All About Statues

by Ron Osterberg

Like most Civil War buffs, I admire Robert E. Lee both as a person and as a general.  That’s why I had mixed feelings after the statue ruckus in Charlottesville.  I think I now see most sides of this controversy and, given some of the people involved, that’s not easy.

By modern and pre Civil War standards, Lee was a good man.  After he surrendered at Appomattox, he urged his comrades to go home and resume being good citizens of the United States.  He reacted with horror when firebrands wanted to wage guerilla warfare in the mountains.  He greatly treasured order and respect for the law.  In reacting strongly, he saved the nation from more bloodshed.

Lee was a slaveholder, but not a radical.  Before the war, he wrote in a letter to his wife, “In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country.”  He added that “it was a greater evil to the white man than to the black race,” a view not likely shared by many blacks.

Also, he was not always the gentle Lee we read about in history books.  After three of his slaves ran away and were caught, Lee ordered them tied to a tree and given fifty lashes.  “Lay it on well” he told the constable.  The female runaway slave received only twenty.

Books have been written about the many moral sides of Robert E. Lee and their conclusions are anything but unanimous.  In the years following the war, he was revered with religious devotion in the south and almost complete forgiveness in the north.  Yet, many called him “Traitor Lee” to their dying day.  Some Confederates blamed him for more battlefield carnage than was necessary, General Pickett among them.  He reportedly shouted that Lee slaughtered his division at Gettysburg.

From whatever angle we look at Lee, he was a complex figure and the statue controversy highlights the good and the bad of him.  People on all sides look at the matter from different viewpoints, especially blacks.  Everyone has their own lens.

Can anyone know the pain of being descended from slaves if they are not black?  How can anyone but a black person know what it’s like to walk past the statue of a man who may have enslaved one of their ancestors? If something greatly offends one group of people, it’s immoral to dismiss it as frivolous and it’s discourteous not to consider it.  Though it’s hard to know another person’s pain, we must try.

On the other side, all cultures have heroes and it’s silly to demand dismissing them when the political winds change, especially if the changes are sudden.  Generations of Americans grew up honoring Confederate heroes.  They were interesting people who did interesting things.

Some say that the statues represent the historical memory of a heroic age, but most were put up when the south was installing Jim Crow laws, between 1876 and 1920.  The statues were post-bellum propaganda for the laws enforcing segregation, but they also buoyed up a region of the country with massive self esteem issues.   We should use care in demolishing someone’s crutch.

G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.”  Taking a statue down might make some feel better, but it might make others feel worse.  Those protesting the statue’s removal in Charlottesville are stinky people.  That shouldn’t overwhelm our desire to understand the rationale of people with similar opinions, but who don’t act so reprehensibly.

Understanding does not imply that we tolerate the repugnant actions of demented protesters.  Most of those favoring letting the statues remain are gentle people who are egalitarian to their core.  Never judge a group by the worst of them.  Still, the president truly shocked me when he offered his statement insinuating that all sides have equally valid points, even after a lunatic ran over Heather Heyer.  Like most Americans, I find the KKK and Nazi party disgusting beyond measure.  I wanted to punish those who honored them, even if it violated my core morality.

On the other hand, no one wants a return to the fifties when zealots looked everywhere sniffing out communist sympathizers.  Citing the atrocities of Stalin, they vowed to use whatever means necessary to root out all domestic communists.  During the subsequent witch hunt, thousands of lives were professionally ruined by direct charges and by innuendo.  Some were blacklisted simply because they didn’t show the proper enthusiasm for naming names.  Many good people allowed their fear of being labeled soft on communism to outweigh their sense of decency.

However, proud self-confident people find ways to regain objectivity and understand their reasons if not their actions.  For a period, that was almost impossible for me after hearing marchers chant, “Jews will not replace us.”  They overwhelmed me with disgust and loathing.  My son-in-law and three grandchildren are Jewish.  I found myself hating the protesters with an intensity that surprised me.  If President Trump, who also has a Jewish son-in-law and Jewish grandchildren, took offense from the chants, he didn’t show it.  What am I missing?

