Earliest Ancestor: Anders Svensson Lindblad

 This week's prompt is "Earliest Ancestor." Our earliest Swedish ancestor is Anders "Andrew" Svensson Lindblad. 

Anders was born April 29, 1836 in Slatthog, Kronoberg, Sweden. He was the third child and second son of Sven Andersson Fahna and Kajsa Catharina Jonasdotter. He was older brother to Ingrid Svensdotter Fahna, and uncle to George Henrickson.

Anders married Britta Amandsdotter on May 14, 1859. Anders and his new wife moved in with his parents and lived with them for the first few years. Anders joined the Swedish Army, like his father had, and soon had his own soldier's cottage to move into. Upon joining the Army he took a soldiers last name, He chose "Lindblad." "Lind" means "lime tree" and "blad" means "leaf." So, "Lindblad" has a connection to nature and trees. 

Anders and Britta had 4 sons between 1860 and 1867. Their youngest son, Aron, was born in 1867 and passed away in 1868. Cause of death was a stroke of some kind. Sweden was undergoing a famine between the years 1867-1869. 1867 had been unusually cold, and 1868 was a drought year. People and animals were starving all over Sweden. Undoubtedly the famine played a part in Anders and Britta's decision to leave for America.

On May 14, 1869 Anders, Britta, and their 3 remaining sons left for New York. Apparently, they had originally intended to go to Denver, Colorado, but ended up in LaPorte, Indiana. After arriving in LaPorte, Anders, who now went by "Andrew" took up farming. Andrew and Britta had a daughter who was born and died on the same day, February 10, 1873. The next year, July 31, 1874, Stina Marie would be born. Their second daughter, and youngest child. Andrew and Britta would suffer one more death of a child. Carl, their youngest son, would die in 1876. Reportedly Carl drowned in a lake. He was only 12 years old.

Andew and Britta joined the Bethany Lutheran Church, and sometime before 1880 Britta's mother, Mary, came from Sweden to live with the family. 

The 1900 Federal U.S. Census tells us how the family was doing after being in the States for 30 years. Andrew and son, George, had both obtained papers to become citizens but hadn't been naturalized yet. Interestingly, Britta had no papers. Why? As a married woman, she would obtain citizenship when her husband did. When he became naturalized, she would automatically become naturalized too. Andrew owned his farm, but it did have a mortgage. He could read, write, and speak English. Britta could read and speak English but was unable to write in English. Son George lived with his parents and helped his father work the farm. Daughter Stina lived at home and worked as a Servant. She would later move out when she married. 

While Andrew and Britta came to America in 1869, it would be until 1880 when the next family member of Andrew's came to America. That would be his nephew, Sven Fahnstrom, his brother Jonas's son. Starting in the 1880's the sons of Jonas Fahnstrom started coming to America. Our grandfather, George Henrickson, would come in 1892. Jonas and his wife and three youngest children came in 1893 and sister, Ingrid came in 1912. Some might call it chain migration, but our Henrickson family started in America with Anders "Andrew" and Britta Svensson Lindblad. Their pioneering spirit helped bring other relatives to America, including George Henrickson. His ticket to America was paid for by someone in America. The most likely candidate being his Uncle Anders. 

Andrew died June 27,1907, at home in LaPorte. He was 71. Britta passed away on April 12, 1923. She was 85 years old. The 1920 census says that Britta could now read and write English. It also lists her as a naturalized citizen. She also owns the farm, with no mortgage. Her son George lives with her and works the farm.

Oldest son Sven, who went by "Swan" in America, married and had 10 children. Youngest child Stina married and had 2 children of her own. 

Questions, comments, more information? Let me know in the comments down below or email me. Feel free to share and post with others who may be interested.

Travel

 This week's prompt is "Travel." I thought I would write about what it was like to travel to America during the 1800's. 

Prior to around 1860, our ancestors would have sailed to America on a ship with sails. It would have taken around 4-6 weeks to arrive. They would have been in steerage, which meant they were crammed in with everyone else and had little to no privacy. Cholera and Typhoid were common, not to mention sea sickness. Food and hygiene were bad. It was not a pleasant experience at all. This changed somewhat with the introduction of steam powered ships. Steamships could make the journey across the Atlantic in 2-3 weeks. The living conditions were also a bit better. The first ancestors to come to America on a steamship were Carl and Ulrika Anderson.

