Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin

The Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin, Inc. a non-profit volunteer organization, invites you to become a member and share your time and talents as a volunteer. Our Society is dedicated to promoting a greater knowledge and appreciation of the role persons of Swedish descent have played in the growth and development of Wisconsin, while also keeping Swedish traditions and culture alive for future generations.

Volunteers are essential to this work. Whether you enjoy welcoming guests, helping with Fika gatherings, supporting cultural programs, assisting with genealogy resources, preserving stories and photographs, preparing refreshments, writing articles, organizing records, or lending a hand at special events, there is a place for you to contribute, and you do not need to be Swedish or speak Swedish to participate.

By volunteering, you will meet new friends, learn more about Swedish American history, support programs that are open to the public, and help ensure that this heritage continues to be shared with children, families, researchers, and community members across the state.

If you are interested and not already a member, please contact Jan Ehrengren (e-mail: jehrengren@outlook.com). Visit the website  Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin to find out more about the organization. We would be happy to talk with you about current needs and help match your interests with a volunteer opportunity.

Thank you for considering this invitation. Together, we can honor the past, celebrate Swedish-American traditions, and strengthen the community that carries them forward.

Below you will find more specific volunteer needs coming up in the near future.

Hospitality Committee Leader for 2027

Fika is a traditional Swedish activity, taking a break mid-morning and mid-afternoon with family and/or friends, sit down to enjoy a cup of coffee and some sweets. This tradition is a key element in our Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin in all our Fika meetings and most celebrations and events. For this to work, we need a volunteer to coordinate and lead this important part of our activities. So, for 2027 we are looking for the Hospitality Committee leader. This position has been held by Janet Taylor for several years, and she has been doing a terrific job, but now she deserves a break. This will involve 4 fika meetings, in January, March, May, and October for Fika meetings held at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 9235 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee located just east of Milwaukee Zoo. At the meetings there are usually several people that will help and members and guests at the meetings will bring pastry and other food. As the Committee leader you can organize it based on your own ideas.

If you have any questions, please contact Janet (e-mail: jbtaylor765@gmail.com) in. The Schedule for 2027 will be released by mid October 2026.

Membership Committee member

The Membership Committee objective is to maintain and grow membership. This includes tasks such as contacting potential new members, welcoming new members, and several administrative tasks managing membership including updating membership application forms, managing membership renewal process, maintaining organization brochures, etc.

For more Membership Committee information please contact Bev Wenzel (e-mail: wenz113@outlook.com)

2026 Holiday Folk Fair International Cultural Booth Attendant

SAHSWI is participating, together with Vasa Order Linde Lodge no 492, representing Sweden in the 2026 Holiday Folk Fair International. The fair is held Nov 20 through 22 at the State Fair park. We are participating in the Nordic Council Cultural Exhibit booth. The Nordic Council is coordinating the event for the Nordic Countries Denmark, Norway Finland and Sweden. The theme this year is “Celebrate the Culture of Traditional Dance”.

Travel Around the World at Holiday Folk Fair International

To best represent Sweden in this multi-cultural event we need help from our members. We will have a booth set up with exhibit items, this year focusing on Traditional Dance, however the display can include other typical Swedish items as well. Please find below a picture of the Swedish display from previous year.

The booth should be attended by a minimum of 2 people for 3 to 4 hours for each shift. There are a total of 8 shifts over 3 days, so we need a minimum of 16 volunteers. By volunteering at one of the shifts, you represent Sweden. There are chairs at each table so you can sit or stand as you wish. We will have information available about Sweden and about the theme Traditional Dance. People will come over to the booth sometimes asking questions, which normally are very basic, or you can start a conversation when you see them looking at the display. If this is your first time volunteering at the Folk Fair we can assure you it is quite interesting and fun. One activity, especially for children, is stamping passports, they can see which and how many countries they have stamps for in their passports. The volunteer ticket may be used for Folk Fair entry all three days and parking costs will be reimbursed by SAHSWI.

If you are interested in volunteering attending one of the shifts please contact by e-mail Jan Ehrengren jehrengren@outlook.com.