KRANS FAMILY HISTORY & MYSTERIES

 Grandfather Charles (Karl Wilhelm) died in 1959 at the age of 89. All of his 13 children have passed and with them all direct memories about life and family growing up on a farm in Homestead, Wisconsin. Some of the second generations are also gone and before we leave, I will attempt to put in writing a few of the stories and mysteries of our family.

EMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES Charles Krans came to the US in 1889 at the age of 19. Charlie, however, was not the first Krans to immigrate to America. The start of the Krans emigration began with his uncle August Krans in 1880. The account of early life of August is taken from a newspaper article printed in the Iron River Reporter in 1971. August, his wife Sofia and son Emil arrived at Ellis Island in 1880. They took a train west and landed in Chicago. As emigrants they arrived in Chicago where they surely heard of the work in the mines, sawmills and logging camps in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan. August and his family set out for Norway, MI with a promise of a job at the Vulcan iron ore mine. Wages were low and there were seasonal layoffs so August and three other men decided to explore the possibility of homesteading land in Northern Michigan. The requirement for a homestead claim was staking out land with boundary markers. Government law allowed settlers to claim 160 acres requiring them to build a cabin and live there for 4 years. The 3 men left Norway with a surveyor and walked to the territory known as Bales Township (Iron River, Michigan), where each man claimed a 160 acre parcel. August and Sofia raised 13 children in Bates Township. Sofia died in 1935 in an automobile accident at the age of 76. August died in 1943 at the age of 85.

JOHAN KRANS - CHARLIES FATHER Charlie’s father in Sweden was Johan Krans. August (Iron River) Krans was Johans brother. Johan was born in 1843 and August in 1858. Charlie’s father was feisty to say the least. Johan married Anna-Stina Eliedotter. Together they had 7 children. They were Emil born 1868, Karl Wilhelm (Charles) born 1871, Mathilda (Tilly) born 1873, August (he stayed in Sweden) born 1876, Gustave born 1879, Beda born 1881 and Sam born 1886. Strange things happen which today would cause big problems. In 1894 when Mathilda was 21 she gave birth to a son, Gustave Bertil. Johan was the father!! The child lived only 2 years. Anna-Stina died and Johan married Anna-Maja Larsdottcr in 1902. Anna-Maja had a daughter from a previous marriage Hilma born in 1881. Johan was up to his old tricks and in 1908 when Hilma was 27 she has a child Bertil. The father was Johan. He was 65 years old at the time.

SPONSORSHIP  Because emigration to America required sponsorship, August (Iron River) most likely was involved with getting Emil to the US. Emil was Johan’s eldest and Charlie’s brother. As soon as Emil paid his debt to August he probably would have supplied the money for the next family member, Charlie, to come over. There is a little contusion as to when Charlie actually did immigrate to the US. Most references are that Charlie was 19 and came over in 1889. The family history prepared by our Swedish relatives says he emigrated in 1891? We do know for sure that Ellen and Charlie married in 1893.

MYSTERY HOW DID CHARLIE AND ELLEN MEET? Ellen Equist and Charlie were married June 17, 1893 in Marinette. Wisconsin. Ellen was born on June 13, 1877 and immigrated to the US in 1880.Therefore. Ellen had just turned 16 years old only 4 days before getting married. In Ellen’s obituary when she died in 1937 it stated that she lived in Marinette for 3 years. Assuming that's true, she must have been 12 or 13 when she lived there? One theory about how they met was that Charlie came to Northern Wisconsin from Chicago to work in the logging camps. Since Ellen Equist lived in Homestead we can assume Charlie met her there while working in the area logging. The Equist farm was located very close to the Little Popple River. The Popple was used as a tributary to float logs down to the Menonimee River and further to Marinette for sawing into lumber. Another theory about how they met and married is that they met in Marinette. It was common practice for young women to work as housekeepers and child care. Rhoda Hougland told me that her mother Ida Equist left the Equist farm when around 17 years old. She met her husband, Axel Osterberg while working. My guess is that Ellen left home at age 12 or 13, and lived/worked for a family near Marinette. Everything then makes sense about her living in Marinette for 3 years. She met Charlie in Marinette and got married there.

