Genealogy at Home

Greeting Vasa Members,

Do you remember the Genealogy papers you submitted? We are scanning them now and putting them online at the Upper Mississippi Digital Image Archive. As of right now, we have just over 1,400 online and have just begun the H’s. We’ll be working steadily on this for the rest of the year.

As I look through these genealogy papers, I am fascinated with all the information you have given us. But genealogists want more than names, dates and places and we are coming to you to help “flesh out” the story of your family. So many family stories are not recorded in the official records, tucked away in archives, or are lost to time. We are asking you to share your family stories with us and feel free to send as many as you want.

This is a daunting task and we hope the following suggestions will help get you started. Send us stories about your great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, kids, or grandkids. Stories about your childhood or adulthood. Tell us about the games, activities, hobbies, or food you enjoy. Tales about your pets, friends, vacations, holidays, how you met your spouse, college life, or any milestone in your life. How did you learn about Vasa? Did you hold any official or unofficial positions? Have you been to Sweden to see your ancestral homeland? Did you immigrate?

When you send in your stories, please include your name, address, date of birth, place of birth, occupation (including former jobs if you’re retired), and your lodge number. You can send the family stories to: Vasa National Archives, PO Box 110, Bishop Hill, IL 61419. Or by email to VasaArchivist@gmail.com.

We also want to take a moment to remind you that as a Vasa member, the archives will provide you with an hour of genealogical research for FREE. We have several genealogical resources available here and all you need to do is send us names, dates, and places. The more information you send, the easier it is to find your family and answer your genealogical questions.

If you have any questions about the collections or the archives, feel free to contact us at VasaArchivist@gmail.com or at 309-927-3898. For more current information on Bishop Hill or the Vasa National Archives, like us on Facebook.

In Truth and Unity,

Kathy Cuff, CA

Vasa Archivist