Vesterheim receives $2 million "largest gift ever" from the estate of a Decorah man

Dan Huebner

Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum says it has received a $2 million donation--"the largest gift in its 138 year history."

The gift comes from the estate of Dan Huebner, who died in Decorah earlier this year.  The money will go to Vesterheim's folk art education program.

Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of Vesterheim's Folk Art School program. The Folk Art School has grown to the point where it now offers over 40 classes annually in Norwegian folk arts.

The museum says the financial support from Dan Huebner and his late wife, Bonnie, has helped to create and maintain the classrooms, supported hundreds of folk-art classes events, and conducted countless education programs such as the fourth-grade Pioneer Immersion Program.

The Huebners' involvement with Vesterheim started in 1994, while they were living in Connecticut.  Bonnie had grown up up in Houston, Minnesota, with Norwegian-American parents, and attended St. Olaf College. Dan was from Minneapolis and attended the University of Minnesota. With their roots in the Midwest, and having some ties to the museum, they eventually made their home in Decorah when Dan retired as Vice Chairman and Director of the Grumman Corporation.  In 1997, they were jointly appointed to the Vesterheim Board of Trustees.

After Bonnie died in 2004, Dan honored her memory in numerous ways, including by continuing the work they began together to preserve and promote education at Vesterheim.