Brookings Area Genealogical Society

2009 FALL GENEALOGY WORKSHOP

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Workshop Location:

Bible Baptist Church

2023 20th St S

Brookings, SD

(Exit 132 off I-29, west to 22nd Ave, south to 20th St S, west to Bible Baptist Church)

Workshop Schedule:

8:15 A.M.: Registration and sign-up for individual 10 minute consulting sessions

9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.: Workshop

Fall Workshop featuring: Blaine Hedberg, Executive Director of the Norwegian American Genealogical Center in Madison, Wi.

Our guest speaker is Blaine Hedberg , Executive Director of the Norwegian American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library in Madison , Wisconsin . Mr. Hedberg has been named as the first Fellow to hold the Gerhard B. Naeseth Chair for Genealogical Research and Publication. In this capacity he relinquished day-to-day operation of the Center in order to concentrate on completing the five-volume Biographical Directory of Norwegian Immigration to the United States , 1825-1850, begun by his predecessor, Professor Gerhard B. Naeseth. This set was completed in 2009.

Hedberg, a 1983 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been employed by the Norwegian-American Museum of Decorah, Iowa, since 1982. He worked as the primary researcher from 1983-1994, answering thousands of genealogical inquiries each year. As Director of the Vesterheim Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library from 1994-2001, he oversaw the operation, added extensively to the research collection and continued as a primary researcher. His responsibilities associated with the Naeseth Chair were to complete the massive work begun in 1946 by Gerhard Naeseth, in identifying the first 18,000 Norwegian immigrants who came to the United States. Professor Naeseth published the first volume of this work before his death in 1994, and Hedberg has completed volumes 2-3 and is currently working on volumes 4-5. Volume 1 includes immigrants 1825-1843; Vol. 2, 1844-1846; Vol. 3, 1847-1848, Vol. 4, 1849; Vol. 5, 1850.

Mr. Hedberg was born in Lake Preston, South Dakota, the son of Beverly J. (Helseth), born in Huron, SD., and Kenneth M. Hedberg, born in Lake Preston, SD. About his ancestry he says: "My mother's people were from the Helseth farm in Kvernes, Møre og Romsdal , Norway. Her grandfather, Anders Bertinus Andersen Helseth, emigrated in 1881 to Spink, Union County, Dakota Territory. Her paternal great-grandfather, Rasmus Ottesen, was an 1866 immigrant from Frosta, Nord-Trøndelag , Norway. He settled in 1866 near Spink, Union County, DT."

"My father's ancestry is half Swedish and half Norwegian. The Norwegian side descends through my great-grandfather, Arne Olsen Bø, an 1882 immigrant from Vik, Sogn og Fjordane , Norway. His wife, Jensina Stenson, was born near Westby, Wisconsin, the daughter of an 1865 immigrant couple, Jens Steensen Olstad and wife, Thora Sofie Pedersdatter. Jens was born in Sogndal, Sogn og Fjordane and his wife, Thora was born in Bodø, Nordland." The Stenson family settled near Oldham, DT.

Hedberg has for the last twenty five years been working on a biographical directory of the earliest Norwegian settlers in Union County, South Dakota. In his leisure he enjoys postcard collecting, buying and selling old paper items, books, especially items with connections to South Dakota, Wisconsin and the Midwest .

He is married to Jeanette Harkins, of French-Canadian/Danish/Scottish/Irish ancestry. She is a veterinarian, born at Duluth, Minnesota.

Lecturing on:

Norwegian-American resources both at the Norwegian American Genealogical Center library and on the web-9:00 TO 10:30 a.m.

One-on-one consultations(10 minute consulting sessions. Be sure to E-mail us with your area of research on your Norwegian Roots so Mr. Hedberg can bring along the appropriate resources.) - 10:30 to 11:30 A.M.

Lunch & sign-up for individual 10 minute consulting sessions-11:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.

Demonstartion of the new Norwegian American Genealogical Center's online Norwegian research guide-12:30 to 1:30 P.M.

Presentation of the Rowberg obituary file (A collection of about 175,00 Norwegian-American obituary clippings from 1915-1970). and Norwegian-American church record databases that are being developed at the Norwegian-American Genealogical Center-1:30 to 3:00 P.M.

Pre-registration (postmarked before November 4, 2009)

Non-members $35.00

BAGS members $25.00

If you would like to join BAGS and get the member workshop rate plus our Frontier Days newsletter, the cost is:

Regular membership $31.00

Senior membership $30.00

Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library Associate Membership $30.00

Lunch for workshop $6.83 with tax (Warm roast beef sandwich with au jus and minestrone soup)

At the Door

is $45.00 at the door. You can also sign up for membership now as a new or extended member of the Norwegian American Genealogical Center for $30/year with this registration.

Non-members $45.00

BAGS members $35.00

If you would like to join BAGS and get the member workshop rate plus our Frontier Days newsletter, the cost is:

Regular membership $41.00

Senior membership $40.00

Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library Associate Membership $30.00

for workshop $6.83 with tax (Warm roast beef sandwich with au jus and minestrone soup)

For more information, call 605-695-3627 or Email: cools_history@yahoo.com

Doors will open at 8:15, November 14, 2009.

No refunds will be honored after November 1, 2009

If you want help growing and nurturing your family tree, complete the information below, tear off, add your registration fee, insert in an envelope and post to the address shown. Bring your personal Norwegian genealogy records, your research questions and your personal laptop computer. Bible Baptist Church is equipped with wireless internet access. We will see that your family tree gets treated with loving care when we see you on November 14.

If you wish further information about BAGS or other upcoming BAGS events, please indicate below or go to our website.