2008 Reunion

Nornes Family
72nd Reunion
August 10, 2008
AmericInn, Fergus Falls

DATE & SITE CHANGE: At the 70th reunion it was decided to hold reunions every 3 years, but at the 71st in 2006, that decision was modified to every 2 years, thus the 2008 reunion. The site had to be changed from Alexandria because, as Connie Jeffers said, “We barely got out of there without washing the dishes” in 2006. In other words, it became too expensive. So the officers have secured a meeting room at the AmericInn in Fergus Falls for Sunday morning, August 10th.

ACTIVITIES: Saturday—For those who arrive on Saturday night, August 9th, we can gather in the AmericInn lobby for conversation and making dinner plans. The AmericInn has a swimming pool for motel guests. Bring your own snacks. If meeting sites and times can be pinned down more precisely later, I will try to contact as many people as I can with dinner reservations whom I suspect will arrive on Saturday. In any case, Connie and I will power up our cell phones (see page 2) and you can call us if you can’t find us after you arrive.
Sunday —Because the Silent Auction and Bake Sale were so successful at the last reunion and because funds might again be short, we will repeat these events on Sunday morning in the AmericInn meeting room. We need you to donate an item of your handicraft, a collectible, CD’s or DVD’s, items with sports logos, travel souvenirs, etc. Any home baked food item will be more than welcome. At the last reunion, the Scandinavian baked goods were sold within minutes, so if you can, help keep these traditions alive. Volunteers are also needed to help set all this up: see Connie Jeffers or Tammy Anderson.

DINNER: A chicken lunch will be catered by Dairy Land of Fergus Falls at a cost of $5.50 plus tax and gratuity. Please note that we will need you to bring a few desserts for dinner as well. The cost of the meeting room is $100, which means that a charge of $10 per person should get us out of there without trouble and leave a little change for postage.

MOTEL RESERVATIONS: The following motels are located near the AmericInn in a cluster off 210 just east of the 210-I-94 intersection. You will have to make your own reservation—do it immediately as reservations are tight at this late date.
AmericInn, 526 Western Ave., 218-739-3900
Best Western, 925 Western Ave., 218-739-2211
Comfort Inn, 425 Western Ave., 218-736-5787
Super 8, 2454 College Way, 218-739-3261

PROGRAM: Anything besides the usual hymns and genealogy reports has not yet been determined. If you can let me know in advance of marriages and births in your family, I would appreciate it. I would also like to take some time to discuss technology issues with knowledgeable attendees. In addition, the site for the next reunion will need to be determined.

WEB SITE OR BLOG: A Nornes Family Circle website has not yet been set up. I tried but failed. Instead I have started a Nornes blog on which I have posted all the e-mails I have received in regard to deaths and illnesses in the family over the past two years. You can access it at www.NornesFamilyCircle.blogspot.com. Down in the lower right-hand corner, you can click on “Comments” that will get back to me. The comments can also be accessed by anyone else reading the blog. The blog can be one way for us to keep in touch until something more suitable is established. To verify the addresses I do have, I will e-mail this reunion letter to you via this method as well. If you do not receive an e-mail notice, please send me your address via the blog or aanden@aol.com.

ADDRESSES: Which brings up another point. I have 200 names and addresses in my mailing list, but that number does not reflect how many I should have. I hope, however, that it is sufficient to reach at least one member of a family who will communicate this information with his/her children and/or siblings. And then I beg of you, please send me - or have them send me—their addresses — regular mail, e-mail or both. With every mailing, we waste an awful lot of postage money on envelopes returned to me with addresses no longer valid.

Anne Marie Aanden (aanden@aol.com) 952-944-1826, Cell—952-270-7039
Connie Jeffers (cjeffers@q.com) 763-434-3101, Cell—612-245-2521
Lowell Bennes (Lowell@lowellbennes.com) 218-236-9468

