Milton Pope students visit Norsk museum during geography lesson

The Norsk Museum was visited Thursday by the Milton Pope School sixth graders led by teacher Karen Fleming.

The class is studying geography, maps and other cultures. Docents from the Norsk Museum showed the 18 students around the museum, sharing its history since 1834. After the tour, each student received a scavenger hunt questionnaire to test their knowledge of what they learned. The students searched the museum for clues to answer the test. Completed sheets were turned in for a special Norwegian treat called “kringla.”

The Norsk Museum has been serving the area for 50 years. In 2025, all Norwegians will be celebrating the anniversary of 200 years of the “Sloopers” coming to America. Norway, Illinois, is home to the first permanent Norwegian settlement in America. The First Norwegian Lutheran Church in America also is found in Norway, Illinois. Today, it serves as the museum. The docents who volunteered were Linda Anderson, Mandy Beck, and Dave and Maureen Johnson.