Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin

It was the morning of December 14, temperatures outside were extremely cold, we looked forward to the Lucia celebration inside the beautiful Fox Point Lutheran Church. Then it happened, there was a gas leak at the church, the event had to be cancelled or rescheduled. Through quick actions from the Church, Lucia Program Director Stina Lemery, and SAHSWI volunteers, everyone involved or invited were notified, and new plans had to be established for a new date.

On Sunday December 28 Lucia could be celebrated without a hitch. Most of the participants in the Lucia program were able to join, and overall, about 80 people attended the event.

After a final rehearsal, the program could begin with the procession led by 2025 Lucia Madeleine Franke, followed by attendants, Leighton Ehrengren, Kenzie Klagmann, Ida Knox*, Ella and Emilia Lemery, Mila Leon, Thea Quealy, Villa Sjöberg, Layla Gallo, Starboys Camden Ehrengren, Joseph Kaltenberg*, Olof Knox*, Gingerbread men Arlo Ehrengren, Eli Kaltenberg*, Nora, Isla and Wilam Thode-Edström, and Little Santas Astrid and Oskar Erkander*, and Nova and Orion Balistreri. (* missing due to re-schedule)

The Lucia program was directed by Stina Lemery, the Lucia Story and Song was introduced by Swedish School Teacher Amanda Balistreri, and the Piano was played by Matt Byczynski. The Lucia program included 9 well known Swedish Christmas songs, starting with Sankta Lucia and ending with Stilla Natt sung both in Swedish and English (Silent Night). The Lucia Crown includes 5 candles, and for each of the candles a poem was read by the program participants both in Swedish and in English and the candle was lit.

• THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CANDLE – Leighton Ehrengren
  • När första ljuset brinner, står julens dörr på glänt, och jubel psalmen klingar i helig tid advent. 
  • When the first Christmas candle is burning, we know Christmas is close by.  
• THE SECOND CHRISTMAS CANDLE– Mila Leon 
  • När andra ljuset brinner, vi höra löftets ord, om Konungen som kommer med frälsning till vår jord. 
  • When the 2nd Christmas candle is burning, we hear the promise of old that a Savior is coming. 
• THE THIRD CHRISTMAS CANDLE – Olof Knox
  • När tredje ljuset tändas i kulen vinter tid. Vi höra himlens klockor, som ringa fröjd och frid. 
  • When the 3rd candle is lit, we hear the bells of heaven wishing all peace and goodwill 
• THE FOURTH CHRISTMAS CANDLE – Joseph Kaltenberg  
  • Vi se i fjärde ljuset en stjärna underbar, som ger åt livets gåtor ett evighetens svar. 
  • As the 4^th candle is lit, we see a beautiful star with promise to all of life eternal. 
• THE FIFTH CHRISTMAS CANDLE –   Ida Knox 
  • Sist julens lilla tomte med gran och juleljus, nu önskar juleglädje och frid i hem och hus.
  •  At last the little Christmas elf with Christmas tree and lights, is wishing all a joyful and blessed Christmas. 

After the Lucia program Fika was served in the Fellowship Hall including coffee and Juices and cookies and pastries, a Cinnamon Kringle from O&H Bakery, 7 different cookies from Åsljunga, Sweden, Brownies shaped like a Gingerbread man baked by Kerri Ehrengren, and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The final activity of the day was the traditional Dance Around the Christmas tree based on traditional Swedish song and dance.

We like to thank everybody involved and coming to the Lucia celebration ensuring this wonderful Swedish tradition is maintained. Our sincere thanks to Stina, Amanda and Matt and all the children for a beautiful perfect Lucia program, to Pastor Bill and Operations Director Kelly Price for having us at the church and for all the help and support, Kerri for all the preparations of the Fika, Wendy Pelsis and Joann Kreimendahl for serving the welcome table, Bev Wenzel for preparing printed programs and sign-up sheets and everybody that was helping with the setup, takedown and cleanup of the Fika.

The 2025 Santa Lucia celebration has now been re-scheduled to December 28, 2025 at 2PM at Fox Point Lutheran Church, 7510 N Santa Monica Blvd, Fox Point, WI.

Swedish New Year celebration at Lakefront Brewery

There are still some tickets left for the Lakefront Brewery Swedish New Year celebration at 1872 North Commerce Street, Milwaukee, WI.  https://lakefrontbrewery.com/events/swedish-new-year-2

From our home to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

2025 Santa Lucia program, on December 14, 2025 at 2PM at Fox Point Lutheran Church, has been cancelled due to a major gas leak at the church.

A new date and time will be established and posted on the website.

Santa Lucia will be celebrated again in 2025 at the beautiful Fox Point Lutheran Church. Program Director Stina Lemery reports that the practice of the program is going well which indicates another great performance by Lucia and her Attendants (Tärnor), Star boys (Stjärngossar), Gingerbread men (Pepparkaksgubbar) and little Santas (Tomtenissar).

Come and enjoy the 2025 Santa Lucia program, on December 14, 2025 at 2PM at Fox Point Lutheran Church, 7510 N Santa Monica Blvd, Fox Point, WI.

