MM:
Mary Jane, could you start off our interview by telling the readers of FAR a bit about yourself.
MJA:
I am fifty percent Finnish and as I like to say I have the DNA test to prove it. All four of my paternal great grandparents immigrated to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s settling in Mass City and Greenland. My grandparents in Mass City had a sauna and we would do weekly saunas when I was very young. Although my grandmother spoke Finnish the language was not passed down, except for a few what apparently were cuss words my dad would blurt out every now and then.
I discovered the Finnish American Society of Milwaukee about twenty years ago at the International Folk Fair. I went to one meeting and was hooked. The camaraderie and learning about my Finnish heritage kept me going. I am currently the President of our organization and have served on the board and in other positions for many years.
MM:
From the Nordic Council of Wisconsin’s website, I found this mission statement for FAS:
- Sponsor activities which preserve Finnish culture in America
- Enable all people, regardless of their heritage, to recognize and appreciate Finnish contributions to American life.
- Continue promoting Finnish American friendship and understanding. We encourage our members, their friends, families, and guests to gather socially observe Finnish holidays and festive occasions and enjoy our educational programs.
What’s on tap for the 60th anniversary year of your organization in 2026 to ensure that mission statement is met?
MJA:
Our theme for 2026 is Everything Finnish. We will be celebrating Finnish culture via programs on the Kalevala, fitness programs like Asahi and Nordic walking, a food demonstration and our annual Joulu where we feature a Finnish holiday dinner, along with our mojakka and makkara dinners. We hope to celebrate sauna week with some members taking a sauna followed by a cold dip in Lake Michigan at Hot Spell Sauna on Milwaukee’s lakefront. We also continue to participate in the Nordic Countries’ cultural booth at the International Folk Fair each November where our booth highlights Finnish accomplishments, history and culture.
MM:
Could you provide us with a history of FAS and how it has changed or developed to continue as a viable cultural group in the promotion of Finnish culture and heritage?
MJA:
FAS was founded 60 years ago by a group of mostly Finnish immigrants who met at a founding member’s home and decided to start a society. When first organized as a 501.3(c) in 1966, there were two separate organizations, the Finnish American Society and the Finnish American Foundation of Milwaukee. Based on original minutes I have been able to review, the foundation functioned primarily as a charity and disbanded in 1971, leaving the Finnish American Society as the sole organization.
FAS, however, continues to donate to Finnish organizations and we have donated two marble benches and monetary donations to the Milwaukee War Memorial Center, that was designed by Eero Saarinen. We donate memorials to Salolampi for members who pass on.
Our board recently reviewed and updated our bylaws. We are lucky to have dedicated and talented members on our board, and we strive to recruit newer members. We currently have 100 members whose involvement varies from financial support to volunteering.
All members of the community are welcome to attend our events and do not have to join to attend. We share information via our Facebook pages and the Nordic Council Facebook page and website. We have a quarterly newsletter written by Mary Strautmann that we share with paid members and our contact list to keep everyone up to date and promote our programming.
MM:
From your group’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Milwaukee%20Finnish%20American%20Society) I note that FAS is planning some special events to celebrate the organization’s 60th birthday in 2026.
MJA:
As I indicated, we will be having programs on the Kalevala in February, Finnish fitness programs in March, a food demonstration in April, and are finalizing our fall programs soon. We hope that our visit to the lakefront sauna will help to take our message to those who are not aware of us. Anyone is eligible to join with dues of $25 per year. Our meetings are normally held the fourth Sundays of February, March, April, September and October at 2 pm at Grace Lutheran Church, 3030 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee. November and December are reserved for Folk Fair and our Joulu party.
MM:
As a non-Finn Board Member of the Finnish American Historical Society of Minnesota’s Lakehead Chapter, I know we’re always in discussion about how to gain members, how to best promote Finnish language, culture and history, and how to remain viable and relevant in today’s fast-paced world.
MJA:
It seems food is always a big draw, and we have pea soup, pasty, makkara and mojakka dinners which are very popular. We have found that in person programs are always the most popular and the University of Wisconsin Badger Talks program has a wide variety of speakers we have engaged to present at meetings. We also have many talented members who have presented on a wide variety of subjects. We are doing Facebook Live for most of our programs which allows all 885 members of our page to participate as they wish.
MM:
One of the biggest changes to come to Finnish America in the recent past was the closure of Finlandia University in Hancock, MI and the acquisition of North Wind Books, the Finnish American Heritage Center, and this newspaper by Finlandia National Foundation. How does your group engage with Finlandia National?
MJA:
We share information from the national foundation, and we have participated in some events with the Chicago group and members have participated in ZOOM events they have.
MM:
Has FAS taken advantage of Finlandia National’s speaker of the year or entertainer of the year programs?
MJA:
I believe the small size of our local organization is a barrier to participating in some of the national programming, but we keep members aware of when these events are happening.
MM:
How has technology been adapted by FAS to enhance its mission statement and outreach?
MJA:
We are not conducting Zoom meetings currently but are broadcasting our programs on FACEBOOK Live. Now that the issues with Tik Tok are resolved we hope to work with that to get our message to young people.
MM:
Does FAS have a historic presence (such as an informational booth) at Finn Fest or any other Finnish or Nordic themed gatherings?
MJA:
We previously participated in the local Scandinavian Fest in cooperation with other Nordic Council members but unfortunately that event was a victim of covid and has not resumed since. In its stead, we participate as a group at the International Folk Fair. Many members have attended Finn Fest over the years. We strongly support the continuance of this gathering regardless of the location. Milwaukee is a great place for visitors and conventions! We have the Saarinen designed War Memorial Center and are close to Old World Wisconsin that has a Finnish homestead. There are not a lot of Finns in the area, but we are a proud bunch with a lot of sisu, and if Finn Fest ever decides to come to Milwaukee, we will do all we can to help it succeed.
MM:
I ask this of most folks I interview. My general impression, from working on various volunteer boards is that many, many ethnic, cultural, and other types of charitable organizations are struggling to attract members and volunteers. Have you experienced that difficulty?
MJA:
We are facing the same struggles. It is difficult to get younger members if they have other family obligations. We are lucky to have some young families who attend as they said they want their children to learn about their heritage and Finnish culture. We no longer have business meetings as part of our monthly events to focus more on the program and fellowship. We continue to recruit younger members, and we are lucky we have had some success. Volunteers are a constant struggle for all the organizations I am involved with and FAS is no exception. People are so busy now. There does seem to be a movement away from using social media as a sole source of interaction with others and returning to in person socialization. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
MM:
Last question. So, FAS is entering its 60th year. What does the future hold for the organization and where wat would you like to see it accomplish in its next 60 years?
MJA:
We hope FAS can continue to evolve and adapt to change in the future to meet our mission. Another 60 years sounds great!
Kiitos!
(This interview first appeared in the february 2026 edition of the Finnish American Reporter. (c) Mark Munger, 2026.)
