Scandinavian SIG History


In August 2005, Society member Terry Romstad contacted the St. Louis Genealogical Society with a suggestion to establish a Scandinavian Special Interest Group. At the annual Norwegian Christmas dinner held at the Bevo Mill restaurant on 4 December 2005, Terry invited nineteen people to form a group to foster Scandinavian genealogy. A few days later, Terry proposed the creation of the SIG to the Society. The board unanimously approved Terry’s recommendation.

The Scandinavian SIG held its first meeting on 4 January 2006 at the Society office, with Terry welcoming the charter members and discussing research resources in Norway. Terry explained that the focus of the group would be on people with family ties to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and the Sami People, also known as Laplanders, since they were so similar.

Scandinavian SIG members share their experiences in researching their ancestral stories using Internet sources and materials from their personal libraries. They also discuss books and maps from Scandinavia and their personal research and travel experiences. Because the Scandinavian population in the St. Louis region is so low, the SIG depends heavily upon the contributions of the SIG members, their online subscriptions to foreign websites, and tutorial guidance from the SIG leaders.

In May 2007, Terry advised the Society that he would no longer be able to continue as the Scandinavian SIG’s chair. After a brief search, later that year John Anderson volunteered to chair the group.

The Scandinavian SIG meets periodically at either the St. Louis County Library or the Society office.

For more information on the SIG, contact John Anderson at .