Framed Oil Painting
Donated to the Ager Association

Lois Missman, one of Eau Claire’s most talented artists, recently donated a framed oil painting she had done in 1999 to the Ager Association. It is titled Gamle Norge and is a lovely scene set in the mountains of Norway with two girls in their celebratory bunads standing in a field outside a small village. It is now hanging at the top of the stairway to the second floor at the Ager House and is a beautiful addition to the entrance of the new library.

"Gamle Norge"

Winter 2008 classes popular

Classes at the Ager House during winter 2008 have been a great success! Since the beginning of January, the Ager Association has been hosting more than sixty people in language and folk art courses each week on a continuing basis.

Several language classes are being taught at the Ager House. On Monday evenings each week, Dale Gable helps four to eight students practice their Spanish speaking skills. She holds these informal sessions on a drop-in basis and will continue throughout the semester. Ruth Nilsen started teaching Beginning Norwegian to twenty-two students who are eager to “snakke norsk” on January 9th. The students are making great strides and will study the rudiments of the language until the end of April. Eleven students continue to develop their language skills in the Intermediate/Advanced Norwegian class on Thursday evenings. They are guided by Eldbjorg Tobin and will continue learning new ways to communicate in Norwegian until the end of April also.

Folk Art classes have been very well received also. Experienced chip-carver, Virginia VanVuren, teaches twelve enthusiastic wood carvers in a series of six three-hour classes at 9 a.m. on Thursday mornings. And from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. each Thursday afternoon, eleven women focus on Hardanger embroidery in a six-week class, which began on February 7, 2008. Louise Koxlien guides the class in this traditional folk art – cutting and embroidering fabric.

Obviously, many people are enjoying the classes and having a good time learning during these winter courses. The Ager Association is meeting a need in the community and is truly helping to foster a better understanding of the emigrants who came to the Chippewa Valley.

A chance meeting at the Norsk Hostfest in Minot, ND

When Borgny Ager and Karren Bloom, both grandchildren of Gurolle and Waldemar Ager, joined a bus tour, led by members Gordon and Gloria Thorpe, to the Norsk Hostfest, in Minot, ND, from October 9 – 13, 2007, little did they know that they had a special treat in store. They met wonderful people with whom they traveled and had a great time, but the highlight of their trip was a totally unexpected meeting with Harry T. Cleven.

Cleven attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis and then went to Luther Seminary where he became an ordained pastor. After serving a Norwegian church in the Twin cities, he moved to Norway, where he now serves an English -speaking church. But the most important part of his background for members of the Ager Association to know is that he is the person who translated Waldemar Ager’s book, On the Way to the Melting Pot. However, he had never met any of the Ager family, and they, of course, did not know him. So, they had an interesting visit and learned that Harry Cleven translated the book as a self-chosen task. The Ager Association is, indeed, fortunate he made that choice!

Borgny Ager, Harry Cleven and Karren Bloom at Norsk Hostfest

Ager Association Fall Program
A Big Success

H. Christine Midelfort gave an excellent presentation about “Norwegian Immigrant Physicians” to a large audience at the Fall Program of the Ager Association. She based her talk on research she has done on the subject, stories of family history, and her background in Scandinavian studies and anthropology. She was knowledgeable and easy to follow, which made the event a learning experience as well as a very enjoyable evening for members and friends.

Board member Ella Ager Fossum introduces H. Christine Midelfort

Eau Claire Library book group meets at Ager House

The morning book group from the city library met at the Ager House in May. Tim Hirsch, Ager Board Member and retired UWEC English professor, led the discussion of Ager’s Into the Melting Pot, which the group had selected as their May “read.”

“Being in the actual home of the author and seeing the family pictures really made the discussion more interesting. Tim’s enthusiasm for Waldemar Ager and his works gave us a more meaningful understanding of his work and the issues he supported,” said Sue Glenz, group member.

Following the discussion and a tour of the Ager House, a buffet lunch was served.

Membership Meeting

Sunday, April 30, 2:00
Membership Meeting: Sunday, April 30, 1:30 PM
Senior Center
Reception at Ager House at 3:00 p.m.

Richard Kozbial speaks about “Poland—Then and Now”

Waldemar Ager mainly wrote and spoke about the immigrant experiences of Norwegian Americans, but he was also interested in the experiences of other immigrant groups. He talked regularly with the editors of German, Swedish, and Polish language newspapers. They shared an interest in how recent immigrants deal with the pressures of assimilation-- how can they preserve their mother tongues and the best cultural elements of their home countries while surviving and thriving in their new homeland? From its beginnings, the Ager Association has included in its mission the study and presentation of programs about the experiences and cultures of all immigrant groups.

