Book celebrates Twin Cities’ Swedish heritage

by Melanie Lundheim
Among many Twin Citians, the Swedish spirit is almost as strong and robust as a cup of Swedish egg coffee. On Jan. 16, Swedes and non-Swedes alike packed the American Swedish Institute's lounge to celebrate the release of the book, “So Far Away in the World—Stories from the Swedish Twin Cities,” by Anne Gillespie Lewis.
The book chronicles 150 years of Swedish immigration to the Twin Cities using interviews, letters, poems, songs, 23 recipes and more than 100 black-and-white photographs.
A regular contributor to the Star Tribune’s Taste section, Gillespie Lewis tested the recipes featured in the book—many of which she made and served to her fans and friends at the event.
Next to the cookies and cardamom bread, the highlight of the evening was listening to Gillespie Lewis and her panel of three talk about some of the people whose stories appear in the book as well as the lingering influence of Swedish immigrants.
Jim Anderson, a pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, was the first to speak about his ancestors’ experience immigrating to Minnesota from Sweden. Jim and his family temporarily relocated to California, where he said Scandinavian food and wares were hard to find, and listening to Garrison Keillor was like getting a letter from home.
Jim’s grandmother was Mabel Youngdahl, one of the 10 Youngdahl children who made their mark in several fields, including government, politics, evangelism, the Lutheran church, teaching and social work. According to Gillespie Lewis, perhaps the best known members of the Youngdahl family were Luther Youngdahl, a Minnesota governor and later a federal judge, and Rueben Youngdahl, a charismatic pastor for Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church.
The next panelist, Audrey Johnson, described following in her mother’s footsteps, training as a nurse at Swedish Hospital. As a student, she formed many close and lasting friendships among women with similar foundations.
In the book, Johnson’s claim to fame is her picture, where she is in the process of playing a good-natured practical joke on her classmates.
Mariann Tiblin, recently retired librarian for Scandinavian Studies at the University of Minnesota, was the final panelist to speak before passing the microphone on to Gillespie Lewis.
Tiblin, who got to know Gillespie Lewis well during the year Gillespie Lewis researched and wrote the book, spoke about how the immigration experience has changed for United States-bound Swedes over the last century.
In the early 1900s, people traveled to the United States by boat. Many lacked knowledge of the English language, and most arrived here knowing they would never return to their homelands. In contrast, most Swedes who immigrate to the United States today arrive by plane and can speak English. Both factors simplify travel between the two countries, as well as the process of getting settled in the United States, Tiblin observed.
Gillespie Lewis then acknowledged and thanked the many people who contributed to the writing of “So Far Away” in the World, including her publisher, Norton Stillman.
Stillman is the catalyst behind many books that focus on various cultures and heritages found in the Twin Cities. “It’s important to have books that help people remember and take pride in past heritages,” said Stillman.
The process of writing “So Far Away in the World” involved dozens of interviews with members of the Swedish community in the Twin Cities including former Minnesota governor Wendell Anderson, violinist Cliff Brunzell, columnist Barbara Flanagan and Miss America 1989, Gretchen Carlson.
Gillespie Lewis made extensive use of the archival resources of the American Swedish Institute for the book. “The Twin Cities area has much more Swedish flavor left than people realize,” said Gillespie Lewis.
One-eighth of a Swede herself, Anne Gillespie Lewis grew up in the Camden neighborhood in North Minneapolis. She is a freelance journalist and the author of “The American Swedish Institute/Turnblad’s Castle,” and “The Minnesota Guide.”
“Part of the American Swedish Institute’s mission is to preserve the stories of Swedish immigrants and record the contributions they have made to the area. It is a true treasure to have these stories written down in the book,” said Jan McElfish, communications manager of the American Swedish Institute.

The American Swedish Institute is located at 2600 Park Ave. in Minneapolis. "So Far Away in the World," by Anne Gillespie Lewis is published by Nodin Press (c) 2002 ISBN: 0-931714-94-X, and can be purchased at the American Swedish Institute for $19.95.