Daughters of Norway
Celebrating Our Norwegian Heritage for over 100 Years!

estermoebanner.pngEster Moe #39

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Ester Andersen Moe
(1905-1995)

estermoestamp.pngFounded: February 5, 1996, Clinton, WA

Meeting Details

When: Second Saturday of month at 9:30 am (Lodge does not meet July & August)
Where: St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 6330 S. Wilson Place, Clinton, WA

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Ester Moe members are a happy group when making Rømmegrøt!

NORDIC FEST 

Enjoy our photos from prior Nordic Fests

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Lodge Highlights

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Harvesting wheat to make Julenek

Ester Moe Lodge has over 50 members with our oldest member recently celebrating her 98th birthday! Our members have varied backgrounds - some are from long established Whidbey Island families while others have chosen to move or retire to our beautiful island. 

The lodge sponsors several events each year that offer the public exposure to Scandinavian foods, crafts, folk music and dance.  Speakers and performers from around the Northwest are invited to speak or perform at Ester Moe Lodge meetings.  We also have a large lending library available to our members with many different kinds of books - fiction and non-fiction in both English & Norwegian, cookbooks, crafts & travel guides to name just a few.   


 

Some of the monthly Nordic programs include:

  • Cultural presentations on Scandinavian history & current events
  • Nordic holiday traditions
  • Knitting adventures & displays
  • Family history & genealogy presentations
  • Rosemaling artists and their works
  • Musical performances on traditional Scandinavian Instruments
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    Member Judy Hadlock
    demonstrates spinning
    while another member
    works on the needlework

    Norwegian/American authors sharing their books
  • Crafts such as paper hearts, needle-felting trolls & hardanger embroidery
  • Cooking workshops: Lefse, krumkake, smørdbrød & "fish cake" workshops
  • Travel adventures (heritage, adventure, ultrasports)

Every fall Ester Moe members organize and host the Nordic Fest on Whidbey Island which attracts many visitors from on and off our island.  This wonderful event offers handcrafted clothing and decorative items, Scandinavian products and delicious food, in addition to entertainment & educational programs presented throughout the day.  The funds raised by our lodge at Nordic Fest are used to offer scholarships to Whidbey Island students and to support various local charities.

Lodge's Name

The lodge was named for a Norwegian-American pioneer school teacher on Whidbey Island. Ester Anderson Moe was born in 1905 in Great Falls, Montana. She was the daughter of immigrant parents. Her father was a mine worker who longed to be a farmer. In 1906, with baby daughter Ester and all of their worldly possessions, Anders and Bertine Anderson took the train from Great Falls to Seattle. Anders bought 20 acres just south of Langley. Ester was active in school plays and the drill team in high school. She graduated with a class of three. Ester went on to Bellingham Normal School [now Western Washington University] and returned home to teach in the Deer Lake School. As a teacher, she participated in community activities, and Ester was in charge of many programs such as operettas, plays and basket socials, which were held in the Clinton Progressive Hall. Ester was the President of the Deer Lake PTA. Ester was active in St. Peter's Lutheran Church from 1923 on. She served as a Sunday school teacher to three generations, was the organist and choir director. She conducted Bible study classes for women and even occasionally gave the sermon. Ester was the Secretary of the Clinton Progressive Association in 1928.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed Ester as Postmaster of the Clinton Post Office, where she served for 29 years until she retired. She also served for many years as a Democratic Precinct Committeeman.

Ester was married to Carl Bergquist and they had two children, a daughter who lived only a few days, and a son who died of appendicitis at the age of eight. Much later she married John Moe who preceded her in death. She died in 1995.

Biography courtesy of Marilyn Gabelein, Elsie Olkonen and Pat Nostrand.