BIRTH OF EVAN KRANS Evan was the first born. He was born on June 14, 1894. Evans birthplace is listed as Homestead Wisconsin. In 1895 Charlie’s father in law Andrew Equist sold to him 40 acres of land for $300. One would assume that Charlie had to wait until the spring of 1895 to start building the farm house. Since Evan was born in June 1894 Ellen probably gave birth at her parents’ house not at the Krans farmhouse. Rose (Olson) Krans was born in April 1896. She was probably the first child actually born on the Krans family farm.

IS IT KRANS OR KRANTZ? Since receiving the Krans family history from our Swedish relatives, we know that “Krans" was used back as far as 1788. A mystery is why did Charlie on his marriage certificate spell his name "Krantz" only later to go back to "Krans"? Charlie’s brother Emil must have been the first to change his last name to “Krantz" The Krans Story.docx - 3 - Printed on 11/2/2013 when he immigrated to the US. Charlie must have followed his brothers lead and used "Krantz" only to change back.

EMILS DAUGHTER ANNA AND OSCAR KRANS An interesting fact concerns Oscar Krans, the fourth child of Ellen and Charlie. Oscar was born in March 1900. The marriage of first cousins was not taboo in those days because Oscar married Anna Krans, daughter of Emil Krantz. Both of Oscar and Annas children were born in lower Michigan near Mears, Michigan. They were Edward (Little Edward) and Raymond Krans. Oscar moved back to Aurora around 1945. In 1946 my father and Oscar were going to start a furnace business together. Oscar and my grandfather Ed VanDamme didn't get along so the partnership never happened. Oscar died young at age 50. Anna lived at their home on Fisher Lake until she died in 1974. "Little Edward” was probably called that because his uncle Edward Krans, the I0th child of Charlie lived in the area. "Little Edward" loved taking home 8mm movies which today still serve as visual memories of the past.

THE DEATH OF ELLEN KRANS Ellen must have been a wonderful mother. She had just turned 16 when married and had Evan when she was 17 and somehow planned to have a baby every two years. The 13 children were born in 1894, 96, 98, 1900, 02, 05, 07, 09, 11, 12, 16, 18, and 1921. Nothing much has ever been said but apparently Ellen had a miscarriage and lost a child in 1903, which explains the 3 year span. Aunt Beda Beaudry told the story about Ellen’s death. For two weeks she wasn't feeling well and went to see a chiropractor in Iron Mountain for help. She died soon after that visit. No autopsy was done in those days but an Appendix that burst during an adjustment probably was the cause. Ellen died on January 31, 1937 at the farm home. Ellen's mother, Lousia Equist, died in June 1937 at the Krans family home as mentioned in her obituary. It seems strange that Ellen died in January and her mother in June. Charlie and the kids at home at the time Carl and Mae must have helped take care of grandma Lousia. Mae (Fredrickson) Krans was 16 years old at the time of her mother’s death. It must have been a lot of responsibility for her to help feed Lousia and her father. Charlie stayed on the farm until 1943 when he sold it to Rose and Reuben Olson. That period of 6 years when Charlie was alone on the farm is a mystery. Besides Mae, who else helped keep the house up and running? Aunt Beda we assume spent time there but as we all know Uncle Tom Beaudry was a free spirit and Beda had to keep tabs on him too. Charlie moved in with Tom and Beda in 1943.

