Contacts
Closing Remarks
ongoing revisions . . .
Closing Remarks
ongoing revisions . . .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, to those who have played a part in the development of Swedes: TheWayTheyWere (SWEDES), no matter how small it may have been, I want to thank you very much, for your part in growing this historical website. Like myself, many of you are last-living-link descendants to this history. Also, for those who have provided helpful feedback to me during this time, I am most grateful to all of you! SWEDES would not have developed like it has, if not for your participation! As well, the sections on your relatives or friends certainly would not have been so numerous had they not been supported by you. Tusen tack!
LOOKING BACK
>>>>> The Work: From the estate, from the written works, from the "last-living-links" of this Swedish culture
Looking back on the development of SWEDES, the idea stage began in 2005, during the yearlong celebration of Bethany College's 125th Anniversary, when a select group of 27 matted and framed black and white enlarged images of one hundred-year-old Bethany College photographs taken by my great-grandaunt photographer and artist Lydia Sohlberg Deere were being shown at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery.
From events following that showing, with the saddening realization that our foundational community and college history was being forgotten, in spite of the efforts to keep it alive, by college professors, individuals, and members of historical organizations and the McPherson County Old Mill Museum, was a "wakeup call." Additionally, personal concerns from Lindsborg Swedish last-living-links on what to do with the really beautiful, exquisite Swedish inheritances along with other cultural heritage and historical preservation issues and the ongoing lingering concern that we might lose the College was the impetus enough to start SWEDES.
It could simply be concluded that there has been just "too much" Swedishness in Lindsborg to have it cared professionally and academically in an institution, so one could make their Swedish donations in confidence knowing they were in the best care. Currently, in this rural community, an institution like this would be just too costly! Thus, the embryo stage of SWEDES began in 2011 which led to its birth stage in 2015.
Yet, if it had not been for the last part of the distribution from the Sohlberg Deere Estate, a Swedish and Kansas Smoky Valley Lindsborg estate containing a wealth of historical information, photographs, art, artifacts, and farmland that was inherited in 1996, there would have been no foundation for a website. This belonged to my American-born Swedish great-granduncle Dr. Emil O. Deere (1877-1966) whose family roots where from Madelplana Västergötland and Drängsered, Halland and my great-grandaunt Mrs. Lydia Sohlberg Deere (1873-1943) whose family roots were from Jönköping, Kosta, and Stockholm. Dr. Deere, already a student at Kansas State Agricultural College in Manhattan in 1899, arrived at Bethany College in that same year at the invitation of the college founder, Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson. Mrs. Deere, a young woman with a fresh Commerce Degree from neighboring McPherson College, arrived in Lindsborg in 1900 to open up her Millinery Shop with her twin sisters, Anna and Ida, and with assistance from her brothers, George and Bob.
SWEDES began naturally, without a plan, touching lightly on the earliest history of the 1869 founded Lindsborg and 1881 founded Bethany College during the era of my relatives and their contemporaries. Unknowingly, SWEDES was to expand exponentially to the well-documented historical document that it is today. This was as a result of the Covid 19 Pandemic of 2020 preventing my return to work and providing three more years for researching and highlighting some of the Smoky Valley Writers' "works" on "The Other Swedes" which was to enlarge and enriched the contents of this website immensely. It must be also emphasized that the facts, names, places, and dates for SWEDES have been taken from their writings, and, thereby, appropriately so crediting their work.
Thus, through the reviewing and reading of their books and writings and of those from the inheritance and from other items from the Sohlberg Deere Estate, SWEDES has attempted to provide one with an overall view of this most unique rural well-preserved Swedish and Swedish American Lutheran Lindsborg, "Little Sweden, U.S.A.," and Bethany College. It has highlighted: the Smoky Valley Värmland Sweden Colony and leader Rev. Olof Olsson and other leaders; the earliest years of the Swedish Lutheran Augustana Synod and their Smoky Valley Lutheran churches and pastors; the College; its former impressive Natural History and Pioneer Swedish History Museum collections, the curators and science professors; the arts and the professor Swedish-born artists with much about Dr. Sven Birger Sandzén as well as the professor musicians; some of the nationally and internationally known Bethany College Oratorio Society performances, i.e. the Lindsborg Messiah Chorus performances; conductors such as Dr. Hagbard Brase, Mr. Samuel Thorstenberg, and Dr. Elmer Copley; singers and musicians; the more important cultural and historical events as well as the legacy listing of these Swedish, non-Swedish, and Swedish American historical persons including 14 Lindsborg citizens of whom were honored by 4 Swedish kings over a period from 1901 to 2014.
