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Two years ago, our Rev. Joakim Schroeder, Church of Sweden SF, was invited to give a talk about the 500-year history of the Church of Sweden. The invitation came from Dr Scott Schulkin, who was looking for a speaker to celebrate Sweden 500th Anniversary at Sveadal, the 100-year-old Swedish village with some 50 cabins, located half an hour SW of San Jose. Joakim’s presentation on Luther and the Lutheran Church in Sweden became a great success.
Members of many Vasa lodges had attended the Anniversary event at Sveadal and Joakim got invitations to several Swedish Lodges in the Bay Area. Most recently he was invited to the Fylgia Lodge, where he gave a speech about Easter celebrations in the Swedish Churches.
This has now led to the great idea to invite all the lodges to a special event at 3 pm -5.30pm on Sunday June 1 at the Swedish Church at 2454 Hyde Street, San Francisco, just a few days before the Swedish National Day.
After speaking with Scott I promised to send some questions which he promptly answered.
So, here is the story how Dr Schulkin grew up in a mixed Swedish family and later rediscovered his Swedish roots.
Tell us about the Swedish roots in your family. You were very close with your mother and Swedish grandfather who had immigrated around 1920 and lived close to the Swedish American Hall.
My maternal grandfather (“Morfar”) came to SF in the mid-1920s as a young man. His younger brother came shortly after. This was after the rest of their immediate family had died. His grandparents came to California with their own parents. Both families worked in the logging industry (one side ran a hotel) in Mendocino in Northern California. My great grandparents, like many other Europeans at the time, saved up the money they earned from working in the USA and went back to Sweden to buy a farm.
My maternal grandmother (” Mormor”) was born into a prominent Spanish family in Central America. My two grandparents could not have been more different. I think this was an example of opposites attracting. This was not an uncommon “mixed marriage” in the 1930s in San Francisco.
My grandfather’s brother’s wife was a professional cook. As young kids, we spent every Christmas and other holidays at my aunt’s house. Our cousins and my sister and I would run around, play with our aunt’s spinning wheels, and eat delicious homemade traditional Swedish foods.
During the summers, my sister and I would spend two weeks with grandmother in a little family cabin my grandfather and his brother built in Russian River. The entire neighborhood was Swedish. I only realized years later that many of the nearby cabins looked like farmhouses in Sweden.
Tell us more about your Morfar, who became somewhat of a father’s figure in your early life. From him you seem to have learned the Art of listening and this may have been a great gift for your career as a psychotherapist.
My grandfather (“Morfar”) lived near the Swedish American Hall for the first 30 or so years he was in SF. Later, they moved with the rest of the Swedes when Ebenezer Lutheran Church moved up Portola Avenue.
I had been interested in learning more about my Swedish side. I knew a great deal about the Spanish side of my family as my grandmother would spend hours telling me stories about her early life and our family. My grandfather, probably fairly typically Swedish, was quieter. Eventually, I learned to wait and to find a good rhythm to ask questions. In that way, I did get more out of him.
Our entire family spent Sundays at Cafe du Nord enjoying fried herring breakfasts and other Swedish treats. My sister and I played under the tables at the back of the restaurant or on those stairs (which then had no handrails) and which seemed as sheer as a mountain!
When I was a teenager, I spent every Saturday morning and early afternoon with my grandfather (“Morfar”). He would make me Swedish pancakes and guilt me into eating more and more of them. He would get berries or other special things to put on top. I did this until he died when I was 25 years old.
Tell us briefly how you met Ted Olsson at the SWEA Christmas Fair in St Mary’s Cathedral and immediately became Vice Chair and then during the last 15 years Chair of Fylgia Lodge, which is meeting at the Swedish American Hall.
I found later in life, I wanted to learn more still about the Swedish side of my background. There really were not a lot of Swedish-themed businesses left by the time I was a young man. There was a Swedish bakery on Powell. The Peterson family opened Nordiska Butik on Monterey Boulevard, which was a treasure trove of beautiful Swedish goods.
The SWEA Christmas fair was a great opportunity to learn a bit more and I used to really look forward to attending every year. However, as I got busy with my education and career, that slowed down my Swedish explorations.
