Norwegian Centennial Heirlooms

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Tribute to the Iowa Farmer Series...
—By: Meagan Moellers
Norwegian Centennial Heirlooms
Generations from the Josvanger/Aspenson Century
Farm near Decorah are proud of their Norske background
M
any of us celebrate our ancestry, our cherished origins and
beloved traditions. And for
many residents in the Decorah area that
ancestry is Norwegian. Therefore, this
centennial family story begins with Hans
O. Josvanger who was born in 1861 in
Sogn, Norway. He completed the teacher
seminary and then imigrated to America
(Winneshiek County Iowa) in 1884 and
married Isabell Gustine Bakken on October 31, 1886.
the electricians when it came time to
wire the home for electricity. Their
four children (Corolla, Harriet, Donald, and Oscar Jr.) acquired ownership
of the house and farm in 1943. Harriet,
and her husband Marvin (Norland),
resided in the distinctive farmhouse
until 1965 when their daughter Marcia
and husband Bruce (MacLaren) moved
there. Four generations were proud
to live in that original Norwegian
farmhouse.
Hans worked many years as a teacher in
the local Norwegian school. In the later
years he offered himself completely to his
farm work. He was a rare, educated man
with many interests – teacher, musician
and composer. Hans and Isabell had nine
children. In 1890 they purchased land in
Madison Township. Isabell’s father, Ole
Bakken, and crew built an impressive,
11-room farmhouse for them in 1905
nestled along State Highway 9, just a few
miles west of Decorah. The Josvangers
lived on that farm all their married life.
One of their daughters, Clara and her
husband Oscar J. Aspenson, moved back
to the farm in 1936. Fun REA Fact: The
$3,000 farmhouse that Ole constructed
was built very strongly. Family members
recollect that it was quite a challenge for
But that’s not the whole story of this
Norske farmstead. There was also a
detached “summer kitchen” that dated
back to the early 1900’s. Oscar Jr. and
his wife Margaret added a basement,
attic and three bedrooms to this structure and lived there for many years.
And how about this circle of life?
One of their three sons, Tom, who was
actually born in that house, is making
plans to move back to the family farm
from his current home in Wisconsin.
He will be busy over the next few years
restoring the farmhouse(s), outbuildings, and the landscaping back to its
original grand luster. Our admiration
goes to Tom for honoring his heritage
and his efforts to restore this Century
farmstead!
The Josvanger
House in 1905
with Hans
and Isabell
Josvanger
and family
including
Ole Bakken.
Clara and Oscar
Aspenson Family.
Oscar, Harriet
and Marcia.
Oscar and Margaret Aspenson - Century Farm
Award in 1990.
Memories from Harriet (Aspenson) Norland
“Our family has been very blessed in so
many ways on this farm” Harriet proudly
says, “and if only these walls could
talk……there would be lots of good things
to smile about”. She has vivid memories
of her parents hosting and entertaining many Luther League gatherings in
their large yard. Croquet was a favorite
pastime of these social events. In 1942,
Harriet’s husband was
serving in World War
II and was gone when
their first child was
born in her parent’s
farmhouse. So it’s
not surprising that
little baby Marcia was also baptized in
this beloved house. “It’s just a happy
place to be!” Could that be the reason
why Harriet is so excited to have her
nephew Tom so interested in restoring the farmstead? She is also anxious
about giving him a few cherished home
furnishings from her mother, Clara, including a dining room table and chairs,
china hutch and a glass light fixture that
gracefully adorned the home in the early
1900s. After Clara’s young husband died,
she opened her beautifully set home
to visitors and groups as a means of
financially supporting herself. And she
was very knowledgeable of her various
collections. People came from all over
the United States to her “antique” farm.
Clara even converted the old creamery
building for her extensive doll collection
and a chicken house became the “Hobby
House” for treasured Norwegian family
heirlooms.
The family’s Norwegian traditions and
behaviors were luckily passed along in
strong faith. Harriet can remember her
parents talking to each other in Norse
when they didn’t want their children to
understand. And at age 95, Harriet (who
is 100% Norwegian) still absolutely
loves the many treats and dishes of her
ancestors. Lefse tops her list, but she can
Recipes and more...
