Tape/Side
1/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
00:50
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Family Genealogy and History : Mrs. Lee gives names of her parents, their birthplaces, grandparents.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
05:35
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Mrs. Lee's Background : Mrs. Lee's birthplace, occupations, residences.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
07:10
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Seasonal Work on Norwegian Farms in Wisconsin : Spring spent tilling land and getting tobacco beds ready.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
08:30
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Tobacco Raising in Dane County : After grain crops destroyed by chinch bugs, tobacco adopted by Norwegian farmers. Tobacco graded, the best used for wrappers. Some farmers became wealthy from raising this crop. Not grown in Norway.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
11:05
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Mr. Lee's Family Wheat Production : Lees grew only a little wheat, ground at local mill and made into white flour, bran, and cracked wheat. Describes how cracked wheat was cooked.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
12:10
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Mr. Lee Stops Raising Tobacco : Tobacco a difficult crop because of the hand labor involved. Mr. Lee stopped raising it and turned to dairying.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
12:55
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Mr. Lee's Parents Have Diversified Farm : Elder Lees raised grain crops and had a dairy herd. Took care of own milk until creameries arrived in the late 1800's.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
13:55
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Types of Grain : Mr. Lee attended agriculture school for two winter terms and began raising alfalfa as a result. Also grew barley, oats, and corn. The latter the most important crop. Since alfalfa needs a sweet soil they hauled lime onto the land which had been used for tobacco.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
15:30
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Depression Bread : During the depression women were told to make bread from barley rather than wheat. Most women unhappy about this because they liked white, fluffy bread. The Lees added more yeast than usual and were able to make good bread of barley and a little wheat flour.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
16:50
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Seasonal Work -Summer : Summer was taken up with haying and the planting of late crops. Good machinery to do the work but shocks of grain tied by hand. Combines later used to thresh the grain.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
18:05
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Old Methods of Farm Work : All work done by hand in the old days. Cradles used to cut the grain and threshing done to separate the grain from chaff. Grain beaten with a flail on the barn floor. Treadmill powered by oxen later used for this.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
20:15
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Women's Work during the Summer : Women worked in the garden and did the berrying; also preserved much fruit. Used much sugar to keep the fruit and stored it in stone crocks in a cool place. They made pickles and sauerkraut. A kind of sour cabbage was made in Norway which is like sauerkraut.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
22:00
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Children's Chores : Children helped with a little of everything. As young children they mostly helped their mother, as they grew older they helped with barn chores.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
22:20
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Types of Vegetables Grown : They grew carrots and onions. Lettuce a later innovation, as were tomatoes which were new to Norwegians. Mrs. Lee's grandmother disappointed with first tomato because she expected it to be sweet like a fruit. Also grew cabbage, turnips, and rutabagas. Rutabagas a favorite in northern Norway as a substitute for potatoes which would not grow in the cold climate. Corn was another innovation. Learned to use cornmeal for mush and johnny cake.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
25:35
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Preservation of Food : Food stored in a vegetable cellar located outside. Carrots stored in sand. Fresh vegetables not available all year and during the late winter the family relied on potatoes for the most part.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
27:00
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Special Beverages for Haying Time : Whey was a popular drink during any hot time of the year when heavy work was done. Mr. Lee's father also made homemade beer for these times. It was somewhat sweet and had quite a bit of body.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction to second part of Tape 1, Side 1
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
00:30
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Beer for Harvest Time : Beer was the favorite cool drink at harvest time.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
01:05
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Norwegian Clothes Too Hot for American Climate : People brought heavy woolen clothing from Norway but found it too warm. Everyday clothes made at home. Work clothes made from store-bought denim. Women's clothes made from calico, using old clothing as a pattern. Skirts made from two or three lengths of material which was gathered at the top and hemmed at the bottom. Bustles not used on everyday clothes.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
03:00
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End of Tape
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
00:35
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Good Clothes for Sunday : Best clothes for Sunday were always made of black material. Older women wore little caps trimmed with lace and ribbons.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
01:15
