“My Family Dalmålning Canvas” by Nina Ehlers, SGSC Member
As most of you know, Nina Ehlers is a very talented dalmålning (Swedish rosemålning) artist. Nina has created a canvas of her family in the Swedish Dalmålning style. This painting includes her home and her parents, husband, children and grandchildren pursuing the activities that are dear to them. Nina will tell us about her family, adding information on the history of dalmålning and the significance of the various designs and elements in the painting.
Main Program: “Searching for My Swedish Morfar” by Nina Ehlers, SGSC Member
Nina’s story of her search for her morfar mirrors many of our own stories. Her morfar had died prior to her birth; and though she lived next door to her grandmother and her aunt (her morfar’s sister), she did not have the foresight to ask enough questions about her grandfather who was an immigrant from Sweden. Can anyone identify with this scenario? About 10 years ago she became interested in learning more about her Swedish grandfather. Equipped with his citizenship papers, which were not too helpful, and a decorative document showing Births, Marriages, and Deaths, she began looking for other documents. This is the story of how many friends helped her along her journey of discovery.
Nina Ehlers is a native of Colorado and the Denver area having been born in a house on 41st and Sheridan Blvd. and grew up not far from there with parents, a brother and next door an aunt, uncle, cousin and grandmother. She enjoyed a healthy, active and loving family life. Grandparents on both mother’s and father’s side homesteaded farms in Colorado in the 1890’s.
She married Gerald Ehlers, a Denver Firefighter, and they raised two daughters and a son and have five grandchildren and three great grand children. Her married life was spent homemaking, working some of the time, PTA, Westernaires volunteer, German Folk dancing and Denver Bicycle Touring Club activities plus varied artistic endeavors.
After her husband died she has enjoyed, other than family, her involvement with Scandinavian groups, Sons of Norway Trollheim, the Denver Swedish Club and the Swedish Genealogy Society of Colo. plus a few trips to Norway and Sweden.