They were the pioneers and those that followed, the developers, who were responsible for the thriving community that Lindsborg was, in that era. Yet, it continues to be so, with their descendants, the "caretakers," the "last-living-links" connected or associated to these Swedes. For these caretakers, jointly or individually, have been carefully and lovingly restoring, preserving, promoting and carrying-on aspects of Lindsborg Swedish cultural heritage, the handcrafts and traditions that so reflect the earliest years of this community and the neighboring Swedish Smoky Valley communities of Salemsborg and Freemount.
>>>>> Lindsborg's Swedish Augustana Lutheran Smoky Valley neighbors of Freemount and Salemsborg
SWEDES has touched lightly on Lindsborg's neighboring Swedes and the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod impact that these Swedes from the Illinois Galesburg Colonization Company and leaders such as Rev. Anders Wilhelm (A.W.) Dahlsten and lay pastor Rev. C. J. Brodin had on the Smoky Valley and Lindsborg. It is important to note here that Reverends Anders Wilhelm and Lindsborg's Värmland Colony leader Olof Olsson were Lutheran theology classmates in Sweden. This was discovered from author Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist's 1994 classic, Pioneer Cross, Swedish Settlements Along the Smoky Hill Bluffs. This book, the "first" of its kind, memorializes those devout Swedes of the Cross who established the communities of Salemsborg and Freemount and their namesake churches and whose first 1869 Smoky Valley Christmas was celebrated in an earthen dugout church with the warmth and light of the candled Swedish ljuskröna, "the Swedish symbol of the light of Jesus Christ coming into the world,"* their Light, that led them to the end of their journey.
If there had been more time, SWEDES would have included so much more about these other Swedish communities as well as their even smaller populated Swedish Smoky Valley neighbors such as Smolan, Falun, Assaria, Marquette, New Gottland and many more. A website on these other Swedes certainly could be developed from Mr. Holmquist's Pioneer Cross. It is very clear that, his work is as ever important to the Swedish settlements of Freemount and Salemsborg, as fourth Bethany College President Dr. Emory Lindquist's Smoky Valley People, A History of Lindsborg, Kansas is to the Swedish settlement of Lindsborg, as these classics both point to the "Cross" which led these Lutheran Swedes to emigrate to the Kansas Smoky Valley in the first place.
>>>>>The "Swenssons," Their Lindsborg Messiah Tradition, Their Bethany College Oratorio Society
Hence, to reflect these Smoky Valley people's devotion to the Cross and to the spreading of the Gospel, there arose musically the first George Frideric Handel Messiah performances in 1882 with the founding of the Bethany College Oratorio Society in that same year. Initially, Lindsborg founder, Rev. Dr. Olof Olsson, former pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, a musician himself, gave birth to the idea after seeing it performed in London. These performances were held in Lutheran Synod churches throughout the Swedish Smoky Valley. The God-loving, God-fearing, dynamic, "can do," couple responsible for establishing the "Lindsborg Messiah Tradition" were the Swenssons, Bethany College founder and second president Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson, second pastor of the Bethany Church, and his lovely wife Alma Christina Lind Swensson. In their day, they would be numbered among Swedish America's most important leaders, as this is written by, former Bethany College Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Coordinator for the 1999 prestigious Pearson Distinguished Professor of Swedish Studies Program, author Ms. Karen A. Humphrey, in her fabulous, hard-to-put-down, book on Mrs. Swensson.
These performances were the beginning of what was to turn out to be, for a long "Camelot" season, one of the most desired cultural experiences to attend in America. With a chorus growth, at one time, of more than 500, and the hosting of renown European opera soloist and musicians and those from USA metropolitan cities to perform, the draw of thousands of patrons by the train loads to Lindsborg, to the Smoky Valley, was nothing short of a phenomenon. This was something to behold and to talk about and write about for generations to come. Of course, the numbers have dropped considerably, yet, the Lindsborg Messiah Tradition continues annually, as it did this past Easter Sunday of 2023. As the current conductor, Dr. Mark Lucas, exclaimed during the Covid years, "The show must go on!"
