Browse Items (2907 total)

• Christian Brisvold papers, 1832-1903

  Copies of letters and doucments (with some translations by Karl Schulz) of Christian Brisvold and Gunleik Bjornson, both of whom served in Wisconsin regiments in the Civil War. A covering letter explains why much of the materials is illegible. Benson was from Tinn, Telemark, and later lived at Laberton, Minnesota. Also includes a vaccination certificate for Tore Bjørnsdtr, Rollag, Tinn, 1832.
• Magnus Andersen papers, 1895-1937

  Translation of two chapters of a book, 70 Aars Tilbakeblik, written by a Norwegian sea captain and published in Oslo in 1932. A copy of the book is included in the collection. The chapters excerpted deal with the voyage of the Viking from Bergen to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 and later down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Andersen originated the idea of such a boyage and was captain of the crew. A photograph of Anderson from 1937 and clippings included.
  
• Elise Wærenskjold papers, 1839-2010
  

  From the Knut Gjerset papers on women and Norwegian American Encyclopedia.
  
  Letters and other writings regarding Wilhelm and Elise Waerenskjold. A pastor's daughter, Elise lead a party emigrating to Texas between October 1846 and March 1847. The Waerenskjolds married in 1848, settling at Four Mile Prairie. Her letters and other writings serve as a primary source of information about the Norwegians who settled in Texas. 
  
  Also includes:
  

  • Photocopies of letters from Elise Waerenskjold to Oscar Reierson, 1883, 1890
  • Books edited by Charles H. Russell
    • Light on the Prairie: New Writings of Elise Wærenskjold (Houston, TX: Shining Brightly Books, 2010)
    • Undaunted A Norwegian Woman in Frontier Texas (College Station: Texas A & M University Press, 2006).

  View the digital collections online here.
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  R.O. Brandt papers, circa 1824-1929

  Biography/History: 
  Realf Ottesen Brandt was born near Jefferson Prairie, Rock County, Wisconsin in 1859. His father, Nils Olsen Brandt, was born in Slidre, Valdres, Norway. His Mother, Diderikke Ottesen Brandt, was born in Sande Parish, Norway. Nils Brandt was President of Luther College. Realf Brandt graduated from Luther College in 1877, and Luther Seminary in Madison, Wisconsin in 1883. 

  Realf Ottesen was ordained in 1883 by Rev. U.V. Koren. Throughout his 44 years in Lutheran ministry, he served Deuel County, South Dakota, and McFarland, Wisconsin. Beginning in 1906, he was one of the first editors of the Lutheran Herald. Realf Brandt married Thalette “Lettie” Mathilde Galby in 1880.

  Scope and Content: 
  The R.O. Brandt papers consist of various notebooks he kept from 1876-1900, copy books of letters he wrote from 1887-1901, letters from 1906-1907, and a scrapbook created by Lettie Brandt called “Reminiscences of Seventeen Years in the West as a Pastor's Wife” that includes photographs. Also includes letters and documents of Diderikke Brandt.

• Hans Moen papers, 1855-circa 1920

  Photographs, vaccination records, and documents of Ole Olsen Moen and Hans O. Moen. Ole Olsen was born in 1818 in Vaga, Oppland, Norway. He died in 1896 Brown County, Minnesota. Hans O. Moen was born on December 25m 1852 in Lom, Oppland, Norway. He died in St. James, Minnesota. He married Kari Syverson in 1880. They had the following children: Ella, Ole, Olleda, Oliver, and Anver.
• Glimt records, 1889-2023

  Glimt, a book club for Norwegian-American women, formed on November 1, 1889 in Chicago. The group decided to call the book club Glimt, meaning glimpses in Norwegian. They met every other Tuesday in the home of one of the members.
  
  Dues were set at $3.00 per year, to be used for the purchase of books. The secretary kept track of books received and disbursed. Records show that in the first seven years the group read and disbursed 216 books. At each meeting a book would be read aloud and discussed after coffee was served. During the reading, members often did embroidery or other handwork. In 1907, the group formally decided to read books that emphasized the study of Norwegian history.
  
  Items in the collection include a Glimt history, by-laws, recipe book, secretary records from 1889-2015, and three books by Ruth Sonju Madsen (Open my Eye: Thoughts of a Grandma, So Glad You Asked: Thoughts of a Grandma, Both Sides of the Ocean: The Sonju Family Heritage and Immigration Story).
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  Synneve Brugjeld Skrenes papers, 1881-1956

  Biography/History: 
  Synneve Brugjeld was born in Balestrand, Sogn, Norway, on March 30, 1845 to Peder Nielsen Brugjeld and Gjertrud Olsdatter Thorsnaes. With her parents, four brothers (Niels, Ole, Bottolf, and Peter P.), and one sister (Kari), she left Bergen, Norway in 1848 aboard the sailing vessel Dorothea and arrived in New York, NY on July 5, 1848. 

  In 1865, after the end of the Civil War, Synneve moved with her family to Emmet County, Iowa. Synneve eventually Americanized her name to Susan Peterson. On November 6, 1870, she was united in marriage to John Knudtson Skrenes (John Johnson) at Lakeside Farm by Reverend T.H. Dahl. John and Synneve had eight children: Severina Gjertina (Tina) (Johnson) of Bricelyn, MN, Nels J. of Wallingford, IA, Petra Johannah (Hannah) (Olsen) of Pequot, MN, Carrie (Anderson) of Wallingford, IA, Helen (Berg) of Estherville, IA, Sena Josephine (Carter) of Blue Earth, MN, Bertha Randina and Manda Telende (Larsen) of Wallingford, IA. Bertha died at the age of 2, but the other seven children survived to adulthood. 

  Scope and Content: 
  Family photographs, books, and personal letters of Synneva Brugjeld Skrenes from the estate of Wesley and Irene Anderson.

• Scandinavian Recipes cookbook, undated

  "Scandinavian Recipes: Come for Coffee" cookbook.
• Ole Rude letters, circa 1870

  Letters written to Ole Rude of Coon Valley, Wisconsin, circa 1870s. Also includes receipts for Fadrelandet newspaper (1867, 1874) and Norden (1884), and advertisement for "The Lion Drugstore i La Crosse, H. Heyerdahl."
• University Lutheran Church of Hope cookbook, circa 1945

  Cook book from University Lutheran Church of Hope, Minneapolis, Minnesota.