At the baptism I met the entire family and followed up with some questions to Greta and Michael:
1. Where were you born and tell us briefly about your family roots and your studies.
Greta: I grew up in two small towns, V. Nöbbelöv and Skateholm, along the Baltic Sea in Southern Sweden (Skåne). My parents had two country stores where I helped out with work from an early age. I finished High School in Trelleborg and went on to study French at Lund University and also got a School Teacher’s degree from Lärarhögskolan in Malmö. During my first stay in the USA I studied art and theater history at Hayward State University. My master’s degree in French language and literature is from University of Oregon, Eugene, where I also taught as a graduate student.
Michael: I was born in Oakland and grew up, since the age of 9, in Lafayette. My high school was Campolindo, in Moraga, California and I completed my undergraduate college degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz and my doctoral degree at the University of Oregon. During the course of my education, I spent one year at Lund University (undergraduate exchange student) and one year at the University of Stockholm (graduate studies).
2. Where and when did you meet and get married? Tell us about your children and grandchildren.
Greta: We met at Lund University where Michael was an exchange student in 1975/76. We spent quite a few years working and studying both in Sweden and the USA. We were married in 1981 in Skivarp’s beautiful old church where my grandparents had been married and where our two children, Erik and Emma were baptized later. Erik is now a special education teacher at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville, CA. Emma is a finance manager at a solar company in Oakland. She met her husband John at the Stockholm School of Economics. They moved to the USA in 2019 and have two boys, Nathaniel and baby Johannes.
3. Tell us about your amazing teaching careers at UC Santa Cruz.
Greta: After our move to Santa Cruz in 1985 I worked as a French Lecturer at UCSC (first also a few years at Cabrillo College) and retired after some thirty years. I really loved my job, which spanned teaching beginners of a foreign language to the intricacies of Francophone societies, histories, and cultures at the advanced levels. But I now am a “glad pensionär”!
Michael: My first job as a researcher in economics was at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and, after two years, took a position at UCSC where I was a professor in economics, specializing in international finance and monetary economics, for 36 years. I very much enjoyed both the teaching and research aspects of my work and keep in touch with many of my former students, especially graduate students who have gone on to careers in the field of international finance. I retired in 2021 as Distinguished Professor of Economics. I feel fortunate that my research led to many seminars, conferences and visits to central banks, international institutions and universities both in the United States and abroad, including Gothenburg University, Lund University, the Riksbank in Stockholm, and the International Monetary Fund (Washington D.C.). Longer visits abroad, facilitated by leave of absences from UCSC, included two years as a professor at Copenhagen Business School and two years at the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland.
4. What are your hobbies? When did you Greta join Zaida Singers?
Greta: Travelling (discovering new places near and far is so rewarding), reading – my book group is still going strong after 30 years!, bicycling, shoveling snow at our cabin in Tahoe (joking a little), singing! I come from a musical family where we all played instruments. Music and singing were part of our daily life. I joined Zaida Singers in 1983 when I lived in Berkeley.
Michael: I enjoy sailing in San Francisco and Monterey Bays, golf, skiing and tennis. My boat in Santa Cruz is named “Aquavit,” keeping with a Swedish theme, and we participate in many local regattas. Time and hobbies shared with family are my biggest joys.
5. Tell us about your meeting with our Church and how it is defining your family traditions such as baptism and confirmation. When you Greta read the gospel, we all heard the voice of our Lord calling us. Thoughts ?
Greta: I first met the Swedish Church in San Francisco for Christmas Celebration in 1983. Zaida Singers performed regularly at the church (four times/year) for many years. When Emma wanted to be confirmed it was a natural choice. At that time (2003) there hadn’t been any confirmations for some years and Emma was confirmed alone in a beautiful ceremony. Twenty years later her son, Johannes, was baptized here during the Easter Service. It felt so right, like a true blessing. Because of the distance from Santa Cruz, I do not visit the Church in San Francisco regularly. But I have been a supporting member for many years.
6. What can our church do to offer more education programs for young people? Children’s and youth choirs, arts classes other ideas?
Greta: Continue reaching out to Swedish organizations and companies, such as Young Scandinavian Club, SWEA, Scandinavia School, IKEA and so on. I particularly like singing and gatherings where some games are involved.
