Alvida Browne celebrates 100th birthday
by Trinity Gruenberg
Alvida Browne of Wadena was born on January 6, 1922, in Wanamingo, Minnesota to Andrew and Marie Bird. Andrew was a mortician, funeral director and undertaker. They also owned a furniture store that had a sign that said “furniture and undertaking”. Marie was a homemaker.
Alvida is the youngest of her siblings. She had four brothers, who have since passed, and one sister, Christine, who is 103, and brothers Ruben, Oswald (Tossie, because Alvida couldn’t say his name), Clifford and Milton.
The family lived in Wanamingo until Alvida was in fifth grade. Then they moved a few miles away to Zumbrota where she graduated from high school.
While the school didn’t have women’s sports, she participated in class plays, speech, choir, cheerleading and sang alto in a sextet. She was also the homecoming queen.
Alvida recalled at one time in Wanamingo people spoke Norwegian and church services every other Sunday were spoken in Norwegian. She still speaks fluent Norwegian today. . .
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