Mechanical Design career program. Her other activities include membership in North Iowa Woodcarvers Guild and acts as co-instructor for recorder and harmonica classes as well as being enrolled in a few other Life Long Learning Classes at North Iowa Area Community College. Marie has been a member of Puppeteers of America , Inc. since 1984. |
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LaVonne Hookom Willmar, MN Secretary rlhookom@yahoo.com
LaVonne grew up on a dairy farm about 20 miles from Willmar. Her family was deeply rooted in a community with a rich Norwegian heritage. LaVonne and her husband Bob enjoyed attending many Norwegian – American organizations and Scandinavian Festivals. Traveling has broadened her horizons and sparked an interest in genealogy, writing family history, planning family reunions and photography. She has been to Norway 10 times. Bob and LaVonne were elected Co Directors of Publications shortly before Bob’s illness and death. She has been Secretary since 2006. She was Priscilla’s Tour Assistant for the 2007 Norway-Sweden Tour and the 2013 Solørlag/Romerikslag Norway Tour. Her Hedmark ancestors came from Stange, Åmot and Stor-Elvdal. She has an expanding family which provides joy to her life plus doing volunteer work for her church and spending time with her friends. |
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Doug Johnson Madison, WI Treasurer djohnson44@ameritech.net
Doug was raised in a small town on the North Dakota prairie, graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis with a degree in physics and moved to Madison where he taught high school physics for 35 years before retiring. In addition to Solørlag involvement, he keeps busy with activities at church, with volunteering as an usher at Madison's Overture Center for the Arts, with some volunteer duties for the League of Women Voters (it’s not just for women!), supervising a polling place on election days, and supervising student teachers for a local, private college. He is married with two grown children and three grandchildren. His ancestors hail from Åsnes, Solør and Gubrandsdahl. |
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Rod Kurth Metamora, IL Director of Publication rskurth@mtco.com
Rod Kurth was born and raised in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA (‘89) and MA (’92). For about 10 years, his primary employment was at home dad. He now works for the Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He has five adult children, 7 grandchildren, each of whom has him completely under their spell. In addition to doing his own genealogy, Rod volunteers at the local LDS family history center. His Hedmark ancestors came from Aasnes farms, including Melsnes, Melby, Glorvigen, Bagaasen, Nygaarden, and others. |
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Pam and Jerry Solwey God's Country of Montana Directors of Publicity pwoodsolwey@gmail.com
We were both born in ND and lived in Fargo for over 30 years before moving to Montana. Pam was a Registered Nurse and Jerry was a professional semi driver. The first time I went to a Solørlag Stevne in Fargo I was in heaven over the friendly members and of course the library. I couldn't wait to find my mother's family. She was so proud of her Scandinavian heritage and passed it on to me. Jerry is a Norwegian by proxy but has enjoyed all the Stevnes - especially helping with hospitality. My hobbies are genealogy and embroidery and Jerry enjoys the Montana wildlife, his garden and playing pinochle. We didn't have any children so we try to influence the nephews and nieces several of which have been to Scandinavia. We are looking forward to the next Stevne in Fergus Falls. |
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Vicky Finstad Eau Claire, WI Director-at-Large vfinstad@yahoo.com
Vicky's early years were spent in Trempealeau and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin. From third grade on, she and her parents lived in Eau Claire. After graduating from Memorial High School, she completed two years at UW-Eau Claire before transferring to UW-Madison to pursue a pharmacy degree. She was a pharmacist for 38 years; most of it on the same street, although in 3 different retail pharmacies. Vicky has served several terms on the Solørlag Board of Directors and was a principal organizer of three Eau Claire stevner. She has traveled to Norway eight times and has found several relatives and more lines to pursue. Her winter hobby is downhill skiing, which has taken her to seven counties and ten states, so far...but she hasn’t skied in Norway yet. Since her farmor emigrated from Stange in 1914, Vicky’s intense interest in all things Norsk comes quite naturally. Her parents were fluent Norwegian speakers with different dialects, they used it infrequently as adults; but both bestemødre spoke it often. Her ancestors came from farms which include Sorknes in Grue, Aker in Flisa and Gaaskjøølen in Elverum. Some of her ancestry also derives from the first Finn emigrants to Trysil and the Finnskog. She also has ancestry in Ringebo-Faavang, Ottaa and Sør Fron in Gudbrandsdal and Luster in Sognefjord. |
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Andy Berg Willmar, MN Director-at-Large aj.berg@live.com
Andy Berg grew up on a farm near Willmar. He holds a BA degree from Augsburg College and an MSW from the U of Georgia Graduate School of Social Work. He is retired after having spent nearly 40 years in the social work profession. He and his wife of 50 years, Jean, enjoy traveling and have made several trips to Norway and other European countries as well as having traveled to all 50 states. They have 4 children and 8 grand children. They are active in their church and enjoy camping, hiking, volunteering, and participating in various Norwegian/American activities. |
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Shanna Kurth Metamora, IL Director-at-Large: Webmaster and Library Materials Manager hoomau@mtco.com
Shanna Kurth was born in Juneau, Alaska and raised in Kahala, Hawaii. She graduated from Kalani High School and Brigham Young University, where she earned a BS, MS, and PhD in psychology. She is a clinical neuropsychologist in Peoria, IL, where she resides with her husband, Rod. They have 5 lovely children and 7 perfect grandchildren. She is an avid hiker, kayaker, bicyclist, and genealogist. As evident from her photo, she is much more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it. |
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Mary Martin Minneapolis, MN Director-at-Large mmartin_mpls@hotmail.com
Mary Martin grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from North High School where she took two years of Norwegian and also graduated from Augsburg College with a BA in Scandinavian Studies. In 1985 she became a member of Solørlag. She also belongs to Gudbrandsdalslaget and Trønderlaget. Activities include Nidaros Lodge 1-001 Sons of Norway and volunteers at Mindekirken. She is retired and has a grown daughter and son. Mary's father was born in Kirkenær, Grue, Solør and her mother's ancestors come from East Gausdal, Gudbrandsdal, England and Sweden |
Elaine Helgeson Hasleton Salt Lake City, UT Director of Genealogy
HasletonEE@familysearch.org
Elaine is an Alexandria, Minnesota native, who currently works as a Deputy in the Chief Genealogical Office for FamilySearch in Salt Lake City. She is currently the Bygdelagenes Fellesraad President, and enjoys working with all the bygdelag. Her passion is Finnskog and Solør research, having made numerous trips to Norway, including Hedmark county, Norway and also Värmland county, Sweden. Elaine and her husband, Jim, also from Alexandria, have three daughters and six grandchildren.