Individual Details
Myron Floren
(5 Nov 1919 - 23 Jul 2005)
1920 Federal Census, South Dakota, Day County, ED108, Sheet 14, Lines 47-52
Line 47: Florin, O.O., head, male, age 44, married, reads and writes, born Norway, parents both born Norway, speaks English, is a farmer.
Line 48: Florin, Gertrude, wife, age 38, married, reads and writes, born Norway, parents both born Norway, speaks English
Line 49: Florin, Martin, son, age 13, born South Dakota
Line 50: Florin, Ole M,, head, male, age 37, married, reads and writes, born South Dakota, parents both born Norway, speaks English, is a farmer
Line 51: Florin, Tillie, wife, age 23, born South Dakota, parents both born Norway
Line 52: Florin, Myron, son, age 3/12, born South Dakota
HSO, 13 May, 1971, On Petticoat Lane
Rev. Virgil Bjerke married Bobby Burgress, a dancer on the Lawrence Welk Show, to the daughter of Myron Floren, who plays the accordian on the show.
HSO, 17 Jun 1971, p4, On Petticoat Lane
Mrs. Anna Jensen of Lakeland called this item to our attention after she saw a recent Petticoat Lane story about the marriage of dancer Bobby Burgress to the daughter of Myron Floren. (Floren plays the accordian on the Lawrence Welk Show.) The marriage took place in the Lutheran church Mrs. Thomas Cudd used to attend when she lived in California.
Mrs. Jensen can top that. Her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Thomas Kees (Helen Engstrom) is a cousin of the famous accordandist. Mrs. Kees' mother, Mrs. John B. Engstrom, was the former Anna Staberg, daufhter of Andew and Sigrid (Florin) Staberg.
That makes Mrs. Kees related to Floren through her grandmother. That also makes her brothers and sister, Raymond and Donald Engstrom and Mrs. Alice Engstrom Hoyer, cousins of Myron Florin.
Mrs. Kees exchanges Christmas cards with the Florens. Last year she received a picture of the whole family, including the daughter who was recently married.
Wurstfest headliner dies of cancer
By Ron Maloney The Herald-Zeitung (new Braunfels)
Published July 24, 2005
Because of another engagement, Myron Floren will not be coming back to Wurstfest, and our signature sausage and heritage festival will never be the same. Floren died at his Rolling Hills, Calif. home Saturday morning surrounded by his family. He was 85. He leaves behind his wife, Berdyne, and five daughters and their families. A memorial service will be set in California at a later date. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a special fund that will be set up to benefit the United Service Organization or USO, which books entertainment for American troops overseas. The Herald-Zeitung will provide that information when it is available. News of Floren’s passing came from Wurstfest spokesman, Herb Skoog, who said the entertainer best-known around the world as Lawrence Welk’s accordion-playing sidekick, succumbed to a long illness. “We got a call about a week ago, telling us he had probably 24 hours to 48 hours to live, and he rallied,” Skoog said. “Then we lost him this morning.” Skoog said Floren had passed a very bad time, and his family suggested he lie down and sleep. A couple hours later, they realized he’d slipped away to play his instrument for the angels. “All of us at Wurstfest are saddened at the news of the passing of our friend,” Skoog said. “Our hearts go out to Berdyne and his family at this difficult time. Myron Floren lives in our memories as a true ‘gentle man.’ He was our headline entertainer from his first appearance in the Wursthalle in 1968 through his last show in 2002.” In all, Floren played at Wurstfest for 34 years, only missing 1998 to recover from heart surgery. “During his visits, he was very generous with his time and talent, going beyond normal entertaining to visiting nursing homes, civic clubs and doing many visits,” Skoog said. “He was always warm and courteous to everyone. After doing a long, hour and a half show, he would take all the time needed to sign autographs and visit with friends. In all the years he entertained at Wurstfest, he remained our ‘Happy Norwiegan.’” Floren made many friends in New Braunfels, a city whose residents could truly appreciate, as Welk had, Floren’s virtuosity with his chosen instrument. Even in latter years when he struggled with personal health problems, Floren maintained a cheerful and positive attitude, Skoog said. Lederhosen-clad “Grosse Opas” come and go each year as the master of