2017 Logo

Norwegian-American
Bygdelagenes Fellesraad


"Happy to provide you with the most current bygdelag information available, on the web."

Welcome to Fellesraad's event pages.

Here you will find information on events planned by the Fellesraad or its associated lags.

(To have your lag event listed on this page contact the webmaster.)



Fellesraad Annual Meeting and Educational Presentations

The theme for the 2024 Annual meeting was: "Crossings 2025"
The sessions were held on Friday May 3rd.(both in-person and on Zoom)
and on Saturday, May 4th. (in-person only).

2019 Group Photo

Representatives from each of twenty-nine bygdelag meet yearly in Minneapolis beginning on the Friday before the first Saturday in May. 

Each Bygdelag should be represented by two delegates who have voting responsibility at the Saturday Business Meeting. Please indicate these individuals on the registration form.

Information about past meetings:

The theme for the 2024 Annual meeting was: "Crossings 2025"

The sessions were held on Friday May 3rd.(both in-person and on Zoom)

and on Saturday, May 4th. (in-person only).


Sessions Schedule:
Friday, 3 May (Hybrid Meeting & In-Person):

Amy Boxrud, Executive Director, Norwegian American Historical Association, spoke on bygdelag materials and re-indexing all Lag materials; as well as significant 1925 Norse-American Centennial materials in their Archive.

FamilySearch virtual class - What's New in FamilySearch (Judith Kay, Special FamilySearch Instructor).

2025 Bicentennial Celebration. A little background & history of the 2025 event. Assistance & planning ideas for lags will be provided for the 2025 stevner, such as topic helps along with some speaker and virtual presentations that may be used.

Saturday, 4 May (Business Meeting, In-Person only at Mindekirken):

Roll call; identify delegates

Business Meeting

  Officers' Reports:

President
Secretary
Treasurer
Vice President's report on Norwegian Lag Week in Salt Lake City

Nomination Committee & Election of Officers

Bob Torkelson has retired from the board.
Don Tigen was elected as the new Treasurer.
Jeff Huset was elected as a new director.

Norway House Report: Bygdelag Special Collections, Haugo Bibliotek

Succinct Reports of Highlights of 2024 from Bygdelags

Speaker Fredrik Larsen, Chief Editor of the Aftenposten History Magazine, speaking about 2025 Bicentennial plans in Norway and other related topics.

Group Tables for Editors, Webmasters, Treasurers, Genealogists

Fredrik Larsen will talk individually with Lag people.

Our theme for the 2023 meeting was: Sharing and Expanding Our Skills

Our schedule and presenters included the following:

Friday, 5 May (Guest Presentations, on Zoom only):

  • 9:30 - 10:30 am: "The Norwegian Emigrant Experience and the 2025 Bicentennial Commemoration."
    (Terje Joranger - Norwegian Emigration Museum)
  • 10:45 - 11:30 am: "Famous Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans" (Kathy Ward)
  • 11:30 - Noon: "New Additions at Norway House" (Joe Grodahl)
  • 12:00 - 12:45 pm: Lunch break;
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: "Navigating and Submitting Data to FamilySearch Family Tree" (Judith Kay)
  • 2:15 - 3:15 pm: "Helpful Tips for Lags. Pay Pal; Google Translate; Other topics" (Chuck McKeen)

Saturday, 6 May (Business Meeting, In-Person only at Mindekirken):

  • 9:15 am: - Business Meeting
    • President's Report
    • Nomination Committee & Election of Officers
    • Succinct Reports of Highlights of 2022 from Bygdelags
  • 11:15 - 12pm: "The Sami" (Pr. Gunnar Kristansen)
  • 12:00 Lunch at Mindekirken.
  • 1:00 Tour of Norway House Archive & Bibliotek from the Fellesraad/Bygdelag perspective.


Photo of Dr. Terje Joranger

Dr. Terje Joranger

In 2023 Dr. Terje Joranger, Executive Director of the Norwegian Emigrant Museum located near Hamar, Norway, was again our featured presenter.

Terje Hasle Joranger, Director at the Norwegian Emigrant Museum since 2028. He earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of Oslo in the field of migration and ethnic studies. Terje is presently editor of the publication Norwegian-American Studies.



Photo of Kathy Ward

Kathy Ward

Kathy Ward was born in the midwest and attended undergrad at Brigham Young University where she majored in English Literature. She took her first genealogy class forty years ago and was hooked. She loves helping people connect to their ancestors, and helping adoptees find their biological families. After thirty plus years in Boston, and five in Tokyo, she and her husband now reside in the mountains of Utah. She is the mother of three sons, all married, and best of all, have given her grandchildren. She is the former chair of the New England Family History Conference, and specialises in Norway, the United Kingdom and New England research. She currently serves as a FamilySearch Center Director, and at FamilySearch in the Chief Genealogical Office where she is working on Norwegian research. She belongs to five bygdelags and loves connecting with other Norwegian Americans.



