The Ekquist Family Photo

This is Grandma Teckla's family, with Teckla seated on her mother's lap. Where it all began for us here in America, those who immigrated from Sweden seeking a better life for their family. They had lost a son, Carl Gustav, who died at a year old in Sweden. Andrew came first. Great-Grandma Louisa followed her husband, as she came alone with two young daughters Ida and Ellen, pregnant in 1880. Louisa got as far as Florence, Wisconsin, couldn't find her husband who was working in a lumber camp. A Mrs. Olson took them in and she delivered her third daughter, Julia, in the middle of the night. That was BEFORE there was any such thing as legal or illegal immigration. Thanks to them, the rest of us are American citizens!

From left to right, Emil, Will, Andrew seated, Ellen, Julia (in front of Ellen and Ida), Ida, Louisa seated, Teckla, and Evan

Interesting Information

For those of you looking for information about the emigration of Swedes to North America, a friend shared this link with me.

I found it quite interesting...

https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emigrationen_fr%C3%A5n_Sverige_till_Nordamerika

Senior Discount

by Ron Osterberg

Waiting in line at Dunkin Donuts, I tried to remember the Spanish word for discount.  Was it descuente or descuento?  When my turn came to pay, I said, “Descuento por viejo por favor.” The clerks couldn’t suppress their giggle.  I botched it.  I asked for an old discount instead of senior discount, but I get the discount word right.

Gently, they told me that viejo was not a nice thing to say about someone, especially oneself – or about a discount.  That reminded me that as kids when someone asked, “How ya doin?”  Or, “Que pasa?” We replied, “Estoy bien, viejo conejo.”  I’m fine you old coot.  The clerks suggested that I say mayor, a more dignified word.

The next time I said, “Descuento para mayor por favor” and the lady smiled.  She liked being part of a game.  Several visits later one the clerks suggested “viejito” or “cute older man.”

A few visits later I mentioned that I was a grandfather, “Soy un abuelo.”  So, I asked, “Descuento para abuelo por favor?”  The lady behind the counter replied that she is an abuela or grandmother.  She didn’t look old enough to be a grandmother.  On the other hand, anyone under 50 looks young, especially if their skin is tan without many wrinkles.

They suggested I say, “Descuento para abuelito” and I said, “Senorita, descuento para abuelito por favor.”  She blushed slightly saying gracias.

The entire exchange took less than a minute, but each time it reminded me of a lost adventure.  Before going to UCLA, I wanted to go to college in Mexico City for a year.  I would have returned speaking fluent Spanish with a Mexican dialect.  I still don’t know why I didn’t do it.  I wish I knew that we grade our youthful choices carefully when we are viejitos.

Not Picky about Who She Likes

Ron Osterberg

Jennifer, owner of a dress shop in Black Rock, took a liking to Holly and walked her over to meet the owner of the nail salon next door.  Outside, Holly took a closer look at the salon’s front and froze, her smile vanished and she set her feet apart as if getting ready punch it out with an unseen opponent.  Leaning toward me, she said grimly, “That’s the place.  I’m sure it is. I don’t want to go in there.  I just don’t.”

Seeing Jennifer’s bafflement, Holly explained her sudden mood shift.  About a year earlier she went to that same nail solon in mid afternoon and found it locked.  Looking through the window, Holly saw a woman emerge from behind a barrier and unlock the door.  The woman explained that she didn’t want a black clientele and kept the door locked as a way of selecting her customers.  Holly waited about one millisecond, turned on her heel and walked out fuming.

Holly explained the incident and her feelings to Jennifer, but Jennifer urged Holly to at least meet the nail salon lady.  “It might not be the same person,” Jennifer said hopefully.  Holly agreed.  It was the same store, she was sure of it, but maybe the lady was different.  Maybe the lady from a year ago was not the owner.  Holly agreed that she should at least meet the lady.  However, walking through the door, Holly saw immediately that it was the same lady.  Holly, being Holly and not wanting to hurt anyone, smiled broadly and left saying nothing.  It took her a few minutes to decompress and smile happily again.

Scholars write volumes about acceptance of people not exactly like us and philosophers sometimes use the principle of Occam’s razor which can mean to take the simplest explanation as the best.  That’s true in Holly’s case.  The way I see it, she sees no sense in disliking someone before she meets them.  Holly puts it even more simply, “I am not picky about who I like.”

Holly is part of society’s glue or velcro.  She connects people and pulls us together creating the strong bonds we need in times of stress.  Most important, she does it without excluding or hating anyone.  We all agree that the world needs more engineers, scientists and people of letters, but even more does it need people like Holly who keep us smiling and liking one another.

Swedish American History

I found this link looking for something else, and wanted to share it with you! It gives another perspective of who we are as Swedish Americans.

Swedish American History

Have a Healthy, Prosperous and Happy New Year!!!

