Bjelde family
“A ring is a circle with no beginning and no end, a simple object to which we can ascribe powerful meaning.”(1) The Bjelde Family explains the importance of their simple object, a Cobber ring, as an important symbol and tradition to both their family and Concordia College. The ruby and gold ring was created in 1920 by a Moorhead jeweler, Oscar Martinson.(2) Concordia began this tradition as a symbol of unity among students and created a special bond that all Cobber graduates could share. Scott Brown defines traditions in his article as “timely and timeless; they enable us to make sense of these complex and changing times by connecting us to our core values.”(3) Every ring has a story; it brings back a feeling of nostalgia every time the ring is brought into conversation. Cobbers past and present, no matter the age difference, share a unique, but common bond that they can cherish for the rest of their lives.
Research conducted by Morris Holbrook, a Harvard graduate, exemplified the bond and relationship of the Cobber ring perfectly. He stated, “even more telling and more quintessentially nostalgic, however, are the affective experiences associated with those cognitive memories of days gone by in general and with associative links of these feelings to [an] object of the past,” a Cobber ring.(4) Jerry Bjelde’s grandfather’s object of the past was his 1929 Cobber ring that had been passed down in their family for decades and has a unique story attached. Not only was the ring an important symbol of unity to the college, but it was used as a symbol of love as a pre engagement ring to their family. Jerry’s daughter-in-law, Sarah, reminisced in the interview with Miles Scholl on her personal story of when she received the pre engagement ring. “We were taking a walk and all of a sudden he [Scott] just got really nervous and said, no, I want to give you something, but when I give it to you, you know, it’s like a big deal. I’ll give you something else, but this one is going to be the big deal.”(5) She was very confused at the time because she was not aware of the very important piece of jewelry she was about to receive. Scott gave her his grandfathers’ 1929 Cobber ring as a symbol of his love and as a pre-engagement ring before he bought a wedding ring. Not only was it given to Sarah, but generations before her, his family used this same ring to give to their loved ones. Jerry gave this ring to his girlfriend, now his wife, under the same conditions. He stressed the importance of this ring by saying it is only given to the girl “who is more than a girlfriend at that point,” because if she was receiving the ring, it was serious.(6) In addition to the 1929 ring from his grandfather, each of their family members who attended the college wore one, all five generations.
Every Cobber ring has a different impact, memory, and tradition for each graduate who receives one. Jerry Bjelde and his family share a special tradition with a specific ring as well as each of their own. Throughout decades in history one thing remains constant; the bond that began at Concordia College and the nostalgia created because of a beautiful ruby and gold ring.
Essay by Abby Kratzke
(1) Scott Brown, "Class Ring." About Campus 8, no. 3 (2003): 29.
(2) Carroll Engelhardt, On Firm Foundation Grounded: The First Century of Concordia College (Moorhead: Concordia College, 1991: Digital Horizons), 85.
(3) Scott Brown, "Class Ring." 29.
(4) Morris Holbrook, "Nostalgic Bonding: Exploring the Role of Nostalgia in the Consumption Experience." Journal of Consumer Behaviour 3, no. 2 (2003): 108.
(5) Jerry Bjelde, “Jerry Bjelde, Oral History, 2013 (Part 1),” interviewed by Miles Scholl, Concordia Memory Project.
(6) Jerry Bjelde, Interview.