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Evelyn Larson Evelyn Larson's History ~ Nisse Story ~ Syttende Mai Button Evelyn began painting on mirrors and selling them in 1951.There is one in a show case at the Snowflake building in Timber Coulee. It is now 55 years old. Mirror painting turned into sign lettering in 1954, along with lettering trucks and store windows. There were three barns with a design and lettering, one remains south of town. The Old Town Ranch with a horse design, done 48 years ago in 1958. From 1956 to 1960 there were 58 trucks and 423 signs lettered.
In 1961 she
went to work at Tri-State Breeders now known as Accelerated
Genetics 1968 was the year Westby placed three Velkommen till Westby signs along the highways leading into town. She was asked by Mayor Palmer Rude to design two Nisse to go on these signs. Not knowing much about Nisse at the time she came up with a happy little fellow, learning later in Norway they are portrayed a bit gloomy and dressed in dark cloths.
The one on the Vosseteig's building lasted the longest being on the wall until the building was sold. When they began to remove them, the weather and time had taken its toll and they fell apart. But after being up for more than twenty years that was to be expected. Ole is making a come back, Westby is using him on their main street banners, he is alive and well on the wall at Apple Blossom Apartments on Saugstad road north of town. Tip Bagstad carved a seven foot wooden Ole designed out of a log designed by Evelyn Larson. Ole stands proudly holding the Norwegian flag by the Stabbur tourist information building on North Main. Evelyn and her husband Orin have retired from making the large wooden Nisse. There was a time where Orin sawed out several a week ranging in the three to four foot size. Evelyn finds doing ink and watercolor paintings of Ole much easier. These are sold as prints. Evelyn also taught evening classes in Rosemaling and landscape painting for several years at Gallery E and Western Wisconsin Technical College in La Crosse. In 1980 she opened her own ceramic shop, holding classes and doing shows. This closed in 1999 when they moved to Westby. Evelyn and Orin are best known for the literally hundreds of nisses produced in the past 38 years. Ole the nisse is available in framed or unframed 8x10 and 5x7prints Ole has his own picture book telling about the different trolls. The nisse is also a troll but he is one of the good guys .The nasty trolls are ugly. With large noses lots of hair and a long tail. This book is also a coloring book. It came out in 1998 and there only a few left. Ole and his 'family' are covered by several Federal Copyrights. A copyright is valid for the lifetime of the owner plus 50 years
The American/Norwegian
Nisse is the happy go lucky type and not a gloomy gus. Two of
these happy guys graced each sign and still do on the new signs
today 38 years later, repainted but never replaced. The Nisse
was cutout of three quarter inch marine plywood. Many business
places had one or two designed for their store. Jim Weber
jewelry store had one holding up a rather large diamond, David
Vossetieg Furniture had the largest display with two Nisse, a
house, tree, two Nisse carrying a sofa and a little dog running
along. The public library had the first girl Nisse, she was scolding the boy Nisse for dropping his books. Then, Farmers Union, had the largest ones ever made. One eight foot Nisse carrying a feed sack and a seven foot one with an oil can. Eric Leum’s store had a flute player. The Westby Beauty shop had a boy and girl Nisse. There were four painted on the wall down stairs at the American Legion. A large mural painted in what was then Flugstad’s Hardware, now Dregne’s Scandinavian Gifts, it is still there along with more paintings of Nisse on the gift shop cupboard doors, done later. Since most of this was done in 1969 to the mid seventies the others have all gone by the wayside by this time, A copyright on the Nisse was applied for and granted in 1969. There are now seven federal copyrights on Ole the Nisse. With people wanting to send him to their friends and relatives in many states and even overseas a copy right is necessary. Nisse get lonely too, so Ole found himself a wife. They have a boy and a girl and a troll they adopted, plus a dog and a cat. The Trollsons's can be seen on the front page of The Westby Times every week. Being very civic minded they participate and remind everyone of things going on in the community. Evelyn also likes to paint on canvas, doing wildlife and other scenes. She also does Rosmaling on wooden plates and design work besides doing the bulletin cover for her church for the past 12 years Syttende Mai a Norwegian holiday heralding the arrival of spring was organized in 1968 with the first Syttende Mai celebration in 1969.The button for this event was furnished by the American Legion Auxiliary. A small white button with Westby Syttende Mai printed in red. The following year the board asked and were granted permission to use the Nisse on the button. Evelyn has designed the button and made it camera ready for 38 years. They are becoming a collector’s item. The first place mat featuring the two original Nisse and the Norwegian table prayer was printed in 1969. This was done in red, white and blue. One with several Nisse done in browns with napkins to match came later. Ole has since appeared on Christmas cards, stationary, and his own coloring book To see previous years' Syttende Mai Buttons click here. Evelyn Larson's History ~ Nisse Story ~ Syttende Mai Button
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working in the laboratory for 14 years. During this
time she had the opportunity to illustrate the covers for the
I-A Digest magazine out of Columbia Mo. And the Sheepman
magazine, plus some graphic design.
Many
years have gone by since the beginning of the Nisse and some may
have been forgotten. There were several farm signs ordered
featuring Ole, one still remains intact after surviving a rather
serious accident that called for a head transplant, Borgen's Café
has four Nisse on the wall of the back dinning room. Borgen's
also the only ones cut out of plexi-glass sitting in the front
window .Dregne’s Scandinavian Gifts have two on their outside
wall, plus the only three dimensional Nisse made sitting above
their entry way. The earlier ones have gone by the wayside, The
Farmers Union now known as Heartland Country Cooperative Nisse
had their misfortune of having their legs cut off by a truck and
were discarded. Jim Weber after selling his store returned his
diamond carrying Nisse to Evelyn. It can be seen at
Embroidery and More on Main Street along with two original ones
in the window...