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Mrs. Lee Explains Pictures in a Family Album : Mrs. Lee uses the pictures to demonstrate clothing and hair styles.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
04:30
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Best Clothes Are Made by a Dressmaker : Family hired dressmaker to come every spring and make best dresses for the family. She also came in the fall for the same reason. Mrs. Lee's mother made their everyday clothes. They received a new dress at Christmas time as well.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
05:10
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Discusses Picture of Husband's Uncle : Uncle was a Lutheran pastor and professor. He wore a long black gown with a white ruff at the neck as in Norway.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
06:00
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Children's Clothing : Boys wore dresses or suits to the knee called “Russian suits.” Underneath these they wore bloomers or pants. Their clothing was homemade.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
07:00
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Norwegian Costume : Picture was of Hardanger costume. This was worn for dress-up for going to church or other special occasions.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
08:20
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Children's Clothing : Little girls dresses were worn halfway down the leg with a flounce at the bottom.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
08:35
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Newcomers : New settlers were called Newcomers. Shows photograph of first Norwegian family to settle in the town of Deerfield.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
10:30
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Picture Of Husband as a Twelve Year Old : Photographed with his sister. Photographer placed something against her neck so that she could not move. Basques (top portion of dress) were tightly fitted.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
11:50
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Mourning Cards : When people died, cards were sent out to friends to put in their photo albums. These were trimmed in black and gold.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
12:55
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Home Sewing : Lace collars made at home. Patterns came from looking at finished products others had made. Coats were homemade. Mrs. Lee's grandmother got a sewing machine when Mrs. Lee's mother was ten. It was turned by a crank and sat on the table. Some material was woven at home. Norwegians favored primary colors - mostly blues and reds.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
16:55
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Photo Album : Album was made of leather and handed down. (End of photos at 17:00.)
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
17:10
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Domestic Work : Washing usually done on Monday; chores all done by hand and usually on certain days. Clothes hung on bushes if there was not enough line.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
19:00
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People Make Their Own Soap : Mrs. Lee's husband's grandmother made her own lye and soap. Put wood ashes in a big barrel and set it up high so the water could run through. They saved fat scraps from butchering and cooking and put these in a kettle in the yard. This was stirred over a fire. Some was left soft and could be spooned out. For hard soap, the mixture was cooked a little longer, poured in boxes and let sit until it hardened. Then it was cut up. Soap usually made in the fall because there were fat scraps left over from the meat eaten during the summer. Sometimes people got together to make soap.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
21:10
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Butchering Done in the Fall : Butchering had to be done during cold weather because of the lack of refrigeration. (Mrs. Lee got out a book about old-time things at this point.)
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
22:40
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Mr. Lee's Parents Have a Summer Kitchen : Families either built on a shanty to the main house or a separate one near the house, used for all cooking during the summer. Sometimes an old stove was used, if not, main stove moved into shanty for the summer. When they were preserving foods, the stove was kept going all day.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
24:15
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Bread Baking : Bread was baked in the latter part of the week, sometimes twice a week. Usually made five loaves at a time. One time Mrs. Lee baked twenty loaves in one week because her brother's children were visiting. Made both white and whole wheat bread. Yeast came in cakes dusted with cornmeal. This was dissolved and made into a sponge. The sponge was put in a big pan and let rise overnight. In the morning, the rest of the ingredients were added.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
27:00
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Mrs. Lee Discusses Book About Old Methods : Said stories in book reminded her of teaching in a one room school.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction to second part of Tape 2, Side 1
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
00:05
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Mrs. Lee Talks About Discipline in One Room Schools : Farm children couldn't be kept after school because they had chores to do; usually good but might be kept in at recess if they misbehaved.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
01:40
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Housecleaning : Major housecleaning done twice a year in the fall and the spring. Mrs. Lee's mother's family only had one room so they must have cleaned every day. Some families didn't care much about cleaning; others thought it was important. Bedding aired during spring cleaning.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
03:15
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End of Tape
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
00:35
