Ellen Gustavsson and Joseph Engström (later Smatresk) got married in 1912.
Between 1830 and 1930, approximately one million Swedes emigrated to America. Dr. Neal Smatresk's grandfather left Småträsk in Jörn for a new life across the Atlantic.
– Grandpa Joe was born in Finland in 1887, Neal says.
– We believe he had a falling out with his father and moved to Sweden — likely to Småträsk. His time there is somewhat shrouded in mystery, but we know he worked as a belt maker for a period.
In 1909, Joe, who was then named Joseph Engström, made his way to the USA.
– Every wave of immigrants is initially met with skepticism before eventual acceptance, Neal Smatresk says.
– When Joe arrived in the United States, he was among many Swedes and Scandinavians seeking new opportunities. Customs officials, inquiring about passengers' identities, mistakenly believed Småträsk to be Joe's surname when he mentioned his hometown. This unexpected turn of events led to the creation of the Smatresk name.
Engström was abandoned in favor of the new surname, with the Swedish letters Å and Ä replaced by A and E.
Three years after arriving in America, Joe married Ellen Gustavsson, Neal's grandmother. Like Joe, she was born in Finland but had lived in Sweden before moving to the United States as a child.
Neal Smatresk says that his grandmother, Ellen Gustavsson, was born in Terjärv, Finland.
Today Neal Smatresk lives in Texas, but the Smatresk family is spread out across different states. In the beginning grandpa Joe moved between Vermont and Colorado before finally establishing their home in Rutland, Vermont. In Vermont, Joe worked with marble, contributing to the construction of renowned landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Supreme Court building.
– It was something I am very proud of. When we are in Washington with the family, we touch the columns and say, ”Grandpa Joe made these”, Neal says.
– When my grandfather was alive, we asked him about his connection to Småträsk, but he would usually brush it off. He never really wanted to talk about it. Not because he had anything against Småträsk, but I think he struggled with his family, so he tried to distance himself from them.
Neal has visited Sweden and Finland and enjoyed his time there.
– Everything from the food to the customs... Everything just felt comfortable. It might be remnants of growing up in a Swedish family, he reflects.
Neal Smatresk recently stepped down as president of the University of North Texas after a ten-year tenure. "It feels strange," he said, reflecting on his three decades in university leadership roles. Pictured here with two of his grandchildren, Smatresk embarks on a new chapter.
Grandpa Joe and Grandma Ellen had several children, one of them being Neal’s father, Carl Edwin Smatresk, or Ed as he preferred to be called. He had eight siblings, only six of whom survived childhood.
How have your Swedish roots influenced your upbringing?
– My mother, who was not Swedish, really tried to embrace the Swedish culture my father had grown up with. She made lutefisk, which I didn’t like as a child. We also ate recipes involving cow's stomach and offal. When Dad grew up, they were very poor, so they were used to eating that, says Neal, adding:
– And of course... Swedish meatballs!
Did you celebrate Midsummer and other Swedish holidays?
– No, and I’m not quite sure why. My birthday is in early July, and the Fourth of July is around then as well. I guess that might have been enough celebrations.
"My father was very reserved. If something happened, we just moved on. That’s how we were raised," says Neal about his father, Carl Edwin (pictured).
Did you notice any difference in how you were raised compared to your American friends?
– My father was very reserved. If something happened, we just moved on. For example, if someone got hurt, it was just a matter of getting up, brushing it off, and not making a big deal out of it. That’s how we were raised. At the same time, I felt like a perfectly ordinary American child.
Although Neal has previously visited Sweden and Finland, he has never been to the area around Småträsk but hopefully, that will change in the near future.
– My daughter and I have convinced the family to take a trip to Sweden next year. We’ll visit Småträsk and later also Finland to see where Grandma was born. The family is looking forward to it very much!
Neal Smatresk (second from the right) together with some family members.
Dr. Smatresk
Dr. Neal Smatresk, 73, is a biologist by training who served as president of the University of North Texas for the past ten years. He stepped down from this role in early August.
Rather than retiring, Smatresk is returning to the classroom to teach. The university, with nearly 50,000 students, offers a wide range of programs including technology, mathematics, and music.