För några månader sedan fick vi kontakt med the Swedish Genealogical Society i Minnesota, USA, en amerikansk organisation som grundades 1983 med syfte att bland annat
- Öka medvetenheten om det svenska samhället och kulturen
- Utbyta idéer om genealogisk forskning och metodik
- Uppmuntra forskning och skrivning av släkt-, emigrations-/invandrings- och bosättningshistorier samt publicering av svenskt släktforskningsmaterial.
Vi pratade med ordförande Wayne Dahlsten och styrelsemedlemmen Janet Carlson i över en timme via zoom. Båda är svenskättlingar och har länge haft ett brinnande intresse för Sverige och svensk historia. De berättade också om deras verksamhet och medlemmar som, även om många aldrig har besökt Sverige, har ett väldigt stort intresse för den svenska kulturen och även för hembygdsrörelsens arbete. Många längtar helt enkelt efter att få besöka landet där deras släktingar kom ifrån!
Om du är nyfiken på organisationen så kan du ta del av intervjun vi utförde med Wayne och Janet här nedanför.
What does the Swedish genealogical society of Minnesota do?
The Swedish Genealogical Society of Minnesota (SGSM) is an all-volunteer society that is classified as a non-profit educational organization. We offer quarterly educational programs and publish the Tidningen newsletter covering Swedish genealogical research and methodologies, history & culture. Once a month we have Fika sessions where our members can meet virtually to help each other with research questions. We also offer research and translation help accessing Swedish and Swedish-American records for people who are documenting their ancestry and family stories. We encourage the research and writing of family, emigration/immigration and settlement histories.
How big is the Swedish community in Minnesota?
In 2020, Minnesota had the most Swedes, both by number (410,091) and by the percent of the state's population they make up (7.3%). Since the United States is a “melting pot”, as time goes by a decreasing percentage of people identify as Swedish American as their predominant heritage.
How did you start getting involved in the genealogical society?
Wayne - I became interested in genealogy when I was about thirty years old and I joined SGSM about 15 years later. Two of my paternal great grandfathers became early Swedish American Lutheran Augustana Synod ministers after they arrived in America. My uncle had researched that side of the family and shared his research results with my family when I was growing up which sparked my interest. My maternal grandmother emigrated from Sweden when she was twenty years old and lived with us when I was growing up, so I was exposed to Swedish customs in that way.
Jan - A friend who was a member invited me to attend a meeting back in the early 1990s. I had been doing research since I was a child following a trip to Sweden in 1959. I felt like at SGSM, I had finally found “my people” with genealogists who shared my passion. I became a member of the Board in the 2000s, and became a staff member of our newsletter shortly after.
Can you tell us about a time where you or one of your members found your ancestors in Sweden? How was your/their reaction?
Jan - I have been providing research help for SGSM members for many years, and also assisted with research help at RootsTech while I was an employee of ArkivDigital from 2016-2019. It is not uncommon to work with people who have been searching for their ancestors for decades. And it is also not uncommon for people to cry and hug us when we break through their brick walls. I know what it feels like to find an ancestor that required a lot of searching, so we both hug and cry in mutual joy.
What's the hardest part about genealogy research?
The biggest learning curve when beginning Swedish research is becoming familiar with the various types of records and where to find them. For those that don’t know the Swedish language, it is also challenging to become familiar with words used in the records. When researching farther back in time, reading old script adds an additional layer of complexity.
What tips would you give to those who are interested in starting their family history research?
Interview your parents, grandparents and other relatives while they are still alive and before their memories fade so you can document dates, places and family stories about your ancestors. That will give you a good start when you begin doing your own research, but of course you should verify that information against official records since not all information will be completely accurate.
Will we be seeing you or any of your members in Sweden anytime soon?
Many of our members have visited Sweden and for others it is still on their “bucket list”. Some make the trip numerous times, while others may only visit once. People typically want to research their ancestors before they make the trip so they can visit relatives and see where their ancestors lived. Even people that visited Sweden twenty years or more ago, still have fond memories of their visits. Most of our members are 2nd or 3rd generation Americans and have little-to-none Swedish language skills, but many of them attempt to learn some Swedish before visiting Sweden.
Vill du veta mer om deras arbete, besök deras hemsida: https://sgsmn.org
