Grue Church Project committee to host 'Family History Week'
Jun. 9—BUXTON, N.D. — A committee working to restore the 130-year-old Grue Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church near Buxton in Traill County will offer lessons on calligraphy and creating a family tree during "Family History Week," June 20-23 in Hillsboro, N.D.
In the "Start a Family Tree" sessions, Sally Hoffman will guide participants — in one-on-one, hands-on research — to develop a family tree. Two sessions will be offered daily June 20-23. Registration is limited to eight participants, or one per session. Pre-registration is required.
The cost, $100 per person, covers two hours of instruction, plus three months of limited follow-up contact. Participants will create a basic, five-generation family tree of about 31 people, and leave with a printout that can be enlarged and reproduced.
In the "Learn Calligraphy" sessions, Terese Rotenberger will share her expertise on many types of calligraphy, the art of fine handwriting. Her specialty is Fraktur or Spencerian script art forms.
One session will be offered daily from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 20-23. Registration is limited to 10 people per session. Cost is $30.
All sessions will be conducted at the Traill County Historical Society's Plummer House Museum in Hillsboro.
For more information or to register, call (314) 750-1129.
The "Family History Week" event is part of the committee's efforts to raise funds for the Grue Church Project, which are aimed at developing the church building into a heritage, cultural and sacred space. The church, located 7 miles northeast of Buxton,
was closed in 2020.
More information is available at
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The committee has been awarded a $44,900 grant from the American-Scandinavian Foundation for programming to support the church project. The grant is being used to fund six events, starting with Family History Week, to be held this summer and fall, according to Ilene Odegard, a committee member.
The next event is "Lefse and Lemonade" from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 26 at Grue Lutheran Church. Swedish meatballs will also be served. There will be a free will offering.
