‘Lefse loonies’ making lefse, growing friendships
By Rachel Barduson
Whether you are a seasoned pro or a newcomer to the art, if you love lefse, you just know. That goes for eating it too.
Ruthie Illies is from Savannah, Georgia and moved to Alexandria via Battle Lake, Minn., three years ago. Her husband grew up in North Dakota. “I grew up having gravy on rice. We put gravy on pretty much everything, so when I had lefse for the first time during a holiday meal with my in-laws, I translated putting turkey gravy on lefse, or dipping it in gravy,” Ruthie said. “That’s how I eat it.”
Ruthie has joined a group of friends at the Alexandria Senior Center who call themselves the “Lefse Loonies.” The ‘Loonies’ gather together for the sole purpose of making lefse and growing friendships through this traditional Scandinavian delicacy.
And delicacy it is. We, here in the center of Minnesota, know exactly what the Loonies are talking about. We love our lefse, whether you are a purist (eat it with only butter)...or a semi-purist, who eats it with butter and white sugar...or a lover of brown sugar and cinnamon on your lefse...or even, the occasional “dip it in turkey gravy,” you are a true member of the Scandinavian culture.
Going around the table and chatting with the Lefse Loonies, I soon discovered that each had their own storied path to becoming a member of this elite group at the Senior Center. Evelyn Johnson is the only one in the group who grew up with lefse, from her childhood years and grade school, helping her mom as she stood over a cast iron griddle on the family’s wood stove. Evelyn helped her mom early on...ricing the potatoes as they prepared lefse dough from scratch.
Evelyn is a seasoned pro in the field of making lefse. “My son lives in Georgia and I sent some lefse down to him. He took it to his office and he said, ‘they didn’t seem to enjoy it so much.’ so I guess not everyone has a taste for it,” Evelyn admitted. Back here in central Minnesota, we will try to understand when someone doesn’t acquire a taste for it.
Sandy Bessingpas discovered lefse when she moved to the area in 1986 and has been doing heritage demonstrations at the fair since that time. She demonstrated quilting and sewing on a treadle sewing machine. “As far as lefse goes, I had never heard of it when I moved here. I’m German/Polish, I grew up making Kolaches. I did learn how to make lefse when we first moved here in 1986 but I didn’t demonstrate it at the fair right away.” She began demonstrating the art of lefse making when the Senior Center became involved with heritage crafts. Today, Sandy is another seasoned pro in the art of lefse...dough-making, making the dough balls, rolling it out, standing over the griddle, and flipping it. Now during fair time she is seen every day in the newer Heritage Square log building – demonstrating heritage foods during the entire run of the fair. The Alexandria Senior Center group has been in their newer location of Heritage Square since 2016.
“People come to taste and enjoy” Sandy said. “The lines are out the building and they don’t mind waiting. Many say that no one in their family makes it (anymore) so they come to the fair. Some are ‘first-time’ tasters and they love it – we serve it hot off the griddle. Kids love it too. We have other heritage foods like Rommegrot, and old-timers as well as new-comers, fall in love with that traditional holiday food at the fair.”
John Huseth knows what he’s talking about when it comes to old-timers. He grew up in Elbow Lake and has met many of his Norwegian relatives - so when he joined the Lefse Loonies he hadn’t fallen far from the branches of his Scandinavian tree.
Bob Ritlinger on the other hand, grew up in upstate New York until his senior year of high school when the family moved to Rochester, Minn., in 1957. He is of “German-Dutch-English and American Indian” heritage and making lefse for the first time was completely foreign to him. He’s now part of the “flippin’ crew,” but watching him in action, I’d say he’s a pretty good ‘rockin’ roller’ too. “It’s all about the people, the meet-and-greet and I love it,” Bob said.
