Peg (Sommerfeld) Caauwe was born and raised in Norfolk, NE. She is from a very talented family of five kids. She and her siblings all inherited musical and artistic abilities from their parents LeRoy and Margaret Sommerfeld. Her father worked for over forty years at the Norfolk Regional Center as a carpenter and her mother taught piano and played the organ in church for over fifty years.  

She was raised in a very Christian family so a lot of her work reflects religious themes. Very early she demonstrated her artistic talents by winning art awards in grade school demonstrating her perfect penmanship.  

Attending Norfolk Senior High in the late 70’s she was a member of Marching Band and Orchestra playing flute and piccolo. She graduated 1979. During this time she worked at the local movie theaters in town where she met her future husband Scott  

Early Paintings 1979

She attended Northeast Community College for one year taking Art, design and drawing classes. She also worked part time at her future in-law’s store, Caauwe’s Gun and Hobby Shop where she learned silk flower making. Peg and Barb Caauwe made many wedding flowers that year.

Caauwe's Gun and Hobby Shop

Also in 1980 Peg entered a local art contest. Little did she know that the outcome would create a symbol for a lasting celebration held each year in Norfolk.

La Vitsef Award Winner

For years Norfolk has had celebrations such as Fourth of July or Hallowesta, but in 1980 the Lavitsef Time Committee was formed to help create a fall celebration for the town. They needed a logo to represent it and decided to have a contest.

Original LaVitsef Logo done in colored pencil 1980

Peg decided to enter not thinking she had a chance. She worked on it during her free time and finally turned it in for judging. A few weeks later she received a phone call asking her to attend an awards ceremony honoring her for her design. She received $50 in prize money and got to be on TV too. 

1st LaVitsef Parade - All Smiles

(Scott proposed to Peg the night before)

1981 was a special year for Peg when she and Scott married where they settled in a small (very small) house here in Norfolk. It was really a dump but with Peg’s help she made it our first home.

June 1981

In 1982 Peg went back to Caauwe’s Gun Shop where she worked as a salesperson, floral arranger and paint instructor. It was during this time that Tom and Barb decided to expand Caauwe’s into two separate stores. One   would be the Gun and Hobby side and the other would be called Petals and Paint for the craft items.

Petals'n'Paint

They invited many painting instructors to town including Joy Stokes, a landscape and portrait instructor. Peg thoroughly enjoyed learning this painting technique from this gifted lady. Joy also noticed that Peg was very talented and quick. She suggested she be certified in Joy’s technique so she could officially teach her style of painting.

Joy Stokes

Peg really enjoyed the landscape on canvas so in 1983 she traveled to Dodge City Kansas to learn a new technique from Murry Eckles. She and Scott spent a full week there learning Murry’s way of painting. (Peg was five months pregnant at the time.)

Painting Class in Dodge City

During this time Peg and Scott did many craft shows. She and Scott would load up their little Horizon with tons of landscape paintings and take off for the weekend to some small nearby town for a show. Sometimes she would sell out sometimes not. But it was always fun going there and meeting new people. Peg always has had that knack for talking to people and it really has helped her through the years with her business.

In 1985 Peg traveled to Oklahoma City to attend a week long seminar on a new style of painting sweeping the country called Tole and Decorative painting. It was put on by a very talented lady by the name of Priscilla Hauser. Priscilla is nationally famous. She has her own TV show and magazine and has a huge following. Peg loved being there and learning her technique. Everyone loves her Oklahoma City dialect and her way of making them all feel so welcome. Peg became accredited in Priscilla’s painting and has learned to paint on almost anything.

Peg receiving her accreditation pin.

Teaching the Warren clan

Peg continued to work at Petals’n’Paint until 1987 teaching painting classes, stenciling or whatever new craft item was hot at that time. During the late 80’s and early 90’s she did numerous jobs including being a part time helper at Michael’s Photography. She painted many backdrops for Mike and perfected her calligraphy by working on composites of class pictures Michael’s would do for Northeast College. She also organized and taught many styles of painting classes through Northeast College teaching in area small towns including Winside, Osmond and Norfolk. 

August 1992 brought a new era to Peg’s painting. She was asked by a very nice and talented couple from Iowa to paint miniature wood pieces for them to sell at area craft shows and at their craft store, Woods By Us. Peg thoroughly enjoyed doing this type of painting. For one thing it was on smaller pieces and she was able to perfect her Tole painting techniques better. She continued to paint for Woods By Us for a couple of years before they finally retired. She really misses painting for them.

Painting a backdrop right on a wall! This is in Dr. Karmazin's office here in Norfolk. He now has a stuffed polar bear standing in front of it. Sorry, you have to schedule a dentist appointment to see it!

Also in 1992 Peg was asked by Michael’s Photography to work for them full time. She continued working there until 2000. She really enjoyed working with the public and doing the fine detailed work. Here she learned to touch up photos erasing blemishes or fixing little flaws in the picture. It really takes a steady hand and an eye for it. She also continued to help Mike create new backdrops for his studio. If you have had your picture taken at Michael’s recently chances are you were sitting in front of one of Peg’s backdrops.

Peg continues to work with her crafts and painting in any way she can. Peg has decided to dedicate her work to the memory of her father LeRoy who passed away early in 2003. Roy was something special in Peg’s life. For the last 5 years or so he would be her wood supplier for all her crafts. Being recently retired Roy would stay busy cutting out wood for Peg. Peg would joke that she would give him a huge list of stuff to cut out thinking he would be back in a few days with it only to have him show up later in the day all finished! “You weren’t supposed to be done yet!” Peg would tell him. He would only sit there and smile back.

LeRoy Sommerfeld

Scott and Peg

Click on the video to see Peg hard at work.

Peg lives in Norfolk, Nebraska with her husband Scott of 28 years, and her three sons, Eric 26 (Now married and living on their own), Nathaniel 22and Jeffrey 14. She enjoys teaching Sunday School and volunteer work through her church and also is a Para for the kindergarten room at a local school.