Passing of Sharon DeVowe

Obituary from Jacobs Funeral Home, Iron River, Michigan

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SWEDISH RELATIVE

I am going to edit this and add photos as soon as I can figure out how. In the meantime, here is more information than I have ever had before!!! It was sent a while ago, and I just discovered it TODAY!
What a wonderful gift for all of us! Thank you,  thank you, thank you!!!

The family of the sisters Louisa and Anna Mathilda Olsdotter

Parents:

Olof Olsson 1819

Stina Cajsa Andersdotter 1824

Lived in Alfvestaboda Västra Skedvi, Västmanland where their children were born:

- Louisa 1847 (you have her story with the Ekquist family)

- Gustaf 1848-1913

- Carl Erik 1853-1928

- Anna Mathilda 1857 *

- Johan Olof 1860

- Augusta Wilhelmina 1862(as you know she also moved to America with her husband 1887)

* Anna Mathilda 1857-1931. In 1875 she married Karl Gustaf Höglund a blacksmith at Karmansbo Bruk. They belonged to the Baptist Church, and all their 6 children were born in Hed, Karmansbo. She died at the hospital in Köping at the age of 74

• Karl Walfrid 1875 - 1935 He and his wife had 4 children. Karl, Inez and Signe and a boy? They lived in Kolsva.
• Beda Matilda 1877 – 1908 she was married Settergren and had a baby Karl Wilhelm in 1908 and died a few months later the same year at the age of 31
• Eva Elisabet 1880 – 1918 she was married to Karl Hammar and had a son Ivar in 1900. Eva died in the Spanish disease only 38 years old
• Elin Augusta 1884 -1936 was unmarried but had a daugther Lisa who according to my mother was adopted to a family in Stockholm. Elin was 51 years old when she died
• Ester Viktoria 1892 – 1939 was my grandmother. Ester had a son Erik Holger born 1911 who stayed with the grandparents in Karmansbo when she married August Emanuel Lundgren in 1919 and moved to Horndal. Ester and August had 3 girls Elin 1922, Ingrid 1924 (my mother) and Svea 1930. Ester died in 1939 when she was 47 years old
• Gustaf Samuel 1896 – 1987 was also a blacksmith in Karmansbo but moved to the city of Köping to work in the Volvo factory. He was married to Swea and lived a long healthy life until he was over 90 and so did his wife

As Ester was not healthy (TB probably) Ingrid my mother was sent to Esters brother Gustaf and his wife Swea in Köping . After a while when they realized Ester was not getting any better it was decided that Ingrid stayed with them. As Gustaf and Swea did not have any children of their own I guess that was the best solution. So in fact they are the grandparents I have always had.

Karl, Beda, Eva, Elin, Ester and Gustaf were all cousins to your grandparents William and Teckla .

Västra Skedvi where Louisa and Anna Mathilda were born is close to Karmansbo Bruk. This iron works is a museum today where you can see the forge and even a forgemans home. Even Augusta, Anna Mathilda and Louisas yonger sister, lived there with her husband

Horndal was also an iron works a bit up north. This is where my mother Ingrid was born.

Gävle where Louisa moved to is further away along the eastcoast.

Karl and Anna Mathilda Anna Mathilda with Gustaf, her youngest son

Höglund

The Baptists in Karmansbo. Anna Mathilda seated with small Gustaf to the left, the older son Karl to the right and her husband laying down. Probably year 1900

The old Anna Mathilda and some relatives. To the left Swea (Gustafs wife) with my mother Ingrid on her lap. Second from the right is Elin her daughter. The man behind Anna Mathilda is Karl her oldest son. Probably 1930

The girl on the photo below is my mother Ingrid.

Karl Walfrid Höglund b.1875 with his family. He was Anna Mathildas oldest son.

Ester Viktoria b. 1892 my grandmother

Gustaf Höglund b. 1896 with his wife Swea. Gustaf was Anna Mathildas youngest son.

Gustaf and his wife Swea, Karl (Bedas son), Elin and Karl Walfrid Höglund

Ivar b. 1900 Eva´s son

When I write this I can´t help thinking of what kind of contact the sisters Louisa and Anna Mathilda had. But as I found a photo of their parents in my mothers old photos, they must have had some correspondence. My mother Ingrid died 2015 and I´m really glad that we, a few years before, had looked at her old photoalbums to figure out the names of all the people on these photos. But this one of Olof and Stina Cajsa she didn`t know what it was. It wasn`t until I got the same from Sue that I realized I already had it.

The parents Olof and Stina Cajsa must have been very adventurus to leave Sweden at their age. But I guess they helped Louisa and Andrew a lot. And I´ve also realized that even their younger daughter Augusta and her husband Per Österberg had moved to America.

One strange thing I discovered while digging into the churchbooks was this note

One day before Louisa was born in Västra Skedvi 1847 my great grandmother Brita was born. She is on my fathers side of my family so she is not related to you. But for me this is a strange connection. Did their mothers know each other, or did these girls go to school together. Who knows.

Stockholm December 2017 Birgitta Ahlström