Erland Nilsson, Skogsvägen 11E, SE-662 32 Åmål

E-mail: erlandch@mail.bip.net Tel/fax: int+46 532 13995 9 April 1999.

Family Chronicle

1. Introduction

In this history I’ve tried to put together what I’ve learned about our family and glimpses of what happened to them. The wish to find out more about our family started when, on my first visit in the USA in 1979, I discovered a lot of “Unknown relatives” in Mid West states of America. I was struck by the strong family feeling between them and how much we had in common. It was amazing to see that my Mother, Tora Nilsson, who doesn’t speak English met so many cousins and other relatives who spoke Swedish.

The information for this chronicle is collected from the Swedish Parishes’ “Husförhörslängder” eg the household examination rolls or record of parish catechetical meetings. Taking notes of stories told by relatives, chiefly by my Mother Tora. The things I keep regretting are that I never asked my grand parents about our family, they would have known for sure when we are just guessing.

I intended to start this story with my great-grandmother, Kristina, Charlotta Johansdotter, born July 21, 1853 and what I know of her siblings. However when consulting the Church record again I found interesting facts about Charlotta’s husband Bror Johan August Larsson *1847-02-08. In the appendix you can find what we discovered and other things that might be of interest. Letters from Johan Wilhelm and Axel Verner to their family in Sweden are collected in a separate folder.

2 A little about the background

About 800 000 Swedes emigrated to North America between 1840 and 1900. During the years of bad crop in the late 1860s more than 50 000 per year emigrated. (The Swedish population in 1860 was about four millions). Other reasons for emigration were the lack of freedom in the old class society, persecution of nonconformist Christian and political radicals. The well-known Swedish writer Vilhelm Moberg the author of “Utvandrarna” (The Emigrants) said that: “The emigration to N. America is the biggest event in the newer Swedish history. It cleaved the Swedish people into two parts.” Another reason for emigration was the American law of Homestead. It entitled any person over 21 years to get or to buy extremely cheap 160 acres of land (sometimes 80 acres), provided they farmed it and declared that they wanted to become an American citizen.

3 The way of presenting.

For my convenience I use the modern Swedish way of writing dates which is: year, month and day. So for example 16 October 1998 is written 1998-10-16. I hope that doesn’t disturb you too much.

When reading this history you discover that I’ve used A, B, C and D for identifying Kristina Charlotta and her siblings. The first digit after the letter their children and the second their grandchildren. The mark * is used for born and + for dead.

The parents of my great-grandmother Kristina Charlotta Johansdotter were:

The farmer Johan Petter Persson born in Smedstorp Hallingeberg *1828-10-18. M1852-07-11, +1873-07-07 His wife: Anna Lovisa Nilsdotter born in Hjorted *1832-03-06, M 1852-07-11, +?

Johan and Lovisa were farmers in Kälkestad, Hallingeberg and in Ekenäs, Locknevi Johan was born in Smedstorp, Hallingeberg and dead in Hjorted Lovisa was born in Hjorted. They married 1852-07- 11. In 1860 the family moved to Hjorted parish. The name of Lovisa’s mother was Anna and she lived in Nyängen, Hjorted. My mother Tora told me she has once met her great-grandmother Lovisa which happened in Kallernäs.

It is worth noticing that of Johan and Lovisa’s 25 grandchildren who reached adult age, 18 lived in the USA and 7 in Sweden!!

Torparen (the crofter): Bror Johan August Larsson *1847-02-08, +1886-12-11

A Hustrun (His wife): Kristina Charlotta Johansdotter *1853-07 21, +1932-03-29

Bror Johan August was born in Lårtorpet (a crofter’s holding) belonging to estate Kroksfall, in Frödinge parish. His father was Lars Andersson *1800-02-02 from Tuna Parish and his mother was Maja Stina Carlsdotter *1811-11-03 from Frödinge. Bror moved to Bresfall, a crofter’s holding belonging to Rumhult, Hjorted parish in1867. In 1872-12-21 he married Kristina Charlotta Johansdotter, who came from Hallingeberg Parish. In 1874 they moved to Hagnäset (also called Jordbro) that too, a crofter’s holding under Rumhult. Bror was a so called “dagsverks-torpare”, which meant that he had to do a certain amount of day’s work a week at the estate to pay the lease. Most probably Charlotta had to help with the milking morning noon and night too. The tenant’s family had to help on special occasions as autumn slaughter, cleaning the big house, picking a stipulated amount of wild berries as strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries etc. Hagnäset had an acreage of three “tunnland” (about 3,5 acres). Bror also rented the croft Bockshult. Wintertime he worked as a charcoal-burner. It is said that he was a man of definite opinions. When his family asked him to have his picture taken, he should have said: “You better look at me while I’m living”. Consequently, there isn’t any picture of him.