Latest on Joyce Olofson

Hey all,I talked to Joyce again this morning.They are 100% staying in Arizona.I’m not sure if the word has gotten around, so here it is:Mom went to the doctors yesterday. It was not a good prognosis.Joyce’s body is no longer producing red blood cells. She was told by the doctor to make a choice with in a couple of weeks as to where she want to spend her days. The doctors were very frank.Joyce has fought prenious anemia (sorry about the spelling Corina) most of her life. But it has gotten much worse the last couple of years.Mom and Dad did go back an forth a bit, but decided to stay in Arizona. Dad felt very strongly about staying there. From the good health care and all the friends around there it makes sense. And a number of the arrangements have been made out there already.Joyce went into the doctors again today for meds to thicken her blood, again.This is the choice the two have made.Please support Mom and Dad in this decision.Mom is fairly week at this point

Ronald Dyer

From Marsha Dyer Waind

I received news yesterday that my brother, Ron passed away in his home. He has lived on Farm Island lake in Minnesota since Sandy passed away. He was found by one of his close friends after not showing up for the paper at the local store. Ron has been having some issues with diabetes and not always the most attentive to his health-ruled as a cardiac arrest, probably occurring sometime Monday night-Tuesday morning. Ron has 1 daughter, Shelly (yep, named after the town) Argenbright, who has 2 children, and 1 step-daughter, Judy Christy, who lives in San Diego. The body is being cremated and a memorial service will be around April 26. Date yet to finalized as to when girls can come home. I spent the evening with Mom, who received the news with stoic reality. She is doing well soon to be 89. Interested to going's on and active as she can be.

Joyce Olofson

I went to the Dr on Mon and insisted on having the blood markers doneone more time, Medicare will not pay for it unless you are on chemo andso no other ins will take up the secondary pay, I decided I had to knowbecause I feel so much better than when we came down here, themedications are doing wonders, I now weigh 120 lbs, am ravenously hungryall the time but have pep , dance play cards, cook , have company andfeel normal with no dripping bladder any more, I was getting up everyhour all night long and it was exhausting. The markers are 0-30 normal,30-36 reoccurance of cancer, and my markers when I came down here were507. This time when they took it 4 months later it is 332, that is a 1/3reduction and I am elated . I just hope I can keep going in thisdirection, Tim and my Dr really didn't want me to do this again theywere afraid that it would be hgh and I would be depressed over it, bothof them said "Do you really want to know" well, yes, I am still bossyou know!

Roger - Recovery

I just talked with Mom an hour ago and Roger woke last nite in a confused and agitated state(dosen`t recognize people) and didn`t know where he was and wanted to go home. This has continued this morning when she arrived at the hospital and is still the going on. The Doctors warned that this might happen but Mom thought that if it didn`t happen yesterday that it wouldn`t happen. This apparently is not the case and still falls into the normal range of symptoms. It could last up to three days? He also is running a slight fever and a little gravelly chest. Physically his heart is doing fine and all the tubes in his neck are removed. He ate solid food yesterday but they have since went back to water and I assume tube feeding. He will be in Intensive Care for at least another day. Steve Randall stopped in and Noah took Mom out to eat tonight. Linda will visit tomorrow. Mom seems to be able to drive the short distance from the hotel to the hospital on residental streets? We pray and hope for the best. jeff

Roger Nornes

Roger is doing fine. It is 8 pm and Mom and Jackie are with a good friend Paul having supper at a Perkins near the hotel. This morning Dad went into surgery around 7:30 am and after taking the veins for his heart they put him on the bypass machine around 10:30am and replaced the valve (I think it was a pig valve, the long lasting kind) and did a double bypass for good mearsure. At around 2:30 they unhooked him and got his heart going again. They have seen him many times and he responds by letting them know he realizes they are in the room. He will be in intensive care and only time will tell how long recovery will take (they say 7-10 days) but I`m releaved that everything went well so far. We all know that usually these things go well but I don`t want Dad to be one of those "statistics". It`s kind of like holding your breath and now that things seem to be going well it`s time to exhale. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and concerns it`s all greatly appreciated. Mom stayed with Dad overnight in the hospital and had a hard time seeing him off to surgery. Jackie has been super and is keeping me informed which I am greatfull. I would think that they will be tired and hope they get a good night sleep. Do not hesitate to call me anytime for an update 218-687-4252 I feel very blessed that things are going well. love jeff and family

Recent Family Deaths

AnnaBelle Lecy, Floyd's wife, passed away Feb. 22 in Merit Care Hospital, Fargo. Her memorial service was Feb. 28 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead.

Sylvia Gullickson of Fertile passed away this past weekend. More information later.