We took the overnight ferry to Stockholm and then a train down south. Växjö is a wonderful small town - sort of a cross between Dexter and Ann Arbor - and most bizarrely, we ended up staying in a hotel that was sited exactly where my grandfather lived until emigrating to Canada at age 4.5! My great grandfather was a foreman at a match company that housed its employees too. It was torn down in 1926 and later our hotel was built on the same location. We were able to go as far back as the 1820s in the one day spent at the institute, learning that my great-great grandfather was a wall-builder/bricklayer - working independently; my other great-great grandfather made rope for the navy in Karlskrona, in the longest wood building in Sweden, which still stands. We found out my grandfather Gunnar was born with a different name - Uno - and probably renamed as a tribute to a brother who died young, and that threw off the research for a short while. And Claire had the insight to ask about the ship register at the end of our long day, when I was getting overwhelmed with details, and we found it.

Växjö

Växjö is the town in southern Sweden where my grandfather was born and I have always been curious about those roots, especially as he died young and I never knew him. So being just next door in Finland made a research trip finally possible. There happens to be an emigrant institute right in Växjö, so I planned a trip there with Claire in July. The researcher found a picture of the exact ship for us - the Romeo that my grandfather sailed on. Sweden keeps such good records that I'm sure we could have found out much more, had we had the time. But in just this one trip, we discovered so much. My great-grandmother, Clara Sofia, traveled from Sweden initially without my great-grandfather, Frans Wilhelm, and brought along her seven surviving children. The youngest, Lilly, was still nursing, and an older female cousin accompanied them. She sounds like a very strong and courageous woman to me. Claire was not actually named for Clara, but it's nice to have the coincidence. After our research and a few days in Växjö, Claire and I then returned to Stockholm and were able to tour the Old Town/Gamla Stan, the next day and here's a costume shop we found and Claire goofing off at the Nobel Museum cafe. That evening we ferried back to Helsinki. The trip was more fulfilling than I could ever have imagined. I'm really grateful for Claire's help, as she hadn't been sure she could manage the trip, now that she's on her way to grad school in northern California -- literally - just now in a car, just about half way there, due at Kaliecia's in two days. And I'm back to teaching now so blogs will be a bit less frequent, but classes are noticeably easier this year. Happy Autumn, everyone!