Gateway to the Prairie

Lacrosse, WI

The 7-Lag Stevne was held in July in La Crosse, WI. The “Gateway to the Prairie” theme was chosen since so many Norwegian immigrants passed through the area on their way west to settle the prairie. The keynote speaker, Karen V. Hanson, focused on how the stresses of immigration took a toll on many of the immigrants, and how cultural differences affected the interactions between the Native Americans and the Norwegian immigrants.

Recognizing that we are no longer a “generation of remembering,” as our grandparents or parents were, and

that we have become a “generation of learning,” this stevne featured a variety of excellent speakers touching on many aspects of immigrant life.

Lag genealogists were on hand from 9:00-5:00 Thursday through Saturday. For those who were new to online genealogy, or who wanted to augment their research skills, there were classes on online genealogical resources.

Cooking and craft demonstrations were introduced this year and were very well received. These included ski-making, rosemaling, and a number of food demonstrations. Also available for viewing in the food demo area for people to enjoy along with a cup of coffee, was a 40-minute video of the prairie church photos sent in by the members of the seven-lag. La Crosse is ideally located in close proximity to Norskedalen and Vesterheim, so group tours were organized to those two museums.

Thanks to the location on the Mississippi River, two Saturday evening dinner cruises were planned, and due to popular demand by our members, the riverboat La Crosse Queen was chartered exclusively for the 7-lag stevne.

Another addition to our stevne this year was a closing session. Churches on the Prairie was the theme for this Sunday morning session. Gracia Grindal, with her knowledge of hymnody, combined with the male chorus, Stouthearted Men presented a session that touched and inspired many.

A group of Telelagers then drove to the Old Stone Church near Houston where we were given a brief history by Jim Skree. We continued on to Caledonia for lunch and a visit to the Houston County Historical Center located at the fairgrounds there.