Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object Identification Number |
1990.060.221 |
Object Name |
Newsletter |
Donor |
Bedstemors, Inc. |
Scope / Description |
The newsletter is the June 9, 1920 issue of Dansk Luthersk Kirkehlad, which was a weekly newletter published in Blair, Nebraska. The upper front section of the cover has a printed black etching of a woman sowing seeds in a field. There is a line of bushes and trees and a church in the distance behind her. The title of the newsletter is written across the etching. Dimensions: W (5.750in.) x L (8.750in.) Provenance: The newsletter was donated by Einar Leistad. It was one of the furnishings provided to Bedstemors House during its restoration in the 1980s. HOUSE HISTORY Bedstemors Hus, or Grandmother's House, was built in 1908 by Jens Otto Christiansen, a Danish immigrant and Elk Horn businessman. He was often referred to as "Prince Otto" because he wore a coat with tails and a tall hat when going to church, and he walked very straight. According to local stories, he built the house as an engagement gift for a young woman who sadly turned down his marriage proposal. It is unknown if Christiansen ever lived in the home himself, but he rented the home to several families until he sold it to the Salem Old People's Home in 1933 for "one dollar and other valuable contributions." In 1946, the house was sold to Meta Mortensen, also of Danish descent. She lived in the home for 36 years, making only a few notable changes. The roses that she planted along all four sides of the house still bloom. In 1982, Meta sold the house to the Elk Horn-Kimballton Arts and Recreation Council for $8800. The Council and many area volunteers spent a year restoring the home to reflect the turn of the century. They named it "Bedstemor's House", using the Danish word for "Grandmother", in honor of Meta Mortensen who was herself a Danish-American grandmother. The House opened to the public in July of 1983, and a formal dedication was held October 1. Meta Mortensen was the guest of honor. It was after 1983 that the front porch was reconstructed and the exterior of the home was repainted from the white that Meta had had to the original two-tone green. The only modern room was just off the kitchen. Formerly Meta's bedroom, the room became the office for staff and has remained as such. The Council operated the house for seven years until it was donated to the Museum in 1990. Minutes from the Board of Directors meeting in February that year show that the donation was accepted for the Museum. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 1997. The Museum continues to operate Bedstemor's House as an historic house museum, interpreting the home in its first decade. The home is located at 2105 College Street in Elk Horn on its original foundation. On June 25, 2008, the Museum held a dedication for the new tombstone for Jens Otto Christiansen who had not had a formal stone until then. It marked the centennial of the house. The ceremony was held at the Elk Horn Cemetery and a reception at Bedstemors House followed. |
Language of Material |
Danish |
Date |
1920 |
Dates of Creation |
June 9, 1920 |
Associated People |
Leistad, Einar |
Search Terms |
newsletter Dansk Luthersk Kirkehlad Blair Nebraska Leistad, Einar |
Date Received by Museum |
1990 |
Images |
164\1990060221.JPG |
Accession number |
1990.060 |