Our collection item this week is in honor of Memorial Day and all of the men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the military, both from our community and across the nation. 



Ivar Egenes displayed photographs of local servicemen and women in the front window of his insurance business during World War II.  Many Story City residents served in the war and 20 never came home.  Including Ivar's son Lt. Col. Hubert I. Egenes who was killed in action March 28, 1944. He was a member of 362 AAF Fighter Squadron CO and was shot down by light flak. 

Lt. Col. Hubert Egenes with his plane.  To view additional photos of Hubert and read a statement about his plane going down, please visit the Find A Grave website: 
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=102696304&PIpi=72966411

In honor of syttende mai (Norwegian Constitution Day), our collection item of the week is this rosemåled plate painted by Per Lysne.  Lysne was born in Norway where his father taught him to rosemål. 

In 1907 Lysne came to the United states with his wife.  He was employed as a wagon painter in Stoughton, Wisconsin. When business slowed during the Depression he began to rosemål again.  The smorgasbord plate became his signature piece.  By the early 1940's, his work was in such demand, visitors to his back yard studio were told they would have to wait up to a year for a rosemåled plate. The revival of rosemåling in the Norwegian-American community is often credited to Per Lysne.

To learn more about Per Lysne, visit the Stoughton Historical Society website: http://www.stoughtonhistoricalsociety.org/Photo_Per_Lysne.htm

Its that time of year, graduation in Story City is almost here. This photo is one of the oldest Story City High School graduation photos we have in our collection.  This is Bertha (Olson) Bartlett's high school graduation photo.  Bertha was the librarian in Story City from 1927 until 1964.



​Bertha often told her daughter, Frances Bartlett Kinne, that the class was upset when a man joined the class in the 12th grade.

Story City High School class of 1905
Back row left to right: Inger Grotness, Carrie Larson, Bertha (Olson) Bartlett, Alonzo Donhowe, Edith Ericson, Martha Gravdahl

Front row left to right: Ellen Jorgenson, ___, Hagen (teacher), Neah Paulsen

The historical society recently received this plan drawing of Lake Comar from Katherine Munsen.  Lake Comar is a former recreation area once located just 1.5 miles south of Story City. It offered a park, outdoor auditorium, swimming and boating area, golf course, and many special events that attracted area residents up to the late 1930s.

This plan was drawn up in 1926 when Fred Corneliussen, the owner of Lake Comar, was adding the 9 hole golf course on the right hand side of the plan.  Katherine Munsen co-wrote a book entitled "Lake Comar" with Steve Corneliussen. Katherine and Steve spent much of their youth at Lake Comar.  

Katherine Munsen and Celia Corneliussen 1926.  Tower with high diving board in background.

The boating lake was a popular attraction at Lake Comar.

Photos courtesy of Katherine Munsen.