Välkommen!
I'm Wini Caudell and I'm your host for Swedes in Illinois.
My gr gr grandparents were part of the Illinois Swedes, Carl and Carolina Svensson Asp. If it hadn't been for their bravery and determination to give their children a better life I wouldn't be here and for that they will always have my love and utmost respect.
This web site is dedicated to all Swedes who came to Illinois
By 1900 Illinois had almost 100,000 Swedes living in Illinois. This was second only to Minnesota.They came seeking religious freedom and some came seeking a better life for them and their families. Erik Janson was no doubt the beginning of a mass immigration that would eventually lead to Sweden losing almost a fifth of their population.
Some spread out to other counties after the dissolution of Bishop Hill in 1861 some went as far as Chicago with Janson and stopped and settled there, some went to Moline because of the John Deere Company. At one time it was possible to live and die in these towns without speaking a word of English. Most of them faced many hardships but worked hard and became productive citizens. Many of them started businesses, created industries, many Swedes built the railroads.
There is no doubt that Swedes have left their mark on Illinois and it continues even today.Swedish heritage and traditions still remain a part of Illinois.
If you would like to contribute information about your
Illinois Swedes please contact me Here
Any and all contributions will always remain yours and will never
be used for profit.
Biographies of Illinois Swedes
Life in the Old Country(Genealogy Help)
Helpful Links for Genealogists
Sources for Swedish-American Church Records
For Those of You Who Know Swedish
We're Grateful For Your Financial Support!
We've started a tombstone project at Illinois Ancestors http://www.illinoisancestors.org/cemphotos/main.php
This website is designed to allow researchers to add their photos automatically! If you'd like to share your photos with fellow researchers, please contact me at winicaudell@yahoo.com We'll either set up an account for you so that you can add your own photos online or if you prefer you can send me the pictures and I'll put them on for you.
For Those of You With Swedish Roots
FOLKLOREINSWEDEN.com is a web publication in English aimed at Swedish descendants around the World, but primarily in North America. It contains Swedish history, genealogy and other related articles. Besides being just a web publication it will also be a meeting place and knowledge bank for those interested in their heritage.
The subscribtion prices you´ll find under "buy access" at the web site. That means that everyone who subscribe get full access to the whole site including free help in the swedish church records.
http://www.folkloreinsweden.com/Info/start.aspx
If you would like to buy a subscription contact me or contact the web site. Tell them I sent you!
Lilly Setterdahl has created a web site to showcase her husband Lennart Setterdahl's interviews and pictures of many Swedish Americans
Lennart Setterdahl documented the Swedish immigrants, their churches, organizations and settlements from 1962 to 1995. Here is a guide to his Swedish American Research material
http://lennartsetterdahl.googlepages.com/home
Moline Swedish Friendship Association has a website. Lilly Setterdahl is the web master.
http://molineswedishfriendship.googlepages.com/home
If you have ancestors from Bjurtjarn and Karlskoga, send us news about your ties to Moline, Illinois. We'd like to share those items on this website to help create a dynamic community between us. Contact us.
Lilly Setterdahl’s Not my time to die: Titanic and the Swedes on board, is a great history of the Titanic as reported by the press of the day the American, the Swedish, and most importantly the Swedish-American press. Her book describes the conditions in Sweden in 1912, the reasons for the emigration, and profiles each of the 123 Swedes on board. It also covers the stories of the 34 survivors.
You can buy it at amazon.com
Updates HERE
Updated Feb. 13, 2013
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Illinois Ancestors
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