June 16 is registration deadline for Valdres Samband convention

By Kris Goracke

Reporter

For a visitor coming to Pope County, signs of the Norwegian heritage can be found in many places. From the Lefse Hall of Fame at the Starbuck Depot to the achieves at the Pope County Historical Society, artifacts linking residents to their ancestors from Norway can be found.

And this summer a special event is happening that celebrates the culture and history for many descendants of the Norwegian emigrants who came from the Valdres Valley and settled in the Pope County area.  That event is the Valdres Samband annual convention.

For Starbuck resident Mona Gregersen this convention is especially exciting as she is one of the board members of the organization.

“Valdres Samband is a Norwegian lag. Bygdelags (lag for short) are community organizations typically comprised of descendants of persons who emigrated from specific regions in Norway to North America. The term Samband in Norwegian means a union or a bond,” explained Gregerson. The purpose is to gather, preserve and impart knowledge of the Valdres Valley and people of Valdres origin. 

The Samband has stevnes (meetings) every summer and is typically in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Iowa. “These meetings are often in large cities, but after Covid, the group decided to go another way and bring the meetings to smaller towns,” said Gregersen. Starbuck is the smallest town for these meetings. The three-day event consists of learning about culture, genealogy, and good food.  

The event begins on Thursday, June 22, and runs through Saturday, June 24. Here is a brief description of some of the events each day:

Thursday, June 22 

•Tour the Starbuck Depot and Lefse Hall of Fame.  

•Lunch at the Depot followed by a tour of the Pope County Historical Museum in Glenwood.  

•Food, fun, and visiting the Rolling Forks Vineyard.

Friday, June 23

•The genealogy room is open and hosted by genealogists who can help research your family tree.  

•Speakers throughout the day: Theresa Nelson’s “Peder’s Story” focuses on the early Norwegian settlers of Pope County; Rich Anderson from Starbuck on Woodcarving; Judy Weiss’s Rosemaling class; and David Engen will speak on his experiences on Alt of Norge.

•Lunch and banquet are at Fron Lutheran Church.

Saturday, June 24

•Ann Ogdahl Grandy will share information and techniques in “From Sheep to Socks.”

•Irene Starck will speak on the Norway Resistance in WWII.  

•Miranda Moen Fadness will share a presentation on Valdres Architecture.  

•Closing will be Judy Weiss’ Rosemaling presentation.  

•Lunch at Fron Lutheran Church

For more information, people can email Mona Gregersen at mona@hcinet.net

The registration deadline is June 16. People can pick and choose events and meals they wish to attend. To register, go to www.valdressamband.org, or you can email for more information at sambandsect@gmail.com