Victor Sven Erickson, Dave's grandfather on his mothers side, is pictured above in his 1905 passport photo, which was taken just before he immigrated to America with his sister Beda at the age of 20. They left their parents and the farm pictured above in Hackas, Sweden, in a region called Jamtland, just a few miles south of Ostersund, Sweden. They traveled with other friends, first by train to Trondhiem, Norway, and then by steamer to Liverpool, England, and then by steamship to America. Their goal was to find a new life of prosperity and adventure .

Hachas is the oldest settlement in Jamtland, having been settled 2,000 years ago and Christianized 1,000 years ago. The church here with its stand-alone steeple was built around the year 1000 and is the most significant structure in the area. With its associated boat shed, it stands next to and overlooks a large lake. The shed contains several very old traditional "church boats" that churchgoers used to row to and from church. Inside the church, construction work dating back to the 11th century can be identified, and runic writing can be seen on part of the foundation. The beautiful ornate interior has fresco painted walls and the pulpit clings to one wall with a ramp that reaches to it from its backside. This beautiful old church is where Victor was baptized and confirmed when he was a child.

Victor died at the young age of 49, before Dave was born, but Dave has tread upon the footsteps in that old farm house and in the church nearby where his grandfather once spent many years of his life in Sweden.