At 107, Clark’s Hazel Ness still enjoys cooking traditional Norwegian foods

More than a century into daily life, Hazel Ness nevertheless enjoys getting ready preparing and sharing Norwegian foods with people she life with.

Ness, who resides in Clark, is 107 and has been honored as the oldest member of the South Dakota Health and fitness Care Association Century Club.

She carries on to have an lively everyday living, sharing tales and making common Norwegian foods for the personnel and inhabitants at Roetell Senior Housing, which she has called house for the earlier 13 decades.

Ness was born on her loved ones farm in close proximity to Naples on Might 17, 1915, to Andrew and Marie Christopherson. She recalls what it was like getting a initially-generation Norwegian immigrant in South Dakota.

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“My dad and mom spoke the two English and Norwegian at property. I grew up being aware of how to converse both of those fluently. I nevertheless can communicate Norwegian now,” Ness stated.

Food items is tradition, and that element of Norwegian existence continues to enjoy an important aspect in her everyday living as she however makes lefse and lutefisk to share with many others.

“Hazel helped the St. Paul Lutheran Church host its annual lutefisk supper for quite a few yrs,” stated Leslie Duffield, a single of Ness’s six grandchildren. “She helped make lefse in advance and cooked the lutefisk on the working day of the celebration.”

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The lutefisk meal at the St. Paul in Clark was one of the biggest of its type, acquiring offered 700 tickets a person year. The church normally offered 600 tickets and filled the entire basement with hungry friends.

The past meal at St. Paul was in 2019. It was discontinued because of to COVID-19. And with an growing older congregation, the church decided to no for a longer time organize the event. That piece of Norwegian tradition in the area may well be lost to time.

Ness actively preserved her family’s heritage. She and her partner Clarence ended up involved with the Sons of Norway and Extension Homemakers.

Story proceeds

Ness satisfied her upcoming husband when she was 15

Ness achieved Clarence when she was 15. He had grown up in the vicinity of her family’s farm and would often help for the duration of harvest season. Inspite of the few not attending faculty with each other, they still managed to find time alongside one another and fall in really like.

“Clarence failed to are living as well much away. I saw him every single working day,” Ness said.

The few married on Feb. 2, 1934, and used their life traveling the entire world and increasing their two children, Clayton and Dianne.

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“We went traveling quite a bit,” Ness mentioned. “I have absent to Norway 2 times to take a look at my spouse and children. It is really truly rather there, and we frequented tons of towns and lots of associates of my family. And I had no dilemma with communicating as I could talk Norwegian. It was a good journey.”

Being 107 means Ness has witnessed some of the most turbulent times in American record, like Entire world War II and the Dirty Thirties.

“The Soiled Thirties were really hard,” she claimed. “We experienced to go over the windows so the dust didn’t blow in. It was awfully dry. Food stuff had to be rationed. You did not get significantly, and what you did get, you had to share it.”

Washing equipment, electric power leading Ness’s listing of improvements

Witnessing a century of technological developments, the greatest innovations, according to Ness, have been the washing equipment and energy.

Even with the technological innovations and the ensuing simplicity in entry to resources, Ness knows the value of getting resourceful and aware of squander.

“You should not waste foods. Take treatment of what you got. If you just take care of it, issues can final for a lot of, several yrs,” she stated.

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Gardening, preserving food items, cooking and sewing all played roles in her early lifestyle. They are skillsets she passed down to her children. But probably one of her beloved abilities was quilting, and she said she has created numerous quilts for spouse and children and friends all through the a long time.

A incredibly hot cup of espresso commences every single working day

Ness is information with starting each morning with a very hot cup of espresso and a lifetime of recollections.

The South Dakota Wellbeing Care Association created the Century Club to realize South Dakotans 100 or more mature for their longevity and contributions to the state. Extra than 1,300 men and women have been inducted into the club considering that its founding in 1997.

There are no dues for the Century Club, and each inductee gets a certification and membership card. To post names for the club, visit www.sdhca.org and obtain an software or contact LuAnn Severson at 1-800-952-3052.

This report originally appeared on Watertown General public Belief: At 107, Hazel Ness is named the Century Club oldest member in SD