The Festival of Saint LuciaHistory at Gustavus
The Festival of St. Lucia has been celebrated at Gustavus since 1941.
As a school founded by Swedish immigrants, the Gustavus Adolphus College community has found it appropriate to keep some of the Swedish traditions alive. This means that on our campus we do serve Scandinavian heritage foods like lutefisk and lefse at banquets and since 1941 the campus has celebrated the festival of St. Lucia.
Six sophomore women are chosen to be a part of the Court of St. Lucia. The women are chosen by their peers honoring the qualities of the legendary Lucia. In an effort to keep the tradition relevant to today, the selection process changed in 2011 to be more based upon qualities of the legendary Lucia that can be universally celebrated. The selection of the court and Lucia is a two step process. First, the campus community is invited to submit nominations of any sophomore woman who exemplifies the qualities of courageous leadership, service to others, strength of character, and compassion and therefore is a light to others. These women do not have to have a Swedish connection or the ability to sing (since the court goes caroling in the early morning). Sophomore women then vote who should be on the court. The highest three nominees are included. Then the Guild of St. Lucia, a senior honors society, reviews the remaining nominations and selects up to three more women to serve on the court with the goal of having the court be representative of the sophomore class.
From this court, the campus is invited to select one woman to represent St. Lucia. Also included in the campus festival are children of employees who are 5-7years old and are star children or tompten, which also keeps with the traditions of the Swedish celebration.
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Year |
Queen |
Attendants |
|
|---|---|---|---|
1941 |
Phyllis Westegard Lornell ‘44 |
LaVerne Johnson Lofgren ‘42
|
|
1942 |
Carol Marti Langsjoen ‘45 |
Lavinia Bloom Bloomquist ‘45
|
|
1943 |
Ruth Peterson Graves ‘46 |
|
|
1944 |
D. M. Hallstrom Field ‘47 |
Fern Erickson Bennett ‘45 |
|
1945 |
Lorraine Johnson Leaf ‘48 |
Lorraine Berg Oman ‘48
|
|
1946 |
Frances Quist Hedlun ‘49 |
Beverly Ulrich Gustafson '49
|
|
1947 |
Alice Milton Carlson ‘50 |
Mary Joan Nelson Carlson ‘50
|
|
1948 |
Carol Matson Holcombe ‘51 |
JoAnn Anderson
|
|
1949 |
Joan Onkka Peterson ‘52 |
Donna Swenson Smith ‘52
|
|
1950 |
Evelyn Swenson Skjelbostad ‘52 |
|
|
1951 |
Betty Lindstrand Abrahamson ‘54 |
|
|
1952 |
Lois Anderson |
Joan Peterson Langseth ‘55
|
|
1953 |
Lucy Fogelstrom DeRemee ‘56 |
Pauline Anderson Dee ‘56
|
|
1954 |
Barb Bredsten Stephens ‘57 |
Beth Carlson Helgoe ‘57
|
|
1955 |
Nancy Jo Johnson Peterson ‘58 |
Bev Duncan Anderson ‘58
|
|
1956 |
Anita Lien Anderson ‘59 |
Sandy Anderson ‘59
|
|
1957 |
Mary McCreary Teppen ‘60 |
|
|
1958 |
Arnette Johnson Nelson ‘61 |
Nancy Dahl Carlson ‘61
|
|
1959 |
Lena Carlson Vang ‘62 |
Rosalyn Johnson Anderson ‘62
|
|
1960 |
Ginny Larson Jones ‘63 |
Abby Arthur Johnson ‘63
|
|
1961 |
Emmy Hanson Abello ‘64 |
Linda Lundgren
|
|
1962 |
Joyce Pick Vigness ‘65 |
Nancy Anderson Perrier ‘65
|
|
1963 |
Charlotte Peterson Senske ‘66 |
Mary Ann Hanson Berdan ’66
|
|
1964 |
Linda Kenning Olson ‘67 |
Jamie Behrens Dent ‘67
|
|
1965 |
Kathleen Peterson Del Pino ’68 |
