Norheim, born June 10, 1825, in Morgedal, Telemark, Norway, immigrated to the United States in 1884 with his wife and five of their six children. After a brief stay in Minnesota, the family settled near Denbigh, where Norheim died in 1897. He was buried at Norway Lutheran Cemetery without a marker. The grave remained unmarked until 1966, when a memorial stone was placed during a ceremony sponsored by the Sons of Norway.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, wreaths were laid on the graves of Sondre Norheim and his wife, Rannei Aamundsdatter Norheim, in a ceremony attended by their great-great-grandson, Dag Larsson, and his wife, Ann Kristin Larsson, of Norway.

“My heart is so full,” Dag Larsson said during the service. Ann Kristin Larsson, standing beside him, wept as the floral tributes were set at the foot of the granite marker.

The graveside ceremony included a call to assembly by Joan Haaland Paddock on Nordic trumpet, a Viking lur fanfare and an opening prayer by Pastor Emmy Swedlund. Norwegian dignitaries participating included Tarjei Gjelstad, former mayor of Kviteseid; Thor Gotaas, author of a new biography on Norheim; Rolf Haugen, former city manager of Skien, Norway; and Jan Terje Olsen, former mayor of Skien, along with other representatives from Morgedal, Norway, and Skien.

Wendy Harper/MDN Joan Haaland Paddock plays trumpet as Marv Semrau looks on during Sondre Norheim’s bicentennial service Tuesday, Sept. 23, near Denbigh.

Following the wreath laying, participants gathered at Norway Lutheran Church for a commemorative service. Hymns by Nicolai F.S. Grundtvig and Alfred Paulsen, as well as arrangements by Kenneth Jennings and Kirby Shaw, were performed by musicians and the Change of Pace Singers directed by Lindsay Kerzmann. Anders Hovden’s “Ned i vester soli Glader” was presented as a special music piece.

Gotaas delivered remarks on Norheim’s life and influence, describing how the farm boy from Telemark reshaped skiing through his pioneering use of curved skis and heel bindings, which allowed for sharper turns and greater control. His techniques became the foundation of Telemark and Christiania turns, essential to the development of modern downhill skiing.

For North Dakotans of Scandinavian descent, the tribute was also a reminder of the immigrant journey. “Sondre Norheim left Norway with little more than his skills and his faith,” one speaker noted. “He gave the world a sport and gave his family a future, and we honor him here on these plains where he found his final rest.”

The annual graveside ceremony has been sponsored by Norsk Hostfest since 1983, when Princess Astrid of Norway attended. This year’s bicentennial added special significance, linking Morgedal’s celebrations to Norway Lutheran Cemetery in Denbigh.

Wendy Harper/MDN A memorial stone marks the grave of skiing pioneer Sondre Norheim at Norway Lutheran Cemetery near Denbigh Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Wendy Harper/MDN Dag and Ann Kristin Larsson stand at Sondre Norheim’s grave during a bicentennial service Tuesday, Sept. 23 near Denbigh.

Wendy Harper/MDN Guests walk toward Norway Lutheran Cemetery near Denbigh, Tuesday, Sept. 23, for Sondre Norheim’s bicentennial service.