Join the Swedish Genealogical Society of Minnesota (SGSM) for our 2009 Fall Research Conference! This year we are honored to have SIX (yes, 6!) top genealogy researchers from Sweden to help you! Also, Kathy Meade of Genline North America and our own SGSM Gurus will be helping.

SGSM will host a day and a half Fall Research Conference featuring SwedGenTour2009; Genline Sweden/Genline North America; and Swedish American Genealogist (SAG) participants! Many vendors will have genealogy related items for your review.

The SwedGenTour2009 is a group of four renowned Swedish genealogists touring the United States for the sole purpose of helping Swedish-Americans learn more about their heritage. These four individuals participated in previous SwedGenTours and have decided to continue the tradition with the SwedGenTour2009. In 2002, the group visited Salt Lake City and Kingsburg, California and in 2005, visited Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2007 they were hosted by SGSM in Minneapolis at the American Swedish Institute. On all of these trips, the group was successful in helping many individuals get started with their research as well as breaking down brick walls. The 2007 Minneapolis visit was very well received and we welcome their return! The SwedGenTour2009, Genline and SAG participants will also support the SGSM Fall Research Conference with presentations and demonstrations on how to use the various resources for Swedish genealogical and historical research; on Swedish genealogical online resources; Swedish genealogical CDs; and Swedish emigration.

The SwedGenTour2009, Genline and SAG participants will assist individuals with their personal research. The group will have access to most major Swedish online and CD genealogical resources including resources specific to regional areas such as Kalmar, Jönköping, Halland, Jämtland and Stockholm. In addition, the group will have access to the Dalsland project (70,000 names from Dalsland including emigrants), index of names for the Swedish American churches and additional names of emigrants not yet included in the Emibas CD and more.

In addition to the above databases, SGSM has been granted custody of the Minnesota Swedish American church records, on microfilm, formerly housed at the American Swedish Institute! These are about one-half of all MN microfilms. These will be available for use at the Conference!

The SwedGenTour2009 participants will be Anneli Andersson, Anna-Lena Hultman, Charlotte Börjesson and Olof Cronberg. The participants from Genline.com, Jan Eurenius from Stockholm, Sweden and Kathy Meade of Chicago, are also very experienced genealogists and will help with your Swedish research problems. The participant from the SAG will be Elisabeth Thorsell of Järfälla, Sweden. Below are short biographies of the participants.

• Anneli Andersson has been doing genealogical research since 1988, and has worked at the Mellerud museum and genealogy archive for over 15 years. At the archive, she assists visitors with their research, and has taught classes in genealogy. Anneli is experienced in helping North Americans to find their Swedish roots, and has assisted them in locating where their ancestors lived and where they are buried. Anneli was a participant in SwedGenTour 2002, 2007 and 2008.
  

• Charlotte Börjesson has been doing genealogical research for more than 10 years and has deep experience with both Swedish and American resources. She is affiliated with the Computer Genealogy Society of Sweden (DIS) and her areas of expertise include research in western Sweden as well as computer genealogical research and photography. Charlotte was a participant in SwedGenTour 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2008.
  

• Olof Cronberg is president of the Computer Genealogy Society of Sweden (DIS) and is the editor of the DIS newsletter, Rooted in Sweden. He has more than 30 years extensive experience working with both Swedish and American genealogical resources. He has a very strong understanding of the genealogical software program, Disbyt. He has a BA in History from Lund University, Sweden. Olof was a participant in SwedGenTour 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2008.
  

• Anna-Lena Hultman has been doing genealogical research for more than 30 years and is well-known as an expert on emigration research and Västergötland. She was one of the key persons in the development of the Emibas CD; a CD with information on more than 1.1 million emigrants leaving Sweden between 1845 and 1930. She also guides many North Americans during the summer months in locating their ancestor’s homestead in Västergötland. Anna-Lena was a tour participant in both SwedGenTour 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
  

• Jan Eurenius a Swedish genealogist with Genline.com Sweden, has 20 years experience in Swedish Genealogy will be helping search for your Swedish heritage. Jan’s database has more than 193,000 persons, mostly from Sweden but many from the US. (Editor's note - Jan is very modest here, as anyone familiar with the Sweden mail list knows! He is a well known Swedish Genealogist! This will be the third time Jan has assisted with our research meetings. We are very fortunate to have his expertise available to us!)
  