Photo of Joe Grødahl

Joseph Grødahl

Joseph Grødahl is the Director of Programs & Events at Norway House in Minneapolis. A founding member of Norway House and longtime associate member of its Franklin Avenue neighbor Mindekirken, Joseph recently joined the Norway House staff to take a more active role in the organization's exciting future. Along with colleagues Keith Bartz and Race Fisher, Joseph has taken on the task of bringing to life the vision for the Haugo Archives and Bibliotek.



Photo of Judith A. Kay

Judith A. Kay

Judith A. Kay is a specialist in FamilySearch. She has had the privilege of teaching FamilySearch to thousands of "Adult" individuals for the past fifteen years. She also teaches a class to adult individuals each Sunday that is live as well as recorded. "Finding missing children that are not found in FamilySearch is my goal in life."



Photo of Chuck McKeen

Chuck McKeen

Chuck McKeen is a retired Systems Engineer who formerly worked about 30 years at Sun Microsystems and Oracle. He and his wife Linda belong to 3 lags which represent Linda's Norwegian Immigrant families. Chuck calls himself an honorary Norwegian as his current paper trail has no known Norwegian, but his DNA trail says he does, In Genealogy there is always more to be discovered. His hobbies are many and include flying, flight instructing, genealogy and fishing.



Photo of

Gunnar Kristiansen

Pastor Gunnar Kristiansen grew up near Bodø, in northern Norway, where his interest in Sami life and culture originated. His research and knowledge leads to an especially interesting presentation on Sami life and history.

Much of Gunnar's career was as a pastor in Norway but in the late 1990s he responded to a call and came to Mindekirken for a couple years then returned to Norway, as pastors at Mindekirken do. He later went to the Philippines where he established and ran the mission, ihelpfriendship. Over 20 years later, Gunnar responded to another call from Mindekirken and returned for a second time as pastor.





Information about the 2022 meeting, held via zoom:

The entire 2022 Fellesraad Annual Meeting was held virtually via Zoom.

Over one hundred members from three countries and several states were able to join these meetings using virtual connections.




Photo of Gracia Grindal Gracia Grindal, Professor Emerita at Luther Seminary graduated from Augsburg College in 1965. She attended the University of Arkansas and received an MFA in poetry in 1969. She taught English and Creative Writing at Luther College 1968-1984 when she was called to Luther Seminary, where she earned an MA in history, to teach preaching and hymnody. During that time she became an expert in Scandinavian hymnody and the lives of Norwegian American women about whom she has written several books, the latest Unstoppable: The Norwegian American Pioneers Educate their Daughters. 2016. (Available on Amazon) Currently she is writing a brief history of Mindekirken for its Centennial. Her latest book is a collection of 366 sonnets on Jesus: The Harmony, Fortress Press.




Photo of Liv Birgit Christensen Liv Birgit Christensen is a professional genealogist specializing in Norwegian family history research. She presents workshops, classes, and webinars internationally on Norwegian genealogy. She is a panelist on Mondays with Myrt, a weekly webinar that gives "practical, down-to-earth advice for family historians".

Other presentations include the webinars Norwegian Genealogical Study Group 1 and Norwegian Genealogical Study Group 2 with DearMyrtle (Pat Richley-Erickson) and Russ Worthington. They are free of use and can be found on YouTube. Christensen has also done webinars for Family History Expos, USA and The Surname Society in the UK. And she has done live video presentations for the Seattle Genealogical Society's Scandinavian Interest Group. She has also done lectures and webinars in Norway.




Photo of Caitlin Sackrison "Caitlin Sackrison is a History Ph.D. candidate at Brandeis University. Her specialization is Modern Europe, and her research interests include immigration and migration studies, women and gender history, transnational history, and the history of borderlands. Her current research focuses on Norwegian women in Brown County, Minnesota, and examines the interconnectedness of state formation, Dakota land dispossession, white settler colonialism, and the expansion of women's property rights and holdings in the mid-to-late 19th century.

She has experience teaching courses on US Immigration History and assisting with courses in Early Modern and Modern European History. This past year, Caitlin also pursued internships with the Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA) in Northfield, Minnesota, and Norway House in Minneapolis. She has received awards for her research and work from Brandeis University, the Mellon Foundation, and the Coalition for Western Women's Historians."




