Lars Fletre
Encyclopedia
Lars Fletre was a prominent Norwegian-American sculptor.
, Hordaland
, Norway
. He was the son of Ola Oddson Fletre and Kristine Olsdatter ytre Kvårmo.
Lars Fletre immigrated to Chicago
in 1923 and attended the technical night school at the Chicago Art Institute. He returned to Norway to marry Helen Svensson Fletre
whom he met in Chicago. At one time, he worked at the Hadeland Glassverk
factory in Jevnaker
. He and his family returned to the United States in 1954, where he resided in Chicago.
Both Lars Fletre and Helen Svensson Fletre were prominent members of the Chicago
Norwegian colony from 1954 when he and his wife settled there with their 3 children in Logan Square
.
One of his more prominent works was a monument sculpted from granite for the fallen soldiers from the Fjord Regiment, which included soldiers from Voss, Sogn
, Hardanger
, Sunnfjord
and Nordfjord
. This memorial was unveiled at Bømoen, in Voss on August 1, 1948. Some of Fletre's other work includes restored buildings in Florence, Italy as well as work on the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Additional he worked on churches and missions in Las Cruces, New Mexico
and El Paso, Texas
.
Biography
Lars Olavson Fletre was born in Vossestrand, VossVoss
is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
, Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He was the son of Ola Oddson Fletre and Kristine Olsdatter ytre Kvårmo.
Lars Fletre immigrated to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1923 and attended the technical night school at the Chicago Art Institute. He returned to Norway to marry Helen Svensson Fletre
Helen Svensson Fletre
Helen Svensson Fletre was a Swedish-born, American author and journalist.-Background:Helen Svensson was a native of Ödeshög, Sweden. She was educated in Sweden and London. She earned a teacher's degree in London in 1931. She served as a governess in England and later as a teacher in Norway...
whom he met in Chicago. At one time, he worked at the Hadeland Glassverk
Hadeland Glassverk
Hadeland Glassverk is situated in Jevnaker, Oppland 40 km north of Oslo, at the southern tip of lake Randsfjorden.The glass works was founded in 1762 on land belonging to the Mo estate. Production started in 1765. At the time Norway did not have the necessary skilled craftsmen, and these were...
factory in Jevnaker
Jevnaker
Jevnaker is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Jevnaker with a population of 4,302.The parish of Jævnaker was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
. He and his family returned to the United States in 1954, where he resided in Chicago.
Both Lars Fletre and Helen Svensson Fletre were prominent members of the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Norwegian colony from 1954 when he and his wife settled there with their 3 children in Logan Square
Logan Square, Chicago
Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...
.
One of his more prominent works was a monument sculpted from granite for the fallen soldiers from the Fjord Regiment, which included soldiers from Voss, Sogn
Sogn
Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway . It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord. Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal. The district covers ...
, Hardanger
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord. It consists of the municipalities of Odda, Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik, Granvin, Kvam and Jondal, and is located inside the county of Hordaland....
, Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
and Nordfjord
Nordfjord
Nordfjord is a fjord and a traditional district in the northern part of Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. The district comprises the municipalities of Selje, Vågsøy, Bremanger, Eid, Gloppen, Hornindal, and Stryn. Nordfjord covers an area of and is home to a population of approximately...
. This memorial was unveiled at Bømoen, in Voss on August 1, 1948. Some of Fletre's other work includes restored buildings in Florence, Italy as well as work on the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Additional he worked on churches and missions in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
and El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
.
Selected works
- The Vossing Correspondence Society of 1848 and the Report of Adam Løvenskjoldhttp://www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume28/vol28_10.htm
Other sources
- Haugan, Reidar Rye Prominent Artists and Exhibits of Their Work in Chicago (Chicago Norske Klub. Nordmanns-Forbundet, 24: 371—374,Volume 7, 1933)