Lefse Hall of Fame

List of Members

Lefse Hall of Fame Charter Members

Note: Lefse Eating or Making Ability is noted after each name

CALIFORNIA

Arly Haroldson, Dixon  --  Eater

Ralph Hove - Big Bear Lake ®¢ Eater

MINNESOTA

Marit Ann Barkve, Shoreview  --  Eater

Jenna Margaret Bjorkman, Eden Prairie  --  Eater

Donald Gunderson, Moorhead  --  Maker

Cathy Hall, Waseca  --  Eater

Josh Hall, Waseca  --  Eater

Ann Hanson, Albert Lea  --  Maker

Virlynn Hanson, Warren -- Maker

Muriel Knutson, Barnesville  --  Maker

Gordon Lee, Minneapolis  --  Eater

Dawn Maunu, Esko  --  Eater

Eric Mauna, Esko  --  Eater

Harriet Robideau, Dilworth  --  Maker

Barb Smedsmo, Roseau  --  Maker

Dennis Smedsmo, Roseau  --  Maker

Eileen Thompson, Ellendale -- Maker

Marlene Ulberg, Maple Grove -- Maker

Allen Vevang, Minneapolis  --  Eater

NEVADA

Debi Hove; Henderson  --  Eater

Scott Hove; Henderson  --  Eater

Bev White; Las Vegas  --  Eater

Jim White; Las Vegas  --  Eater

Eileen Berglund, Henderson  --  Maker

Alice Salvesen, Henderson  --  Eater

Fred Gleeck, Henderson  ---  Eater

Art Poehls, Boulder City  --  Eater

Siri Poehls, Boulder City  --  Maker

NORTH DAKOTA

Ione Anderson, Grafton  --  Maker

Hazel Ebner, Cando  --  Eater

Brad Englerth, Park River  --  Eater

Janice Englerth, Park River  --  Maker

Bruce Gjovig, Grand Forks  --  Eater

Marlene Gorder, Grafton  --  Maker

Mary Dawn Tisdale Hartje  --  Maker

Ellie Henderson, Grafton  --  Maker

*Gladys Hove, Grafton  --  Maker

Jordan Hove; Grand Forks  --  Eater

*Millard Hove, Grafton  --  Eater

Vella Hougen; Larimore  --  Maker

Ruby Lee, Crosby  --  Maker

Mike Loken, Crosby  --  Maker

Shelle Michaels, Grand Forks  --  Maker

Jolene Mikkelson, Grand Forks  --  Maker

Darlene Miller, West Fargo  --  Maker

Bill Newman, Fessenden  --  Eater

Ethel Sander, Grafton  --  Maker

Bob Thompson, Grand Forks  --  Maker

Adeline Wettlaufer, Bottineau  --  Maker

SOUTH DAKOTA

*Mrytle Berglund, Roslyn  --  Maker

TEXAS

The Peays Family, Austin  --  Eaters

WISCONSIN

The Jensen Family, Kenosha  --  Makers

Dawn McPeak, Madison  --  Eater

Marj Swiggum, Soldiers Grove  --  Maker

Evelyn Williams, Edgerton  --  Maker

INTERNATIONAL CHARTER MEMBERS

NORWAY

Liv Heggen, Oslo  --  Eater

Britt Ingebretsen, Oslo  --  Eater

Kristin Kallanger, Oslo  --  Eater

Jens Kallanger, Oslo  --  Eater

Heidi Meyer, Oslo  --  Eater

Marthe Meyer, Oslo  --  Eater

Trude Meyer, Oslo  --  Eater

Ola Meyer, Hjuksebo  --  Eater

Liv Tone Meyer, Hjuksebo  --  Eater

Marius Meyer, Hjuksebo  --  Eater

Aina Meyer, Hjuksebo  --  Eater

Silje Meyer, Hjuksebo  --  Eater

Lars Meyer, Oslo  --  Eater

Stine Meyer, Oslo  --  Eater

Truls Meyer, Oslo  --  Eater

Marit Stromme, Skien  --  Eater

Lefse recipe

This is the recipe of Gladys Hove - the Lefse Hall of Fame's first inductee!

Peel potatoes (Gladys liked red "spuds"), boil until somewhat soft (no salt).

