Norway House is partnering with the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center in Spring Grove to bring a taste of Minnesota’s first Norwegian settlement in Minneapolis! A charming and vibrant town in Southeastern Minnesota, Spring Grove is a perfect focus as we work to highlight the many vibrant historically Norwegian communities around the United States. Onsite security provided.

Peruse displays from Giants of the Earth, comic strip characters Han Ola og Han Per, and other Spring Grove organizations and destinations, and see some of the stories from the Giants Oral Histories Project.

Our Spring Grove friends join the community at our neighbor Mindeirken for a tour of the historic church and to stay for lunch and the program of the week:
Mary Rosendahl—food scientist, quilter, and certified autobiography instructor. Mary enjoys marrying her interests in food and quilting with family history to help others create family keepsakes.

A skilled writing instructor, Brenda Hudson, will guide grandparents and grandchildren through facilitated writing exercises, learning more about each other and capturing a shared family memory or two.

Join our dear friends at Mindekirken for their weekly lunch and lecture program, featuring Ellen Hofsø—author of nine popular fiction books providing glimpses into the lived experiences of the Sami in Scandinavia.

Her most recent book—Messe for de navnløse (A Mass for the Nameless)—was inspired by a mass held by Pastor Gunnar Kristiansen in 2004. Having taken place on a cemetery in Gildeskål, Norway, the mass was for all of the Sami who were buried in an unmarked mass grave. The presentation will be held in a style that is called bokbad (book bath) in Norway, where Ellen Hofsø and Pastor Gunnar will engage in a dialogue about her book.

Kim Donaldson is a storyteller interested in Genealogy, History, Photography and Travel since a young girl. She has been archiving vintage photography and old family stories for years. Magnus and Gina: Unbeaten by the North Dakota Prairie is a nonprofit philanthropy project for the National Association of the Deaf. Kim is the great granddaughter of Magnus and Gina.

Join us to hear Gunnar Nerheim, University of Stavanger professor emeritus of modern history, speak about his new book. Norsemen Deep in the Heart of Texas: Norwegian Immigrants 1845–1900 will be hot off the press from Texas A&M University Press. This free event is co-hosted with the Norwegian American Historical Society. Books will be available for purchase from Ingebretsen’s, and the Kaffebar will be open for snacks and beverages before and after the talk.

In this in-person 4-week workshop, you will be guided by writing instructor Brenda Hudson to examine your past and construct written vignettes or “captured moments” of your life. Using Brenda’s “story project” technique, you’ll identify themes and pivotal moments in your life, as well as your values and beliefs, as a way to organize your work. From this structure, you will write your life story by story, resulting in a collection of memories and the know-how to continue your legacy writing, if desired. 

In this in-person 4-week workshop, you will be guided by writing instructor Brenda Hudson to examine your past and construct written vignettes or “captured moments” of your life. Using Brenda’s “story project” technique, you’ll identify themes and pivotal moments in your life, as well as your values and beliefs, as a way to organize your work. From this structure, you will write your life story by story, resulting in a collection of memories and the know-how to continue your legacy writing, if desired. 

Learn how to make lefse with Heidi Eger!

A Grandparents & Grandchildren Heart-to-Heart with Brenda Hudson.