By Rodger Tveiten,
Members of the Ullensvang Lutheran Church in Thor will host their second annual Kumla supper and auction on Thursday, March 13. Last year’s Kumla event was the first in ten years and went so well they decided to do it again. The hours are 4:30 to 6:30 with the auction at 5:30. There will, of course, be a bake sale featuring many Scandinavian delicacies. Proceeds will help fund heating and cooling repairs at the church.
Diners may choose a Kumla & Ham or Baked Potato & Ham dinner. Sides include green beans, a relish tray, dinner roll and ice cream for dessert. The affair is all-you-can-eat with take-outs available. For tickets, call Marion Dencklau at 515-378-3231 or Lois Nerem at 515-378-3144.
This year’s event is special as 2025 is the bi-centennial year of Norwegian immigration to the United States. On July 4, 1825, the first boatload of Norwegians left Stavanger for the port of New York City. The wind-powered sloop Restauration carried 52 passengers and crew across the North Atlantic. They were at sea for 12 weeks! Hundreds of other ships would follow and hundreds of thousands would make the crossing in the years to follow. Thousands of these would settle in Iowa and especially in the greater Wright County area.
