Thank you, Darrell Piece: A Nordic Fest Founder Tribute

Nordic Fest founders Darrell Pierce and Jerry Aulwes and the daughters of Nordic Fest founder Phyllis Leseth being interviewed for the #nordicfest50 project in May 2014

Late last week, Nordic Fest founder Darrell Pierce gained a front row heavenly seat for the 50th Nordic Fest when he unfortunately lost his long battle with multiple myeloma. Darrell lived a beautiful lifetime enacting the Jaycee Creed that "service to humanity is the best work of life." To read more about Darrell's incredible life, click here. 

Darrell, his fellow Jaycees and community volunteer extraordinaire Phyllis Leseth partnered with Dr. Marion and Lila Nelson and Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum starting in 1966 to organize the first Nordic Fest in 1967. They modeled the Nordic Fest after a Junction City, Oregon Scandinavian festival that focused on non-commercialism and nonprofit benefit. Their core focus remains true for Nordic Fest nearly 50 years later. 

In May 2014, as pictured above, Darrell joined his fellow interviewees at Vesterheim just a few minutes late as he processed all the terrible realities that cancer treatment brings but still shared his key recollections for the project research. He brought a big a smile and added much to that morning. 

A small part of that interview is shared here:

Question: Darrell, what does it mean to you to have the 50^th Nordic Fest approaching?

Answer: Well, in my particular situation, I think I better put it on my short bucket list.  I hope – I hope that I make it and – and if you can’t have a sense of humor with cancer, I guess you’re already done for so – because that’s a year from this coming Fest.   I – I hope dearly that I’m able to make that.  But it means also that we’re – we’re all now in our – in our seventies, which seems incredible.  Because when we started it, we were so young, failure wasn’t even in our vocabulary.  I mean, we just didn’t think there was any way it could fail.  And then we were told once we get past the third year, it probably was going to sustain itself and keep going and how we do things.  So, for me, it’s – it’s very meaningful.  It’s -- In addition to our kids, it’s also part of our legacy.

And a personal note from Dawn: Darrell, many hearts are breaking in this terrible process of telling you goodbye. Decorah and Nordic Fest are so much stronger because failure wasn't in your vocabulary. Thank you for helping so with this project's research despite all you faced. Thank you for supporting me so when Dad passed ten years ago. You certainly leave a beautiful legacy for your incredible family. Thank you for your service to humanity that resulted in a beautiful Nordic Fest core. 

I bet you've already connected with Phyllis, Marion and my dad. May you all have the best seats in the house as you watch over us during the 50th Nordic Fest. You are loved and treasured. Always!