Marie Shelstad is of Irish descent and she “married a Norske so I figured I had to learn how to make it,” she explained. In 1975 Marie took a community education class on lefse-making and the rest is history. “We make lefse a week before Thanksgiving and the lefse season starts with that.” Marie now winters in Arizona and has her lefse griddle in the south with her, although admitting. “I brought some to a potluck gathering, and I would say...they weren’t as excited about it as we all seem to be.”
Carol Strong, who has been a part of the senior center for several years, serving as treasurer for 10 of them and also as interim director, first tried lefse in 2014 and credits Kathryn LeBrasseur as the positive force who brought so many seniors together – to make lefse – and so many other activities and events during her lifetime. Carol, who is of German and Polish descent, and Debbie Henneman Shea, who is “mostly German,” joined together at the senior center to learn how to make lefse. Debbie explained, “As a young child I loved lefse. I couldn’t wait to eat it. One Christmas we were saying grace and as soon as we chimed in on the ‘amen.’ I said ‘please pass the lefse’ and that phrase – amen, please pass the lefse - was often repeated for years after that.” Both Strong and Shea reflect on the memories of LeBrasseur often, reminding us of the voice, the advocate, the leader and the mentor for senior living that Kathryn was.
Lefse – a traditional Scandinavian delicacy that brings people together, regardless of heritage or because of heritage. “Kathryn LeBrasseur often said that the best friendships come out of the most miserable tasks,” Carol laughed, indicating that back in the day volunteers peeled real potatoes over buckets at the county fair. “Five gallon pails, peeling potato after potato to make the lefse dough,” Carol said. “Hard work but lots of fun, fellowship, purpose, and love of our community.” Although they don’t peel potatoes at the fair anymore - they use Hungry Jack potato flakes and a recipe that was first printed in the Senior Perspective - all the lefse dough is prepared at the Senior Center – five teams with seven members per team, start the preparation the last week of July – and make 700 sheets of lefse in advance and package the prepared lefse. During the fair, volunteers make the dough each day at the Senior Center before the gates at the fair open; they demonstrate all day long, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and sell approximately 2,500 samples of lefse. Other homemade heritage treats are also available and Rommegrot is served by the cup.
Janet Baker moved from Chicago to Minneapolis in 1972, “and now I’m 72,” she laughed. When she moved to Alexandria in 1985 she didn’t know lefse even existed, however now, she’s part of the lefse circle and coined the name “Lefse Loonies.” Janet is the site manager for Nutrition Services, Inc. (NSI leases the kitchen from the Senior Center), providing home delivered meals to Alexandria, Brandon, Garfield and Evansville. She also serves a congregate dining meal on Thursdays at the Alexandria Senior Center, and with her sense of humor she is right in the mix of this group of Lefse Loonies.
What drives this group? Each admit it’s the people, the love of the senior center, a place to go, to be a part of so many activities and the friendships that grow from all of those things. According to Executive Director of the Alexandria Senior Center, Shelli-Kae Foster, “Our Senior Center is the hub for activities that engage our older adults in Douglas County. Over 25% of the population in our county is over 65 years old. In a typical month we have foot traffic of 1,200 people. Each one enjoying the friendships, laughs, education and exercise the Center offers. We are looking forward to hosting our next ‘Fix-It Clinic’ on October 5 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Stop by and find out more about specific activities for you.”
Of the Lefse Loonies, Evelyn Johnson goes to the center every day; Ruthie loves birthday club; Marie loves to play cards; John enjoys men’s Bridge and Thursday Bridge Club and Bob is the “Senior Executive Librarian” (“certified,” he added), circulating about 1,000 books per year.
Donations to sample the goodies served out of the Heritage Square building at the county fair, including lefse, krumkake, donuts, kolaches and Rommegrot, nets about $6,300 a year, which goes toward operational expenses at the Senior Center. Millerville Butter donates 12 pounds of butter. The county fair is one of the Senior Center’s top fund-raiser; they also have a spring tea, “holiday tables” luncheon, a Christmas bake sale, garage sale and waffle feed.