Luther Woman’s Club meeting March 21

You may well have heard of sloops, but who are the “Sloopers”? Dale Goodman of Decorah will answer that question (and many more) during his presentation “The Sloopers of 1825” at the next meeting of the Luther College Woman’s Club, Tuesday, March 21, at 1:30 p.m. in Peace Dining Room, Dahl Centennial Union, on the Luther campus.

Goodman will take attendees back nearly two centuries to July 4, 1825, when a small sloop ship named Restaurasjonen (Restoration) carrying 52 passengers set sail from Stavanger, Norway, for a 98-day journey to the United States. These passengers (and their descendants) would become known as the “Sloopers.” Goodman will dive into the events that led up to that voyage, the story of the 98-day journey, and the beginning years of their new lives on the shores of Lake Ontario near Kendall, New York. Dale Goodman is a descendant of Tormod and Siri Madlandhis (four greats) grandparents, who, along with his great, great, great aunts—Serine, Gurine and Rakel—were passengers on the Restoration. He grew up in California and worked first in forest management and then in commercial construction and construction management there before moving to Dubuque, Iowa, to attend Wartburg Theological Seminary (graduating with a master’s degree in theology in 1993). Goodman served in ELCA Lutheran Outdoor Ministries until his retirement in 2012; he spent the last 16 years of his career as the executive director of the Ewalu Camp and Retreat Center near Strawberry Point, Iowa. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and conservation and a master’s degree in wildland resource economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Goodman is a former board member of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and a current board member of the Norwegian Slooper Society of America.

For more than 60 years, the Luther College Woman’s Club has baked treats for Luther students, with all proceeds raised funding scholarships for deserving students. To date, the club has raised more than $325,000 in scholarship funds. All women from Decorah and surrounding communities are invited to attend the meeting. Shuttle service from the Decorah Swimming Pool is available and leaves at 1:10 p.m. In addition to the program, a short business meeting, refreshments, and music are also on the afternoon’s agenda. Attendees are asked to contribute $5 toward refreshments.

To join the LCWC and/or learn more about the group, visit luther.edu/alumni- friends/engage/stay-connected/womans-club.