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Last Updated: Feb 15, 2010 - 2:25 PM |
Mary Wadell and Charles Noyd were crowned 2009 Swedish Midsommar Festival royalty on Friday evening, June 19, 2009 in the town square. The 2008 king and queen, Dave Thompson and Cinda Koinzan, presented the new royalty with their crowns and capes.
Members of the 2009 royal court include Ethan Brehm, son of Stewart and Kim Brehm; Ashton Holtzen, son of Kevin and Angie Holtzen; Josi Noble, daughter of Shane and Sara Noble; and Hannah Linn, daughter of Joel and Teresa Linn.
The following was read about the 2009 queen by her husband, Marv Wadell:
Queen Mary Wadell
It is my honor to introduce and allow you to get to know my wife and 2009 Swedish Festival Queen, Mary Wadell.
The third weekend in June is a special time of year, it is Mid-Summer in Sweden and is why we all gather together for the Swedish Festival. Over the years this celebration has created special memories for our family. It was a time shared with grams, gramps, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was special in 1974 when Mary's father, Wilmer Anderson was King, and 1993 when I was the King.
Mary grew up in a home with a strong Swedish heritage. Her grandparents immigrated from Sweden, and lived in her home during childhood for many years. This made the traditions part of her life at an early age. She has wonderful memories of growing up in Stromsburg and graduating from Stromsburg High School. After high school, Mary attended Nebraska Wesleyan and received her bachelor of arts degree in elementary education. She taught for the Lincoln Public Schools while pursuing her Master's degree from the University of Nebraska. Mary's passion is to help children learn. She has taught within the Stromsburg Public School district and is currently a teacher for the Polk County Christian School.
Mary and I made Stromsburg our home in 1971 when we purchased the Economy Food Store from her parents, Wilmer and Vivian Anderson. The Swedish area in the store, A Touch of Sweden, became part of the business in 1980. This is an interest Mary and her mother shared for many years. Mary's desire to share with the community Swedish culture lead to her active participation in the past Santa Lucia celebrations in December and the Konditor, Swedish Tea Shop, last December.
Mary and I are active members of the Stromsburg Covenant Church. Mary has been part of several boards: Christian Education, Diaconate, Covenant Cedars Bible Camp and a Midwest Conference Christian Education consultant. The love she has for her family and her church extends to the community where she is part of Beta Sigma Phi sorority, PEO, Stromsburg School Foundation, Stromsburg Library Foundation, and past member of Stromsburg Alumni Board.
Mary and I are blessed with two daughters, Ingrid and Kerstin, who live close by. Ingrid lives in Omaha where she is employed by First National Bank Capital Markets and is vice-president of trading. Kerstin lives in Lincoln where she is a registered nurse at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center. Both girls were attendants for the Swedish Festival king and queen when they were young.
Neeli Noyd, wife of the 2009 Swedish Festival King, said the following about her husband:
King Charles Noyd
Charles Albert Noyd was born on January 23, 1974 to Perry and Sharon Noyd of Stromsburg. He has two sisters, Christine Church of Stromsburg and Amanda Goldfish of Shelton, NE. Charles attended Stromsburg Public Schools, graduating in 1992. He has many fond memories of his days being a Stromsburg Viking. He was active in football, basketball and track. After graduation, Charles attended SCC at Milford. He received his diploma in Heating and Air Conditioning. He is a heat and air technician and works with his father for Perry Noyd Repair. Shortly after graduating from Milford, Charles and I started dating. In fact, our first date was attending the Swedish Festival. I guess that is how he won me over. We were married at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Stromsburg where we still attend today. Charles and I have three children, Emily Elizabeth, 9 will be a 4th grader at Cross County this fall, Isaac Harris, 7 will be in first grade and our youngest, Alex Theodore is 3 years old.
Charles has always taken great pride in serving his community and promoting the Swede Capital of Nebraska. He is even learning the Swedish language in order to have a greater understanding of his heritage. He has spent endless hours studying the history of Stromsburg. If you have questions about Stromsburg's past, Charles most likely can give you the answers. I often hear him referred to as the "local historian."
Charles also believes strongly in serving his community. For the past 11 years he has served on the Stromsburg Volunteer Fire Department and has also been a first responder on the Stromsburg Ambulance Squad. He is always quick to lend a hand where needed, whether its playing taps for local Memorial Day services or setting up for Stromsburg's annual car show. Charles has helped with the Swedish Festival for many years and is presently on the planning committee. The festival is a tradition he would like to see continue in the future.
Combining his passions for history and service, Charles also serves as the president of the Polk County Historical Society. He has been actively involved in restoring and improving many aspects of the Polk County Museum.
As you can see, Charles' community, both past and present, is very important to him and I am sure that his dedication will continue for many years to come.
Congratulations to Queen Mary and King Charles on being crowned 2009 Swedish Midsommar Festival royalty!
© Copyright 2009 by polkcountynewspaper.com
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