From the Archive: Grace Lutheran Church Donates Historic Suomi Synod Records Preserving Finnish-American Heritage
Written By:
Finlandia Foundation
Written by Joanna Chopp, Archivist at Finnish American Heritage Center’s Historical Archives.
One of the largest collections in the FAHC Archive is comprised of materials related to the Suomi Synod (Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church.) The Synod was founded in 1890 by immigrant clergy and nine congregations who recognized the need for an organized church body. Within five years, there were 38 member congregations. When the Suomi Synod merged with the Lutheran Church in America in 1962, there were 153 congregations with Finnish roots.
Of course, immigration slowed over the years, and assimilation meant the number of people who spoke and read Finnish declined in many communities served by Suomi Synod churches. Congregations in small rural communities often merged as well, with one church serving a larger geographical area.
The records from those defunct churches often made their way to the archive at Suomi College (later Finlandia University) which the Suomi Synod leadership named as the official repository of its history. That legacy continues today, now that the mission of preservation and care of the archive collections has passed on to Finlandia Foundation National.
Grace Lutheran Church in South Range, MI recently donated 100 ledgers, binders, and documents to the FAHC Archive. These materials include records from congregations that no longer exist in Toivola, Trimountain, and Baltic, MI. There are records from church-affiliated temperance and mutual aid societies, church council minutes, youth organizations, sermon notes, and a hand-written history of the congregation in Atlantic Mine, MI that stretches back to 1883. Every time the representative from Grace Lutheran arrived with another box or two, it was like Christmas came early to the archive!
In addition to their genealogical value, these records will provide insight into the history of these communities. It is fascinating to see exactly when a congregation switched from Finnish to English as the language of record. Many of the records in this donation are written in Finnish well into the 1960s, a couple generations removed from the original immigrants who founded the Synod. It is a testament to how strong Finnish heritage runs in the area, as is the fact that the Grace Lutheran congregation saved these records all these years.
The FAHC Archive still collections materials that tell the story of Finnish-America, especially unique records and objects that do not exist anywhere else. The records donated by Grace Lutheran represent the voices and stories of generations of Finnish Americans. If you have items you would like to donate, please contact the FAHC Archivist, Joanna Chopp, to discuss. She can be reached by email at: joanna.chopp@finlandiafoundation.org
