If your ancestor was educated or was an instructor in the universities or other schools of higher or secondary education in Finland, he or she may have been recorded in a publication of that school. Books about universities include information from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Most books about secondary schools generally cover the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
These publications may contain valuable information about your ancestor such as name, age, hometown, and date of enrollment or graduation. Sometimes they contain biographical information including names of parents, wife, and children.
The Family History Library has collected many books on schools and universities. They are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:
FINLAND- SCHOOLSFINLAND, [COUNTY]- SCHOOLSFINLAND, [COUNTY], [CITY]- SCHOOLS
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SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS
Effective family research requires some understanding of the society in which your ancestor lived. Learning about everyday life, religious practices, customs, and traditions will help you appreciate your ancestor and the time in which he or she lived. This information is particularly helpful if you choose to write a family history. Research procedures and genealogical sources may differ for each area and time period and are affected by the local customs and traditions.
Local customs and traditions vary for different areas of Finland and have changed over time. The information that might be of interest to you might include mortality rate, life spans, apprenticeship customs, and courting and marriage customs.
The Family History Library has collected a few sources that discuss Finnish social life and customs. They are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:
FINLAND- SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS
An informative book about Scandinavian (including Finnish) family life and customs is:
Gaunt, David. Familjeliv i Norden (Family Life in the Nordic Countries). Malmö: Gidlunds, 1983. (FHL book 948 H6g; computer number 244448.)
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SOCIETIES
Many societies and organizations may have valuable genealogical information. You can find several such societies in Finland and in the country where your ancestor immigrated, including the United States. You may find it helpful to join one of these societies and support their efforts.
Genealogical Societies
Several genealogical societies emphasize Finnish research. Most of them publish helpful periodicals, transcripts, and compiled genealogies. They may also have special indexes, collections, and projects. Some publish queries about Finnish ancestors or maintain a list of members’ research interests. Some specialize in the immigrants to a specific area.
The Genealogical Society in Finland provides addresses of local genealogical societies and can also refer you to local professional researchers. You can contact the society at:
Suomen Sukututkimusseura/Genealogiska Samfundet i Finland Liisankatu 16A
00170 Helsinki
Finland
Telephone: 011-358-9-278-1188
Fax: 011-358-9-278-1199
http://www.genealogia.org/ssse.htm
You can find a list of local genealogical societies in Finland on the Internet at:
http://sss.genealogia.fi/stutkyh/indexe.htm
Historical Societies
Finnish historical societies in areas where Finnish immigrants settled may have valuable information. They collect information about Finnish immigrants and have special collections of books and manuscript materials about Finland that may be hard to find in other libraries and archives. You can inquire if their collection can be circulated.
Three Finnish-American historical societies are:
Finnish-American Historical Society of Michigan
19885 Melrose
Southfield, MI 48075
USA
Finnish-American Historical Society of the West
P.O. Box 3515
Portland, OR 97208
USA
http://www.teleport.com/~finamhsw/
Swedish Finn Historical Society
6512 23rd Avenue NW
Room 301
Seattle, WA 98117-5728
USA
The addresses of many ethnic-heritage historical societies in North America are given in:
Smith, Betty P. Directory: Historical Agencies in North America. 13th ed. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1986. (FHL book 970 H24d 1986; computer number 491569.)
Wheeler, Mary Bray, ed. Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada. 14th ed. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1990. (FHL book 970 H24d 1990; computer number 531083.)
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