ceremonies or local symbol of Wurstfest. On the national scene, though, it was Floren’s headliner power built over decades of playing for Welk that played the greatest part in making Wurstfest the nationally known success it is today. In 1968, when Wurstfest was considering a featured entertainer, late director Raymond Baese, suggested to the board that Floren be brought in. Skoog said a lot of people scoffed at the idea a national television performer like Floren would consider coming to New Braunfels, but Baese called, and Floren loved the idea. “With the passing of Myron Floren, the Lord has a new, talented member to add to his fold, and we have lost a member of our Wurstfest family,” Skoog said. “We will all miss him.” Floren was born in Roslyn, S.D., the eldest of seven children. At age 7, he talked his father into ordering a Sears accordion. He attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, where he met Berdyne Koerner, his future wife. At KSOO radio in Sioux Falls, he played an early morning show that featured waltzes and polkas of Polish and Scandinavian origin. When World War II began, Floren tried to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps, but was turned down for medical reasons. He enlisted instead in the USO and entertained the troops overseas. When he returned from the war, Floren and Berdyne lived in Sioux Falls where Myron had a radio show. In 1946, they moved to St. Louis. One night, they danced in a ballroom where Welk was appearing, and Welk invited Floren up to the stage to play a song. Welk offered Floren a job that night. He joined Welk in 1950, and stayed with him until the show ended in 1982. Reruns still play on more than 200 public television stations around the United States. Biographical information courtesy of the Lawrence Welk Show Web site, www.lawrencewelk.com
Aberdeen News
Posted on Sun, Jul. 24, 2005
Myron Floren, Roslyn-born accordion player, dies at 85
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. - Myron Floren, a maestro accordion player who entertained generations of TV viewers on ''The Lawrence Welk Show,'' died Saturday at the age of 85.
Floren died of cancer at his Rolling Hills Estates home in Los Angeles County, his daughter Randee Floren said.
A consummate musician versed in everything from polka to Bach, he joined Lawrence Welk's band in 1950 and stayed on until the television show ended in 1982.
Born on a farm outside Roslyn in 1919, Floren took up the instrument after hearing an accordionist at a fair as a child. He married his former student Berdyne Koerner in 1945 and first played with Welk when the couple saw the band leader play at a ballroom in St. Louis.
The two musicians had met previously, and this time Welk invited Floren to perform a number with his band.
Myron chose ''Lady of Spain'' and the crowd was so enthusiastic Welk asked him to play the rest of the evening and quickly hired him, according to Margaret Heron, syndication manager for the show.
The orchestra, which also included saxophonist Dick Dale and singer Jim Roberts, was famous for bouncing, effervescent dance music that Welk began playing as a young man.
More recently, Floren performed at music festivals around the country and frequently appeared at the Lawrence Welk Resort and Champagne Theater in Branson, Mo.
Parody singer ''Weird Al'' Yankovic, who also plays the accordion, has called Floren an inspiration in his youth.
Singer Bill Lennon, whose older sisters were regulars and who occasionally performed on Welk's show, described Floren as a gentlemen and a dedicated musician.
''A lot of folks in the orchestra said he conducted better with his elbows than many conductors do with the baton,'' Lennon said, referring to Floren's ability to play the accordion and keep the band on tempo.
Randee Floren recalled going out in public with her father as a young girl.
''People would recognize him and go crazy. It was like going out with a rock star in those days,'' she said.
He and his wife Berdyne had five daughters, none of whom were musically talented, Randee Floren said.
She remembered one Father's Day when band members taught her and two of her sisters to sing a three-part harmony.
''We were terrible, but he was proud even though we stunk,'' she said.
Floren is survived by his wife, five daughters and seven grandchildren.
A memorial service was pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made to the USO.
