I'd Like to Meet

 There are many ancestors I'd like to meet. If only to ask them questions about names and dates. How many children did you have? When and where were they born? Where did you live? Who were YOUR parents? But, if I could only pick one, or two, it would have to be Ulrika Johansdotter and Harriet Mabbs.

Ulrika Johansdotter is Malvina Anderson Henrickson's mother. Ulrika has such an interesting journey. She was born to two parents who were labeled as "farmers/peasants." Her parents were older and neither was in good health. Her father dies when Ulrika is only 2 years old. Ulrika continues to live with her mother, who is blind and cannot work. They are still living in poverty. Older brothers and sisters are helping to take care of the family. When Ulrika is 7 years old her mother dies. Ulrika is partially taken care of by the parish. Her older sister moves back and helps to take care of her. Older brothers and an older sister also help look after Ulrika. Without this family support Ulrika would have been sent to foster care. That would have involved hard work and starvation. She was lucky to remain with her siblings. When she was older she obtained jobs as a maid on farms and worked her way up and across Sweden. She made her way to Stockholm where she married Carl Johan Andersson. After some hard times in Sweden they made their way to Michigan. With much hard work, and some luck, they were able to purchase 80 acres of land and start their family. They raised 3 children, but unfortunately lost a young daughter to a devastating train accident. Despite this Ulrika carried on. She and Carl gave back to the community in many acts of charity. My grandfather Ray Henrickson remembered Ulrika as a nice grandmother who used to give him cookies when he'd come over, calling him her "little beggar boy." Ulrika started off in such poverty, losing her parents, but made her way to raising her own family and seeing her many grandchildren thrive and succeed in America. I would love to hear her stories and how she dealt with all the obstacles in her path. 

Harriet Mabbs Truman was born in 1850 in Michigan. Her father had immigrated to America with his family from England when he was 9 years old. Harriet married when she was 18 years old and had 5 children with her first husband, Madison Truman. They also moved the family from Michigan to Arkansas and then back to Michigan again. Some time between 1877 and 1884. Madison died when Harriet was only 33 years old. She remarried 3 years later and had 5 more children with her second husband. Her last child was born when she was 45 years old.

I can't imagine moving from Michigan to Arkansas back in those days. It would have to have been by horse and wagon. And then moving back. Also, Harriet effectively had 2 families. She had one family with her first husband, and then a whole new family with her second husband. She passed away in 1929, when she was 78 years old. She saw a lot of technological changes too, from 1850 to 1929. Traveling by horse to travel by car and airplane. From candles to electricity. The telegraph, the telephone, moving pictures, radio. She saw a lot. I would love to get her thoughts. 

2 women who lived through a lot of personal ups and downs, but seemed to keep going. They also lived through great societal and technological changes too. I'm sure they'd have great stories, and advice, to give.

Who would you want to talk to?