My Minneota Journey
- Icelandic Roots
- Sep 26
- 4 min read
Minneota: Celebrating 150 years since the 1875 Icelandic Immigration
By Elaine Olafson Henry
Photos provided by the author
The Minneota writer, Bill Holm (my second cousin) avowed that “the heart could be filled anywhere on earth: Minneota, Minnesota.” My first return visit to Minneota in many years was to attend the July 26 and 27, 150-year celebration of the first Icelanders to settle in the small town.
My brother, Norman Jay Olafson, and I left our hometown in the summer of 1951, one year after the passing of our mother, Isfold Sigurborg Josefson Olafson. We were six and four and a half years old, respectively. Returning intermittently to visit relatives, but not often, we now no longer have close relatives there.
When we learned of the celebration to take place in July, we agreed it would be a chance to visit one more time, and it did not disappoint. As we drove into Minneota from the north, we looked for the former homes of our uncle, Joe Josefson, his neighbors the Petersons, and our distant relatives Victor and Elvira Josephson. We learned later that our peer, Crystal Peterson has passed, and that the homes of the others have since been torn down. As we neared the town, I was reminded of the time Norm and I decided we were going to walk to Uncle Joe’s. We couldn’t have gotten too far out of town when someone stopped, knowing who we were, and delivered us back home.
Although we lost both of our parents early, (Our dad passed away when we were 13 and 11 ½, respectively). I have always felt a draw to the town. I would visit Sibby (Elizabeth) Anderson in her beauty salon, Aunt Gladys and Uncle Joe Josefson, second cousins on both sides –Chester and Stella (Huff) Josephson in Ivanhoe, Aunt Thordis Lindall, Sis (Eunice) and Clare Frakes, and (my personal favorite) Pauline Bardal, to name a few. So many of these homes are still there and we drove the streets reminiscing.
We wandered the Westerheim Pioneer Cemetery where our mother is buried, and the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery where our Uncle Leifur Josefson was laid to rest, finding many other familiar names on the gravestones, including that of Bill Holm.
As children, we played with David Askdal, Eddie Bogard, and Harold Traen, and were glad to hear they are all still around. I took photos of our old home, Pauline’s house, the home where I was told Norm was born, St. Paul’s Church, the Big Store/Library, and the grain elevator. As an artist, I am drawn to grain elevators as a subject, and then enjoyed an Icelandic gas station hot dog and fries at the City Hall Bar and Grill.
Located on the highway into town, it evoked the memory of an incident that happened when Norm was about five years old. As small as the town was, and the close location of our house on the corner of Jackson Street and the highway, we were able to walk to town at young ages.
Needing a haircut, Norm walked to the barber shop, which was located near what was then City Hall, and the location of the current bar and grill. There was a line at the barber shop, so Norm took a seat, took out a pack of candy cigarettes, and said to the barber, “Do you mind if I smoke?” The incident made it into the Minneota Mascot.
Although the population has increased since we left, going from about 1000 to the current population of about 1300, much seemed to be the same. We arrived in town a little after noon on Saturday, drove around a bit, and checked in at the former Big Store, which is now the Minneota library. Here we were sought out by our first cousin, Lois Josefson, who now lives in Fergus Falls. We passed by homes built by our dad, and not much had changed with them.
After the day’s exploration by each attendee, we took in Cathy Josephson’s engaging talk on the 1875 emigration from the northeast fjord of Vopnafjordur, “The Ties That Bind.”
Members of the audience asked questions or added anecdotes of remembrance.
Following the habit of her dad (former State Senator Joe Josefson), Lois seems to have filled his shoes as a raconteur and added some interesting stories to the evening.
On Sunday morning, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (formerly St. Paul’s Icelandic Lutheran Church) filled with locals and visitors to hear Pastor Katheryn Hoff Rothman conduct the service, with parts being translated into Icelandic by director of the East Iceland Emigration Center, Cathy Josefson, and Jeannie Isfeld Entenza, Honorary Consul to Iceland. We had attended the church as children, so we reminisced about the Christmas Eve services and each year carrying home a small white bag filled with ribbon candy and an orange.
Although in good health, at the current ages of 81 and 80, Norm and I may not be back to that part of Minnesota. Speaking for myself, however, I can say that my heart was filled by this nostalgic return visit to Minneota.