July 24, 2005, 12:58AM
Lawrence Welk Show accordion player dies
Los Angeles Times
Myron Floren played in Lawrence Welk's band from 1950 to 1982 and later at music festivals around the country. He died Saturday of cancer.
LOS ANGELES,CA - Myron Floren, the accordion virtuoso who came to fame in the mid-1950s as a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show, has died. He was 85.
Floren, who continued performing until the last few months, died of cancer Saturday at his home in Rolling Hills Estates, according to Margaret Heron, syndication manager for the Welk show.
Dubbed "The Happy Norwegian" for his perpetual grin, Floren joined Welk's orchestra on the road in 1950.
The Welk program began its 27-year national run on Saturday nights in 1955, first on ABC-TV for 16 years and then, after the network deemed the show's audience "too old" and canceled it, in syndication on more than 250 stations around the United States — more than had aired the show on ABC.
In 1950 Floren and his wife celebrated her birthday by going to a St. Louis ballroom where the Welk orchestra was playing. Welk invited him on stage to play.
He played a few numbers and the crowd response was so enthusiastic that Welk offered him a job at intermission.
As Floren frequently recalled, Welk's manager at the time told the bandleader, "Lawrence, this is a bad idea to hire an accordion player, especially one that plays better than you."
"And Lawrence, God bless him, says, 'Sam, that's the only kind of people I hire — the ones that play better than I do,' " Floren recalled.
Floren never tired of playing the accordion for an audience.
"I'm going to keep squeezing this thing," he once said, "until nobody calls anymore."
Floren is survived by his wife, five daughters and seven grandchildren.
Line 47: Florin, O.O., head, male, age 44, married, reads and writes, born Norway, parents both born Norway, speaks English, is a farmer.
Line 48: Florin, Gertrude, wife, age 38, married, reads and writes, born Norway, parents both born Norway, speaks English
Line 49: Florin, Martin, son, age 13, born South Dakota
Line 50: Florin, Ole M,, head, male, age 37, married, reads and writes, born South Dakota, parents both born Norway, speaks English, is a farmer
Line 51: Florin, Tillie, wife, age 23, born South Dakota, parents both born Norway
Line 52: Florin, Myron, son, age 3/12, born South Dakota
HSO, 13 May, 1971, On Petticoat Lane
Rev. Virgil Bjerke married Bobby Burgress, a dancer on the Lawrence Welk Show, to the daughter of Myron Floren, who plays the accordian on the show.
HSO, 17 Jun 1971, p4, On Petticoat Lane
Mrs. Anna Jensen of Lakeland called this item to our attention after she saw a recent Petticoat Lane story about the marriage of dancer Bobby Burgress to the daughter of Myron Floren. (Floren plays the accordian on the Lawrence Welk Show.) The marriage took place in the Lutheran church Mrs. Thomas Cudd used to attend when she lived in California.
Mrs. Jensen can top that. Her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Thomas Kees (Helen Engstrom) is a cousin of the famous accordandist. Mrs. Kees' mother, Mrs. John B. Engstrom, was the former Anna Staberg, daufhter of Andew and Sigrid (Florin) Staberg.
That makes Mrs. Kees related to Floren through her grandmother. That also makes her brothers and sister, Raymond and Donald Engstrom and Mrs. Alice Engstrom Hoyer, cousins of Myron Florin.
Mrs. Kees exchanges Christmas cards with the Florens. Last year she received a picture of the whole family, including the daughter who was recently married.
