A new book entitled "Our Scandinavian Heritage" is in the process of being written and published, and all Scandinavians with local ties to Jamestown are cordially invited to participate.
The book will record authentic Scandinavian stories, memories, and anecdotes written by the people who experienced them or heard them passed down from their parents or grandparents in an effort to further preserve the history of the Scandinavians in Jamestown.
The idea for this project emanated from the visit of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to Jamestown in October 2011 during which some of the people on the program told stories of their family's emigration to America and to Jamestown.
There are many interesting stories of the Scandinavian families who settled in the Jamestown area -about their passage, why they came, the difficulties of fitting into a new country and a new culture, finding a job, learning the language - all the struggles they faced. With each new generation, the stories of their ancestors can become blurred and even forgotten, but this book will preserve them for many generations to come. Also included will be some of the history of the Scandinavian countries and their people and other items of interest about Scandinavia and Jamestown.
"Our Scandinavian Heritage" will be published in the fall of 2012, and copies will be available for sale. Under the sponsorship of The Norden Clubs of Jamestown, Barbara Ann Hillman Jones, a third-generation Swedish-American who grew up in Jamestown and who wrote and published "Recollections of a Jamestown Swede" in 2009, is the editor.
Any Scandinavian with ties to Jamestown is cordially invited and urged to participate in this one-time opportunity to include a personal story that will be significant for your family and for our Scandinavian history. Please write a story, anecdote, or short history of your family or of yourself and send it to: Barbara A. Jones, 1811 Brandywine Trail, Fort Wayne, IN 46845-1577. Or, it can be e-mailed to: bajfw7@frontier.com.
Direct questions to 260-637-1836 or write or email Jones. Yvonne McNallie of Jamestown is the local contact, and she can be reached at 664-2977.