After the program there will be Fika, everybody will be invited to dance around the Christmas tree, and hopefully Jultomten, Santa Claus will be checking in. It is custom at SAHSWI Fika meetings attendants may bring a dish to share. This will not be the case at this Lucia celebration. Coffee, juice and sweats will be provided.

After a truly special Swedish New Year’s Eve celebration last year, Lakefront Brewery is welcoming back the Swedish Community and anyone else that is looking to immerse themselves in a night of Swedish delights to celebrate the New Year 2026. Read more about it and to buy tickets below.

Our dear member Marjorie I. Jothen passed away on October 1, 2025 at the age of 106. She was a member of SAHSWI for over 40 years and served as President from 1995 to 2004, she was leading the Swedish Genealogy Research Group for many years and was a very active historian.  Marge was truly an inspirational person. We will miss her dearly. On her 102nd birthday an article was published describing her very active life and her ancestry. Marge Jothen

In March this year Marge celebrated her 106th birthday. Marge 106.

The Obituary

Marjorie’s Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 1st, 2025, at the Faith and Education Center of Luther Manor, 4545 North 92nd Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Come and celebrate the history of Swedish Americans in Wisconsin. It started in 1838 when with Carl Friman and his five sons arrived in Genoa City. Three years later Gustaf Unonius with entourage arrived at Pine Lake and established the first Swedish settlement in Wisconsin, naming it New Upsala.

Fifty years ago—in 1975—in concordance with this country’s preparations to celebrate the bicentennial of its founding and to recognize the impact Swedish Americans have had on the development of our State, the Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin was created.

On Saturday, September 13, between 1 PM and 3 PM, The Swedish American Historical Society, will hold its Fifty-Year Celebration at St. Anskar’s Church, N48W31340 Hill Street, (Highway 83), Hartland, WI.

The event will feature:

• Authentic Swedish food—savory and sweet—prepared by SAHSWI members and by descendants of New Upsala pioneers,
• Acknowledgements of the founding of SAHSWI and of the Wisconsin Historical Marker “Gustaf Unonius, New Upsala and the Scandinavian Parish,”
• Performance of Swedish Folk Music by “Goda Vänner” (Good Friends)
• Participation of many descendants of New Upsala pioneers, Bengt Petterson and George Bergwall, and historical information and artifacts they will share,
• Acappella Performance of en jägarsång, a Swedish hunting song, that was sung by New Upsala pioneers in a story Unonius tells in his memoir. Singing will be performed by actual descendants of the New Upsala pioneer who hunted and lead the singing in Unonius’s story,
• And a surprise for all who attend.

Note: As is custom with Fika meetings, if you can bring and share a Swedish dish, it will be greatly appreciated.

• 1 PM – 3 PM on Sept 13, 2025
• St. Anskar’s Episcopal Church
• N48w31340 Hill St (State Road 83), Hartland, WI

It was on May 6, 1975 when the Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin Inc. application was submitted for incorporation as a non-profit organization whose purpose was to promote a greater awareness and appreciation of the role of Swedish immigrants in the growth and development of Wisconsin. Harry Anderson was elected President, Richard Horngren Secretary, and Anders Segerdahl Treasurer. The Incorporation was approved on May 9th by the Secretary of State in Madison.

It was October of 1841 when Gustaf Unonius accompanied by his wife Lotten, Christine Sodergren who had been a maid at Lotten’s family, Iwar Hagberg, a student from Upsala, Carl Groth, a relative of Unonius, and Wilhelm Polman, a medical student, who they met on the ship going overseas, arrived in Milwaukee and settling on land at Pine Lake, Wisconsin. 3 years earlier Carl Friman had arrived and settled down in Genoa City with his 5 sons. This was the beginning of Swedish immigration to Wisconsin.

We will celebrate with savory Swedish Food, Music and Immigration Stories. If you can, bring your favorite Swedish dish to share. Descendants of the first Swedish pioneers will share their stories and food. Traditional Swedish Folk Music will be played by our very own folk group Goda Vänner. Make this an event you cannot miss. The church St. Anskar’s Episcopal Church is the partly the descendent of Pine Lake Scandinavian Parish, and is the location of the Wisconsin State Historical Marker recognizing Gustaf Unonius, New Upsala, and the Scandinavian Parish.

At the SAHSWI Fika meeting on May 17, 2025, SAHSWI member Michaela Yukus gave an inspiring and very interesting presentation about the Sami people. Sami country – known as Sápmi – stretches across the northern parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland, and Russia’s Kola Peninsula. The Sami are one of the world’s indigenous peoples and one of Sweden’s official national minorities. Michaela’s presentation was packed with facts….

• There are 9 different Sami groups speaking different languages
• The early settlers came to the Sápmi over 10 thousand years ago
• Petroglyphs are Sami carvings dating back 6 thousand years
• Traditionally Samis lived tentlike structures called Lavvu made by sticks and reindeer hides
• Samis eat reindeer meat and cheese soaked in coffee as a treat. (Kaffeost)
• Gakti is the iconic traditional dress of the Sami People.

Find out more about these facts and much, much more in Michaelas speech by pressing on the picture below

At the end of the presentation Michaela played a YouTube video of a traditional Sami Joik by Ellen Molnia (be aware of advertising in YouTube media)