SWEDISH RELATIVES Charlie was one of 7 siblings. One brother August, born in 1876 stayed in Sweden. Charlie’s other brothers and sisters emigrated to the US. August changed his name The Krans Story.docx - 4 - Printed on 11/2/2013 in Sweden to Johanson (means son of Johan). A Swedish relative sent me a brief history of August. August Johanson stayed in Sweden and worked as a blacksmith apprentice at the Ek estate outside of Mariestad. In 1897, he moved to the island of Totso to work on the farm Bolstad and from there to the Fagelo estate in 1898. He married on April 15, 1900 to Jenny Rodrik, daughter of the soldier and tailor Johan Rodrik. August’s sister Beda (Qvist) and brother Samfried attended the wedding and both left for America. In 1909 August bought the Halllandsberg property and became mill master and blacksmith. Until 1927 the grain mill was functioning first by windpower and then be electric. In 1943 son Hugo took over and it closed in 1969. In 1999 both the mill and smithy still existed.

WHAT’S NEXT? I still am curious as to what life was like in those days. Hopefully more to come, Dale Krans A son of Vernon and Lillian (VanDamme) Krans. A grandson of Charlie and Ellen Krans

From our second cousin

with permission to add it to the blog: (Ron is a grandson of Aunt Ida, Teckla's older sister) 

From: Ron Osterberg and Holly Coppersmith
Sent: Thu, May 18, 2017 8:41 am
Subject: Happy 110th Birthday to Brun Osterberg

Happy Birthday Dad,

Much sadness since our last letter.  Aunt Rhoda, the baby of your family, died.  You gave her a rhythmic nickname which I forgot.  That’s too bad.  No one left alive knows it or even heard of it; so it’s lost forever in the ether of time.  Uncle Ralph died last year and Rhonda’s husband, Dave, a couple years before that.  Leo left us a few years ago and, last I heard, Aunt Eileen is hanging on.  She’s the last of your filial family.

Tragically, Butch died last year from sclerosis after he relapsed with the booze.  He was old enough and smart enough and should have known better.  I suspect that’s why he wished that you could have known each other as adults.  You and he might have talked the way adults do when they share a tragic problem.  Both of you went back to drinking.  Or, maybe he just wanted to know you better the way sons often do.  Whatever the reason, you’d be proud of him.  He was a pioneer in micro programming and had many interesting stories.

And I also miss you.  I remember our entire conversation, almost word for word, the afternoon you told me that you had inoperable cancer.  Neuroscientists tell us that strong emotions improve the memory wonderfully.  I argued with you until you gave up talking.  I guess I was the poster child for the word hubris.  I knew absolutely that all you needed were better doctors and I told you how to find them.  Imagine that?  I argued with you about dying.  On the other hand, after thinking about our conversation often over the years, it was probably more my inability to believe that we’d be losing you so soon.

Kookums has Parkinson’s Disease.  It’s bad, but Parkinson’s is not the tragedy it was a couple years ago.  She goes to therapy sessions and is doing remarkably well.  Bob watches over her like all good husbands do.  You’d like him dad.  Like you, he works hard and he works smart.  Uncle Ralph was like that too.  Maybe that’s why Uncle Ralph and Bob got along so well.  On the positive side of the disease, Sally stopped drinking beer entirely after the diagnosis.  In the end, of course, she will always be my big sister who knows everything.

Coky is the same as he was five, ten or twenty years ago.  He leads a low profile life.  Naturally he’s had his share of distress.  Who hasn’t?  But he faces them down, one problem at a time.  He doesn’t run from trouble, nor does Barbie.  Coky knows a lot because he reads a lot.  You were like that.  Mom talked often about the pile of books you carted home from the library when you and she first met.  Coky’s love of books must be in his genes.

I wish I could write more about your five youngest daughters, Karen, Patricia, Lynn, Wendy and Jill.  I saw Jill at Bruce’s memorial service and she’s doing well, but I was overwhelmed trying to talk with so many people and didn’t spend as much time with her as I wanted.  You’d like your second set of children; they’re all smart and all are older than you when you died.  At one time or another, each has talked about being cheated by your too early death.  I’m sure it pleases you to know that they all have your habit of looking at the serious side of life.