Carl and Ulrika left Goteborg, Sweden on a Friday afternoon and arrived in Hull, England on a Sunday afternoon. This was traditionally how sailings went. Leave on a Friday and arrive on Sunday. The journey took around 40-50 hours. They would have needed to be in Goteborg a week before sailing to meet with the ticket agent from the company and go through all the paperwork. They would have needed paperwork from their parish saying where they were leaving from, and where they were heading to.  Hull was the major port for arrivals of emigrants traveling to America from northern Europe. After arriving in Hull Carl and Ulrika would have stayed onboard their ship until the train was ready to take them to Liverpool. The train usually left on Monday morning around 11 am and arrived in Liverpool around 3 pm. There were no bathroom facilities onboard the train. At least not for 3rd class passengers. In Liverpool they would stay until they could board the ship taking them to America. I'm not sure how long they would have stayed in Liverpool. 

Traveling 3rd class, or "Steerage", was not easy. Passengers would be provided with a place to sleep and food. Passengers had to provide their own mattress and bedding. Also, their own plate, mug, knife, fork, spoon, and water can. They were also advised to make sure they had a good selection of clothes as clothes were more expensive in America. All of these items could be found in Liverpool for sale. Gunpowder was prohibited. Weapons needed to be left with the captain and crew for safe keeping. Valuables were also supposed to be left with the captain or ship's purser.

Food was served by the crew. It probably sounds better than it actually was. Passengers would be served tea and coffee, bread and gruel, soup, beef, pork, fish and potatoes. They were allowed 10-20 cubic feet for luggage. 

Passengers were also separated by families, single men, single women. The single men and women would be separated with families in-between them. 

After arriving in New York, 1st and 2nd class passengers were allowed to leave the ship. They were seen as more trustworthy. Steerage passengers had to remain on ship until it was time for inspection. They would be given a 6 second once over by a doctor, asked a few questions, and as long as they weren't sick or proclaimed themself an anarchist, they were allowed entry. Anyone could buy a ticket and sail to America to start over. 

Carl and Wilhemina Strandt sailed to America in late 1871. They sailed from Hamburg. By the time they arrived in Hull, Hull had built a large waiting room at the train station for the emigrants waiting for the Liverpool train. The waiting room had bathroom facilities, a place to wash up, and a chance to meet with the ticket agents. It was also shelter from the weather. Their passage to America would have been similar to Carl and Ulrika's passage. Crowded conditions in steerage, basic food, and they would have needed to pack their own bedding and cutlery. 

When Sven G. H. Johansson "George Henrickson" came to America in 1892, things had improved somewhat. He traveled on the Thingvalla line. His ticket had been bought in America by one of his uncles. The ships in this line were owned and operated by Scandinavians. The crew were all Scandinavian. They promised a quick, low-cost journey to America. The below is taken from the site A Thingvalla Line promotional pamphlet 1887

Is divided into different departments for families, for unmarried males and for unmarried females. Order and cleanliness is provided by crew specially employed for the task. The food is fresh and rich, made of first class food supplies. It is handed out in such rich portions, so it should not be necessary for the passengers to bring any additional food supplies for the voyage to New York The food is served to the passengers by stewards, thus on other steamship lines the passengers usually have to pick up their food at the galley, which of course will be unpleasant in bad weather.

The meals consist of:
Breakfast: Coffee with sugar, bread or biscuits with butter
Dinner: Beef and soup with potatoes and bread. Fish, clipfish with souse and fruit soup, Lobescauce? and Rice soup, varying through the week days.
Evening: Tea with sugar, bread and butter

Everyone gets as much to eat as desired. To the male passengers who desires, it is served every morning one dram of liquor. There are also rich supplies of water. There are bakeries on the ships, where fresh bread is baked every day. The between deck (steerage) is high, light and spacey, and is heated in the cold part of the year. Mothers of infants will receive milk or vrilfood free of charge.

George would have arrived at Ellis Island, where once again as a passenger in steerage, he would have had to wait to pass customs and inspection before being admitted into the country. It normally took around 5 hours.

A couple of final things about Thingvalla lines, they gave out tokens for luggage. When you arrived at your final destination, you exchanged your token for your luggage. Much like a luggage tag on checked suitcases today. Also, they were the only line that promised a direct route to America from Scandinavia. George sailed from Malmo, Sweden to Lubeck, Germany. Then, took the train to Copenhagen and sailed direct to America from Denmark, completely bypassing England.