Looking back on the development of SWEDES, the idea stage began in 2005, during the yearlong celebration of Bethany College's 125th Anniversary, when a select group of 27 matted and framed black and white enlarged images of one hundred-year-old Bethany College photographs taken by my great-grandaunt photographer and artist Lydia Sohlberg Deere were being shown at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery.
From events following that showing, with the saddening realization that our foundational community and college history was being forgotten, in spite of the efforts to keep it alive, by college professors, individuals, and members of historical organizations and the McPherson County Old Mill Museum, was a "wakeup call." Additionally, personal concerns from Lindsborg Swedish last-living-links on what to do with the really beautiful, exquisite Swedish inheritances along with other cultural heritage and historical preservation issues and the ongoing lingering concern that we might lose the College was the impetus enough to start SWEDES.
It could simply be concluded that there has been just "too much" Swedishness in Lindsborg to have it cared professionally and academically in an institution, so one could make their Swedish donations in confidence knowing they were in the best care. Currently, in this rural community, an institution like this would be just too costly! Thus, the embryo stage of SWEDES began in 2011 which led to its birth stage in 2015.
Yet, if it had not been for the last part of the distribution from the Sohlberg Deere Estate, a Swedish and Kansas Smoky Valley Lindsborg estate containing a wealth of historical information, photographs, art, artifacts, and farmland that was inherited in 1996, there would have been no foundation for a website. This belonged to my American-born Swedish great-granduncle Dr. Emil O. Deere (1877-1966) whose family roots where from Madelplana Västergötland and Drängsered, Halland and my great-grandaunt Mrs. Lydia Sohlberg Deere (1873-1943) whose family roots were from Jönköping, Kosta, and Stockholm. Dr. Deere, already a student at Kansas State Agricultural College in Manhattan in 1899, arrived at Bethany College in that same year at the invitation of the college founder, Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson. Mrs. Deere, a young woman with a fresh Commerce Degree from neighboring McPherson College, arrived in Lindsborg in 1900 to open up her Millinery Shop with her twin sisters, Anna and Ida, and with assistance from her brothers, George and Bob.
SWEDES began naturally, without a plan, touching lightly on the earliest history of the 1869 founded Lindsborg and 1881 founded Bethany College during the era of my relatives and their contemporaries. Unknowingly, SWEDES was to expand exponentially to the well-documented historical document that it is today. This was as a result of the Covid 19 Pandemic of 2020 preventing my return to work and providing three more years for researching and highlighting some of the Smoky Valley Writers' "works" on "The Other Swedes" which was to enlarge and enriched the contents of this website immensely. It must be also emphasized that the facts, names, places, and dates for SWEDES have been taken from their writings, and, thereby, appropriately so crediting their work.
Thus, through the reviewing and reading of their books and writings and of those from the inheritance and from other items from the Sohlberg Deere Estate, SWEDES has attempted to provide one with an overall view of this most unique rural well-preserved Swedish and Swedish American Lutheran Lindsborg, "Little Sweden, U.S.A.," and Bethany College. It has highlighted: the Smoky Valley Värmland Sweden Colony and leader Rev. Olof Olsson and other leaders; the earliest years of the Swedish Lutheran Augustana Synod and their Smoky Valley Lutheran churches and pastors; the College; its former impressive Natural History and Pioneer Swedish History Museum collections, the curators and science professors; the arts and the professor Swedish-born artists with much about Dr. Sven Birger Sandzén as well as the professor musicians; some of the nationally and internationally known Bethany College Oratorio Society performances, i.e. the Lindsborg Messiah Chorus performances; conductors such as Dr. Hagbard Brase, Mr. Samuel Thorstenberg, and Dr. Elmer Copley; singers and musicians; the more important cultural and historical events as well as the legacy listing of these Swedish, non-Swedish, and Swedish American historical persons including 14 Lindsborg citizens of whom were honored by 4 Swedish kings over a period from 1901 to 2014.
They were the pioneers and those that followed, the developers, who were responsible for the thriving community that Lindsborg was, in that era. Yet, it continues to be so, with their descendants, the "caretakers," the "last-living-links" connected or associated to these Swedes. For these caretakers, jointly or individually, have been carefully and lovingly restoring, preserving, promoting and carrying-on aspects of Lindsborg Swedish cultural heritage, the handcrafts and traditions that so reflect the earliest years of this community and the neighboring Swedish Smoky Valley communities of Salemsborg and Freemount.
