Founded in 1909 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,by a group of 24 prominent academics and cultural historians, The Swedish Colonial Society is America’s oldest Swedish historical organization and unique in this country because of its relationship to the Swedish Royal Family and the Swedish government.

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Hymnals were not usually available in Swedish parish churches, each family having brought its own copy from home to the services … The dedication of Gloria Dei was probably the occasion for Rudman’s publication of the first of the two hymnals in 1700. He no doubt also took them around on his many home visits and used them with his own portable spinet.

With these two collections the Swedish musical traditions were reinvigorated and the people did learn to sing.

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In the late “Teens” my Grandmother Martha Darlington Helms Bates became involved with Amandus Johnson and the forming of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Swedish Colonial Society. She was married to my Grandfather Harry H. Bates in the early 1920’s and both my father William Helms Bates and my Aunt Marian Bates Bruce became involved as children. This was carried down to my generation. Grandmother Bates was a noted Genealogist for the SCS, The National Society of Colonial Dames of America and the Daughters of the American Revolution. At a National Meeting of the DAR in Washington DC She met my Mother who was sent there as a Page and fixed her up with my father.

Grandmother was very involved with the SCS and proud of her ancestry going back to Israel Helms and Ake Israelson Helms who was partially raised by Governor Printz from 1642 until he was old enough to be on his own. My Great-uncle Paul E. Helms became involved as well.

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