Photo of Amy Boxrud Amy Boxrud is the Executive Director of the Norwegian-American Historical Association. She is responsible for the daily operations of the association, in addition to leading the organization's development, communications, and membership efforts. Prior to her work with NAHA, she worked in the fields of publishing and communications, including a four-year stint as editor of Viking magazine for members of Sons of Norway. Amy is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where she studied English and Norwegian. In her free time, she enjoys Nordic folk fiddling, studying public history, and volunteering on the board of a local nonprofit makerspace.




Photo of Joseph Grødahl Joseph Grødahl is the Director of Programs & Events at Norway House in Minneapolis. A founding member of Norway House and longtime associate member of its Franklin Avenue neighbor Mindekirken, Joseph recently joined the Norway House staff to take a more active role in the organization's exciting future. Along with colleagues Keith Bartz and Race Fisher, Joseph has taken on the task of bringing to life the vision for the Haugo Archives and Bibliotek.




Information about the 2021 meeting held via Zoom:

Photo of Dr. Terje Joranger In 2021 Dr. Terje Joranger, Executive Director of the Norwegian Emigrant Museum located near Hamar, Norway, was our featured presenter.

See an article about this Museum in the Hamar, Norway area.

Dr. Joranger is an expert in Norwegian emigration who shared historical information on the four main emigration waves from Norway which correspond with the Norwegian immigration waves into the U.S.

Other presentations included the partnership established in 1955 between the Fellesraad (and Bygdelag) and the Norwegian Emigrant Museum and how that ties into our history. Dr. Joranger gave a talk about the major role he is playing in both the commemoration of the bicentennial of Norwegian Emigration in 2025 in Norway and coordinating with Norwegian-Americans in the U.S.

In 2020 no annual meeting held due to the COVID pandemic:

Information about meetings before 2020:


2017 Photo of Jan Myhrvold The May 2019 meeting had an emphasis on DNA. Our speaker, Jan Myhrvold from Norway, is an expert in the use of DNA in Norwegian genealogy & DNA testing in Norway today. He is also a key member of Finnskog Research & the Forest Finn DNA Project.

An understanding of this "new" facet of genealogy is necessary, as it should be used as a companion to your research. Links to PDF versions of the flyers from the meeting - Ancestry DNA - Family Tree DNA




2017 Photo of Rune Nedrud (Photo of Rune Nedrud representing Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening, from our 2017 annual meeting.)

Bygdelagenes Fellesraad, Bygdelag, and Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening have formed a partnership.
See article for more info....




Fellesraad president Elaine Hasleton presented her 2019 annual report on the activities of the Fellesraad. This link will allow you to view that presentation as a pdf. - Presidents Report


Fellesraad director, Nancy Pickering, gave a promotional slide presentation to highlight the benefits of Fellesraad membership.
This link will allow you to view a PDF copy of that presentation named: Bygdelag Activities & Membership Statistics.


20th Annual - Norwegian Lag Week

badge photo When: March 9 - March 15, 2025
What: Classes and research in family history.
Where: Family History Center/Library in Salt Lake City.
Fees: No charge for planned events or library access.
Lodging: Rates available at Salt Lake Plaza Hotel. (See below)
Note: Participants are responsible for their own transportation and meal plans.



Yearly Norwegian Log Week meetings are held in February or March. They are scheduled to come either before or after the RootsTech convention held in Salt Lake City. In 2025 Log Week follows RootsTech on March 9 - 15. Research and classes are held at the Family History Center/Library, which is open to the public at no charge.

The hotel we use is conveniently located next to the Family History Center/Library. Please call Rich Williams at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel ( phone number is 801-606-2410 ) to make reservations at the 'Norwegian Log Week' special rate.

Note: Participants are responsible for their own transportation and meal plans.

Special classes will be announced this fall for participants of Norwegian Lag Week.

Return here for more information as it becomes available.

Let us know if you have a topic that may be of interest to all and we will try to accommodate.

Please correspond with:
Our Fellesraad Norwegian Lag Week Coordinator: - Marilyn Sorensen
at rddlagen @ usfamily . net

or Kathy Ward
at km2ward @ yahoo . com .

RootsTech 2025

RootsTech 2025 will be March 6 - 8, 2025

RootsTech was both virtual and in person in 2024. Most likely it will be the same format in 2025. This event is during the week before Norwegian Lag Week.

RootsTech 2024 Sessions Available Online - See: RootsTech.org




RootsTech 2024 was a global online event enhanced by an
in-person experience! You will still be able to join us
from any part of the world through our virtual event. But
don't wait until next year to enjoy the great learning
available on RootsTech.org.

Visit RootsTech.org