Years later, I was able to attend again, and I was able to focus on something other than career and obligations. I finally had some free time. At the fair, I met Ted Olsson and Carol Martin. Two of the most charming people you could ever meet.
Ted told me his lodge had a julbord. I asked to attend and once I got there, the first person I saw was Jean Nelson. Jean’s husband Otto was a good friend of my grandfather. After I was about 12 or 13 years old, Jean and Otto spent every holiday with our family! (They were an amazing couple with a huge love for life!) I knew then that I needed to join Fylgia.
I went to join Fylgia. Ted was the Chair and somehow convinced me while I was being initiated that I would be vice-chair! Apparently, that meant the next year I would be chair.
Tell us more about the spectrum of activities of the Fylgia Lodge, including the cooking class you started.
Ted Olsson has been a blend of inspiration and instigator. One example was that early in my lodge membership, I asked Ted if there was a Swedish cooking class in the area. Ted said no, why don’t I start one. With that, I went to Nordic House (then in Oakland, but soon to move to Berkeley). I spoke to Lars and Pia and got an agreement allowing me to lead monthly cooking classes January through October (which I did for 10 years). We added a Kräftskiva (crayfish party) in August which included an enormous feast, live music, and the opportunity to learn some simple Swedish dances.
While I joined Fylgia to learn more about one part of my heritage, it turns out much of this learning has happened by doing. I am in my 15th year as Chair, and much of that time I have also been Cultural Leader. This has meant that I have been inviting speakers, creating events, running symposia, bringing in dancers and musicians (as well as running the cooking classes and crayfish parties).
How did you discover Sveadal?
I used to subscribe to Västkusten for my grandfather. On our Saturday visits, I would try to read it. Every year I would learn about the midsummer event - but only after the fact! I was determined to go! Well, it took a long time, but finally I started going to Sveadal for midsummer.
When I joined Fylgia, I realized we had a great midsummer picnic. Later I realized how integral Fylgia Lodge is in the Swedish American Patriotic League (SAPL) community.
I also started developing events at Sveadal (basically building upon events such as the Sweden Day which was held by the Vasa District Lodge). Later, we moved one of the events to October and re-labeled it as the Leif Eriksson Day. The day features speakers, meals, a dance exhibition and more.
In 2019, I realized Sweden was approaching its 500th anniversary. I called various consulates, museums in Sweden and a Swedish tourist organization to see what was planned. I had rather grand plans to create a group trip to Sweden for its 500th anniversary. To my surprise, I could not find anyone planning any events! This was something I kept looking for the years leading up to the event.
When did you meet Joakim Schröder, our Swedish Church Shepherd?
During the pandemic (but not related to the virus), a very dear older relative of mine in Sweden died. I was trying to find a condolence card in Swedish. Part of that search led me to call the Church of Sweden. (I had previously been on good terms with some of the clergy there - such as Åsa who was Deaconess).
I had a conversation with Joakim, who created some cards for me, and we began discussing various topics. Since (1) I could not find any great anniversary events planned in Sweden and (2) travel seemed a bit chancy still during the pandemic, we decided our Leif Eriksson Day would be themed for the 500th anniversary of Sweden. I invited Joakim Schröder to present and talk about the church in Sweden over these centuries. As part of that talk, Joakim spoke about Martin Luther in ways which were really different and inspiring!
Last month, we invited Joachim to speak to Fylgia about Easter (Påsk) traditions in Sweden. Again, Joakim gave an interesting, fun and informative talk to our little group (and, despite it being the wrong Tuesday in March, we also enjoyed delicious semlor! Sssshhhhhh!)
How can our church better serve the Swedish American Community in the Bay Area?
I am really impressed with the outreach Joakim is doing in general. I think the Church is a great resource for Swedes in the area of all ages.
For Swedish Americans, I think the Church offers opportunities for us to learn more about our heritage, customs, and celebrations. I think a lot of us second generation (or later) Swedish Americans tend to be focused on the period in which most of our families immigrated. Connecting with Swedes here can help us learn more about contemporary Sweden.
Lastly, I think many people would really enjoy the talk Joakim did for us a few years ago and learn more both about the evolution of the Church of Sweden and a different look at Martin Luther.