When he was away charcoaling, he was found very ill in pneumonia by his eldest son, who brought him food. The charcoal stack had caught fire and after a lot of hard work Bror had managed to get the stack under control. By then he was totally exhausted and wet by sweat and just lay down in the snow. The son had to go back to get a pair of steers and a sledge to bring him home in. However, he died within a few days.

After her husband’s death Charlotta kept the lease for the “torp” and thus had to fulfil what was stipulated in it. She spun, wove and sewed all clothes for the need of the family. Granddad and his brothers started to do children’s day’s work at an early age. They were only about eight years old when they began driving oxen cartloads with charcoal to Ankarsrum and bog ore from Järnudden at the lake Yxern also to Ankarsrum where there was a foundry. When the two oldest sons were old enough they took the lease of Hagnäset and Bockshult, while the two younger emigrated to the USA.

As an old lady Charlotta had her belongings in Bockshult, where she spent most of her retired life, except stays at her other son in Kallernäs. Charlotta was small and slender. My mother Tora remembers her as a modest person of retiring habits, though she liked to be with friends and family.

A1. Karl August Johansson *1875-03-26, +1940-01-03

Beda

They married and were farmers in Bockshult. Karl August also worked as a part time postman.

A3 Grandfather Gustav Emil Johansson *1878-12-18, + 1951-04-28

Grandmother Kristina Josefina Nilsson *1881-12-26, +1962-06-15

Gustav Emil married Kristina Josefina Nilsson from Andersbo 1905-04-28. First they leased Hagnäset until 1907-03-14 when they moved to Kallernäs a farm belonging to the estate “Hjorted Gård”. They bought the farm in 1910.

Emil and Kristina ran their farm mainly according to the principle of self-subsistent. They made cheese and butter, they grew flax, prepared it for weaving and sewing as they did with wool. Emil was a very capable farmer and received reward for clearing away stones from the tilled ground. He was very interesting in raising animals. He used oxen instead of horses in farming and forestry. (Thus he didn’t have to buy colts, the oxen were raised on the farm). He castrated young pigs and bull-calvs, he farmed bees. During W.W. 1 he bought a mobile thresh-machine. He had a sense for good business especially when trading animals. He was child loving and at times encouraged them to lively games. Grand father Emil suffered from vascular spasms and died in a heart attack. The day before he died he had helped his son Karl attending to the animals.

A4 Johan Wilhelm (in the USA John W.) * 1883-05-03 +1960-09-??

Ester Lanz * 1887

Johan Wilhelm Johnson emigrated to N. America with his brother Axel Werner in Mach1903. Their two cousins, Werner and Oskar Andersson come at the same time. They all were received by their uncle Charles Jonson in Bristow. At first John W. and Axel Werner worked for their uncle and other farmers in Bristow. Around 1906 he moved to Dixon in S. Dakota where he homesteaded, 160acres. In 1907 he married Ester Lanz who was born in Iowa, by Swedish parents who had immigrated from Småland. In 1918 John W. moved back to Bristow buying a farm of 320 acres situated close to the Church and school. Further information about John W. can be found in the magazine “The Greeter Bismarck “ oct. 1980 and in letters to Sweden.

A5 Axel Werner Johnson *1886-06-27, +1956-09-22

Lydia Anna Jonason, *1884-12-23, +1978-03-26

About arrival etc. see above. October 30, 1908 Axel Werner married Lydia whose mother came from Sweden and her father came from Norway. Axel’s first own home was an 80-acre farm rented from his uncle. In a letter to Sweden from 1912 you can see that Axel’s cousin Ture Anderson worked for him. (Farm hands got two $ a day plus meals). Axel and Lydia lived in Bristow until 1915 when they moved to Dixon SD, where they bought a 160-acre farm from Lydia’s mother. Later they bought another 160-acre farm which they added to the first one. In 1922 they sold their land in Dixon and bought a farm in Bristow. They lost this farm during the drought and depression. They were however able to rent it back and continued to live there until 1945 when they bought another 160-acre farm close by. Here they lived till 1950 when they bought a house in the town of Bristow and retired there. Axel and Lydia spent six happy years together there. In September 1956 Axel passed away, - a victim of stomach cancer. Further information about Axel Werner can be found in his letters to Sweden.