Put potatoes through ricer (or mash).  You need four (4) cups after they have been mashed.

Add 1/4 cup of lard (or shortening)

Add 1 tsp. salt

Add 1 tsp. sugar

When cool, add approximately 3/4 cup flour (use extra 1/4 cup when rolling out dough)

Flour pastry cloth; plug in lefse grill (or pancake griddle)

Divide dough into approximately 2" balls

Roll out with rolling pin (it's good to use a rolling pin sock on it!) until very thin

Use lefse stick to put on the lefse grill (at 400 degrees)

Turn lefse with stick when bubbly and brown spotted

Remove and cover with cloth

Cool and package in plastic wrap

Lefse can be frozen but is better EATEN!

About Gladys: She was the mother of the founder of The Lefse Hall of Fame - part of Hall of Fame Central. Many claimed her lefse to be the best to which she would reply, Oh, I don't know about that! Her maiden name was Orsund and her father, Pete, moved to North Dakota from Norway bringing with the lefse tradition!

Lefse Hall of Fame hits the papers!

Grafton, ND Native Creates Lefse Hall of Fame - by Rona Johnson
February 22,2003 - Grand Forks (ND) Herald Newspaper

Grafton, N.D, native creates Lefse Hall of Fame; coming soon, the Lutefisk Hall of Fame

Here's something that's going to make all you Norwegians scratch your head and wonder "Why didn't I think of that?"

Scott Hove, who grew up in Grafton, N.D., now is the founder and president of the Lefse Hall of Fame. Hove is a Lutheran pastor in Las Vegas, Nev., and, as you might have guessed, he's having a lot of fun with it.

Lefse is a flat and round dish that resembles a tortilla, except it's made from potatoes. Some people think lefse tastes like paper, but that's probably because they forgot to put butter and sugar on it. Hove started the Hall of Fame as a labor of love and to honor his mother Gladys, one of the best lefse makers in the world.

"Mom died a year ago in April, so this was the first year I didn't have Mom's lefse," Hove said. "One day I was in the shower, and I thought, you know I could have the Lefse Hall of Fame, the Internet makes it possible." So, Gladys Hove became the first inductee into the Lefse Hall of Fame.

But you don't have to be a lefse maker to be in the hall; you can be a lefse eater. So, Hove's father Millard, who lives in Grafton, was the first lefse eater inducted into the hall.

Join the fun

For an initiation fee of $19.95, you, too, can be an inductee in the Lefse Hall of Fame and get your official membership certificate. "You put it in a nice frame and hang it up on the wall, and somebody might think you're important, or just goofy," Hove said.

Believe it or not, Hove has a lot of members from the Las Vegas area. Seems there are some Norwegians who prefer to live where you can comfortably go outside year round. Hove said he met a woman at a Sons of Norway meeting in Boulder City, Nev., who bought 22 memberships to give away as Christmas gifts for people she knows who have everything. Well, it's probably safe for her to assume they've never been inducted into the Lefse Hall of Fame. And, when Hove runs into people who don't know what lefse is, he just tells them it's a Norwegian tortilla.

Lutefisk's turn

Unfortunately where there's lefse, lutefisk can't be far behind. So, you guessed it, coming soon from Hove is the Lutefisk Hall of Fame.

Lutefisk, just in case there is one person in the Herald's readership area who doesn't know, is lye-soaked cod. Norwegians eat lutefisk when there's no pickled herring to be found. Some people say it's better cooked on the stove, others like it from the microwave. But the truth is, lutefisk tastes the same whether it's cooked on a stove or in an old shoe.

Inductees of the Lutefisk Hall of Fame can get their official lutefisk fishing, ice fishing, hunting or trapping licenses.

"My concern here is that if we don't watch out, lutefisk will be totally overfished," Hove said. "We just have to stop people from taking as many lutefisk as they can."

The licenses should be available shortly before fishing season opens, Hove said. The Park River (N.D.) Bible Camp, which is famous for its lutefisk dinners, has already been inducted into the Lutefisk Hall of Fame as a group member. Lutefisk dinners are popular because they give hardcore Norwegians a chance to eat lutefisk and not smell up the house. Hove said he'd keep me posted on the Lutefisk Hall of Fame, so plug your nose and stay tuned.

RONA JOHNSON