Per August Widmark

  • Born: 1864. Vingåker, Södermanland, Sweden 
  • Emigrated: 1887 and settled in Minnesota:  St. Paul, Ramsey County, and Minerva, Clearwater County.
  • Death:  1944, Minerva, Clearwater County.​
Photo of Per August Widmark.  Family Collection. Used with permission. ​
Photo of Per August Widmark. (standing, far right)   Credit to Södermanlands Spelmansförbunds
Photo of Per August Widmark.  1902.  Clearwater County Historical Society. ​
This story is a translated summary of an article written for Södermanlands Spelmansförbunds. The original source is linked and full credit is below.  ​
Per August Widmark was born into a musical family in Vingåker, Sweden, in 1864. His father, Olof August Widmark, was considered as a premier fiddler in Södermanland during the 19th century. Following his father's passing, Per inherited his fiddle and music book, eventually immigrating to the United States in 1887 with family. 

Initially settling in St. Paul, Minnesota, Per worked for the Minnesota Transfer Co. before the family moved to Clearwater County's Minerva township, where they became pioneers. Per Widmark played a vital role in the community, holding various town and school positions, notably serving as an assessor for many years. His contributions and witness to the region's development during the era of ox teams and forest trails solidified his legacy as a respected pioneer settler. 

After an acquaintance from Chicago heard about Per August playing traditional folk dance tunes from the old country, he visited him and recognized what a treasure of tunes Per August had in  note of his music notebook, which contained 199 melodies, including polonaises, waltzes, and American folk tunes.

After Per's death in 1944, his youngest son Oscar arranged for the book to be returned to the Södermanland fiddlers' group in Sweden, recognizing its deep connection to the musical traditions of his homeland.

​More than just a personal keepsake, the notebook serves as a bridge between two musical worlds—the traditional sounds of Sweden and the evolving influences of the new world—making it a valuable artifact of the Widmark family's musical heritage.

Widmark's Tune Book

Per August's father was the esteemed fiddler, Olof August Widmark, and his grandfather was the town organist and smallpox vaccinator.   Click on the image of the notebook and you can view is a PDF link of Widmark's original notebook in its entirety online courtesy of the Södermanlands Spelmansförbund.   

The book has tunes from both Olof August (Södermanland, Sweden) and Per August (Södermanland, Sweden to St. Paul, MN USA and Minerva, MN USA) 
MUSIC IN MINNESOTA:  HENRY WIDMARK & THE ELMWOOD  
  • Per raised a musical family with many of his children, grandchildren and greats playing music for fun and for local dances in Clearwater County.  Per's son Henry played harmonica, and owned the local dance pavilion in Alida called the "Elmwood."   A variety of hot bands  would play new and old-time music for dancers.   ​
Photo above.  Henry and Mabel Widmark in front of "The Elmwood" Dance Hall in Alida, MN.  Family Collection used with permission. 

News clippings from the 1937, "Farmers Independent," Bagley.  Courtesy of Walter Sigtermans research.   
MUSIC IN MINNESOTA:  IRENE WIDMARK  
Born on May 28, 1922, in Minerva Township, Clearwater County, Minnesota, Irene Widmark grew up an only child, with music quickly becoming central to her life.
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At age sixteen, when her parents purchased the Elmwood Dance Hall in Alida, Irene’s role as a community musician blossomed. She played accordion and piano for dancers who filled the hall and extended her reach beyond Alida by performing at the Moose Lodges in International Falls and Winnipeg, as well as at countless PTA gatherings and local events. Her high school years also included playing clarinet in the marching band and singing with the glee club.
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Irene carried her family’s Scandinavian tradition forward through music. She understood and played Swedish polskas and learned many popular tunes from her favorite source, Eric Olzen’s Scandinavian Swedish-Norwegian-Danish Dance Album for Piano, Violin or Piano Accordion. These pieces became the heart of her dance band, which featured Irene on accordion—often performing in her jodhpurs—alongside Dewey Johnson, Wally Nordby, Reuben Bergquist, and Lloyd Rodin. Together they brought Scandinavian melodies to life in northern Minnesota, keeping traditions alive.

In addition to music, Irene expressed her artistry through painting, wood carving, and crocheting, but it was her accordion that carried her into public life. Through her playing, she bridged community, heritage, and joy, leaving behind a musical imprint that was both distinctly Scandinavian and deeply Minnesotan.
Three photos above.  Irene Widmark and her band.  Alida, MN.  Family Collection used with permission. 

News clippings from the 1938, "Farmers Independent," Bagley.  Courtesy of Walter Sigtermans research.   
.  FUN FACTS: 
  • Per August's father was the esteemed fiddler, Olof August Widmark, and his grandfather was the town organist and smallpox vaccinator.  
  • In 1926, Widmark's nephew was arrested alongside two other Minerva youths for organizing a dance at the Minerva school. Twenty-five witnesses testified in favor of the three defendants, who were ultimately found not guilty, and everybody cut footloose.  
Music Links
  • A book of Widmark tunes is compiled by Christina Frohm to celebrate the 200 birthday of Per August Widmark's father and their family legacy.   This tune book is available from the Södermanlands Spelmansförbunds.​
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES