Note: This was written in 1989. My father passed away on 28 January 1993, at the age of 89. It was going through the notes he left behind that triggered my own interest in genealogy.

"Life sometimes has surprises in store for us even when we are getting old. In April 1983 our mailbox contained not only the usual bills and advertising matter but also a letter from Minnesota, USA. Sender was a Mr Henry Anderson, totally unknown to me. He could hardly be a radio amateur as I hadn't worked any Americans for years. I opened the envelope and found he was an amateur after all and writing on behalf of his wife Helen who was of Swedish ancestry and seeking relatives in Sweden. Her grandfather's name was Gustaf Elg and he had emigrated with his family in 1892. Helen had managed to get some information from Sweden by writing to the National Archives at Uppsala and Gothenburg but found it difficult to proceed."

"Henry's call was KBOIO and one day he was in contact with a Swedish amateur, Hans Svennblad/SM6AVP, and told him about his wife¥s search for relatives in Sweden. Hans then told him that he knew an amateur, Carl Elg/SM4KZ in Ludvika, who might be a relation of Helen. Then Henry wrote me and when scanning National Archives copies enclosed with his letter I soon discovered my own grandfather's name and found that Helen's grandfather and my great-grandfather had been brothers. I wrote back, confirmed that we were relatives and also invited them to come and see us as Henry had mentioned that they were planning to go to Sweden in June the same year. "

"They arrived in a rented car a few days before Midsummer and we spent some very nice and interesting days together. They left with an invitation for us to come and see them at Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. I have never engaged in genealogy myself but thanks to a relative of mine (Erik Norrhem) having it as a hobby I was later able to give Helen additional information on our common ancestry, tracing it back to the 17th century when our earliest known forefather arrived in Sweden from Finland."

"In 1984 Inga-Britta and I went on a tour of the United States with an extra week added for visiting Henry and Helen. They took us around a lot, introducing us to friends of theirs and other members of the Elg clan."

"We tried to talk on the radio after our return home but conditions wouldn't allow it. I heard Henry a couple of times with very weak signals but he couldn't copy me so we eventually gave up and resorted to writing letters instead."

"Henry was born in 1907 and I in 1913 but in spite of being old we had been looking forward to improved conditions and also future personal contacts. Unfortunately Henry was taken ill in 1986 and passed away on May 29, 1988."

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Last updated 02-10-27, 14.49