Barbara Tissel

Join us for our Members’ Dinner on August 21st where Barabara Tissel will give us a book talk on her recent work “Tears of my Fathers.”

I grew up in the Seattle area. Both sides of my family were of Swedish descent. I remember many events from my early childhood at the Swedish Club including Santa Breakfasts. One of my grandfathers used to sing and preach in Swedish at the Swedish Jul Fest held at First Covenant Church in Seattle. I spent my adult life working in the insurance and real estate fields with trips to Sweden from time to time. As life slowed down, I started to go through my great grandfather’s letters he had sent his friend back in Chicago, while he would be gone on his various trips. One of his trips was back to Sweden with his family which inspired me to write this book. It gives a true, but different perspective than I had understood of the life of the Swedish immigrants. I believe those who read it will also gain a greater appreciation for those who left their birth country to build a new life in America.