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.

Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration

Sunday, June 21, 2026, 11 AM – 2 PM

Heidelberg Park by Bavarian Bierhaus

700 West Lexington Blvd., Glendale

The time has changed

To ensure we can enjoy the Scandinavian Music and Folk Dance the time for the event will be moved up 2 hours. The Midsommar celebration will start at 11 am and end at 2 pm on Sunday June 21, 2026. The reason for the change is that Bavarian Bierhaus is also having a Fathers Day Celebration at Heidelberg Park, with a large German band, Alte Kameraden playing from 1 PM to 4 PM. So, by changing the time we can avoid interference of different music playing at the same time.

The activities will be the same, only the timing a little different from what was originally planned. Please find the program below

Bring your own lawn chairs, and join us for a FREE event of fun at our Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration. If you can, bring additional flowers and greens for decorating the Majstång.

Come celebrate Midsommar the Swedish way Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 1 – 4 p.m. Heidelberg Park by at Bavarian Bierhaus, 700 West Lexington Blvd., Glendale

• Help decorate the Majstång (Midsommar pole) with greens and flowers.
• Join in the procession to raise the decorated pole, and then dance around it.
• Make a flower crown to wear.
• Enjoy traditional Swedish folk music and Scandinaviann folk dances.
• Learn the game of Kubb, known as “Viking chess.
• Special activities and crafts for children.
• Learn about early Swedish settlement in Wisconsin and our Swedish Genealogy Research Group

Bring your own lawn chairs, and join us for a FREE afternoon of fun at our Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration. If you can, bring additional flowers and greens for decorating the Majstång.

Bierhaus staff will provide a variety of food, including Swedish items, for purchase in the Park.   Note: No food may be brought into the Park.

For further information:  Visit us at www.sahswi.org or email us at swedishamericanhistoricalwisc@gmail.com

Fika meeting on May 16, 2026 at 1:30 PM at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 9235 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee.

If you have not been to Bishop Hill, the May Fika Meeting is a chance to learn about this historical community from the Award-winning Author Martha Bergland and her Husband Jim Uhrinak

Today, Bishop Hill is recognized for its historical significance, with several structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can explore the village’s rich history through museums, galleries, and cultural events that celebrate its Swedish roots. Bishop Hill remains a vibrant community that honors its past while continuing to thrive as a living historical site.

Swedish Trivia

In our March Fika meeting we started a Swedish Trivia program to refresh our knowledge of topics related to our common interests. The theme for this set of questions is “Early Swedish Immigration”, and at this time there are 5 questions;

Swedish Trivia

After the presentation enjoy traditional Fika the Swedish way. And as always – If you bring a dish to share, it is very much appreciated.

The next FIKA meeting is Saturday, March 21, 2026, starting at 1:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall, at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 9235 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee located just east of the Milwaukee Zoo.

In the January 2025 Fika meeting Cookie Anderson talked about Swedish Authors, she reviewed 14 different writers from the 18th century to the present. The presentation was very well received. Cookie is back, this time the topic of her presentation is Swedish Film, including information about the most famous Film Directors and Movie Makers, and information of the movies they directed.

Cookie also had an idea to include Swedish Trivia in the Fika meetings, 10 questions that everyone participating could answer before the Fika meeting, and then we would quickly review the answers at the Fika meeting. So, for March 21 meeting you can get the questions through the following link. This is all voluntary and with no specific rules, but if you participate, you may end up with a small price.

March 21, 2026, Trivia

After the presentation and reviewing the Trivia questions enjoy traditional Fika the Swedish way. If you can, bring a dish to share. Do you have a favorite Swedish recipe you want to share? If so, bring it and we can add it to the website Swedish Food Heritage page.