Wurstfest headliner dies of cancer
By Ron Maloney
Published July 24, 2005
Because of another engagement, Myron Floren will not be coming back to Wurstfest, and our signature sausage and heritage festival will never be the same. Floren died at his Rolling Hills, Calif. home Saturday morning surrounded by his family. He was 85. He leaves behind his wife, Berdyne, and five daughters and their families. A memorial service will be set in California at a later date. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a special fund that will be set up to benefit the United Service Organization or USO, which books entertainment for American troops overseas. The Herald-Zeitung will provide that information when it is available. News of Floren’s passing came from Wurstfest spokesman, Herb Skoog, who said the entertainer best-known around the world as Lawrence Welk’s accordion-playing sidekick, succumbed to a long illness. “We got a call about a week ago, telling us he had probably 24 hours to 48 hours to live, and he rallied,” Skoog said. “Then we lost him this morning.” Skoog said Floren had passed a very bad time, and his family suggested he lie down and sleep. A couple hours later, they realized he’d slipped away to play his instrument for the angels. “All of us at Wurstfest are saddened at the news of the passing of our friend,” Skoog said. “Our hearts go out to Berdyne and his family at this difficult time. Myron Floren lives in our memories as a true ‘gentle man.’ He was our headline entertainer from his first appearance in the Wursthalle in 1968 through his last show in 2002.” In all, Floren played at Wurstfest for 34 years, only missing 1998 to recover from heart surgery. “During his visits, he was very generous with his time and talent, going beyond normal entertaining to visiting nursing homes, civic clubs and doing many visits,” Skoog said. “He was always warm and courteous to everyone. After doing a long, hour and a half show, he would take all the time needed to sign autographs and visit with friends. In all the years he entertained at Wurstfest, he remained our ‘Happy Norwiegan.’” Floren made many friends in New Braunfels, a city whose residents could truly appreciate, as Welk had, Floren’s virtuosity with his chosen instrument. Even in latter years when he struggled with personal health problems, Floren maintained a cheerful and positive attitude, Skoog said. Lederhosen-clad “Grosse Opas” come and go each year as the master of ceremonies or local symbol of Wurstfest. On the national scene, though, it was Floren’s headliner power built over decades of playing for Welk that played the greatest part in making Wurstfest the nationally known success it is today. In 1968, when Wurstfest was considering a featured entertainer, late director Raymond Baese, suggested to the board that Floren be brought in. Skoog said a lot of people scoffed at the idea a national television performer like Floren would consider coming to New Braunfels, but Baese called, and Floren loved the idea. “With the passing of Myron Floren, the Lord has a new, talented member to add to his fold, and we have lost a member of our Wurstfest family,” Skoog said. “We will all miss him.” Floren was born in Roslyn, S.D., the eldest of seven children. At age 7, he talked his father into ordering a Sears accordion. He attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, where he met Berdyne Koerner, his future wife. At KSOO radio in Sioux Falls, he played an early morning show that featured waltzes and polkas of Polish and Scandinavian origin. When World War II began, Floren tried to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps, but was turned down for medical reasons. He enlisted instead in the USO and entertained the troops overseas. When he returned from the war, Floren and Berdyne lived in Sioux Falls where Myron had a radio show. In 1946, they moved to St. Louis. One night, they danced in a ballroom where Welk was appearing, and Welk invited Floren up to the stage to play a song. Welk offered Floren a job that night. He joined Welk in 1950, and stayed with him until the show ended in 1982. Reruns still play on more than 200 public television stations around the United States. Biographical information courtesy of the Lawrence Welk Show Web site, www.lawrencewelk.com
Aberdeen News
Posted on Sun, Jul. 24, 2005
Myron Floren, Roslyn-born accordion player, dies at 85
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. - Myron Floren, a maestro accordion player who entertained generations of TV viewers on ''The Lawrence Welk Show,'' died Saturday at the age of 85.
Floren died of cancer at his Rolling Hills Estates home in Los Angeles County, his daughter Randee Floren said.
A consummate musician versed in everything from polka to Bach, he joined Lawrence Welk's band in 1950 and stayed on until the television show ended in 1982.
Born on a farm outside Roslyn in 1919, Floren took up the instrument after hearing an accordionist at a fair as a child. He married his former student Berdyne Koerner in 1945 and first played with Welk when the couple saw the band leader play at a ballroom in St. Louis.
The two musicians had met previously, and this time Welk invited Floren to perform a number with his band.
Myron chose ''Lady of Spain'' and the crowd was so enthusiastic Welk asked him to play the rest of the evening and quickly hired him, according to Margaret Heron, syndication manager for the show.
