Andersson Beginnings

 The last family I'm going to write about on my maternal side will be the Andersson line. Malvina Christina Anderson was born October 10, 1879 in Watson Township, Allegan, Michigan. Her parents were Carl and Hulda Anderson. Malvina was the 2nd of their 3 surviving children. The 4th child carried by Hulda, and the first daughter to survive infancy. 

Carl Johan Andersson was born November 18, 1840 in  Stora Hökhemmet, Hjälmseryd Förs, Sweden. It is located in southern Sweden. It's in the same county that Ingrid Bergman was born and raised in. I connected with another Swedish cousin and he said there was a family rumor that we were related to Ingrid Bergman, so who knows? :) I can trace Carl's family back to a Sven Andersson, born in 1775/6 in the same area of Sweden. I have no more information on Carl until December 3rd, 1866 when he marries Hulda Ulrika Johannesdotter. Hulda was born March 24, 1840 in Skäverud, Molltörp Förs, Sweden. This is still located in southern Sweden, but at the northern end. In other words, closer to Stockholm and central Sweden than to Denmark and the Baltic Sea. I can go back to the 1760's/1770's with Hulda's maternal and paternal grandparents. One is a Farmer Petter Andersson and another is Soldier Carl Vettergren. When Hulda was 2 years old her father died. When she was seven years old her mother died. A sister died the following year. I don't know where Hulda was sent to live or who looked after her. The next information I have on either Carl or Hulda is their marriage, December 6, 1866 in Sollentuna, a town just north of Stockholm. It was created in 1863 and came into being with the development of the railway from Uppsala and Stockholm. This goes along with research I found that hinted that Carl worked for the railway company in Sweden. 

After marrying, Carl and Hulda had their first child, a daughter, born on May 30, 1867. The baby was stillborn though. She's simply listed as Baby girl Andersson in the church records. Carl's' mother, Maria, had just passed away on May 18, 1867. By 1870 they are back in Jonkoping, Sweden. Church records record them leaving Jonkoping on May 2, 1870 to travel to America. On May 13, 1870 they board the ship "Orlando" to travel from Gothenburg to Hull, England. Carl is listed as a soldier.

From Hull, they would travel by train to Liverpool, where they would board a boat to America. The train journey would be included in the cost of their ticket to America. The ship "Orlando" carried 800-900 passengers and the journey took 2 days to sail from Gothenburg to Hull. The train ride from Hull to Liverpool took about 5 hours. There was no restroom and no water for third class passengers.

The next record I have of Carl and Hulda is the birth of their son, Frank Oscar Anderson in Watson, Allegan, Michigan in September 1873. A daughter, Malvina Olivia Anderson is born April 17, 1878. She dies July 2, 1879. She is the first child buried in the Lutheran cemetery. That October, Malvina Christina is born and is named after her deceased sister, as was the custom in Sweden. Another daughter, Selma, is born March 10, 1883.

Carl, who went by Charles in America and Hulda were very active in the local Allegan community. They helped organize and raise money for the Lutheran church. Carl donated land for the cemetery. Carl also wrote back to Sweden and encouraged other Swedes to come to Michigan to live. 

Carl and Hulda left Sweden for a better way of life, and they definitely found it.

 Hulda died in 1918 of chronic endocarditis. Inflammation of the heart valves. Today it's treated with antibiotics. She was 78. 

Carl died in 1915. Death certificate says he had been working part of the day. A doctor was called but he was dead when doctor arrived. He had been treated for heart disease previously. Death listed as natural causes. He was 74.

I found this in an 1835 Evening Post edition, advertising soap by W.H. Mabbs. My 5th great grandfather. 

 

Truman and Mabbs families

 I've written about Mildred Strand's father's family, the Bellingers. This week I'm writing about her mother's family, the Trumans and the Mabbs. 

Mildred Viola Bellinger Strand's parents were Charles Bellinger and Elnora Truman. Elnora Truman was the daughter of Madison Truman and Harriet Mabbs. Both Madison and Harriet were born in Michigan. In 1869 they were married and lived in Hillsdale, Michigan. 4 children were born to them. However, in the 1880 census we find the family living in Totten, Lonoke, Arkansas. Their last son, Judson, was born there. They didn't stay in Arkansas long. Madison's death is reported on January 2, 1884 in Hillsdale, Michigan. The family moved from Michigan to Arkansas, and then back again. After Madison's death, Harriet marries again to Albert Bush and has 5 more children. All in all she gives birth to 10 children. She was 19 at the birth of her first child and 45 at the birth of her last child. She must have been a remarkable woman.

I've traced the Trumans back to a Josiah Truman who was born in Massachusetts in 1778. The Trumans may originally be from Cornwall, England but I haven't gotten that far back yet.

Harriet's family, the Mabbs, are a bit more interesting.

Harriet was born in Michigan in 1850 to William Mabbs and Martha Patty Warner. William was born in 1824 in Oxfordshire, England. William was one of eight children, all but the youngest born in England. His parents were William Hawys Mabbs and Hannah Hill Stace. William Hawys was the only son of John Mabbs and Sophia Andrews. John was a Methodist preacher. The Mabbs family had been Methodists for at least a couple of generations in England. Our William Hawys Mabbs took a different direction with his life, though. His older sisters worked as governesses, and teachers. William, started a soap factory in London. He manufactured soap and was very successful. For unknown reasons, in 1833, at the age of 42 he and his family sailed to America. He settled in New York City where he invested in another business. Things were going fine and another daughter was born. However, the bank he had his money saved in failed and he lost all his savings. He decided to move to Michigan and try his hand at farming and the manufacture of brick. 

