From the Fergus Falls Journal Published Thursday, July 3, 2008 |
|
Norway honors Rothsay Native | |
Egil Vindorum, representing His Royal Highness Harald V of Norway, congratulates Verlyn Anderson after presentation of the St. Olav Medal. |
A Rothsay native has been honored by the Norwegian government.
Rolf W. Hansen, the Norwegian Consulate General in Minneapolis, recently
announced that His Royal Highness King Harald V of Norway has awarded the
prestigious St. Olav Medal to Dr. Verlyn D. Anderson of Moorhead in
“...recognition of his great service to Norway, in particular in his active work
to promote knowledge and appreciation of Norwegian culture, language and history
in the United States, especially in the Upper Midwest.”
Instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway in 1939, the St. Olav Medal is awarded
in recognition of outstanding services rendered in connection with the spreading
of information about Norway abroad and strengthening bonds between Norwegian
Americans and the homeland of their ancestors.
Verlyn Anderson is a Rothsay native and graduated from Concordia College in
Moorhead in 1956. He received a master’s degree in English and a second master’s
in library science from the University of Minnesota and later earned a doctorate
in American Studies.
Dr. Anderson’s early teaching career brought him to classrooms in Elizabeth,
Hawley and Waconia public schools before returning to Concordia College in 1962,
serving for 36 years on the faculty as Director of the College Library and
Professor of history and Scandinavian studies.
He has lectured and written extensively about local history, Norwegian genealogy
and numerous articles about his ancestors, both in the United States and in
Norway.
Through numerous organizations, societies and institutions both in the United
States and Norway, Dr. Anderson is active in promoting the knowledge and
appreciation of Norwegian culture, language and history, with the following
highlights:
For over 20 years, he has taught the Adult Norwegian Program at Skogfjorden,
Concordia College’s Norwegian Language Village and has been the cultural
director of the local Fargo-Moorhead Sons of Norway Lodge.
Frequently leading study tours sponsored by the Smithsonian Museums, Dr.
Anderson and his wife have escorted more than 40 tours of Norway and other
Scandinavian countries.
In addition to serving on the Advisory Council of the Norwegian-American
Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library in Madison, Wis., he has been a visiting
professor at the Hedmark College in Hamar, Norway.
Verlyn and his wife, Evonne, recently hosted their three daughters, three
sons-in-law and three grandsons on a 2-week, expense-paid, tour of Norway to
attend the award presentation on June 25.
Egil Vindorum, Kansellisjef of The Royal Palace in Oslo, presented the St. Olav
Medal to Dr. Anderson at a ceremony held in Hadeland at the medieval Nicolai
Church, one of the historic “Sister Churches” in the Gran parish and where Dr.
Anderson’s great-grandfather was baptized in 1854. Hadeland’s well-known KK
Men’s Choir presented a concert as part of the presentation ceremony.
Following the ceremony, a festive reindeer roast dinner was served at the
historic Granavolden Gjestgiveri. Guests attended from Hadeland, Oslo, Bergen,
Sletta, Hamar, Hurdal, Eidsvoll, Klemetsrud, Enebakk, and Rælingen, Norway, -
and the Anderson family from the United States.
For the announcement on the Norwegian Embassy's website, Click Here.
------
Verlyn has been a member of the Hadeland Lag since its reorganization in 1976, and has been the editor of our newsletter, the Brua, for over 15 years. He has organized and led the Lag's tours of Norway ... The Hadeland Lag has been a prime beneficiary of his many talents and unbounded energy and we congratulate him on this much deserved honor!
Copyright ©
2002-2021 Last update: August 22, 2021 |