>>>>> Lindsborg's Swedish Augustana Lutheran Smoky Valley neighbors of Freemount and Salemsborg
SWEDES has touched lightly on Lindsborg's neighboring Swedes and the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod impact that these Swedes from the Illinois Galesburg Colonization Company and leaders such as Rev. Anders Wilhelm (A.W.) Dahlsten and lay pastor Rev. C. J. Brodin had on the Smoky Valley and Lindsborg. It is important to note here that Reverends Anders Wilhelm and Lindsborg's Värmland Colony leader Olof Olsson were Lutheran theology classmates in Sweden. This was discovered from author Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist's 1994 classic, Pioneer Cross, Swedish Settlements Along the Smoky Hill Bluffs. This book, the "first" of its kind, memorializes those devout Swedes of the Cross who established the communities of Salemsborg and Freemount and their namesake churches and whose first 1869 Smoky Valley Christmas was celebrated in an earthen dugout church with the warmth and light of the candled Swedish ljuskröna, "the Swedish symbol of the light of Jesus Christ coming into the world,"* their Light, that led them to the end of their journey.
If there had been more time, SWEDES would have included so much more about these other Swedish communities as well as their even smaller populated Swedish Smoky Valley neighbors such as Smolan, Falun, Assaria, Marquette, New Gottland and many more. A website on these other Swedes certainly could be developed from Mr. Holmquist's Pioneer Cross. It is very clear that, his work is as ever important to the Swedish settlements of Freemount and Salemsborg, as fourth Bethany College President Dr. Emory Lindquist's Smoky Valley People, A History of Lindsborg, Kansas is to the Swedish settlement of Lindsborg, as these classics both point to the "Cross" which led these Lutheran Swedes to emigrate to the Kansas Smoky Valley in the first place.
>>>>>The "Swenssons," Their Lindsborg Messiah Tradition, Their Bethany College Oratorio Society
Hence, to reflect these Smoky Valley people's devotion to the Cross and to the spreading of the Gospel, there arose musically the first George Frideric Handel Messiah performances in 1882 with the founding of the Bethany College Oratorio Society in that same year. Initially, Lindsborg founder, Rev. Dr. Olof Olsson, former pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, a musician himself, gave birth to the idea after seeing it performed in London. These performances were held in Lutheran Synod churches throughout the Swedish Smoky Valley. The God-loving, God-fearing, dynamic, "can do," couple responsible for establishing the "Lindsborg Messiah Tradition" were the Swenssons, Bethany College founder and second president Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson, second pastor of the Bethany Church, and his lovely wife Alma Christina Lind Swensson. In their day, they would be numbered among Swedish America's most important leaders, as this is written by, former Bethany College Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Coordinator for the 1999 prestigious Pearson Distinguished Professor of Swedish Studies Program, author Ms. Karen A. Humphrey, in her fabulous, hard-to-put-down, book on Mrs. Swensson.
These performances were the beginning of what was to turn out to be, for a long "Camelot" season, one of the most desired cultural experiences to attend in America. With a chorus growth, at one time, of more than 500, and the hosting of renown European opera soloist and musicians and those from USA metropolitan cities to perform, the draw of thousands of patrons by the train loads to Lindsborg, to the Smoky Valley, was nothing short of a phenomenon. This was something to behold and to talk about and write about for generations to come. Of course, the numbers have dropped considerably, yet, the Lindsborg Messiah Tradition continues annually, as it did this past Easter Sunday of 2023. As the current conductor, Dr. Mark Lucas, exclaimed during the Covid years, "The show must go on!"
>>>>>Last-living-links keeping the fires burning brightly on their Swedish and Swedish American history and culture
The relationship between Lindsborg and Bethany College was always very strong due to the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod churches in Lindsborg, Freemount, and Salemsborg. The works of their hands and their intellect have resulted in keeping the fires burning brightly on their Swedish and Swedish American history and culture, the endeavors of which have been so dutifully past down to their descendants. These individuals and others have no doubt shared in the work to ensure, in what is possible, the preservation, restoration and promotion of their purist Swedish traditions, culture and heritage, that give Lindsborg and Bethany College its truest cultural identity.
