Our board of directors
2022-2023
|
LeAnn Hookom Eden Prairie, MN Co-President
LeAnn grew up in Eden Prairie, MN. She recently retired from Scherer Bros. Lumber where she worked 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
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. Rod Kurth Metamora, IL Vice President
Bio to come |
|
Denny Kalvig Richfield, MN Secretary
Bio to come Marie Thompson Mason City, IA Past Vice President and Associate Director of Genealogy
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. |
|
Doug Johnson Madison, WI Treasurer
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. |
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.
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.
|
Jean Berg Willmar, MN Publicity
Bio to come |
|
|
Julie Clausen New Brighton, MN Director-at-Large
Bio to come |
|
Andy Berg Willmar, MN Director-at-Large
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
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 |
Previous Board Members