Ingrid Fahna, George's mother, came to America in 1912. She was able to sail on the Lusitania. She sailed 3rd class, but by that time things had improved immeasurably for 3rd class passengers. She didn't have to supply anything and had much better sleeping and eating conditions. Her ship also sailed the fastest. She crossed the Atlantic in 10 days, whereas others took an average of 2 weeks.

Researching these companies, they reminded me of airlines today. Steerage is now Economy. 2nd Class is Business, and First Class is still First Class. Thingvalla would be the low-cost Spirit or Frontier airlines of today. They all promised to get you to America. The only difference is how much you were willing to pay. 

Another thing, many of these companies crammed as many passengers as they could onto their ships. There were complaints about the food, conditions and safety of many of these ships bringing emigrants to America. While researching I found an undercover report that the American government did on a ship. They sent a woman investigator undercover in the late 1800's to see what the conditions were like. She found poor food, poor sanitary conditions, instances of sexual harassment and emigrants being treated more like cattle than human beings. The governments of the United States, England, and others would put regulations and restrictions on the companies. As the undercover report showed though, they weren't always followed. 

These are the websites I used to write this blog.

Journey In Steerage from Northern Europe - 1871 | GG Archives

Emigrant_Imigrant.pub

A Thingvalla Line promotional pamphlet 1887

Migration from Northern Europe to America via the Port of Hull, 1848-1914

Questions, comments, additional information? Let me know down below or email me. Please feel free to share and post with others who may be interested.

Image of Hekla steamship that George Henrickson sailed on to America from Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Surprising

 This week the prompt is "surprising." There have been several surprises I've found out while researching my family history. Here are a few surprises that I've discovered.

• 7th great grandfather David Pulsipher fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. First, I hadn't really thought about any of my ancestors fighting in the American Revolution. I thought almost all had come over after 1776. I was surprised when I found out that David and his son, John, had fought at Bunker Hill, one of the most infamous battles at the start of the war. 
• Another surprising thing about the Pulsipher line is that the Pulsiphers who stayed in Ohio were quite active in the abolitionist movement in Ohio prior to the start of the Civil War. A Pulsipher cousin who stayed in Ohio even served with a son of John Brown in the Civil War.
• Another surprise, once again through the Pulsipher line, is that we are connected to the Mayflower. David Pulsipher's son, Ebeneezer, my 6th great grandfather, married Unity Reed. Unity goes back to Isabell Chilton on her father's side. Isabell came to America on the second ship after the Mayflower's arrival. Isabell's father was James Chilton. James and his wife arrived on the Mayflower. James is known as being the first passenger who died after arriving in America. Sometime in the future when I have time and money, I'd like to properly research this and obtain membership in the Mayflower Society. 
• Finding out that the Bellingers were originally from Germany was surprising. I'd always thought that Mildred Strand was English and Scottish and Irish. She was, but she was also German too. Finding out that Mildred and Carl could both speak German was surprising.
• On the Henrickson side, finding out that 2x great grandmother Ingrid Fahna had had a child out of wedlock was a great surprise. In actuality she had two children out of wedlock. I'd already discovered that she and her future husband Johan had a child before getting married. What was a true surprise was finding out that she had a child out of wedlock in her early 20's. Long before Johan. She was counseled by the Church on the wrongness of her act. I guess she forgot later. The child died around 3 months old. The child she had out of wedlock with Johan died around 1 year old. I wonder how the deaths of her first two children affected her relationship with George and Amanda. If any? 
• One more surprise involving the Swedish relatives was finding out that Carl Anderson, Malvina's father, was born to parents who were not legally wed. Again, Carl and his sister were born out of wedlock to their parents. In Carl's case though, the Church seemed to make an exception and welcomed his mother back with the same rights afforded a married woman. His parents, even though not legally wed, seemed to be accepted by everyone as a couple. They definitely need some more researching and looking into. 
• As a longtime fan of "Gone with the Wind" book and movie, the burning of Atlanta scene always fascinated me. I wondered how it must've felt to the citizens in General Sherman's path, and I wondered how it affected the soldiers marching. So, finding out that 3x great grandfather David Bellinger not only served in the Civil War, but marched with Sherman through Georgia and on to Charleston and Washington, D.C. was a big surprise.