Both Axel and Lydia loved the Lord and served faithfully as members in the Rosendale Evangelical Covenant Church, Bristow.

B August Wilhelm Johansson *1855-11-07 +1907-03-12. Married to Klara Maria Nilsdotter born in Marielund Hjorted’s P *1852-08-09, died in Västrum +1925-04-22. She was the daughter of Nils Magnus Jonsson *1817-10-15 and Brita Sophia Wilhelmina Johansdotter born in Hjorted * 1828-04-20.

August Wilhelm was born in Locknevi parish. In 1879-07-19 he married Klara Maria (who had a daughter, Hulda Sofia, born out of wedlock 1877-03-02 in Hallingeberg parish). From the household examination rolls from 1896 one can see that August with his family was living at Bockshult (a small farm in Hjorted parish). The family of A. W. moved to Frödinge 1903 and to Locknevi 1903-11-10.

He drowned in the lake Yxern 1907-03-12. Together with five friends he had been to an auction in Brantestad on their way home they drove into a rift on the lake Yxern and three of them drowned. (See newspaper cutting annotation 3 in the Appendix)

B2. Anna Charlotta *1888-10-04. Married 1909-03-06 to: Karl Gustav Albert Nyström * 1884-09-30 in Lofta parish. They lived in Västrum and in 1925 they moved to Odensvi

B3 Karl Vilhelm Johnson *1890 03 14, +1966 06 04. Married Charlotte Kristina Anderson

Karl Vilhelm was born in Strömsnäs in Hjorted, och utvandrade 1909 from Locknevi pasish.

B4. Klara Augusta Antonia Johansson *1892 06 26, +1953-05-29. Married Claes Viktor Persson born in Uppsala Sweden

Klara Augusta emigrated to N. America at 16 years, 1908-08-17, through Gothenburg on the steamship “Oluf Bager” via Fredrikshavn Denmark. She arrived in Mc Keensport, PA.

B5 Adina Maria *1894-02-03, + 1935. Married to ? ?

C Anna Sofia Johansson born 1863- 03-29 in Bresfall, Hjorted. Married Johan Petter Anton Andersson from Rumhult, Hjorted.

Werner and Oscar emigrated 1903, see above. Hildur and Ture emigrated to Bristow too some years later. In a letter from Axel Werner to his brother Gustav Emil dated 1903-09-13 can we see that Ture and Hildur obviously went together.

C1 Johan Werner Anderson in Nagelstad Hallingeberg *1883-08-25, +1957-05-26. M. to Selma Alfrida Carlson who was born in Sweden 1881-01-13, + ? Came to Bristow 1903-04-02.

C2 Carl Oskar Anderson in Nagelstad Hallingeberg *1885-09-20, +1968-11-04 M 1908-02-22 to

Elin Maria Carlsson *1890-02-22 in Sandsnäs, Hjorted,+1970-07-03

Oskar and Elin farmed at Bristow, Dickensen and Gregory S. Dak. and then Pender and Oakland Nebr. in the early 1940's. When they retired from farming, they moved into Oakland. Oscars worked in the Council Oaks Grocery Store and as a custodian in the farmer’s and Merchant National Bank. Oscar and Elin were lifelong active members of the Covenant Church. Oscar was a Sunday School teacher for 60 years.

C3 Hildur Sofia Anderson in Nagelstad *1887-10-29, +1974-01-24 married Albin Gustaf Carlson 1908-10-20,born1885-05-07 in Hultsjö, Småland. Albin was the brother of Arvid married to Ruth Johnson (D6).

C4 Thure Hjalmar Andresson was born in Gladhammar parish 1895-02-09, + ? Married to

Marie Adena Carlsson born in Hultsjö, Jönköping county 1895-06-23, +1948-03-27.

