Norwegian-American Genealogical Association

Membership Meetings are scheduled!

Seminars are being planned. 

See Committees (under Membership) for opportunities to help with membership meetings and seminars. 

Upcoming events

    • 27 Apr 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • MGC Founder's Room

    Grandma Nellie's Scrapbook:

    Identifying & Interpreting Historic Photos,

    with Tina Beaird

    Tina Beaird, owner of Tamarack Genealogy, is a genealogy & local history librarian at a mid-sized Chicagoland public library. She holds a Masters of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in Archives/Preservation and has won multiple research and digitization grants over the years to preserve and digitize historic documents and photographs.
     
    She lectures nationally on topics including genealogical methodology, military records, Scottish research, plus photo and archival preservation. Tina has assisted researchers for over 20 years, and occasionally still finds time to conduct her own family research, which she has been pursuing for over thirty years.

    • 18 May 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • MGC Mississippi Room

    Check Back for Details of the Presentation

    • 29 Jun 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • MGC Mississippi Room

    Check Back for Details of the Presentation

    • 27 Jul 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • MGC Mississippi Room

    The Norwegian 'Mayflower':

    The Voyage of The Restauration

    with Dale Goodman of Vesterheim,

    the National Norwegian-American Museum & Folk Art School


    In the period beginning in 1825 and for about 100 years following, nearly 40% of the population of Norway – more than 800,000 Norwegians – immigrated to the United States. Most of those immigrants came for “economic opportunity,” but the first immigrants – known as the Sloopers of 1825 – came for religious freedom. The voyage was three years in the planning by an alliance of Quakers and Haugean Lutherans. Beginning on July 4th, 1825, a 54-foot sloop named Restaurasjonen (The Restauration) took 52 passengers on a 98-day journey from Stavanger, Norway to New York City. This presentation follows the story from its roots (in the Napoleonic Wars), through the voyage itself, the reception in New York City, and finally to the first Norwegian settlement in the United States in Kendall, New York.

    • 24 Aug 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • MGC Mississippi Room

    The Importance of Location for Norwegian Genealogy, with Dana Kelly, Executive Director

    Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library


    Geography is particularly important for Norwegian genealogy because Norwegians didn’t use permanent inherited family surnames until the 20th century in many cases. Since surname searches often don't yield useful results, understanding where your ancestor lived is critical for finding genealogical records in Norway. We will explore techniques for discovering where in Norway your ancestors lived so you can take advantage of the genealogical records available.

    • 21 Sep 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • MGC Mississippi Room

    Check Back for Details of the Presentation

    • 2 Nov 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • MGC Founder's Room

    How to Research the Norwegian American Historical Association's Archives

    with Kristina Warner, Archivist


    The Norwegian American Historical Association (NAHA) holds a vast collection of Norwegian-American Family Histories in the Rolvaag Library on the campus of Saint Olaf College in Northfield and online at https://naha.stolaf.edu/.

    Learn how to make use of this excellent research collection at NAHA with their Archivist, Kristina Warner. As archivist for the Norwegian-American Historical Association, Kristina leads the association’s preservation, digitization, and cataloging efforts. She earned both her B.F.A. and her Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In her training, she focused on archives and records management, digital preservation, and digital asset management. Prior to joining the NAHA staff, she worked in the University of Wisconsin archives, the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the library of the U.S. Geological Survey.


Past events

23 Mar 2024 Using MyHeritage's Theory of Relativity Tool to Find Living Relatives in Norway
24 Feb 2024 Using Family Tree Maker to Organize Your Family History Research, with Phil Dreyer
27 Jan 2024 The History of Norwegian Sweaters, with Laurann Gilbertson
28 Oct 2023 Emigration Here & There, with Joy Sundrum
30 Sep 2023 Digital Presentation and Preservation of Your Ancestral Records (a case study), with Paul Falde
26 Aug 2023 Searching the Norwegian Digital Archives, with Barb Horn
22 Jul 2023 N-AGA is on vacation in July!
24 Jun 2023 N-AGA Anniversary Celebration
27 May 2023 Research With Us in May
29 Apr 2023 Leprosy in 19th Century Norway: The Most Cruel Disease That Flesh is Heir To
25 Mar 2023 Breaking Brick Walls Using DNA
25 Feb 2023 Forest Finns in Norway
28 Jan 2023 Murder at Minnesota Point
15 Oct 2022 The October Membership Meeting date has changed to Saturday October 15, 2022.
24 Sep 2022 September Membership Meeting and Election of Members of the Board of Directors
30 Aug 2022 August Membership Meeting & Presentation
26 Jul 2022 July Membership Meeting & Research Assistance
28 Jun 2022 June Membership Meeting & Anniversary Celebration
31 May 2022 May Membership Meeting
26 Apr 2022 April Membership Meeting has been cancelled.
26 Mar 2022 March Membership Meeting & Personal Research Assistance
26 Feb 2022 February Presentation via Zoom
15 Jan 2022 January Membership Meeting is Virtual
27 Oct 2021 October General Membership Meeting
29 Sep 2021 Cancelled: Velkommen tilbake! Welcome Back!


Norwegian-American Genealogical Association

1385 Mendota Heights Road, Suite 100

Mendota Heights, MN 55120

N-AGA is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization.




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