Anne Berg Carlson ‘68
|
|
1966 |
Christine Lundahl Lunz ‘69 |
Cindy Blomquist Gustavson ‘69
|
|
1967 |
Jackie J. Anderson ‘70 |
Kathy Draxton Bohmeyer ‘70
|
|
1968 |
Mary Parkin Rasmussen ‘71 |
Michelle Peiffer Henrichsen ‘71
|
|
1969 |
Marcia Odegard Davis ’72 |
JoanneGunderson
|
|
1970 |
Gratia Hokanson Johnson ‘73 |
Ivy Schutz Bernhardson ‘73
|
|
1971 |
Jeanell Anderson Benson ‘74 |
Joelle Olson Bass ’74
|
|
1972 |
Margaret Fagerholm ‘75 |
Jeanne Okerman '75
|
|
1973 |
Jerrilyn Victorsen Thompson ‘76 |
|
|
1974 |
Catherine Johnson Jahde '77 |
Peggy Mckimm '77
|
|
1975 |
Gretchen Bingea ‘78 |
Nancy Nelson '78
|
|
1976 |
Dawn Leland-Heino ‘79 |
Louise Kunnar '79
|
|
1977 |
Michele Eddy Pollman ‘80 |
Sara Christenson '80
|
|
1978 |
Naomi Hokanson Palmquist ‘81 |
Linnea Leaf '81
|
|
1979 |
Lori Bergstrand Swenson ‘82 |
Lisa Deremee '82
|
|
1980 |
Brita DeRemee Taracks ‘83 |
Sue Bjorling '83
|
|
1981 |
Susan Astrup Lundquist ‘84 |
Becky Helgeson Grassau ‘84
|
|
1982 |
Beth Reckdahl Ellenby ‘85 |
Jenny Baer '85
|
|
1983 |
Lynda Severson Belgum ‘86 |
Marie Walker '86
|
|
1984 |
Carolyn Falk Sund ‘87 |
Linda Lovegreen '87
|
|
1985 |
Susan Koch Myers ‘88 |
|
|
1986 |
Lisa Rydeski Pederson ‘89 |
Betsy Sandberg '89
|
|
1987 |
Margaret Anderson Kelliher ‘90 |
Liesl Batz '90
|
|
1988 |
Lori Seastrand ‘91 |
Kristin Jungas '91
|
|
1989 |
Peg Haroldson Benson ‘92 |
||
1990 |
AnaLisa Hackmann DeGrave ‘93 |
Sara Edomonds '93
|
|
1991 |
Alice Barry-Anderson ‘94 |
Heidi Thelen Maes ‘94
|
|
1992 |
Angela Carlson LaJoy ‘95 |
Gina Goick Mangum ‘95
|
|
1993 |
Laura LeVander ‘96 |
Leah Abraham ‘96
|
|
1994 |
Tara Zahler ‘97 |
Kara Buckner ‘97
|
|
1995 |
Keegan O’Brien ‘98 |
Ivy Borgstrom ‘98
|
|
1996 |
Ann Melchert ‘99 |
Heather Oberdeck ‘99
|
|
1997 |
Callista Brown ‘00 |
Ahna Bersagel ‘00
|
|
1998 |
Juanita Diller Olsen ‘01 |
Leslie Bachman ‘01
|
|
1999 |
Misti Koop ‘02 |
Leah Langehaug ‘02
|
|
2000 |
Rebecca Harrington ‘03 |
Catherine “Jade” Bakke ‘03
|
|
2001 |
Heather McGregor ‘04 |
Erinn Danielson ‘04
|
|
2002 |
Hannah Julien |
Linnea Bjorkman '05
|
|
2003 |
Hannah Johnson ’06 |
Marisa Mancini ‘06
|
|
2004 |
Megan Buckingham ‘07 |
Tessa Carlsen ‘07
|
|
2005 |
Emily Barnard ‘08 |
Alicia Blomquist ‘08
|
|
2006
|
Gretchen Libbey ‘09 |
Holly Andersen ‘09
|
|
2007
|
Katelyn Johnson ‘10 |
Amara Berthelsen ‘10
|
|
2008
|
Rachel Schmitt ‘11 |
Kim Braun ‘11
|
|
2009
|
Jennifer Fox '12 |
Colleen Peterson '12
|
|
2010
|
Lainey Mikel '13 |
Katie Batz '13
|
|
2011
|
Jennifer Werness '14 |
Elizabeth Johnson '14
|
|
2012
|
Nicole Eknitphong '15 |
Maura Bremer '15
|
|
2013
|
Christina Swenson '16 |
Emily Albrecht '16
|
|
2014
|
Janet Jennings '17 |
Sarah Barnes '17
|
|
2015
|
Avery Bather '18 |
Jessica Green '18 |
 |
2016
|
Alicia Lhotka '19 |
Elena Gotlick '19 |
 |
2017
|
Joy Dunna '20 |
Joyce Amakoue '20 |
 |
2018 |
Tyra Banks '21 |
Meg Nipe '21 |
 |
2019 |
Hanaa Alhosawi '22 |
Abigayle Paulson '22 |
 |
2020 |
Abbie Doran '23 |
Abbie Doran '23 |
 |
2021 |
Abby Joy Neptun '24 |
Abby Joy Neptun '24 |
 |
2022
|
Cristina Sirbu '25 |
Grace McFarlane '25, Morgan Kelly '25, Cristina Sirbu '24, Abby McCready '25, and Linnea Hanson '25 Lily Goloh '25 |
|
2023 |
Lupe Olague ’26 |
Erin Farrell, Nina Nordstrom, Lupe Olague, Sigrid Rohrer, Ava White, and Kendra Stanton. |
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