Recipes...
Crunchy Ham
Casserole
2 c. elbow macaroni
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Celebrate Pork Month
this year with these
recipes using meat
from local farms.
1½ c. cubed ham
½ c. sour cream
1 pkg. frozen broccoli
Cook pasta. Combine with ham and place
in a 9x13 pan. Blend soup, sour cream,
milk and pour ½ over ham and macaroni.
Arrange broccoli on top and pour remaining
sauce over broccoli. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake uncovered @ 350° for 20 min. Top with French fried
onions. Bake 5 min. more.
Nita Hackman • Cresco
Slow Cooker
Pulled Pork
2-3 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 (12 oz. can) root beer
1 (18 oz. bottle) of favorite BBQ sauce
Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root
beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well
cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Drain well.
Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve on your favorite bun.
Diana Ness • Waukon
Our Century Farm
still quickly rattle off the
recipe for Rømmegrøt
and Kumla. Her family
would all help make lefse
together using her mother’s
delicate white towels placed in between each of the rounds that were
kept in a copper boiler. “We never
had to worry about all that hard
work spoiling though, because it
was eaten rather quickly!” Harriet
beams with a reminiscent smile!
Not only does this family have
strong Norwegian ties in the community, they have also made an
impressive impact on
music and education.
Both Hans and Isabell
taught Norwegian, three
generations graduated
from Luther College in Decorah,
(plus that was where Harriet was
one of the first women to join the
all-boys band in 1936) and she
later became a life-long teacher
in various locations in Northeast
Iowa. Thanks to this family for
providing our Norwegian-American heritage lesson for today!
Mange Takk!
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Send or e-mail your favorite recipe. If we print
your recipe in our newsletter you’ll receive $5
off your next electric bill. Please include your
REC Account Number.
E-mail to: [email protected]
All recipes can be found on our website.
Nov -Homemade Pies (Need by Oct. 15)
Dec - Holiday Traditional Recipes from
Grandma’s Kitchen (Need by Nov. 15)
Jan - National Oatmeal Month
(Need by Dec. 15)
Kumla
“Big, hearty round potato dumplings with a piece
of bacon inside simmer slowly in a rich ham broth. Serve
the dumplings with the broth and pieces of ham for a
Scandinavian soul food supper that’s perfect on a wintry day.”
1 (5 pound) unsmoked bone-in ham
5 pounds russet potatoes
(peeled and shredded)
4 c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. stone ground whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
3 slices bacon (cut into 1-inch square pieces)
salt and black pepper to taste (optional)
Place the ham in a large soup pot (at least 10 quart size), and
pour in 16 to 20 cups of water to cover. Bring the water to a boil,
reduce heat, and simmer the ham to make a rich stock, about 2
hours. Remove the ham, and skim any foam off the broth. Stir in
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) to broth, if necessary.
1.Place the potatoes in a large bowl, and use very wet hands to
mix in the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder,
and 1 teaspoon salt to make a sticky dough.
2.Bring the ham stock to a full, rolling boil. Place a bowl of water
near the stove. With very wet hands, pinch off about 2/3 cup
of dough, and press a piece of bacon into the center of the
dough. Roll the dough into a ball about 2 1/2 inches across,
and slip the Kumla into the boiling broth along the side of
the pot. Don’t drop them into the middle of the broth to avoid
splashing the hot broth. Repeat with the remaining dough,
using the bowl of water to keep your hands very wet, until all
the dumplings have been added to the broth.
3.Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes,
then use a slotted spoon or spatula to gently lift any stuck
dumplings from the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot again,
and simmer the dumplings for about 1 hour. They will float to
the top of the broth as they cook.
4.Gently lift the Kumla from the broth with a slotted
spoon, and stack them in a bowl for serving.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.
(Original recipe makes 25 Kumla)
Harriet Norland • Memories from the
Josvanger/Aspenson Farm