Lawrence Welk

Ward County is on board for a July 2 celebration of the 70th anniversary of the national television debut of “The Lawrence Welk Show.”

The Ward County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday in support of a proclamation, joining a number of other North Dakota counties that have responded to a Welk enthusiast in Florida and his campaign for a day of recognition.

Ward County approved a submitted proclamation that lauded Welk’s aim at family friendly and quality entertainment, declaring it worth all corners of North Dakota coming together to celebrate.

Ward County’s support was a great boost, said Scott Wheeler of Tallahassee, who is behind the recognition effort.

“I was very honored because it’s great anytime a place gives support, but being the fourth largest county and having the Norsk Hostfest, which is also an early supporter – one of the very first to give me a letter – that’s special to me,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said last Tuesday was Super Tuesday in his efforts to generate support for a July 2 anniversary observance, with at least seven additional North Dakota counties approving either a proclamation or letter of support. He has garnered support from more than a dozen counties so far.

He also has received letters from other entities, including the North Dakota Farmers Union.

The letter of support from Norsk Hostfest called the launch of The Lawrence Welk Show on July 2, 1955, a significant date in American television history.

“This program not only entertained generations of viewers with its signature ‘champagne music,’ but it also became an enduring symbol of family-friendly entertainment, musical excellence, and wholesome television programming. For over three decades, The Lawrence Welk Show brought joy to millions of households, celebrating a wide range of musical genres and showcasing talented performers. Its impact on American culture is undeniable.”

The letter also noted four members connected with the show have been recognized in the Scandinavian American Hall of Fame – Myron Floren, Lynn Anderson, Tom Netherton and Norma Zimmer.

Welk, a native of Strasburg, was inducted into the North Dakota Rough Rider Hall of Fame in 1961 and was awarded an honorary degree from North Dakota State University in 1965. His family homestead, owned by the state, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to public tours.

Wheeler said he has requested a proclamation from Gov. Kelly Armstrong and also has been in contact with Congressman Julie Fedorchak’s office regarding a federal resolution.

“At the congressional level, the resolution I’d like passed is more honoring Lawrence Welk’s contributions to music and television,” he said. His federal efforts are in an early stage, but he said there is no urgency to approve a resolution by any particular deadline.

Although most of his efforts have been in North Dakota, he said, he’s sought support in South Dakota, where the chief executive officer of the South Dakota Hall of Fame provided a letter. Former Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson also offered a letter of support.

Wheeler said the state proclamation would be for this 70th anniversary year rather than a continuing observance for years to come.

“I didn’t know for sure how much openness there would be. So, I guess, I wanted to start off with just this year and then see where things went after that,” Wheeler said.

His interest in pushing for an observance of the anniversary comes from his interest in The Lawrence Welk Show. His mother’s family is from Pittsburgh, where Welk first became identified with champagne music.

“That side of the family watched the show when my mom was growing up. She used to go in the kitchen and tap dance when the tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, would come out. And on my dad’s side of the family, it sounds like they watched it, too. They had farming roots in Wisconsin, the Midwest, and, of course Lawrence Welk is the son of North Dakota farmers,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler, 36, said he enjoys polka, country and big band music. He credited his interest in the big band music of Welk’s era to his grandparents, who were fans. All these factors, along with his own German heritage, have led to an interest in Welk, whose heritage was Germans from Russia.

Floren, a South Dakotan whose musical talents were a fixture on the Welk show, was nicknamed “the happy Norwegian” by Welk as the first generation of immigrant parents from Norway. Wheeler said he also has Norwegian in his heritage.

“In many ways, that show brings a lot of my own life’s background together,” he said. “I want to hand that on, to the extent that I’m able, for whatever it’s worth, to people my age and younger that might not have much familiarity with the show.

“Sometimes things that our parents or the grandparents treasure, they might just assume that the younger generations will hear about it, and without meaning to, they don’t hand things on,” Wheeler said. “I want to try to make it a little bit easier for this to become something they become aware of, and for people younger than me or my age that have have a family or are starting to have a family, I want them to know that they have another option for television that they can feel pretty comfortable sitting with their kids and not have to be shocked at what’s going to be on the screen.”

Wheeler suggested celebrating Wednesday, July 2, by researching Welk and the show, reminiscing about past experiences in watching the show or watching the show again or for the first time around that date. He said a couple of North Dakota communities also are looking at including Welk tributes in summer events this year.