12015-11-16T20:11:15-08:00Laurie Veillette: Audio Interview and Backstory18Interviewplain2015-12-08T15:27:31-08:00 For Laurie Veillette, Norwegian heritage has always been a strong part of her life. She was born on March 10, 1960, in the town of Little Falls, MN. She was the youngest in her family and had three older brothers. Laurie lived by the Mississippi River, a staple of the culture and commerce of Little Falls, and even now, still considers living on the water to be part of her identity. She has maintained her ties to Little Falls, and today she and her husband, Doug have raised two daughters, Marie and Hannah, just a short distance away from her childhood home. When I asked Laurie about how she connects with her Norwegian ancestry today, she claimed, “I say Uffda a lot,” but in fact, her ties go much deeper. Both her grandmother and grandfather were from Norway. However, they did not meet until after coming to the United States. They shared a common heritage that could be passed onto future generations, and years later, Laurie still speaks proudly of her family’s lasting connection to the homeland.