Our board of directors

2020-2021

LeAnn Hookom         Eden Prairie, MN ​      Co-President                                                  

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. 
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Kathy Johnson    Madison, WI      Co-President and Director of Membership                
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​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.
Marie Thompson          Mason City, IA        Vice President and Associate Director of Genealogy              
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​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              
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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.
Doug Johnson         Madison, WI            Treasurer                                                       
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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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Elaine Helgeson Hasleton   Salt Lake City, UT   Director of Genealogy

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.
 
​Pam and Jerry Solwey     God's Country of Montana       Directors of Publicity            
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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.
Karen Weiberg  Minneapolis, MN   Archives/History
karen.knit10@yahoo.com
​Picture and Bio to be added soon.
Julie Clausen              New Brighton, MN            Director-at-Large                                              

​Bio to come
Andy Berg              Willmar, MN                  Director-at-Large                                                        
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​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.
Shanna Kurth       Metamora, IL      Director-at-Large: Webmaster and  Library Materials Manager                      
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.
 Mary Martin       Minneapolis, MN        Director-at-Large                                        
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​M​ary 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