Those are a few of the surprises I've come across in the past few years while researching. Every time I think I know someone, or I've searched a line as far as I can and I've found everything out, something new pops up. Regarding the Bellinger line, there seems to be a line that went with John Smith and Bringham Young to Utah and were Mormon pioneers. That's definitely a surprise! What are some of the surprising things you've learned and discovered? Leave a comment down below or email me. 

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. 

Hjalmar Rudolph Anderson (1890-1970)

 This week we're looking at the life of Hjalmar Rudolph Anderson, husband to Selma Henrickson, and son in-law of George and Malvina Henrickson.

Hjalmar Rudolph Anderson was born February 4, 1890, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His father was Carl Johan Anderson, NOT to be confused with the Carl Johan Anderson who was Selma's grandfather. I told you Sweden liked to use the same names over and over. That's what makes researching Swedish ancestors so hard, everyone has the same 2 or 3 names! :) Carl was from Ostergotland in Sweden and arrived in 1881 at the age of 33, per church records. Hjalmar's mother was Vendla Maria Peterson. Interesting fact, she came from Slatthogg parish, Kronoberg, Sweden. The same parish that George Henrickson and his family came from. Vendla arrived in America in 1886 at the age of 23. On October 30, 1886, Vendla and Carl married and set up housekeeping in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Carl listed as working in furniture as his occupation. Vendla put down "shop" as her occupation.

Thier first son, Harry Rickard Anderson, was born May 10, 1887. Harry's birthday may give us a clue as to why Carl and Vendla wed so soon. Harry's birth was followed by Hjalmar's on February 4, 1890. Daughter Lillie Victoria was born December 4, 1895. Son Rugner Melvin Theodore was born December 29, 1897. Daughter Agda Regina was born July 31, 1899.

I have been unable to find the family in the 1900 Federal Census. I have searched independently for all the family members. No hits come up. The names may be spelled differently, and that's why no hits are coming up, or perhaps they just missed the census taker? Either way, life was not easy for Hjalmar's family. On April 9, 1900, both Vendla and youngest child Agda come under doctor's care. Vendla is suffering from consumption and General Marasmus. Consumption is known today as Tuberculosis. General Marasmus is severe malnutrition. One's body is not getting enough protein, calories, vitamins or minerals to survive. It is a wasting away. Baby Agda is also suffering from General Marasmus and Scrofula. Scrofula is an infection of the lymph nodes on the neck. It is usually associated with tuberculosis. It was also known once as the King's evil. Lesions and abscesses grow on the neck. They are painless but can grow quite big. It's accompanied by fever, chills, malaise and weight loss. This is 1900 and there are no antibiotics available. Tuberculosis seems to be the main cause of death. The immediate cause of death for both was General Marasmus. There was little the doctors could do for them. On May 8, 1900, Agda passed away. She was 10 months old. On May 15, Vendla passed away. She was only 36. Hjalmar was 10 years old. On Vendla's death certificate it was listed that Vendla was the parent of 7 children, of whom 4 were still alive. Agda had just passed away, so that means she and Carl had 2 other children pass away in infancy, or miscarried. 

In the 1910 Federal Census we find Hjalmar working and living at the Michigan Asylum for the Insane in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was one of the largest employers in the area at the time. There is also a Lillie Anderson working there. She's 18. Hjalmar's sister, Lillie, would have been 15, but it wasn't uncommon for people to fib about their age to get jobs or get married. 

The next mention of Hjalmar is from June 1916. In a newspaper mention about the Swedish residents of Watson celebrating Midsummer. Hjalmar joined George Henrickson, William and Charles Sandahl in singing 2 Swedish songs. Hjalmar was 26 and Selma was 16. 

The 1920 Federal Census finds Hjalmar living and working on Nels Nelson's farm in Watson township as a Laborer. Helping Nels out with farm chores. 

On June 2, 1923, Hjalmar Anderson, farmer from Otsego, Michigan married Selma Henrickson, teacher from Allegan, Michigan. Hjalmar was 33 and Selma was 22. Selma's sister Eulalia and her cousin Russell Anderson (no relation to Hjalmar) were witnesses.