Dr. Lindquist's explains this exceptional identity from the Preface of his classic 1953 Smoky Valley People, page viii:
"The central factor in writing this volume is my genuine conviction that Bethany College and Lindsborg present distinctive values that are truly meaningful for individuals and society. I do not believe that this unique combination of cultural and spiritual values in a friendly small-town setting can be readily duplicated."
This is "the way they were" described seventy years ago and SWEDES has attempted to expand upon that in 2023. Yet, from 1962 to 1993 Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg wrote 362 articles for the Lindsborg News-Record, that she would compile into 5 little books, that have become her anthology about these Swedes. This was followed by author Mr. Bill Carlson's work, his summary, of Lindsborg Then and Lindsborg Now in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, to have a book by Mrs. Margaret Dahlquist Eddy on her grandfather photographer Swede Bror Gustaf Gröndal was indeed a "gift" to behold for the Smoky Valley community, as he lovingly visually recorded the life of these Swedes for 58 years, from 1887 to 1945 -- just six years after the founding of the 1881 Bethany College!
Yet, the numbers of these like-minded committed writers, preservationists and last-living-links to this history and culture have dwindled, as those mentioned above are no longer with us. There will be fewer, if any, to follow them in these pursuits. Very soon they will not be around to answer those most important historical questions needing academically correct answers, like these authors composing "short," yet important, college history, who had committed lifelong administrative careers at Bethany College and during retirement continued to serve this Swedish Lutheran founded institution of higher education, who left us recently: Mr. Kenneth Sjogren in 2022 and Mr. A. John Pearson on July 19, 2023.
What to do? Where to go?
The relationship between Lindsborg and Bethany College was always very strong due to the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod churches in Lindsborg, Freemount, and Salemsborg. The works of their hands and their intellect have resulted in keeping the fires burning brightly on their Swedish and Swedish American history and culture, the endeavors of which have been so dutifully past down to their descendants. These individuals and others have no doubt shared in the work to ensure, in what is possible, the preservation, restoration and promotion of their purist Swedish traditions, culture and heritage, that give Lindsborg and Bethany College its truest cultural identity.
Dr. Lindquist's explains this exceptional identity from the Preface of his classic 1953 Smoky Valley People, page viii:
"The central factor in writing this volume is my genuine conviction that Bethany College and Lindsborg present distinctive values that are truly meaningful for individuals and society. I do not believe that this unique combination of cultural and spiritual values in a friendly small-town setting can be readily duplicated."
This is "the way they were" described seventy years ago and SWEDES has attempted to expand upon that in 2023. Yet, from 1962 to 1993 Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg wrote 362 articles for the Lindsborg News-Record, that she would compile into 5 little books, that have become her anthology about these Swedes. This was followed by author Mr. Bill Carlson's work, his summary, of Lindsborg Then and Lindsborg Now in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, to have a book by Mrs. Margaret Dahlquist Eddy on her grandfather photographer Swede Bror Gustaf Gröndal was indeed a "gift" to behold for the Smoky Valley community, as he lovingly visually recorded the life of these Swedes for 58 years, from 1887 to 1945 -- just six years after the founding of the 1881 Bethany College!
Yet, the numbers of these like-minded committed writers, preservationists and last-living-links to this history and culture have dwindled, as those mentioned above are no longer with us. There will be fewer, if any, to follow them in these pursuits. Very soon they will not be around to answer those most important historical questions needing academically correct answers, like these authors composing "short," yet important, college history, who had committed lifelong administrative careers at Bethany College and during retirement continued to serve this Swedish Lutheran founded institution of higher education, who left us recently: Mr. Kenneth Sjogren in 2022 and Mr. A. John Pearson on July 19, 2023.
What to do? Where to go?
LOOKING AHEAD
SWEDES can be looked upon as a "memorial" as all of the Smoky Valley Writers works are. As they have used their writing gifts to honor and recognized the pioneers, the settlers and their descendants belonging to the Smoky Valley of Lindsborg and neighboring communities.
SWEDES has organically become an online resource for research reference and educational purposes from which to create "lesson plans" for all levels of teaching, and at the academic level it can be the "starting point" for scholars who are from Swedish American communities or are Swedish American or are Swedish to develop some kind of Swedish American Smoky Valley studies program. Thus, as an educational tool, it is to benefit Smoky Valley children, students, teachers, professors and pastors, leaders and citizens, and, especially, advocates concerned with Swedish Lutheran Smoky Valley historical and cultural heritage preservation, restoration and promotion as well as that of Swedish American folklife and folk art, the handicrafts and traditions.
