Helga Fjelstad

Miss Helga Fjelstad

During the late nineteenth century until the 1950s, many American colleges and universities employed middle aged (usually single) women to fulfill the role of “matron”.  The typical roles of a college Matron was that of a caretaker of the college, usually taking on responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, and monitoring the general well-being of the students of the institution. Oftentimes, matrons performed the duties of a cook, housekeeper, and nurse all in one.  Matron positions can be found at colleges and universities around the nation, including some well-known colleges such as Minnesota's St. Olaf and Iowa's Luther College. Over the varying locations the responsibilities held by these women stayed the same, and most of these roles lasted until the 1950s. After this time the position of Matron began to be less popular. The role slowly started to die out because most schools began to expand, bringing in more students and faculty. As a result, the many responsibilities transferred from one person to several.  An example of a typical matron would be the matron of St. Olaf College, Martha Turner.  Her responsibilities included the aspects listed above while also being in charge of 32 boys who lived in St. Olaf’s old main building.(1) While many schools had Matrons, one stands out from the crowd, and that would be Concordia College’s own Matron, Helga Fjelstad.

 Miss Helga Fjelstad immigrated to the United States in 1885 and was hired by the college in 1895.  Fjelstad's job as matron included operating the college's food service in its entirety while also overseeing all of the student workers and staff.  Aside from running the entire food services of the college, Fjelstad was also seen as a substitute mother to many students and left a lasting impression upon many of the college’s alumni.(2)