Jottings News

The Big Brotherhood Books: Weighing in at between twenty and forty-five pounds, the membership books of the Danish Brotherhood in America are an important resource for those seeking information about the 80,000 men who were a part of the society from the 1880s to the 1970s.

Peder Sørensen Vig was born into a poor farm family near Egtved, Denmark in 1854. He came to the United States in 1879 and worked a variety of jobs in Chicago. His goal since his youth was to become a Lutheran pastor.

Nikolaj Thomsen Lünd, who went through so many name variations in his youth that he finally settled upon “N. T. Lund”, became a kind of Danish midwestern Everyman after immigrating to the United States in April of 1882 at the age of seven years.

Our volunteers have always been the lifeblood of our organization. John W. Nielsen, Ninna Engskow, Ruth Herman Nielsen and Flo Hansen started recording volunteer hours on July 28, 1992.

In the Fall 2007 Jottings, John W. Nielsen announced a name change for the organization (at that time still within Dana College) from The Danish Immigrant Archive to The Danish American Archive and Library to more accurately reflect the expanding nature of its focus and holdings.

Remodeling Improvements. Sandy Sonderup is pictured with new track lighting and an exhibit case behind her. The workstation now has a computer and an ergonomic office chair. There is also a standing table available for laying out projects, and the top of the front cabinet is open for displaying items.

The Dream Becomes a Reality. The first panels of the Danish American Commemorative Wall are on display! What began with the question: “Do you have any naming opportunities?” has become a reality thanks to the collaborative efforts of many.

Revealing the Remodeled DAAL. The Danish American Archive and Library closed for remodeling last October and reopened this March. During that time our major goal was to install movable shelving on one side of the Archive to increase our storage space.

The Commemorative Wall: Honoring Danish America. A conversation between Executive Director Jill Hennick and Dr. Linda Miller of Henderson, Nevada, sparked the idea for our Danish American Commemorative Wall. Dr. Miller asked Jill if the DAAL had any naming opportunities.