Trace Your Swedish-Finn Roots
SFHS Genealogy 101
Registration for this event has ended.
Uncover the stories, migrations, and lives of your Swedish-Finnish ancestors. Led by Dr. David Carlson, this comprehensive course series equips you with essential strategies, key archival sources, and specialized tools to navigate church records, trace emigrant journeys, and break through research brick walls with a collaborative community.
Free for SFHS members | $20 for non-members
Genealogy 101 – Part 3
Registration for this event has ended.
Please join us for the next installment of our popular Genealogy 101 Zoom series with Dr. David Carlson.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
9:00 a.m. PDT, 10:00 a.m. Mountain time, 11:00 a.m. CDT, 12:00 EDT, 19.00 EET
In this session, Dave will take a deeper dive into two of the unique projects found only on our website, the Documenting Every Emigrant (DEE) database and the Parish Primer. Using these tools, you can search over 10,000 names of Swedish-Finn emigrants and their spouses and children as well as discover and explore the many parishes and farms of Swedish-speaking Finland.
In this session, Dave will also lead you through a “brick wall” research exercise and will offer many ways of breaking through those genealogy challenges.
This series is a free benefit to SFHS members and is offered to non-members for $20.
The deadline for registration is September 30, 2026.
To register and receive the Zoom link, use the button below.
For SFHS Members Only
Catch Up on Previous Sessions
Part 1: Community, Collaboration, and Getting Started
Part 1 covers the essentials of getting started with Swedish-Finnish family research. It explores traditional Finnish naming practices, immigrant name changes, and how to navigate key digital resources on the SFHS website along with essential external databases.
Part 2: Finnish Church Records and Emigration Documents
Part 2 takes a deeper dive into foundational archival sources and documents. It covers the Migration Institute of Finland’s passenger and passport databases, Swedish-language church books (such as communion records and vital registers), and the Genealogical Society of Finland’s HisKi project to help outline your ancestors’ lives.
Members can access the recordings for Part 1 and Part 2 in our archive by logging in. Click the link below and log in using the Log In button in the beginning of the page. Once logged in, you will be redirected straight to the video archive.