You’d like Happy Holly, the lady I married.  She smiles easily and often which is just what I need at this time in my life.  Together we’re learning better how to be happy.  The world can solve its own problems.  Holly and I have much laughing to do.

Happy 110th Birthday Dad, you left too soon and we miss you.  With Love, Quirt

Sally - Kookums

Ronnie - Quirt

Bruce - Butch

Kenneth - Coky

Immigration from Sweden to America

This was interesting and shows where the greatest number of Scandinavians immigrated to in the United States. 

blogg.expedia.se/nordisk-emigration-till-usa/en

One of the Oldest Ekquist Family photos

Last weekend I was at a Krans family get-together in Aurora. I borrowed this photo from Loraine Larson so I could share it with family members.

On the back of the photo it says it was taken at the Krans Home in Homestead in 1898. Great Grandpa Ekquist sold the land to Charlie Krans after he married Ellen, and the land adjoined the Ekquist homestead. The house is quite similar in design and size as the original Ekquist home.

I believe the two boys on the right side of the house standing are Emil Equist and Will Equist.

This is one of the oldest family photos taken outside in front of a house I've seen, and this is a large photo.

From left to right are Julia Ekquist Johnson, Louisa Ekquist, Ida Ekquist Osterberg, Andrew Ekquist, Teckla Ekquist Lundwall, Charles Krans holding Evan, Ellen Ekquist Krans holding Rose Krans Olson, Oscar Larson, and Claus Johnson. At the time Ellen and Charlie only had 2 of their 13 children.

This is a photo of the Ekquist house, and the Ekquist land and home were sold to Claus Johnson, husband of Julia Ekquist Johnson after Great-Grandpa Ekquist died.

Andrew Ekquist, Louisa Ekquist, possibly Oscar Lundwall, and Teckla Ekquist in front of the Ekquist home in Homestead. Eight children were raised in this house.

Krans Cousin's Reunion

I was able to be with many of the Krans cousins this past weekend at Loraine's home in Aurora, Wisconsin. So nice to be able to be with these wonderful relatives -- their grandmother was the oldest daughter of Andrew and Louisa Ekquist, and our grandmother was the youngest daughter. Ward was particularly close to his Krans cousins during his life, and I spent a lot of time with many of "my" Krans cousins during the time we lived in Kingsford in the late 1950's. It was so nice to be included!

 Female Cousins from left to right: Karen, Kathy, Rita, Gayle, Loraine, Laurie and Nancy

Can somebody help me with the men? I can only identify Dale, Roger, Rita's son, ?, Dennis and Jeff.

Ron Chiolak

It was so nice that we could visit with Ron at our last cousin's reunion. For those who may have missed it, we have received the following email:

From Ted, Marie and Joan (parents Violet (nee Lundwall) and Steve Chiolak)

Dear Cousins--

It is with great sadness we notify you that our brother Ron passed away on July 31st, the day after his 73rd birthday, from stage 4 cancer that had metastasized to his bones and lungs.  Ron had been ill beginning in May and under a doctor's care in Bellevue, Iowa, where he had been living for about 11 years. He was to have a prostate biopsy on July 14th when he went to the ER on July 13th.  He was immediately transferred to a larger hospital in Davenport, Iowa.

Test results there showed pneumonia and the cancer and although he was being treated for the pneumonia--his cancer was too far advanced for any curative therapy.  He was in hospice care when he passed away.  We were able to visit with Ron during his final weeks and Ted conferred with both Ron and the doctors on Ron's condition. Ted was in Davenport on July 31st making final arrangements.

Ron's wishes were that he be cremated and his ashes scattered in places of importance to him (the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Rose Hill cemetery, where our parents are buried). 

A memorial service is being planned for a later date.

Please hold us in your thoughts and prayers.