April 05, 2008

What's the Duluth Community News Project?

The Duluth Community News project is a site devoted to telling the stories of Duluth by journalism students at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The articles on this Web site are part of an ongoing, collaborative project with articles exploring different communities and issues throughout the city of Duluth. Use the Categories on the right to scroll through articles filed by topic.

The work represents the opinions of individuals and not the University of Minnesota. For questions, contact John Hatcher, assistant professor of journalism, University of Minnesota Duluth.

March 13, 2008

A Duluth man's story left to the imagination

By ABEL GUSTAFSON
DCN Correspondent

Taking the road less traveled may sound poetic and appealing, but sometimes it is a synonym for hard work. Such was the case for my Dearly Departed assignment.

Continue reading "A Duluth man's story left to the imagination" »

A graveyard search into the past

By ALI DRAVES
DCN Correspondent

I first walked around Park Hill Cemetery and looked for interesting headstones. I noticed Anna Eleanore Berglund’s immediately because it had a beautiful floral design, and she was surrounded by other family members’ tombstones. I found this comforting and very intriguing because of the way they were arranged and presented; father and mother in the center and smaller children’s headstones behind them. After picking a name, I went to work. I immediately went on the Web and tried to find whatever I could on Anna.

Continue reading "A graveyard search into the past" »

A blue-collar life leads to an unknown death

By CORY CLAESON
DCN Correspondent

The short life of Ernest William Boerner seemed to be that of a typical blue-collar man in Duluth.

Today, Ernest’s grave is located in Forest Hill Cemetery on Woodland Avenue. His cause of death is unknown.

Continue reading "A blue-collar life leads to an unknown death" »

Family man, religious man, Duluthian

By VERONICA WILSON
DCN Correspondent

The assignment began at Park Hill Cemetery. I traveled to the back of the cemetery to find my list of five names, and that is where I found the stone of Edwin William Bergh. His was the first name that I wrote down, so I decided to go after his past.

Continue reading "Family man, religious man, Duluthian" »

A letter to a 21-year-old Vietnam Vet

By RYAN HANSON
DCN Correspondent

Dear Mr. Bruce Johnson,

I found your name on your parents’ grave in Park Hill Cemetery. It said you were the first Minnesotan killed in the Vietnam War. I didn’t know much about you before, and unfortunately, not much has changed.

Continue reading "A letter to a 21-year-old Vietnam Vet" »

This Swenson different from most

By CHRIS OLWELL
DCN Correspondent

Swen G. Swenson was born on May 11, 1902, in Klagstorp, Sweden. He had immigrated to the United States by 1920 and by 1930, he married. She was an older woman, Margret O. Swenson, and they were living by themselves in Minneapolis.

Continue reading "This Swenson different from most" »

Born 100 years apart

By DAVID BUCKNER
DCN Correspondent

My research on Emily Mattson was unable to account for some details, but I was surprised at how much I was able to learn about her and her family with nothing but a name and year from which to start.

I started my research in the Park Hill Cemetery. I noticed Mattson’s gravestone because she was born 100 years before I was. Her gravestone had her name (Emily Mattson) and the years she lived: 1886-1951.

Continue reading "Born 100 years apart" »

In search of a soldier

By SARAH DOTY
DCN Correspondent

The wind whistled through the Park Hill Cemetery on Sunday, Feb. 10, as I braved the nearly minus 50 degree wind chills. I was on a hunt, but I wasn’t sure what for…yet. I was bundled from head to toe; yet the instant I stepped out of the car, I felt as though I was wearing nothing. The wind cut through my layers and instantly froze my exposed skin.

Continue reading "In search of a soldier" »

Buried in snow: The search for Lina Anderson

BY EMILY ESHELMAN
DCN Correspondent

Walking through a cemetery, searching for dead, researching facts and names, all to bring a person’s story to life; it sounds like a Halloween thriller. It is actually a reporter’s way of researching people who have passed on.

Continue reading "Buried in snow: The search for Lina Anderson" »

Involvement in community admirable

By SARA HEDBERG
DCN Correspondent

As I looked into the past of Locke M. Perkins, (Oct. 11, 1910- Jan. 18, 1961) I found out that he was a citizen of Duluth who was avidly involved in civic and professional groups in the community.

Continue reading "Involvement in community admirable" »

The history of a Polish grave

By: VENESSA OSTERGAARD
DCN Correspondent

Stanley Mosiniak was buried at Calvery Cemetery in Duluth, Minn., (St. Louis County) on March 2, 1972. He was 59. When looking for information on Stanley, I found much, MUCH more on his mother, Mary Ann (K) “Marianna” Tobola.

Continue reading "The history of a Polish grave" »

Lost but not forgotten

BY JAMI REINHART
DCN Correspondent

Trudging through snow with a temperature below zero, searching for names and dates on headstones in Park Hill Cemetery. While every name and date has its own story to tell, finding the few engraved details of Helmer A. Peterson urged me to find his story. Or at least try.

Continue reading "Lost but not forgotten" »

A lasting life

By KRISTEN KREBS
DCN Correspondent

Section M, block two, lot 23. A grave site seems inert by its definition and geographic description, but to uncover the story of whoever lies below it is a process that proves anything but a lifeless being buried below the ground.

Continue reading "A lasting life" »

Gravestone attraction creates name distraction

By JENNA BOYUM
DCN Correspondent

To prevent myself from freezing my butt off, I set out for Forest Hill Cemetery on Friday afternoon right after class. The weather report indicated that this was my only chance to comfortably scout out a good grave.

Continue reading "Gravestone attraction creates name distraction" »

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.