Decades-old tradition again brings delicacy to Havre

Hundreds of people from the region came to Havre Saturday for the annual Swedish Meatball and Norwegian Lutefisk Dinner at First Lutheran Church.

The dinner holds a special place in Havre traditions, and after 87 years, holds a special place in many people's hearts because of the fellowship, culture and food. 

"If you have been around Havre long enough, you realize that Havre among a very giving community, and they pull together when organizations or individuals are in need, and I think it just shows that community spirit when people are involved in events like this," said Kevin Tweeten, who was cooking the lutefisk alongside his father, Hank Tweeten, and a few other volunteers.

He added that he believes it is important for people in the Havre community to stay active in the community and put on community events, such as the lutefisk dinner.

"Those selfless acts of kindness that this community does time in and time out," he said. "It's a very special place to live, I think."

Lutefisk Dinner Chair Jim Griggs said that this year's dinner was, in part, dedicated to Lyle and Ann Knudsen.

Griggs said he used to be the vice chair under Lyle Knudsen and both Lyle and Ann Knudsen played a large role in continuing the lutefisk dinner. 

The dinner used to have more than 1,000 people who attended the event every year, but the number slowly dwindled, Griggs said. A time came when people were thinking about canceling the dinner entirely, but the Knudsens promoted the event and pushed for its continuation, Griggs said.

He added that the dinner has fed about 300 to 400 people annually for the past couple of years.

It is the only annual ethnic dinner Havre has, he added, and it is important for the people of Havre to have the event.

Griggs said the first group who attended the dinner Saturday were mostly people from all across the Hi-Line, including people from Joplin and Kremlin, who drove to Havre just for the dinner. Most of them arrived at the dinner about 30 minutes before they began serving the dinner, he said, and mostly just sat around and talked with each other until the dinner was served. Griggs added that even after they were served many of them stayed at the event and talked with one another, many of them not seeing each other since the lutefisk dinner last year.

"It really brings people together," Griggs said.

He added that a large number of people who volunteered were also younger people. He said that many of the younger generation have been coming to the event with their families and are starting to get involved with all of the prep work that goes into the event. 

Griggs said it makes him happy to see younger people getting involved because it means that even after he steps down as the chair the dinner will continue. He added that he will not be stepping down any time soon, but he is happy to see the future of the dinner is secure. 

"I enjoy it too much," he said.

Tweeten said he has been volunteering at the lutefisk dinner since he was a child, volunteering with his Cub Scout pack, cleaning tables and setting dishes. He added that he remembers when he was younger he did not like lutefisk but started getting a taste for the delicacy once he got older.

"You either love it or you hate it," he said. "... I know when I was a kid I did not like the taste of it at all."

He added that if people do not like lutefisk the dinner also includes a number of other dishes, such as Swedish meatballs and coleslaw.

Tweeten said he is the third generation of his family to volunteer as a cook at the lutefisk dinner, and at one time his grandfather, his father and himself all cooked at the dinner together. 

"It's kind of a family tradition," he said.

He added that in the future he would like to see his own children get involved with the dinner, carrying the tradition of cooking the lutefisk for the dinner.

All of the profits from the dinner go to good causes around the community, such as the Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp, Feed My Sheep Soup Kitchen, the Havre Food Bank and the school Backpack Program, which provides meals to families of children kindergarten through fifth grade who need food during the weekends.

It is important to volunteer, Tweeten said, because it is a way to contribute and give back to the community. He added that it should be something people pass down to the next generation.

Scout BSA leader Bill Lanier said Scouts BSA troops 1438, 1406 and Venturing Crew 2406 were volunteering at the event again this year. He added that First Lutheran Church is a charter organization for Scouts BSA troops and volunteering is a way for the scouts to give back to the charter organization and the community. 

Volunteering and service to the community is one of the pillars of being a scout and it is important scouts know the importance of service, he said. He added that scouts have been volunteering at the event since the 1980s and give community members a chance to see young people who are giving back to the community.

The lutefisk dinner is important because it is not only a Havre event, but also a Hi-Line community event, and is something that needs to continue, Lanier said.

Rodney Hofeldt, who lives in the Bear Paw Mountains, said he and his brother Clark have been coming to the lutefisk dinner for a number of years. He said that when they were younger their mother would cook lutefisk every year for Christmas, and it was a loved tradition for their family. After their mother died, no one continued the tradition. 

Coming to the annual lutefisk dinner is a way for them to get something from their childhood and get a bit of their Christmas tradition back, he said. 

"It's something that ain't real popular everywhere and, I think, the ones who enjoy it appreciate it quite a bit," he said.

He added that the organizers and the volunteers did a very good job this year - the lutefisk was very fresh and flavorful. He said he also had some of the other dishes which were available and they all were very tasty. 

Hofeldt said that every year the dinner serves a good number of people and has good people organizing the event. The event is fun, and it is always enjoyable to come and visit with people, he added.