• Kathy Meade is the U.S. representative for Genline AB, a company that offers online access to the original Swedish church records from the 16th century to the 20th century. Besides working for Genline, Ms. Meade volunteers at the Swedish American Museum in Chicago and assists patrons in researching their Swedish heritage. Prior to working for Genline, she worked for more than 20 years in the information technology sector including six years in Sweden and Norway. Ms. Meade has a degree in History from the University of San Francisco.
  

• Elisabeth Thorsell is a very well known genealogist in Sweden and America. Elisabeth is the former editor of Släkthistoriskt Forum, a widely read genealogical journal in Sweden, published by The Swedish Federation of Genealogical Societies, and also a former editor of the Svenska Släktkalendern (The Swedish Family Register). She is presently the Editor of the Swedish American Genealogist, published by the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center in Rock Island, Illinois. Elisabeth has co-authored a number of manuals on Swedish genealogy. She also has extensive experience in doing Swedish research for Americans.
  

The SGSM Fall Research Conference will be a great opportunity to receive help with your Swedish genealogical research. Bring your questions with you, and request the SwedGenTour2009/Genline/SAG team individually assist you in your search for your Swedish roots! See Research Tips for suggestions to prepare for your time to maximize the results!

Space is limited, register early!

October 16th and 17th, 2009 Agenda:

Friday, October 16th, 2009

            Time                                  Topic

• 12:30pm - 1:00pm:    Registration and Welcome.

• 1:00pm - 1:30pm:    Time Slot 1 - 6
• 1:30pm - 2:00pm:    Time Slot 7 - 12
• 2:00pm - 2:30pm:    Time Slot 13 - 18
• 2:30pm - 3:00pm:    Time Slot 19 - 24
• 3:00pm - 3:30pm:    Time Slot 25 - 30
• 3:30pm - 4:00pm:    Time Slot 31 - 36

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

            Time                                  Topic

• 08:00am - 09:00am:    Registration.

• 09:00am – 10:00am:    Welcome - Introduction of SwedGenTour/SAG/Genline members and other researchers, vendors, etc.

• 10:00am - 10:30am:    Time Slot 37 - 41
• 10:30am - 11:00am:    Time Slot 42 - 46
• 11:00am - 11:30am:    Time Slot 47 - 51
• 11:30am - 12:00am:    Time Slot 52 - 56

• 12:00pm - 1:00pm:    Lunch Break

• 1:00pm - 1:30pm:    Time Slot 57 - 61
• 1:30pm - 2:00pm:    Time Slot 62 - 66
• 2:00pm - 2:30pm:    Time Slot 67 - 71
• 2:30pm - 3:00pm:    Time Slot 72 - 76
• 3:00pm - 3:30pm:    Time Slot 77 - 80
• 3:30pm - 4:00pm:    Time Slot 81 - 84

Revised Schedule of Presentations

• 10:00am - Session One - "CD and Online Resources" by Charlotte Börjesson (45 minutes)

• 11:00am - Session Two - "Research Using Genline" and "New Genline Features" by Kathy Meade (45 minutes)

• 12:00pm - 1:00pm:    Lunch Break

• 1:00pm - Session Three - "Facts about emigration" by Anneli Andersson (45 minutes)

• 2:00pm - Session Four - "DIS Society and Family History Databases" by Olof Cronberg (45 minutes)

• 3:00pm - Session Five & Session Six (concurrently)
  • "Online Historical Maps" by Anna-Lena Hultman(45 minutes)
  • "Stockholm Research" by Elisabeth Thorsell (45 minutes)

• 4:00pm - 5:00pm:    Closing of the SGSM Fall Research Conference

After registering and reserving a Time Slot, The SwedGenTour2009 participants are willing to TRY to research your query prior to arriving at our Fall Research Conference. They cannot be sure they will have time to do so. If you would like to send your query (with pertinent details), please email; rayk29@comcast.net and place "SwedGenTour2009" in the Subject line. We will pass on to the SwedGenTour2009 participants. If you do so, during your Time Slot, they may have some results. Please understand SGSM has no way to match your Time Slot with the participant that may research your query!

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REGISTRATION & COSTS

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