Richard Kozbial

This year the Association has invited Richard Kozbial to speak from his experiences as the son of Polish immigrants, and from his knowledge of contemporary Poland. He has visited Poland more that fifteen times, beginning with his first in 1948 with his parents. His presentation will include photographs, a display of traditional Polish artifacts, and his analysis of how Poland has changed since his parents’emigration.

Before and after Mr. Kozbial’s presention at the Senior Center, Betty and Laverne Pampuch of Whitehall will play traditional Polish music.

Following the program, there will be an Open House at the nearby Ager House. At the reception, you will be invited to taste Polish pastries, coffee, and other treats. Ellie Paulson will display her collection of Ukranian eggs and demonstrate the painting process for visitors.

In the photo of Richard on page one, he is holding a bowl of paczki, a traditional Polish delicacy he bakes for the Tuesday before lent. He invites his friends to his house on “Fat Tuesday” to taste paczki and other Polish foods. The glass bowl holding the paczki in the photo was created and inscribed to Richard by artist friends from the Fine Arts Academy in Wroclaw, Poland.

Also in the photo, Mr. Kozbial is wearing a shirt with a wycinanki design on the front. Wycinanki are traditional Polish cut outs usually layered with symbols indicating their area in Poland. The one worn by Richard was designed by Catherine Macaro, an author and illustrator of books for children. Ms. Macaro shares both a Polish heritage and friendship with Richard Kozbial.

Membership Meeting

Sunday, April 17, 2:00, 2005

One of the visitors to the Scandinavian Room at the UWEC International Folk Festival stopped to see Rod Johnson’s slides of the Western coast of Norway. The visitor pointed to one of the slides and said, “Oh, I know that building. I live about two blocks from there.” That caught Rod’s attention, and he struck up a conversation with the visitor, Silje Guldberg.

Silje agreed to be our guest for the Spring Membership Meeting. She is attending Fall Creek High School this year on an exchange program. Silje (pronounced the way we might pronounce “Celia”) and her family live on the island of Hadsel, just north of the Lofoten Islands, in a town named Melbu. Melbu is 68 degrees 30 minutes north of the equator, about 150 miles north of the Artic Circle.

Silje Gulberg, Norwegian exchange student

Her family in Melbu consists of her mother, father, an older sister, and a younger sister. In Fall Creek, her host family is the Dean Strasburg family. At the end of the school year, she will be returning to her home in Norway.

Silje’s year in Fall Creek includes studies in Spanish, Art, Economics, and English. She also takes part in many school activities, both as a participant and as a spectator. It was difficult for us to find a weekend open on her schedule for her to come to our meeting. She will be going to the prom on one of the weekends we suggested, and another weekend in April, she is going on a two-day field trip. We are lucky she was able to find an open Sunday afternoon in her schedule.

Silje already speaks five languages—Norwegian, English, Danish, Swedish, and Spanish. She hopes to attend college in another country so that she can learn yet another language.

Please come to the meeting with questions to ask Silje, questions about herself, her home in Norway, and about her experiences as an exchange student in Fall Creek. We might ask her about schools in Norway, about holidays, about summers in the midnight sun. We might ask her about traveling on boats, about fishing, about cooking and favorite foods. This would be an excellent opportunity to bring along a young friend or family member. Silje enjoys meeting people of all ages, but especially people her own age.

Celebrate The 100th Anniversary
Of Norway’s Constitution

May 17, 2005

Lake Street Methodist Church
337 Lake Street, Eau Claire

Social Hour: 5:00 PM
Norwegian Smørgasbord: 6:00 PM

Tickets are $15 if purchased by May 11. After May 11, tickets will be $16. Get your tickets early. Seating is limited. We expect to be sold out by May 14. Tickets are available at Scandinavian Imports (715) 834-2261 and Sons of Norway (715) 835-8718.

The Syttende Mai Celebration is Sponsored by the Sons of Norway Løven Lodge 29, Norden Folk (MWISC) and the Waldemar Ager Association. The Celebration organizer, Ev Krigsvold, is President of Løven Lodge 29, and a member of the Ager Association Board.

2005 Marks the Centennial of Norway’s Independence

Løven Lodge plans celebration

Although Norway’s Constitution was signed May 17, 1814, it wasn’t until June 7, 1905 that Norway declared its independence from Sweden and became a truly independent nation. The Norwegian government, the Norwegian American Foundation, and the Norwegian Foreign Ministry have launched a plan for centennial celebrations in the U.S.

