WINDOM — The Sons of Norway Stavanger Lodge 1-538 will host its next meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15, with a 6 p.m. potluck supper, at the Cottonwood County Historical Society, 812 Fourth Ave., Windom.
The program will focus on the first organized group migration from Norway in 1825. The May meeting also celebrates Sytende Mai (17 May), commentating Norwegian Independence.
2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the first organized emigration of Norwegians to the U.S.
The single mast sloop, Restauration, left Stavanger on July 4, 1825, with 52 people on board. Often referred to as the “Sloopers,” they arrived in New York City harbor on Oct. 9, 1825. Since that first voyage, about 900,000 people have followed, leaving their homes in search of opportunities and a better life. While many returned to Norway, most stayed and built a new home in the New World.
Today nearly five million people in North America claim Norwegian ancestry.
“Crossings” commemorates 200 years of organized Norwegian migration to North America. It’s a year to celebrate the strong ties between Norway, the United States, and Canada. It’s an opportunity to remember what it means to take great risks and trade one home for another. And it’s a chance to better understand the movement of peoples that continues worldwide today.
We invite former members of Stavanger Lodge and interested people attend the program free of charge. Guests are always welcome at any Lodge meeting.
The mission of the Sons of Norway is to promote, preserve and cherish a lasting appreciation for the heritage and culture of Norway and other Nordic cultures while growing soundly as a fraternal benefit society and offering maximum benefits to its members. The local Stavanger Lodge was chartered in 1974 and currently has approximately 55 members.
For more information about Sons of Norway or the May meeting, please contact co-presidents Harvey Pedersen (507) 445-3188 or Bonnie Frederickson (507) 370-2850.
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