7/15/03 The Dyste family united Friday and Saturday to remember the history of their ancestors. With five generations present, the reunion was expanded this year to get the younger children involved, according to Howard Dyste, of Lompoc.

The Dyste family can trace their heritage back to the 1800s on a farm in Toten, Norway. As tradition, the eldest son of a generation inherited the farm and all its wonders.

"In my grandfather/s generation, four of the brothers immigrated to the U.S.," said Dyste. "This was not unusual because in years past, brothers that did not inherit set out to make their own way."

And if there were no sons to inherit the farm, then the eldest daughter inherited the farm and her husband adopted the Dyste name.

"In 1883, my grandfather and grandmother married in Minneapolis. Both were of Norwegian descent," said Dyste. "My grandfather was the owner of a general merchant store, which he sold out to his brother."

Dyste/s grandmother died in the 1900s during the pneumonia epidemic. She had nine kids 77 four boys and five girls.

"It was important for me to share this family history," said Dyste. "That desire was only furthered when my brother found a college paper written about the Dyste area on the Internet."

In the 1998 paper, written by Linn Torunn Lundby, it reads "Dyste is an exciting place with it/s ties to both Christian and pagan traditions in Norway. Perhaps the people on Dyste saw something a little special back in history since there was so much activity there. Or perhaps it was just a coincidence that the Church was built there, and that a saga was associated with precisely this farm."

Lundby even explored the ancient myths of Dystetromme, a mythical creature that beat on drums to warm people about the danger of war. Dyste farm lays beside a road that was used a pilgrimages to pay homage to St. Olaf.

"We had five generations represented this weekend," said Dyste. "I hope that this new tradition holds and the Dyste family unites again."

Features Editor Brenda Poe can be reached at 736-2313, Ext. 108, or by e-mail at lrlifestylespulitzer.net