Norwegian heritage featured in barn quilt

The pattern for Shawano County’s 392nd barn quilt is a combination of the Norwegian and American flags, and it is called “Heritage.”

The quilt was sponsored by Laurie Matson and is on display on her barn at W17602 County Road M, Tigerton.

“Our Norwegian ancestors came to the United States in the late 1800s,” Matson said. “I wanted the quilt pattern to symbolize our Norwegian descent.”

Matson, who provides home-based nursing care, purchased 10 acres from Adam Latsch six years ago.

“If I tell locals where I live, they say, ‘Oh, that’s the old Spieth farm,’ or ‘That’s the old Kohler farm’,” Matson said.

The farm was a dairy farm for many years.

Matson grew up near Wittenberg, just half a mile from where she now lives. Her mom worked as a ward clerk at a nursing home, and her dad worked for the DNR. Her brother, Kip, had his own logging business as well.

Matson lived and worked in south Florida for over 10 years. She later spent three years in Brazil, where she taught English as a second language. She also lived in Norway for three years.

After being away from the area for 20 years, Matson said she wanted a place in the country where she could enjoy some peace and quiet and have a place to raise her animals. Those animals include geese, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, a miniature donkey and two Norwegian fjord horses.

The quilt was painted by the Shawano County barn quilt committee and was put on display by LeRoy and Keenan Raddant, both of whom work for Raddant Electric in Shawano.

Matson had thought about getting a barn quilt but wasn’t sure how to go about it. So she asked her neighbor, Stacy Zimdars, who had a barn quilt, and she told her to contact the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce.

“I am so pleased that I now have a barn quilt,” Matson said. “I think my Norwegian ancestors would be very pleased. It’s a nice way to remember them.”