The Wennberg sisters...
...Ingrid and Ulla around 1980 in front of the wonderful family wall at Skeda. If such a wall was a compulsory part of every home, it would perhaps be a cure for the "who-was-my-grandfather-let-me-think"-syndrome, which is perfectly naturall (why should we, biologically, care about that) but still sad.
My dear mother...
...starring in her very first part as 0,5 year old baby in The Doll that Disappeared, a film that is now a part of the website! Along with it, there is also (soon) the film "Stina's and Börje's Wedding". Both are made by my film- and photography interested grandfather Bertil. He was a person that I really would like to have known better; some time I will write about him the blog.
Well. Isn't it wonderful to be able to capture the family in this vivid and elegant way. Thanks to IT-Micke for a welldone job!
http://www.salomonochlydia.se/?intParentId=0&intPageId=25
This painting...
...The Hatmaker (Hattmakerskan) used to hang upstairs at Skeda when I grew upp. Today my cousin Anna has it.
My vision of a family reunion
Approximately 50% of all human beings will (under normal circumstances) at some point in life become interested in their family history. Usually it comes with age. Some of us are born with it.
Being interested in family history is to feel a connection backwards. Older generations aren't irrelevant; they are just a bit more far away than the generations that live, work, get tired, get depressed, feel happy, get jobs in so-and-so-land, have children, build their houses etc. The feeling that older generations aren't irrelevant is, to me, what family interest is all about. All parents seem to adore their children (with or without a good reason) and there are many people who love their grandmothers, but this is something else. This is a way of life.
Since two years we have a society for the family interested descendants of Salomon and Lydia Lindman. I am the prime mover. Together with Johan Alexander Lindman I will work out ways of building connections to other Lindman family branches. The reunion at Skeda gård in July of 2011 will, of course, be focused on Salomon and Lydia's branch; we have the strongest relationship. But if we can make it interesting for other relatives as well (on both sides of the Ocean) I think it would be a very promising sign for the future.
This is Cathy...
...my dear third cousin in Olympia, Washington - a part of Greta Lindman's American branch.
Her grandmother was Margaret Finnell, whom my grandmother visited in 1989.
My early career as a weaver
I don't know if I was helping my grandmother or rather disturbing her.
Ella and her foremothers
My great grandfather Helge...
...in the only colour photo that we have of him, here together with aunt Karin at Skeda.
The back of the photo sais it was developed 1952 in the US.
May I present...
...Fia and Micke, the IT-creators of our website. Fia made the design and Micke the technical part of it. A big applause!
The voicebank we created yesterday
In 1944...
...my great aunt Stina married Börje Larsson at Skeda gård. The marriage lasted for 20 years. Soon you will be able to watch the film "Stina and Börje's Wedding" on the website. You will also be able to watch my grandfather Bertil's masterpiece "The Doll that Disappeared". Not to mention the voicebank, which will be created tomorrow. Believe me, things will happen in the days to come!
Today I recieved an email...
In addition to his mother, my grandfather - he told me - had yet another half sister, who was an actress and a dancer, albeit not very well-known; Marrit Ohlsson was her name. When I read about her on the IMDB, I found out that she had a minor character (the cook in the home of the Bishop) in Fanny and Alexander which is perhaps my favourite movie. Family is fun!
The deep secrets of our family
At Skeda gård, in the family room where I always sleep, we have the family archive. And this would be the heart of it: Gösta Wennberg's family writings in their original, typewritten versions, and Lydia Lindman's correspondence during 70 years, with Salomon, her mother Mathilda, her siblings, her daughters - and her very close friend Henrik...
And when I'm there I can hear it whispering to me:
We... are the material... for the book... about your family...
Use us!
Write it!!