The orchestra, which also included saxophonist Dick Dale and singer Jim Roberts, was famous for bouncing, effervescent dance music that Welk began playing as a young man.
More recently, Floren performed at music festivals around the country and frequently appeared at the Lawrence Welk Resort and Champagne Theater in Branson, Mo.
Parody singer ''Weird Al'' Yankovic, who also plays the accordion, has called Floren an inspiration in his youth.
Singer Bill Lennon, whose older sisters were regulars and who occasionally performed on Welk's show, described Floren as a gentlemen and a dedicated musician.
''A lot of folks in the orchestra said he conducted better with his elbows than many conductors do with the baton,'' Lennon said, referring to Floren's ability to play the accordion and keep the band on tempo.
Randee Floren recalled going out in public with her father as a young girl.
''People would recognize him and go crazy. It was like going out with a rock star in those days,'' she said.
He and his wife Berdyne had five daughters, none of whom were musically talented, Randee Floren said.
She remembered one Father's Day when band members taught her and two of her sisters to sing a three-part harmony.
''We were terrible, but he was proud even though we stunk,'' she said.
Floren is survived by his wife, five daughters and seven grandchildren.
A memorial service was pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made to the USO.
July 24, 2005, 12:58AM
Lawrence Welk Show accordion player dies
Los Angeles Times
Myron Floren played in Lawrence Welk's band from 1950 to 1982 and later at music festivals around the country. He died Saturday of cancer.
LOS ANGELES,CA - Myron Floren, the accordion virtuoso who came to fame in the mid-1950s as a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show, has died. He was 85.
Floren, who continued performing until the last few months, died of cancer Saturday at his home in Rolling Hills Estates, according to Margaret Heron, syndication manager for the Welk show.
Dubbed "The Happy Norwegian" for his perpetual grin, Floren joined Welk's orchestra on the road in 1950.
The Welk program began its 27-year national run on Saturday nights in 1955, first on ABC-TV for 16 years and then, after the network deemed the show's audience "too old" and canceled it, in syndication on more than 250 stations around the United States — more than had aired the show on ABC.
In 1950 Floren and his wife celebrated her birthday by going to a St. Louis ballroom where the Welk orchestra was playing. Welk invited him on stage to play.
He played a few numbers and the crowd response was so enthusiastic that Welk offered him a job at intermission.
As Floren frequently recalled, Welk's manager at the time told the bandleader, "Lawrence, this is a bad idea to hire an accordion player, especially one that plays better than you."
"And Lawrence, God bless him, says, 'Sam, that's the only kind of people I hire — the ones that play better than I do,' " Floren recalled.
Floren never tired of playing the accordion for an audience.
"I'm going to keep squeezing this thing," he once said, "until nobody calls anymore."
Floren is survived by his wife, five daughters and seven grandchildren.
Events
| Birth | 5 Nov 1919 | Webster or Roslyn, Day County, South Dakota |  | ||
| Marriage | 19 Aug 1945 | Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, SD, First Lutheran Church - Berdyne Koerner | | ||
| Death | 23 Jul 2005 | Los Angeles County, Calif. |
Families
| Spouse | Berdyne Koerner |
| Child | Randee Floren |
| Child | Kristie Floren |
| Child | Robin Floren |
| Child | Holly Floren |
| Child | Heidi Floren |
| Father | Ole M. Floren (1882 - 1964) |
| Mother | Thilde or Thilda Lensegrav (1897 - 1978) |
| Sibling | Arlie Milton Floren |
| Sibling | Valborg Eleanore Floren |
| Sibling | Genevieve Marjorie Floren |
| Sibling | Gloria LaJeanne Floren |
| Sibling | Duane Willis "Dewey" Floren |
Endnotes
1. Aarbok 2006, Yearbook of the Tronderlag of America, Linda Schwartz, Editor..
2. Aarbok 2006, Yearbook of the Tronderlag of America, Linda Schwartz, Editor..