Their daughter, Arlene Eulalia, was born March 8, 1927. Son Victor Hjalmar was born August 11, 1930.

The 1930 Federal Census finds Hjalmar and Selma living in Allegan. Hjalmar's occupation is now a salesman in a hardware store. They don't have a radio.   

The 1940 Federal Census tells us that Hjalmar is still working in a hardware store as a salesman. He made $1000 a year. The house was rented, and 8th grade was the highest grade he attended. Selma had attended 1st year of college. An 8th grade education was pretty common in 1940. 

In 1942 Hjalmar registered for the draft. This tells us that Hjalmar was 5'7" tall, and weighed 150 pounds. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with a ruddy complexion. His employer is The Grange Store. Interestingly, for person who will always know your address, he put down Carl Henrickson, his brother in-law. I usually see a wife, mother, or immediate family member put down. Hjalmar must've felt pretty close to Carl to list him.

The 1950 Federal Census finds Hjalmar and Selma have moved to an apartment and Hjalmar is now working as an inspector for Blood Brothers Machine Co.

Hjalmar passed away April 21, 1970 at the age of 80. 

Earlier I said I couldn't find any mention of Hjalmar's family in the 1900 census. I "may" have found Hjalmar. In looking at Nels Nelson's family I researched him. In the 1900 census he and his wife Charlotte had a "John Anderson", born in Feb. 1890, in Michigan, living with them. The census was taken in June 1900. Could Hjalmar be "John"? Nels came to America from Sweden in 1881. The same year as Hjalmar's father. Maybe they immigrated together? Charlotte was also a Swedish immigrant. Perhaps when they said "Hjalmar" the census taker heard "John". Since Hjalmar lived with Nels and Charlotte later I think the odds are pretty good that the 10 year old boy boarding with Nels and Charlotte was Hjalmar. Especially with his mother dead. It would be difficult for his father to take care of the children. How Hjalmar got from Grand Rapids to Watson we'll probably never know, but it does speak to the kindness and generosity of Nels and Charlotte Nelson to take in Hjalmar. 

Hjalmar's older brother Harry married twice, divorced once. Worked for the railroad company and doesn't show up in any census records until 1940. He passed away in November 2, 1964 in Missouri. I don't think he had any children. 

Older sister Lillie is a mystery. I did find a Lillie Anderson, born in Oct. 1895, living as a boarder with a Swedish couple in Grand Rapids in 1900. Lillie was born in Dec. 1895 but maybe the birthday was recorded wrong. I've seen that before. With no other identifying information, whatever became of Lillie is an unknown mystery. 

Younger brother Rugner is found in the 1910 census living as a Boarder with another Swedish family. His World War I draft card lists his father as nearest relative. Carl is living in the Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Carl will die in 1919, also of Tuberculosis. Rugner works as a Riveter. He describes himself as short, slender, with light hair and grey eyes. He also says his left hip is crippled and he wears crutches. On his WW II draft card, he gives his height at 5' and weight as 83 pounds. He also lists a hearing defect and says he is lame. He is employed at R.C. Allen calculator. After the 1920 census I cannot find anymore census entries for him. He IS listed in the Grand Rapids city directories. He seems to remain gainfully employed. I can't find any record of marriage or children for him. He passed away June 8, 1971. 

The death of Hjalmar's mother and sister dealt the family a major blow. Fortunately, the Swedish community seemed to come together to take the children in and give them a shot at a better life. Nels and Charlotte Nelson took Hjalmar in and gave him that chance at a better life. Hjalmar married, found employment, and raised 2 children. He was able to give his children a better life than he had. 

Thank goodness for the U.S. Lutheran Church keeping such good records. Without church records I could never have pieced together Hjalmar's family with his parents.

Trains

"Trains" is the next prompt. Trains have played a very important part in the lives of our ancestors.  Trains brought them where they wanted to go, and often provided means of employment. Trains also brought tragedy on occasion. 

Moheda train station

The above picture is of the Moheda train station in Moheda parish, Sweden. The post card is dated 1902. This is most likely the train station that Sven Goran Henrik Johansson, aka George Henrickson, left from in 1892 when he traveled to America. His sister would later leave from this station, and perhaps his mother in 1912. After arriving in America he would travel by train from New York City to first Indiana, and then later to Michigan. I remember hearing a story that George worked on the railroads in Indiana, earning money to go to Augustana College in Chicago. 