Still ahead, to fall in line with SWEDES' motto of "restoring lost local histories ~ reconnecting past to present," more needs to be done to address these current Swedish American cultural sustainability issues confronting the last-living-links to their Swedish Smoky Valley people, to "save, preserve and promote" for generations to come.
A head of their time, nearly 4 decades ago, an example of one such Lindsborg organization, in the field of folk art and folklife, stands out to have done this the best. Founded in 1986, and named Swedish-American Folklife Institute of Central Kansas, it was established by the late Dr. Greta Swenson and by Mr. Mark and Mrs. Mardel Esping. For over a decade, this professionally and academically run organization was responsible for bringing an amazing number of Swedish and Swedish American scholars to Lindsborg and to Bethany College due to their Swedish folk art and object collections, programs, workshops, lectures, as well as their archival work, all of which were planned to be housed in the 1996 Swedish American Heritage Center, a goal not to be realized. Yet, today, on a small scale, the Folklife Institute's survives online HERE, in educating, sharing their stories and their collections, while always moving the work forward.
SWEDES has organically become an online resource for research reference and educational purposes from which to create "lesson plans" for all levels of teaching, and at the academic level it can be the "starting point" for scholars who are from Swedish American communities or are Swedish American or are Swedish to develop some kind of Swedish American Smoky Valley studies program. Thus, as an educational tool, it is to benefit Smoky Valley children, students, teachers, professors and pastors, leaders and citizens, and, especially, advocates concerned with Swedish Lutheran Smoky Valley historical and cultural heritage preservation, restoration and promotion as well as that of Swedish American folklife and folk art, the handicrafts and traditions.
Still ahead, to fall in line with SWEDES' motto of "restoring lost local histories ~ reconnecting past to present," more needs to be done to address these current Swedish American cultural sustainability issues confronting the last-living-links to their Swedish Smoky Valley people, to "save, preserve and promote" for generations to come.
A head of their time, nearly 4 decades ago, an example of one such Lindsborg organization, in the field of folk art and folklife, stands out to have done this the best. Founded in 1986, and named Swedish-American Folklife Institute of Central Kansas, it was established by the late Dr. Greta Swenson and by Mr. Mark and Mrs. Mardel Esping. For over a decade, this professionally and academically run organization was responsible for bringing an amazing number of Swedish and Swedish American scholars to Lindsborg and to Bethany College due to their Swedish folk art and object collections, programs, workshops, lectures, as well as their archival work, all of which were planned to be housed in the 1996 Swedish American Heritage Center, a goal not to be realized. Yet, today, on a small scale, the Folklife Institute's survives online HERE, in educating, sharing their stories and their collections, while always moving the work forward.
MOVING FORWARD
The Folklife Institute, in short, was instrumental in the re-awakening of the importance of folk art and folklife in the Smoky Valley region. With that example, it is the hope that in the use of SWEDES by the current Lindsborg and Bethany College communities, there will be an academic and professional awakening, to an interest in preserving, restoring and promoting the cultural history and cultural heritage of the Lindsborg and Bethany College communities belonging to the pioneer, vibrant and exciting years of the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod from 1860 to 1962 and for many of those descendants of such, the last-living-links to this history, bringing us to this current time.
May SWEDES "give God glory" and may God richly bless what remains of this Kansas Smoky Valley Swedish history and culture for generations to come. **
* Mr. Thomas Holmquist's 1994 Pioneer Cross, page 98 // ** Mr. Alf Brorson's 2001 "He Gave God Glory" "The Story of Olof Olsson"
[9 11 23]
May SWEDES "give God glory" and may God richly bless what remains of this Kansas Smoky Valley Swedish history and culture for generations to come. **
* Mr. Thomas Holmquist's 1994 Pioneer Cross, page 98 // ** Mr. Alf Brorson's 2001 "He Gave God Glory" "The Story of Olof Olsson"
[9 11 23]
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For Contacts, go HERE. For the "Table of Contents," go HERE to Traveling through SWEDES, the Outline Online
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For Contacts, go HERE. For the "Table of Contents," go HERE to Traveling through SWEDES, the Outline Online
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