DHA XLVI
(2/5/2004)

With the reopening of the Kountry Kookin' Cafe, the DHA Board meetings will return there at 12:00 noon the first Wednesday of each month. (A week later if a holiday.) Members and other interested people are welcome to sit in. We will meet next on the 4th of February, 2004.

Thank you for these additional donations from:

(VM - Voting Member)

DHA, in using the Alumni mailing list for its fund-raising letter, has had a lot returned as undeliverable. To the extent possible, DHA will correct the list for future users. People on the list whose address has changed, or will be changed, please send corrections to either the Viborg Alumni Assoc., or to DHA. Others who know of address changes or deaths of relatives or others, please send correction or removal requests.

Two such requests were sent to DHA:

Robert Fickboom of Newell, SD requested removal of his wife, Elaine Louise, maiden name Nelson, as she had died April 13, 2003. Elaine was a 1954 graduate from VHS. They were married April 2, 1955, at Volin. They moved to Newell in 1960. They had four children.

Mr. Fickboom thoughtfully sent DHA an obituary (Memorial Service folder). This will be preserved in the DHA archives when established. Should anyone wish a copy sooner, a request to the name and address at the top of this column will bring a machine copy when possible. (Lester Lauritzen, RR 2 Box 117, Centerville, SD 57014)

Having received DHA's solicitation letter to his mother, Johanna (Peck) Christensen, Robert A. Christensen of San Jose, CA, thoughtfully responded as follows:

"I regret to inform you that my mother passed away in August of 2001. You may want to removed her from your mailing list to save...printing and postage.

"I hope that you get a favorable response with your request for donations and that your museum building will be funded to completion."

LRL: There is a photo and very brief information about a Johanna (Arends) Peck, who was "Pioneer Queen" in Viborg when she was 75 years old. Apparently she was Mr. Christensen's grandmother. (Page 597, Viborg Centennial Book)

There is also a Johanna Peck in the 1938 graduating class (likely his mother) and a Catherine L. Peck in the 1934 class (likely an aunt). Thus the Peck family did not completely "slip through the cracks" and go unrecorded in the Viborg/Daneville history.

A man has told DHA that he has his mother's VHS class ring, but does not know what to do with it. He asked if DHA would want it. He was, of course, told yes. DHA should be able to obtain a ring display case, in which to display this and other rings, with identifications, and if necessary, explanation. Another valuable idea to forward DHA's purpose of historic preservation.

Another suggestion was received from Norma Jean (Peterson) Knudson of Colman, SD, that the DHA consider a "Wall of Honor" after a similar one at the Danish Immigrant Museum at Elkhorn, Iowa. Mrs. Knudson has served as an area representative for the Elkhorn facility for some years. She wishes the first two spaces for Danish Immigrant grandparents, Soren and Katherine Simonsen.

DHA Mystery Album

PhotoH: Is "Odessa" the lady's name? Or some reference to Odessa in Russia? DHA has the questions. Who has the answers?