Rotebro train station

The above train station is the Rotebro train station from Sweden. This is the train station that Carl Johan Anderson worked briefly at before marrying Ulrika Johannsdotter. There is a note in the Household census records about Carl working here. It's not known what his job was. Perhaps he sold tickets? It was probably more exciting, and less stressful than working on a farm. Later Carl would move closer to Stockholm and work at a railroad train station there, where Ulrika is also listed as working at. Later they would marry and after surviving a famine in Sweden they would come to America. They also settled first in Indiana, and then later came to Michigan. Family stories indicate that Carl and Ulrika came to Allegan, following the railroad. Carl may have worked on the railroad after arriving in America. He later purchased 80 acres with a house that still stays in the family today. The house and land stood across the road from the railroad tracks. Unfortunately for Carl and Ulrika, their second child and oldest daughter was killed when she wandered onto the tracks and was hit by an oncoming train. 

On the Strand side, Carl and Mildred Strand used trains as transportation. When Mildred was a young girl, her older brother Ray spent a summer crisscrossing the American west in search of their Uncle Judson. Ray took trains from Allegan all the way to Washington, sending postcards home from the places he stopped at along the way. He told the family to follow along with the train schedules to know when and where he was arriving. He traveled all over with no car, just using trains.

When Mildred, herself, was older, she used the train to meet Carl where he was working, in Battle Creek, I believe. Mildred had never learned to drive a car and Carl had her take the train to meet him. There was an interurban line in Allegan that quickly transported people from Allegan to Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Grand Rapids. It was cheap, fast, and electric. 

Trains helped our ancestors travel to faraway places to start new lives and visit far flung family members. Trains also helped our farmer ancestors sell their grains and crops and bring in goods not readily available in Michigan. 

Do you have any more stories about trains and how the impact they had on our family's life?

Postcards courtesy of FindaSwede. She has more information on where the postcards came from.

Also thanks to "Railroads Come and Go in Allegan County" by James J. Green. Allegan County Historical Society Publication. 1976.

Health and the Henricksons

The prompt for last week was "health." I thought it'd be interesting to take a look at the general health of our ancestors. Knowing the health history of a family can help people be aware of certain conditions and know what to look out for. This post will look at the Henrickson side of the family. 

My grandfather, Raymond Henrickson, was the 9th born child of the 12 children born to George and Malvina Henrickson. Of the 12 children, 11 lived to adulthood. The youngest child, Victor, was born March 10, 1921 and passed away on January 3, 1923. The death certificate states that cause of death was tuberculous meningitis and he had been treated for it for 6 days. From December 23, 1922 to January 2, 1923. Today it can be treated with drugs and medicine not available in 1923.

The next sibling to die was Evald Henrickson. He was born in 1911 and passed away in 1951. I haven't found a documented cause of death, but my mom said she thought he had kidney trouble. He was only 39 years old. Grace Henrickson Wall passed away in 1957 at the age of 52. Ingrid passed away in 1964. Neither had any children. Both are reported to have passed away from cancer. It's not known what type of cancer. Oldest son, Sidney, passed away in 1965. He died in a Veteran's hospital. His cause of death is unknown too. He was 63 when he passed away.

Aside from these early deaths, the other Henrickson siblings led relatively long lives. Selma and Eulalia lived to 85. Pearl was 89. Carl was 70. Esther lived to 78. Elvera lived to 91, and Raymond lived the longest of all. He passed away at the age of 93. I remember Grandpa saying he was glad to have lived longer than his mother.  

Going back a generation, let's look at George and Malvina Henrickson. 

George Henrickson was born in 1875 and died in 1941 at the age of 66. His cause of death was Pernicious Anemia. Pernicious Anemia is an autoimmune disorder where the body is unable to absorb B12. Being unable to absorb B12 then leads to many more complications, the most important being the body's inability to make red blood cells.  According to George's death certificate, he was treated for the condition for 5 years. There is still no cure for this disease, but it is treated with taking vitamin B12 shots, or orally. It is not a common disease, occurs mostly in older adults over the age of 60, in women, and in people of northern European/Scandinavian descent. People with pernicious anemia are also more likely to develop or have other autoimmune conditions, such as Type 1 Diabetes, Vitiligo, and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. I remember Grandpa telling me about his father's condition. George had said it felt like he had cats in his chest, clawing to get out. Some of the symptoms include rapid pulse, tingling of the skin, abdominal bloating, rapid weight loss, weakness in the arms and legs, shortness of breath, and pale skin.

