Author Archives: Donnie: An Admiring Grandson

My mother was not born in Sweden, yet she claimed to be a Swedish immigrant. Delores Wittenstrom, eldest daughter of Maja Källgren Wittenstrom arrived in New York in 1933 on the M/S Kungsholm after a 10 day crossing of the Atlantic from Goteborg Sweden. She spoke only Swedish, she said, having forgotten how to speakContinue reading “Working Swedish Widow Mom-Chicago 1933”

Generally speaking I am not one who makes a practice of going to cemeteries. I recall I reluctantly went along for the ride with my family. I have special memories going to the cemetery with my grandmother as we stood over tombstones. We typically went on a Sunday afternoon. As a child I probably asked,Continue reading “More Than Tombstones: Time Will Tell-What?”

My grandmother Maja’s favorite story was telling me about assisting at the amputation of a soldier’s leg during nursing training in Sweden after WWI. Imagine my encountering a military museum surgery display in Harnasond Sweden depicting that same scene? Shock. Maja’s rite of passage story told in detail in my book, My Maja A Grandson’sContinue reading “Living Up To Ancestry Traditions: More than DNA”

The Great Depression helped test my Swedish American immigrant widow grandmother’s character in order to prove her grit. In the end, we admirers inquired over and over, “How did you do it?, How did you manage? It took me 16 years of research and a book writing process to discern a satisfying answer. Grandma MajaContinue reading “Grit Creates Mosaic Artist Opportunities from Broken Life Experiences”

This blog is the first in a series dealing with the topic of preserving family history . We shall be considering various options. We intend to actively celebrate our unique family culture and traditions by sharing them and preserve them for the future. Here in this BLOG is a proposed meeting place for those withContinue reading “Weaving Together Our Swedish Family History, Culture, & Traditions”

Grandma Maja like many immigrants had many times of her life that required her to take the initiative and gumption and move on as a way to advance and make progress. It took special heaping amounts of gumption to take charge of her life when her young husband fell at her feet suffering a fatalContinue reading “Move On: Getting Unstuck Using Gumption”

For many immigrants faith is mentioned as a major factor that pulled them through really tough times, crisis and hardships. What is your story? How does our moral fiber, culture, upbringing, experience, education and training add up to the resilience toolbox we carry to build and rebuild our lives understand stress and duress Grandma MajaContinue reading “Immigrant Faith and Spirit: A Solo Act?”

Stories that mention the old country and home are near and dear to our hearts. Just the thought of hearing the voice of a loved one who no longer speaks to us can melt our emotions. “Where we love is home,Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Homesick in Heaven SometimesContinue reading “Back Home-Old County-Hälsa Dem Därhemma (Greet the Folks at Home)”