The Sons of Norway, Løven Lodge Number 29, will hold a celebration on October 7th, 2005, in collaboration with sister lodges, Trygvasson and Viking. As part of the celebration, The Norwegian Glee Club of Minneapolis will present a concert of Scandinavian, American patriotic, and other popular music. The concert will be held on October 7, at 7:00 PM, at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepard, 1120 Cedar Street in Eau Claire.
Ev Krigsvold, Løven Lodge President

The Ager House is one of three historical homes included in a project designed to explore how 19th century immigrants became acclimated to their settlement in Eau Claire. The Schlegelmilch house, built by a German-American family, represents one family's response to life in a new world, and the Ager house represents another. The third house in the group of three is the Anderson house, a log house now part of the Chippewa Valley Museum.

This fall, members of the UWEC history and foreign languages departments, museum personnel, and representatives from the Ager Association participated in a two-day workshop with three grant-supported consultants to craft a vision for the project and explore possible goals. The members of this working committee are considering ways to bring the lessons taught by these three houses to a larger audience of both students and adults.

Hirsch named Volunteer of the Year

FALL 2004 The Ager Association has named Tim Hirsch the Volunteer of the Year for 2004. Hirsch was instrumental in the initial organization of the Ager Association, and he was its first president. He serves on the programs committee and has written a number of grants to support programming at the house.

As a teacher of Wisconsin literature, Hirsch discovered Ager's literary works by reading and teaching Sons of the Old Country. He considers the fiction of Waldemar Ager to be an important literary treasure and he is pleased to be part of an organization that has done so much to bring Ager's work to a larger audience by getting several of his books back in print.

After the presentation, Hirsch said, "This award means a great deal to me. There are so many who deserve it. I am deeply honored."

Hirsch follows Rod Johnson, the 2003 recipient.

Knitting Along the Viking Trail brings 521 people to Ager House

The knitting designs created by fabric artist Elsebeth Lavold drew large numbers of people to the Ager house. A total of 521 people came to the house to see, smell, touch, and marvel at the technical quality and the historical references used by Ms. Lavold in her designs. Read more . . .

Artist Elsebeth Lavold and exhibit

A 2004 reminiscence: Elspeth Lavold's account of Knitting across the Viking Trail exhibit

Bookcase returns home

Thanks to a generous gift by Ella Fossum, one of the bookcases that once stood next to the desk in the study has returned to its ancestral spot.

Ella is the daughter of Trygve and Elvira Ager, and the granddaughter of Waldemar Ager. She lives in Racine where she teachers in the Racine public schools. Her father, Trygve, like her grandfather, was a writer of journalism and fiction. His translation of Sons of the Old Country continues to be praised for the way it captures the tone and style of the original Norwegian.

December 2004

The Fourth Annual Advent at the Ager House will be on Sunday, December 5, 1:30 to 4:00 in the afternoon. Come help us celebrate our knowledge that light will come again, even in the darkest season. Bring a friend or family member. Everyone is welcome

We are planning activities for every age. Stay for an hour or the entire afternoon. Join with others making traditional holiday crafts, singing holiday songs, or cooking holiday foods.

This year we are planning special activities for children, so bring your little ones. Or find a grandchild, niece or nephew, and introduce them to the magic of advent.

Ager Exhibit at UWEC International Folk Fair on Sunday, November 7, at UW-Eau Claire's Davies Center, from noon to 4:00 p.m. in the Scandinavian Room. Last year, the Ager exhibit won the fair's prize for educational value.

November 2004

Public Library Book Discussion Group Selects Christ Before Pilate for its November Meeting. The group will meet at the Ager House on Thursday, November 29, at 7:00 in the evening.

The group has asked to hold its meeting at the house because the book they have chosen is one of Ager's, Christ Before Pilate. Two members of the library book group had read the book and recommended it for discussion. Anyone who has read the book is welcome to participate.

From 1903 until he died, Waldemar Ager was a member of the library board. In the lower meeting room of the Ager House, you will find a bronze plaque commissioned by the library board when Ager died. The plaque commemorates Ager's contributions to the library during his 28 years of service on the board.

The selection of Christ Before Pilate by the library book group is a confirmation of the importance of our association's mission to have as many Ager books in print and available as we can.

On the Way to the Melting Pot back in print. When Ager's
novel, On the Way to the Melting Pot, sold out, the Ager Association made it a priority toget it back in print. With the help of memorial donations, we have made the popular novel available again. To purchase this and other books, contact Ev Krigsvold, (715) 835-8717

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