By contrast, Malvina Anderson Henrickson was born in 1879 and passed away in 1964. She gave birth to 12 children. Little is known about her because she generally kept to herself, despite living with Ray and his family. The children were instructed to leave her alone and not bother her. She may have had some bladder control problems in her older years, but that wouldn't be unusual after carrying 12 children to term. She was 84 years old when she passed away. 

George Henrickson outlived both his sisters. One sister passed away at the age of 2 and his younger sister passed away at the age of 63 following an illness of several months, according to a newspaper article.

George's parents also lived pretty long lives, for the times. George's father, Johan, passed away at the age of 76 from heart disease. His mother Ingrid passed away at the age of 81, apparently from natural causes. Interestingly, Ingrid was also the longest-lived sibling out of her family. Her sister Amanda died at age 48. She's reported to have been sick most of her life. Her other sister, Sara lived to 73. She suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Brothers Jonas and Anders lived to 80 and 71, respectively. Rheumatoid arthritis is another autoimmune disorder. Amanda was always labeled ill or sick in the Household Examination books. I'm going to guess she may have had an autoimmune condition too. Another interesting fact is that Kajsa Jonasdotter, the mother of Ingrid, was noted to have a crippled hand, even as a younger woman. I'm wondering if she also suffered from RA? There definitely seems to be more autoimmune conditions from this branch of the family tree.

Swinging back to Malvina's family, Malvina also lived longer than both of her siblings. Her older brother Frank passed away at the age of 65 in 1939 from bronchial pneumonia, with Shingles also listed as present at time of death. Malvina's younger sister, Selma, also died in 1939, at the age of 56. Her death certificate lists Natural Heart Failure.

Malvina's parents also have heart disease listed as their causes of death too. Father, Carl Anderson, passed away at the age of 74 in 1915. The doctor wrote that Carl had been out working on the farm earlier in the day, came in and called for the doctor, but was dead before the doctor arrived. It was noted he had been treated previously for heart disease. Malvina's mother, Ulrika, passed away in 1918 at the age of 78. Her death certificate notes that she had been treated for chronic endocarditis before her death. 

It is possible to go back even further in Sweden with causes of death. The two main causes of death were either from a sickness, usually pneumonia, or if the person was older, it was usually listed as heart disease.  

So there you have it, the health history of the Henrickson family, going back to the 19th century in Sweden. I'm working on another post for the Strand and Bellinger families. 

Questions, comments, or have more information to share? Post below or email me. Feel free to share this post with others. I'm always looking for more relatives to add. 

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

Changing Names: Was Our Family Name Changed at Ellis Island?

 Almost every family seems to have a story about an ancestor whose name was changed at Ellis Island. Hollywood loves to use this urban legend of a character coming to America and an unfeeling, disinterested customs official can't pronounce the foreign name, so he gives the character a new, Americanized name. It never happened. Custom officials used the manifest that was created at the point of departure. Also, most of the inspectors could speak more than one language. If names were changed, it came from the immigrant, not from the inspector.

On my paternal side, my Bellgraph family became Bellgraph from Bellgrowa in Pomerania long before they immigrated to America. My 2x great grandfather John Knach became John Conor when he settled among many Irish Catholics in Nebraska. He even went so far as to claim to be from Ireland on the census, even though his family was from eastern Prussia.

On my maternal side there are many instances of the appearing and disappearing letter "t" at the end of Strandt. Even in Germany the letter appears and disappears. In America, Carl Strand seems to be the only family member who left it off. It seems to have disappeared permanantly from him around the time of World War I when there was large anti-German sentiment in the country.

This leaves us with Sven Goran Henrik Johansson, known as George Henrickson in America. If we look at George's family, we can see that there is actually a history of men in his family changing surnames.

Going back we find George's great grandfather, Anders Skjold, born in 1788 in Sweden. His father's name was Lars Christian Hultberg. When Anders joined the Swedish military, though, he took on a military surname. Men would do this to distinguish themselves from all the other men with the same name as them. "Skjold" means "Shield" in Swedish. 

