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“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
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Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
Their husbands will be the first
Velkommen! Norwegian tourists visit area By K irsten Zoellner kirsten@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Music!
Come Enjoy
In this area, we take national heritage as a badge of honor. The Irish, Germans, and Norwegians who settled these bluffs and valleys could still see many of their traditions being held today. In something of a reverse of ancestral path walking, an eager group from Norway recently expounded on the heritage of their family that settled in this area through a multi-day tour. Fifty-five Norwegian visitors from Byneset, Sor-Trondelag, Norway arrived in the states, The husbands of Eloise Hoff and Martha Quanrud, Earl Hoff and Clarence Quanrud will be the via New York, September 11, first veterans to be buried at the Minensota State Veterans Cemetary in Preston on Veterans Day. and after touring the Twin CitPhoto by Jason Sethre ies area, made a three day stop By Jason Sethre Hoff died at the age of 81, followraised their families in Preston. in the Rushford Peterson Val Earl and Eloise raised five chil- ing a lengthy battle with cancer, ley and Houston areas. The jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com dren: Deborah, Bruce, Greg, Brian, after 58 years of marriage to Elogroup, who mostly belong to Eloise Hoff and Martha Quan- and Brad. Clarence and Mar- ise. the Byneset Historical Society, rud have a lot common. tha Quanrud raised two children, And, then on May 3, 2011, come from the area around For starters, they Clarence Quanrud Tronheim and had hopes to both married men who died at the age of 77 talk with descendants of early served in the U.S. miliat St. Mary’s Hospisettlers in the late 1800s. These tary. tal in Rochester, after included the family names of After graduating 53 years of marriage Overby, Gaustad, Peterson, from Spring Grove to Martha. Braa, Rye, and Bodsberg. High School in 1947, Earl’s obituary The tour had been in the Earl Hoff then enlisted read... planning stages for more than a in the U.S. Air Force for Earl’s love for year, according to local coordinine years and served in music followed him nator Lori Peterson. Begun in the Korean War. wherever he went. part by a kinship between local Meanwhile, followHe sang with church residents Truman and Pat Dahl ing his graduation from choirs since his high and a Norwegian friend they’d Preston High School in school days, and met in Norway, the group had 1951, Clarence Quanwith the State Line initially planned to bring two Earl Hoff Clarence Quanrud rud attended Luther ColMale Chorus and the tour buses, as the tour sold out lege in Decorah for one Luren Singers of DecPhotos courtesy of quickly in Norway. However, year and then enlisted in orah, Iowa. He and his according to Peterson, the size Boots & Badges: Honoring Fillmore County Veterans the U.S. Navy, serving wife enjoyed dancing, Summer muSic at was reduced to one bus due from 1952 to 1956 on and one of the his mostriverSide on root to the scale of the 10-day U.S. the U.S.S. Oriskany in the Pacific. Susan and Stuart. enjoyed pastimes was attending tour. The Norwegian tour comth Eloise (Myrah) Hoff married And, while raising their families, sporting Sunday, September 6 events in which his sons pany is contemplating a second Earl Hoff on June 25, 1951, and both the Hoffs and Quanruds were andcharlie grandchildren were involved. Warner 5pm-9pm visit in 2016. Martha (Johnson) Quanrud mar- very involved in their church and Earl enjoyed whittling, was an While the tour did have a preried Clarence Quanrud on Octo- the community. avid golfer, and was a longtime set itinerary, portions of it were ber 17, 1958. On September 25, 2009, Earl amiss and a meeting was set up See VETERANS Page 3 Both the Hoffs and Quanruds
Dirty
Martini
Lounge
109 S. Parkway, Lanesboro, MN 55949 • www.RiversideOnTheRoot.com
two days prior to the group’s arrival to formulate a local itinerary. Additional coordination for the tour was aided by Bill and Patti (Gaustad) Hovertson of Waseca, and Rushford residents Anne Spartz and Susie Olson. The group was divided at times to better accommodate more detailed small group tours. The group ventured for lunch at Norsland Lefse in Rushford upon arriving in the area. While one might think this would lend some comfort of home to the group, the traditions we hold here are vastly different from in Norway. Our curious affinity for lutefisk and lefse is not at all their experience, as they prepare the dishes in an alternate manner. While delighted with the lunch and the gift shop, they were not particularly curious about the mass-production of lefse, according to Peterson. After lunch, the group traveled to the Oak Ridge area, the South Fork Cemeteries, and then stopped in the Choice community to visit and see the creamery. Peterson states the group was very pleased with their stop in Choice, visiting with locals and sharing our traditional Lutheran fare of bars, lemonade, and coffee. Some struck up particularly deeprooted conversations regarding the creamery and farming, according to Peterson. The group returned to Rushford and toured the 1867 Historic Depot, which the group found fascinating. The additional site buildings, including the restored cabin, 1919 jailhouse, and 1890 Grinde Schoolhouse were also a hit. At one point, all those visSee Norwegian Page 12