William, the son, was a farmer and at the end of his life was a minister. He died at the age of 60 in 1884 of tuberculosis.  His older brother John worked in Chicago as an engineer. Another brother, Austin, went to Deadwood, South Dakota and owned and operated gold mines. Yet another brother, Robert, was quite prosperous. He was a very successful farmer in Allegan, and during the Civil War he enlisted as a private in 1862 and was discharged as a 2nd lieutenant in 1865.

The Mabbs family has been especially fun to trace, as I've found lots of information on them. They've been very successful. It's also fun to think of ancestors living in both New York City and London.

Mildred Strand, with parents Elnora and Charles Bellinger.

Pulsipher Beginnings

This week we're going back on the Pulsipher family tree. "Pulsipher" was the maiden name of Carl Strand's mother, Mary Elizabeth Pulsipher. The Pulsiphers go back to the late 1600's in America. The first Pulsipher that I can find is Benedictus Pulsipher. Born about 1635 in Nottinghamshire, England. He came to the British colonies around 1660. Most of the information I've found on him is a little sketchy. It relies on the research of others I've found online so it may not be entirely accurate. He was married in England and had 2 or 3 children with his first wife. She passed away and in America he married a Susanna Waters. They lived in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts. Susanna and Benedictus were both Puritans. Susanna was once fined by the local parish/church for wearing too fine of clothes, adornments. The church elders thought she was vain. :) She was in her late teens/early 20s at the time. She married Benedictus and gave birth to 11 children. Benedictus was wealthy for the time and owned land around Massachusetts. He owned land on Plum Island, Castle Neck, and Hogg Island. He died in 1695, or 1710.

His son, David was born in 1685, Ipswich, Massachusetts. He married a woman also named Susanna. He was a sailor and his wife was licensed to sell strong drink. His date of death is given as June 17, 1775. The story goes that he went out to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill. He went out with his son, also named David, and was not seen again. The family assumed he was killed in the fighting. David, the son, was also killed at Bunker Hill. If this is true, than my 7th and 8th great grandfathers were killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

David, the son, was born in Boston in 1708 and married Elizabeth Stowell. They had a son named Ebenezer. Born in 1759. Around 1780 he moved to Vermont where he married Unity "Vully" Reed. Unity "may" be descended from Mayflower Pilgrims. If we have Mayflower heritage, it is through her.

Ebenezer also had a son named Ebenezer. Born in 1787 in Rockingham, Vermont. He married Charlotte Haydon and had many children in Vermont. In the 1840 census, though, he is living in Bainbridge, Ohio. He passes away in 1853. 

One of Ebenezer's sons was named Horace, and was born in Stowe, Vermont in 1824. He moved with his father to Ohio. In 1844 he married Maryetta Downey Stone. Sometime between 1853 and 1859 they move from Ohio to Allegan County, Michigan. Coming with them is their son Albert. Born in 1849.

Albert Eugene Pulsipher was born July 22, 1849 in Ohio. Before the age of 10 he moved to Allegan with his family. In 1874 he marries Eva Brownell. The Brownell family has a history in America as long as, if not longer, than the Pulisphers. 

On January 20, 1877 their second daughter, Mary Elizabeth is born. She marries William Strandt when she is 21 years old. The rest is history.

There is MUCH more to be written about the Pulsipher family. The Pulsiphers that stayed in Ohio were supporters of the abolitionist movement before the Civil War. One of Horace's cousins who fought in the Civil War was under the command of one of John Brown's sons. 

Here are some pictures of Albert and Eva and family and their house, provided to me by a Pulsipher cousin. Our grandmother Mary is on the top, 2nd from the left. Albert and Eva sitting in the middle.

This is a picture of where Albert and Eva lived.

The paper trail back to Ebenezer Pulsipher in Ohio is good. From there back is where it gets a bit sketchy. 

Favorite picture

 One of the prompts for #52Ancestors was #FavoritePhoto. I'd like to share some of my favorite ancestor photos I've found.

This one was just identified this week. I've had the picture a couple of years but didn't know who the couple, or child, was. This week I was finally able to solve the mystery. I was able to make contact with Marilyn Eva Eichnen. Marilyn is the granddaughter of Eva Wilhelmina Strandt. Oldest sister of Carl Strand. She's shared many old Strandt pictures she has with me, including her copy of this one. This is a picture of my Great, Great Grandparents Mary and William Strandt with their first born daughter, Eva Wilhelmina. 

Eva was born in 1899 so that is when this picture must have been taken. Perhaps for a baptism? They both are very well dressed.

This next picture is of my 1st cousin, 3x removed on the Thompson side of the family. Cousin Sarah Ballou. 

Sarah is the niece of my great, great grandmother Kate Eldred Ashley. Sarah is the daughter of her oldest sister. This picture was also taken about 1900. Sarah ran her own business, first in Kalamazoo, then Detroit. She was a hairdresser, costumer, and sold dresses. Her father had made and sold hats. In a 1906 beauty advice article for the Detroit paper she's quoted as a beauty expert saying women should stay out of the sun to save their skin. So true! lol

And, of course, this picture of Great Grandma and Grandpa Henrickson, taken on their wedding day. February 1900. 

These are just a few photos I really like. I'll post some more later.