I conceived the “Great Grand Genealogy Tours”, or GGGT’s, because to me genealogy means much more than just names, dates, and places on a family tree. The main goals of the GGGT’s are to: (1) Collect unpublished pictures and memories of my ancestors before they are lost with the older generations, (2) Visit the graves of my American ancestors, and (3) See the family’s European points of departure. I memorialize each tour with a photo book, all of which are available to order. As I have experimented with various formats, prices range from $13 to $100, including shipping within the US.
The GGGT of the Western United States (2014)
I drove to Washington to meet Great Uncle Orville Fagerland (age 98) and other distant cousins who remembered my great grandparents Fagerland. I gathered some precious family photos. I visited Utah’s Family History Library for the first time, where I made breakthroughs tracing the Beck line in Germany. I visited Grandma Fagerland’s grave in South Dakota. Along the way, I also visited family and photographed monumental western scenery in ten states. Due to its length and high print quality, the book costs $100. Order directly from me. PayPal [email protected] or mail a check to 2901 S. Sepulveda Blvd. # 331, Los Angeles, CA 90064. Be sure to leave a note with “GGGT 2014” and your mailing address. Expect a month for delivery.
“This is my Homeland”: The GGGT of the Plains States (2015)
This trip was not particularly scenic, but it was jam-packed with points of interest. I visited every known ancestor’s grave in ND, SD, MN, and IA — 45 of them! Visiting ND at this time also gave me the opportunity to attend Orville’s funeral. The preliminary research for this trip uncovered the Swedish branch of the Fagerland tree, which had been completely lost to us for generations. Order this book through its Blurb page. Hardcopy $55, PDF $12.
“Troll Fjording”: The GGGT of Scandinavia, Book 1 (2017)
This has been the greatest and grandest GGGT so far. Five family members and I traveled to Scandinavia. Some of us veered well off the beaten path to track down our ancestors’ churches and farm houses. Scenery included Norwegian fjords, Swedish countryside, and the midnight sun. Order this book through me. Click PayPal below or mail a check to 2901 S. Sepulveda Blvd. # 331, Los Angeles, CA 90064. Be sure to leave a note with “Troll Fjording” and your mailing address. Expect a month for delivery.
“Our Scandinavian Heritage”: 100 More Photos from Norway and Sweden (2017 – 18)
At Dad’s request, I put together this album of 100 more pictures from the Scandinavian GGGT of 2017. This 7″ x 9″ paperback is to be regarded as strictly a picture book, with very little historic narrative. Some pictures are scenic, some are of genealogical interest, and others are travel memories.