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Butter Making : Cream was kept at home until the creameries started. Family made butter, and also made buttermilk to drink.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
01:15
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Cottage Cheese : Extra milk left to sour on the back of the stove. When the milk separated, grandmother would ladle out the curds and put them in a dish. They were mixed with cream and a little salt.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
02:10
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Whey Cheese : The whey left over from the soured milk was boiled until it could be spooned up. Brown colored, was used as a spread on bread.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
03:45
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Butter : Butter stored in stone crocks in the cellar. Made all year round; extra butter sold in town.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
05:25
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Ironing : Used flat irons held with pad since handles too hot to touch. Later handles made separately. Ironing was a hot job especially with a wood-burning cook stove.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
07:05
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Meals : Big meal eaten at noon; breakfast was also a hearty meal. Family got up at 5 or 6 o'clock. Mrs. Lee's husband did his chores before breakfast but sometimes took a piece of bread first. Breakfast foods included mush - oatmeal, cracked wheat, or cream of wheat; eggs; bacon or salt pork; sometimes pancakes. Eggs were usually fried. Lunches for school were sandwiches, fruit, and cake or cookies. Noonday dinner was always meat and potatoes, usually pork.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
12:15
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Pork : Pork was salted. Butchered hogs were cut into chops and roasts and some was ground for sausage. Pork chops were fried and put in a stone crock sealed with lard. Roasts were also preserved this way. Salt pork was put in a brine of salt and water. One recipe called for brown sugar, salt, water, and saltpeter. Salt pork was fried and made with a gravy of milk, flour, and fat. Sometime fried salt pork was eaten at breakfast with the milk gravy on toast.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
14:35
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Dinner : Family ate a lot of vegetables. Carrots and rutabagas were cooked and mashed together. Turnips were boiled or mashed and eaten with butter. Always had lots of canned tomatoes.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
16:00
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Beverages : Some people always used coffee. The Lees drank milk, tea, or water.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
16:40
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Supper Menu : In the summer, they often had cold meat for supper. Also ate apple, strawberry, and raspberry sauce. Usually had fried or creamed potatoes as well. The Lees used some Norwegian foods but gradually learned American recipes as well.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
17:45
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Mush : Grot or mush was made of cornmeal in America. They would make a lot of it and leave some overnight to slice and fry the next day. This was eaten with syrup or sorghum on it.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
18:20
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Sorghum : Raised their own sorghum. Did not have maple sugar trees but had sorghum mills around. Took stalks to be cut up, then cooked them. Used in ginger bread, cookies, and for flavoring beans.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
19:15
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Extra Food-Snacks : Didn't have snacks as we know them today. At harvest time, the men always got a lunch in the morning and afternoon, including a cool drink of whey, beer, water, or buttermilk. Lunches were sandwiches, cake, cookies. Kept the women busy because as soon as breakfast was finished, they would make lunch and carry it out to the fields.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
20:40
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Cookies : Always made one of two kinds of cookies, sugar or sorghum (molasses). Cookies kept in a big jar and children were allowed to snack on them.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
21:15
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Spinning and Weaving : Norwegians brought their spinning wheels with them to America but did less spinning and little weaving here. Mrs. Lee's grandmother kept sheep and spun the wool but did not weave cloth. She made stockings from the spun wool. Later, an elderly woman was hired to knit for the family. They dyed their own wool, used sumac for gray.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
22:40
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Stockings and Shoes : Children and women's stockings were usually black. Men wore different colored stockings. A cobbler came around a couple times a year to make shoes. Women wore buttoned shoes, later laced shoes. Early shoes were clumsy.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
23:55
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Julebukking : Mrs. Lee did not remember if she went julebukking, but others did. They dressed up in anything that looked crazy. Usually walked from house to house and sang songs in Norwegian. Neighbors had to guess identities. Some covered their faces with real masks.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
28:00
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Norwegian Folk Creatures : Grandparents knew all the old superstitions about trolls, nisse, and little elves. Her father would tell the story of the three billy goats gruff. It was called “De Tre Bukken Brusse.” Her father would dramatize it. People used to say that if you didn't treat the nisse right they would punish you. At Christmas Eve a special bowl of Christmas rice was set out for the nisse. The family ate a special grot that night as well.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
30:15
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End of Interview
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