FAMOUS SWEDISH AMERICANS

A new genealogical book details the ancestry of 24 famous Swedish Amefiram; giving a unique insight into life in Sweden in the olden days.

At a certain age, almost everybody starts wondering about his or her roots. For most of his life Swedish American poet Carl Sandburg was not specially interested in his heritage, but when he visited Sweden in 1959 to receive an honorary degree at Uppsala University he wanted to see with his own eyes where his parents had come from.

With a large entourage, the 82-year old "Bard of America" visited his mother's birthplace at Lilla Appuna in the province of Österg6tland but missed the farm Källan where his paternal grandfather had been a crofter, and the Fattigstugan poor house where his paternal grandmother had died in 1877.

It was a local historian who had put Carl Sandburg on the wrong track regarding his father's family, and the mistake has persisted in all the literature about Sandburg. It was an American researcher, Norman Bergstrom of Ogden, Iowa, who only recently set the record straight and the correct genealogy of Carl Sandburg is now presented in the book 24 Famous Swedish Americans and their Ancestors (published by the Federation of Swedish Genealogical Societies and available for USD 40 incl. p&h from Swedish American Genealogist, P.O.Box 2186, Winter Park, Fl 32790).

Carl Sandburg, who paid homage to the simple folks and who found his political home on the left died without knowing that he was related to most of Sweden's as well as Germany's nobility. His forefather, the court chaplain Olaus Simonis Luth married Margareta, King Erik XIV's daughter out of wedlock, so the blood of the Vasa dynasty ran through the veins of the poet of whom John Steinbeck spoke when he received his Nobel Prize in Literature.

"Of course I am glad to get it. But I wish it had gone to Sandburg. Damn it. He is America," said Steinbeck.

It may come as a surprise to some that people like cartoonist Bud Grace, actress Melanie Griffith, singer Kris Kristofferson and author Ray Bradbury are in fact Swedish Americans. Others such as astronaut Buzz Aldrin, actress Candice Bergen, businessman Curtis Carlson, actresses Susan Hayward and Gloria Swanson have always been known for their Swedish ancestry. Just like Charles Lindbergh, Judge William Rehnquist, scientist Glenn Seaborg and Eric Wickman who started the Greyhound Bus Company.

Quite a few of the well-known persons in the book like the actresses Greta Garbo and Signe Hasso were born in Sweden and emigrated as adults as did John Ericson, agitator Joe Hill and actor Warner Oland who changed his name from Verner Ölund. Through their ancestors we get a fascinating view of life in Sweden in the old days as well as a shortcut to Swedish history.
The book 24 Famous Swedish Americans and their Ancestors could be an inspiration to document other famous Swedish Americans such as Chief Justice Earl Warren, Charles Walgreen who founded the drugstore chain bearing his surname and Carl Swanson who invented the TV dinner.

It is also possible that the book is some help in digging for your roots through its surname and parish name indexes.

GRETA GARBO
One of Greta Garbo's forefathers was the governor Olof Stråle who in 1611 surrendered Älvsborg's castle to the Danes after 19 days of fierce fighting, during which he was hit by a cannon ball.

MAMIE EISENHOWER
First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's mother was a Carlson from the province of Halland.

WARNER OLAND
Warner Oland who played master detective Charlie Chan was born Verner Ölund in Ångermanland. He was related to Swedish prime minister Thorbjörn Fälldin.

CANDICE BERGEN
Candice Bergen's dad was the famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen who had shortened his name from Berggren. Candice Bergen has some famous Swedish ancestors including author Verner von Heidenstam and Frans G "The Long Ships" Bengtsson.

CHARLES LINGBERGH
Aviator Charles Lindbergh's father was a member of the US Senate and his grandfather Old Månsson from Skåne was a member of the Swedish parliament until he was forced to emigrate after some shady financial dealings. He left his wife in Sweden and married the lady who was to become Charles Lindbergh's grandmother.

ERIC WICKMAN
Eric Wickman who founded the Greyhound Bus Company emigrated all by himself to America from Dalarna in 1905 because his parents feared a Swedish-Norwegian war.

EDVIN ALDRIN
Edvin "Buzz" Aldrin with relatives in Värmland was the second man on the moon.

GLORIA SWANSON
The Swedish roots of actress Gloria Swanson of Sunset Boulevard fame had to be reconstructed as the Voxtorp church records that carried information about her family perished in afire in 1869.

ANN MARGARET
Ann Margret (Olsson) had a forefather who died in prison because he had stolen 8 reindeers in 1881 and later shot one of the rightful owners when he came to claim them back.

MELANIE GRIFFITH
Actress Melanie Griffith's mother was Alfred Hitchcock's favourite actress Tippi Hedren with roots in Dalsland.

CARL SANDBURG
Carl Sandburg who wrote the poetry book "Good Morning, America" was a descendant of Gustav Vasa on his mother's side.

GLENN SEABORG
Nobel prize laureate Glenn Seaborg has lent his name, that was originally Sjöberg from Närke, to the chemical element # 106 which is now called "seaborgium".

CURTIS CARSON
Curtis Carlson of Radisson and TGI Friday's fame has his roots in both Värmland and Småland and is related to authors Anna Maria Lenngren, Esaias Tegnér, Gustaf Fröding and Selma Lagerlöf.

KRISTOFFER KRISTOFFERSON
Singer, composer, actor and political activist Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson, who was related to poet Dan Andersson, is the ninth generation of the family from Nås in Dalarna to have the same first and family name.