The 99th annual meeting of the Slooper Society of America
12:00pm Sunday, October 6th, 2024
Norway Community Building in beautiful Norway, IL. (3667 E. 2603rd Road, Sheridan IL)
Schedule of events:
12:00 pm: Doors open for sign-in and book sales
12:30 pm: Slooper business meeting
1:00 pm: A Taste of Norway will be served
2:00 pm: A reading of the play,”The Fox Valley Settlement”
The Norsk Museum will be open immediately following the presentation
Our “Taste of Norway” luncheon was so successful (and delicious) last year that we plan to partner once again with the Norsk Museum in this event. Of course this meeting is not limited to just Slooper descendants… anyone with an interest in Norwegian-American history, culture, and delicious food is welcome to attend!
The suggested donation for the meal is $15 per person and $8 for children under 9. All proceeds will support the Norsk Museum. Seating is limited and it is imperative that you RSVP to ensure a spot. Please RSVP to Angie Pokarney via email at Angie@SlooperSociety.org or via telephone/text at 815-795-7193. As we will be ordering food in advance, it is imperative that we know how many plan to attend. Your donation can be accepted at the door on October 6th but please RSVP no later than September 30th. Thanks!
Our feature presentation this year will be a reading of the play, “The Fox Valley Settlement”. Earlier this year, Dave Johnson was sorting through some files in the Norsk Museum when he discovered a manuscript for this play which takes place in Carrie Nelson’s log cabin on April 16th, 1840. The play offers a very interesting perspective into the lives of our ancestors and their lived experiences since arriving in America in 1825. The author of the play is not documented, nor is the date of writing. So if anyone has information that may help to solve that mystery, please let us know. Thank you Dave Johnson for rediscovering this historical treasure.
At the conclusion of the presentation, everyone is invited to cross the Cleng Peerson Memorial Highway to visit the Norway Store and Norsk Museum (the only Norwegian museum in Illinois, serving the area for 50 years).
We have reprinted the book! The Slooper Society of America is proud to present this Bicentennial Collector’s Edition of J. Hart Rosdail’s The Sloopers: Their Ancestry and Posterity. This specially-commissioned reproduction of the 1961 original 668-page book, with many maps and pictures, tells the story of their journey, the families involved, and genealogies of the descendants. Divided in two volumes, with volume 1 describing “The Years Together (1825-1850” and volume 2 detailing “Their Ancestry and Posterity (1850-1961)”.
Available for $95 plus $18.40 shipping (free shipping if you elect to pick up your book at the Oct 6th meeting). If you order in advance of the meeting and plan to pick up the book on Oct 6th, please select the “Free shipping, will pickup at the meeting” option during checkout. Order your book here,
The Slooper descendants have grown substantially since the original 53 who sailed to America in 1825 — today we number over 20,000!! Sloopers are found in all 50 states plus various countries. Many of you may have never attended the annual meeting. I would encourage you to take pride in your unique Slooper heritage and be a part of its preservation. If the line stops with you, your children and grandchildren may never know the rich history that is also theirs.
In 2025 we will be celebrating the bicentennial! Norway, Illinois (formerly called the Fox River Settlement) is the oldest permanent Norwegian settlement in America. Here is where the seed was originally planted that resulted in over 800,000 Norwegians deciding to emigrate between 1825-1925. All this history can be viewed at the Norsk Museum through artifacts and exhibits and on our websites. (Norsk Museum.org and SlooperSociety.org)
First time visitors will be interested to know that if you stay the weekend, LaSalle/Kendall/Grundy Counties have much to offer. Area attractions include:
o 6 state parks, including the second most popular park in the country, Starved Rock State Park. Just ask the 2 million who visit annually!
o Local historic cities and towns in the area: Bishop Hill, Ottawa, Morris, Utica, plus another little town just 75 miles to the northeast—Chicago!
Lodging aplenty:
o Fox River Resort in Norway, IL
o Morris, IL – 20 miles
o Yorkville, IL – 18 miles
My hope is that this letter has piqued your interest to the point that you will contact me to reserve your place at our table no later than September 30th, for a day filled with Norwegian culture. For information about the Norsk Museum check out Facebook/Norsk Museum or our webpage at norskmuseum.org and for the Slooper Society of America please visit us on Facebook or our webpage at SlooperSociety.org. For those who cannot make the trip, follow us on Facebook for live streaming updates of the event.
We look forward to seeing you at noon on October 6th, 2024 at the Norway Community Building in beautiful Norway, IL. (3667 E. 2603rd Road, Sheridan IL)