Thure come to America in April 1907. After his death Marie remarried Henry Andersson born 1893-03-05, +1961-05-17. The children of Marie and Henry are:

D Karl Johan (Charles) Johnson * 1867-04-01 Married 1:st to: ? ,2nd to: ? , 3rd to: ?

Karl Johan (Charles) Johnson moved to Baggängen under Rumhult in Hjorted parish 1983, to Bresfall in 1885, to Karlebo in 1986 and to Hagnäset in 1887. On these places he worked as a “dräng” (farmhand, hind). He got permission to emigrate to North America in March 1888 as the first member of our family, presently known. So far we don’t know anything about his journey to America. In a letter to his nephews Johan W. and Axel Werner from January 1903 he mentions that; “They should bring a substantial provision-bag for I did suffer during the passage because I had too little money with me.” He settled in Bristow NE, where he was very engaged in “Missionskyrkan”, the Covenant Church. At times he served as a layman pastor, he was a convinced teetotaller. He loved music and played the concertina, his family was often the host for visiting pastors. The well known sing-evangelist J.A. Hultman was visiting them several times. (See the Appendix). He helped his relatives to immigrate to America. Charles was married three times. He had two children in his first marriage and seven in his second.

D6 Ruth Johnson married Arvid Carlson and lived in Gothenburg, Nebr. Arvid was the brother of Albin married to Hildur (C3).

Appendix

Annotation 1.The parents of torparen (the crofter): Bror Johan August Larsson *1847-02-08, were:

Torparen Lars Andersson *1800-02-02, in Tuna parish +1849-03-10. Married 1831 to pigan (the slavey) Maja Stina Carlsdotter *1811-11-03, from Flugenäs in Frödinge parish.

In the Church roll we get following information: Lars Andersson was born in Stora Mantebo under Syserum in Tuna parish. His parents were torparen Anders Jönsson and his wife Lena Jakobsdotter. He farmed torpet (the crofter’s holding) Lårtorpet under Kroksfall, Frödinge parish. Lars Andersson died at the age of 49 years, 1 month, 8 days of “Håll och Styng och Bröstvärk” ( Stitch and Sting and Pain in the chest, the old Swedish name for pneumonia).

Annotation 2. Johannes Alfred Hultman born in Småland 1861. His parents emigrated to the USA. He started preaching when he was 17 years old. J. A. Hultman was a pastor in Swedenburg and was often on tours in the States, He also visited Sweden many times. He died in 1942.

Annotation 3. Newspaper cutting from 1907-03-15:

A tragic accident. Three people and a horse drowned. March 12th there was an auction of movable property in Brantestad Frödinge. In the evening after the auction was over, five men and a youth from Locknevi Parish had made a travelling company on their way home. They travelled in a sleigh and brought with them a wagon they had bought at the auction. They chose the road over the lake Yxern (it was dark, around 7 to 8 o’clock), which lake they had travelled over on their outward journey to Brantestad. However they drove too close to a crack or a so-called ice hole, where there is a current, when the ice broke and all six besides the horse and sledge came into the water. One of the travellers, A Wassgren from Tofehult, is a good swimmer and managed to save himself, the owner of the horse and his son, but the three others drowned together with the horse; the sledge and the wagon remained in the lake too. Those perished were the miller Jansson from Toferum, the tenant farmer August Johansson from Fagerdalen and the crofter Ludvig Jonsson from Spåresand. According to what we have been told those who perished were married and had children, so the grief was great among the families, who are in straitened circumstances. The corpses, the dead horse and vehicles were taken out of the lake Wednesday.

Cutting received in March 2000.

A solemn funeral took place on Lady Day at the graveyard of the Church of Locknevi, as those in the lake Yxern thru an accident March the 12 lost their lives. The leaseholder, August Wilhelm Jonsson from Fagerdalen and the crofter Axel Ludvig Jansson from Spåresund under Tofverum estate was committed to their final rest. The burial service was conducted by Reverent Wallman, who at Thanksgiving service pronounced a touching funeral oration from the pulpit, which caused many eyes to water, as completion the hymn 461 : 7--8 was sung. The miller, Ludvig Jansson was conveyed by his next of kin ( a torn piece) to the parish of Odensvi, where (a torn piece) buried on Friday the 22nd