Stevne

2019 Stevne WILLMAR, MN

September 11-14, 2019
Romerikslag and Solørlag Joint Stevne Schedule
Willmar Conference Center Best Western Plus, 2100 East Highway 12, Willmar, MN 56201 Reservations call – 320-235-6060 - Guest Room rates $109.99 - Reserve by August 11, 2019   Group rate code word-“Solør-Romeriks”   -- Includes breakfast   Tuesday night – Set up Research Room Wednesday, September 11
Research Day – Workshops 1:30 pm –Presentation - Elaine Hasleton – Finnskog Research 3:00 pm – Presentation - Rod Kurth – Digital Archives of Norway 5:00 pm – Board meetings – joint and separately with dinner.
Thursday, September 12
8:30 am- Registration, Genealogy, Silent Auction & Hospitality 9:00 am - Opening Session – Welcome, Anthems, Introduce Officers and First Time Attendees. Show and Tell by members
10:00 am - Dean Urdahl -- “Dakota Uprising events in the Willmar area”
11:45 am - Bus leaves for tour - Kandiyohi County Historical Museum with a box lunch social and view exhibits - Guri Endresen Memorial at Vikor Church – Pioneer Log Church of Norway Lake/Interpretive Center/Cabin. Kelsey Olson Park Naturalist will tell about area Norwegians part in Sibley State Park beginnings with stories about her grandfather and others – WWI Veterans Conservation Corps built the park buildings during 1935-38 – Sibley Park is celebrating 100 years!
The movie “The 12th Man” which is the story about Jan Balsrud’s escape from Norway during WWII will be shown for those not going on the bus tour.
6:30 pm -- Supper 7:30 pm--Evening entertainment by Greg Harp – “The Sacred Places of Kandiyohi County.”
Open Mike – Marie Thompson Leader ‘A time to share your talent! Sing, play an instrument, tell a story or joke, bring your favorite game, etc.’

Friday, September 13
9:00 am - Registration, Genealogy, Silent Auction & Hospitality
9:00 am- Vendors & Demonstrators
9:15 am - Barb Levin -- overview of her book “Old Norway Lake Reminiscences,” stories by Gabriel Stene
9:30 am- Presentation – Lowell Torkelson – “Scandinavian Folk Art”   10:45 am - Presentation - Larry Odin Opseth – Author of “Homesteaders Hopes” Noon - Lunch - Introduce first time stevne attendees. Open to all members to attend.
1:30 pm – Presentation – Earl Knutson “Scandinavian Culture in Modern Minnesota”
   3:00 pm – Annual Meeting and Election of Officers – Both lags 4:00 pm – Silent Auction closes
4:00 pm - Research Materials packed up
5:45 -- 6:00 pm--Group Photo and Board Members photo
6:30 pm -- Bunad /Sweater Banquet                     Entertainment by “Sound Image” an award winning barbershop quartet

Saturday, September 14
9:30 am – Memorial Service – Vicky Finstad & Mary Baumgartner, Pianist- Jean Berg
10:30 am -- Presentation - Elaine Mackin – Beginning DNA
Noon Lunch -
Stevne adjourns for another year.

WHAT IS A STEVNE? A convention or meeting.
We hold our stevner in September at various Midwest locations. We bring our extensive, varied, and ever-expanding collection of research materials for our registrants -- which are often in use until the wee small hours of the morning. Our library includes numerous resources for Solør genealogy research as well as general Hedmark materials and Finnish/Swedish Finnskog regions.

We often congregate on Wednesday for 3 days of focused genealogy research. Featured events on Thursday and Friday may include banquets, Norwegian crafts demonstrations, interesting speakers, tours of local areas of interest, films, and trading the latest Ole and Lena jokes.

What to Bring to THIS event