Favorite photo, Nickname, Overlooked

 January has been a wild and crazy month. It literally snowed up to 9" of snow in Florida. This week I'm playing catch up with the prompts of the week of #52Ancestors. 

First prompt was "Favorite Photo." This is another photo of the Carl Strand family. I like this one because it's one of the few, maybe the only one, I have of Mildred Strand smiling. In most of her pictures she's looking at the camera with no smile. In this one she is smiling and looks to be laughing too. Carl has his arms crossed, as usual. Howard and Viola also look to be smiling. It's outside and the weather looks warm. Maybe it was taken on a Sunday visit to Mildred's parents' house for a Sunday dinner? I used the AI photo shop tools on Ancestry to enhance the picture as the original one is grainy. 

The next prompt was "Nickname." The most interesting nickname I've come across in my research is that of Johan Jonasson, the father of George Henrickson, aka Sven Goren Henrick Johansson. In the Swedish Church records, Johan Jonasson has the nickname of Styfva Johan. It translates to English as "Stiff" Johan. "Stiff" could have one of many meanings. It might refer to his appearance. He had stiff joints, or maybe he was strong and tall? It could also refer to his character. "Stiff" could mean that he was moral and of good character. He was proud, or arrogant. Maybe he was uncompromising? It's interesting to note that his father, Jonas Johansson also had the same nickname. Whatever it meant, father and son must've been the same. 

The next prompt was "Overlooked". In researching, I find that my female ancestors, the 3x and 4x great grandmothers often get overlooked. Women were treated as property of their husbands, and before that, taken care of by their fathers. It is hard to research female ancestors unless I can find a reliable document with their maiden name. Not all marriage certificates list parents. Sometimes I can find a maiden name, but I may not find first names of parents. Oftentimes in obituaries I'll find, Mrs. Edward Jones, wife of Edward Jones died yesterday. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Smith. Sometimes I don't even get that! Men have biographies, sketches, and full-blown obits about them. Women are just sidekicks and afterthoughts. 

That's it for this week. Do you have a favorite photo? Any nicknames of relatives, ancestors you'd like to share? Or who is someone you think is overlooked and would like to know more about? Leave me a note here or email me. I'm always looking for more material. 

Nicknames: How did Ulrika become Hilda?

 The prompt for this week is "nicknames." It made me think of my great, great grandmother Ulrika Johannesdotter Anderson. Her given name was Ulrika and that is what she is known by in all Swedish records found on her. She is also known as Ulrika in early documentation in America and in the Swedish Lutheran Church records kept in America. Sometime around 1910, though, she acquired the nickname "Hilda/Hulda." I have found records past 1910 referring to her as Hilda and there is one record that refers to her as Hulda. Why did this occur? Let's find out.

Ulrika was born March 24, 1840 to Johannes Pehrsson and Britta Carlsdotter. The name "Ulrika" means "wealthy ruler" and comes from Old High German. It's the feminized form of Ulric. Two queens in Sweden were named Ulrika and it was popular in literature in the 19th century. There were characters named Ulrika in "Ivanhoe" and "Count Robert of Paris." 

The record shows that Ulrika was the only name given to her. She had no second name given. She was simply called Ulrika. All of the records in Sweden, household examination, marriage, and passenger immigration lists, all list her name as Ulrika. Hilda or Hulda is never used with her. 

When she comes to America, the first U.S. Federal census she's recorded in, 1880, lists her name as "Eureka." To English ears, hearing the name Ulrika pronounced the Swedish way, it would sound very close to 'eureka" She and Carl had only been in the US 10 years by that point. It's also noted that neither she nor Carl could read or write in English. However, by the 1900 Federal census, she is listed under her proper name of Ulrika, even though it is spelled "Uhrick." The local Swedish Lutheran church lists her name as Ulrika. Again, no other name given.

The 1910 Federal census is where we find Ulrika listed as "Hilda." She and Carl can both read and write English at this point too. After 1910 we see Hilda used to refer to Ulrika in documents, especially in documents also referencing her oldest son, Frank, and youngest daughter, Selma. In the marriage records for both Frank and Selma, she is referred to as Hulda/Hilda Anderson. Interestingly, in the marriage record for Malvena, she is listed by her Swedish name, Ulrika. When Ulrika dies, her death certificate was filled out with information provided by oldest son, Frank. She is listed as Hilda Anderson. "Ulrika" is then listed next to that name in parentheses, almost as an afterthought. When Frank passes away, his mother's name is listed as Hilda. Daughter Selma also passes away soon after, and Hilda is listed as her mother's name. I haven't found Malvena's death certificate yet, but I have a feeling I'd find the name Ulrika listed. 

The name "Hilda" comes from the Old Norse word hildr, which was the name of a Valkyrie who carried fallen warriors to Valhalla. Hilda means "battle or battle woman." It's a name of strength. Since the name Hilda is never used in Swedish, it must've been a nickname given to her in America, but why? Was it to differentiate her from another Ulrika? Or perhaps it was given to her because of her personality? We know Ulrika was orphaned by the time she was 7, lost a child in Sweden, lost another child who was killed by a train in Michigan. With all the tragedies in her life, maybe her friends and family wanted to honor her? Or, maybe they just preferred it to Hilda and found it easier to pronounce than Ulrika? Her husband Carl was known as Charles after coming to America. Maybe Ulrika wanted a new name too? 

Carl and Ulrika marriage record

Carl and "Hilda" in 1910 census

Death Certificate for Ulrika Anderson, using nickname Hilda