Anders Skjold later had a son named Sven Andersson, born in 1810. Sven also joined the Swedish military and took on a soldier surname. His surname was "Fahna", which means "Flag." So, Sven Andersson Fahna is how he became known. His children had the last name Fahna. 

Sven had two sons, Jonas and Anders. They also joined the Swedish military and took on military surnames. Jonas could not use Fahna, as his father was using it. Jonas's surname became "Fahnstrom". Anders took the last name "Lindblad." Lindblad is an ornamental name. "lind" refers to the Lind, or Lime tree. "blad" refers to Leaf. 

Sven's daughter, Ingrid, married Johan Jonasson. Their son, Sven Goran Henrik, would have had the last name of Johansson. Johan was one of the most popular, if not the most popular name in Sweden at the time. That means, there would have been very many Swedish immigrants in America with the last name of Johansson. We've already seen how common it was to change the surname in Sweden. There was no tradition of carrying on a family name as the surname changed each generation, or with entry to the military. So, when Sven Goran Henrik Johansson came to America and saw how many other Swedish immigrants had the last name Johansson, he decided he wanted to stand out and be different. When he became a naturalized American citizen he chose a new, more American sounding name for himself. He went with George Henrickson. He dropped Johansson, and turned his name of Henrik into his surname by adding "son." 

The first paper is the passenger manifest from the ship leaving Malmo, Sweden. His name is listed as Sven G.H. Johansson. The next picture is the manifest of the ship coming into Ellis Island, in New York. The name is listed exactly the same. And that, is how we became Henrickson's, and not Johanson's. :)

How George fits in:

George Henrickson (Sven Goran Henrik Johansson) son of, 

Ingrid Svensson Fahna, daughter of,

Sven Andersson Fahna, son of,

Anders Skjold, son of,

Lars Christian Hultberg. (Lars was also in the military and I believe Hultberg is also a name given to him in the military but I'm not sure. At least 3 generations of Swedish military service.)

 

Earning a living: Ingrid Christina Svensdotter Fahna

 This week's prompt is "Earning a living." Thanks to Annika Hostmad of Find a Swede I've been able to add more to the life story of my great, great grandmother Ingrid Christina Svensdotter Fahna. 

Ingrid Christina Svensdotter Fahna was born November 22, 1840 on her father Sven's 30th birthday. Her mother was 39. Ingrid was the youngest of the couple's 5 children. Her father was a Vice Corporal in the Swedish army. He was given a cottage for him and his family to live in. In return, he would fight in the army if called upon. Her mother had limited use of one arm and had recovered from an earlier infection of smallpox. Ingrid and all of her siblings were vaccinated against smallpox. She also learned to read and write. The family lived in Slatthog parish, Kronoberg County, Sweden. Part of Smaland of Sweden.

Sickness seemed to run in Ingrid's family. Her older sisters Anna and Sara are both listed as sickly in the Household records. Their mother is also listed as sickly too. Sara is able to find work as a teacher of young children and she moves out of the cottage. She works as a teacher until her retirement. Rheumatoid arthritis is listed as a contributing factor in her cause of death. So far no work record has been found for Anna. Perhaps she was too sick to work? Her brothers move out, find work and get married. Brother Jonas even joins the army for a bit.

In October 1861 Ingrid moves out of her parish to a nearby parish and works as a maid. Working as a maid on a farm can mean many things. She may have worked inside the house doing cooking, cleaning and laundry. She may also have worked outside tending to vegetable gardens, milking cows, or taking care of livestock. Either way, it was most likely hard work. After one year, she moved back home to her parish in Slatthog. When she moves back to Slatthog it is noted that her reading is justifiable, her reputation is good, and she is free to marry. 

Shortly after moving back to Slatthog parish, Ingrid becomes pregnant. She is not wed. On September 4, 1863, she gives birth to a baby boy. He is named Anders Peter Wilhelm. We have no way of knowing if this child was born out of a loving relationship or if something more sinister happened. The child was baptized 2 days later, and in October Ingrid was counseled and given absolution for having a child out of wedlock. Unfortunately, the child died suddenly on November 12. He was 2 months old. Cause of death was stroke. It may have been a heart defect or SIDS. 

The next records for Ingrid are between 1867 and 1872. She is living with her family during this time. Her father has retired from the army and is ill. Her sister Anna is ill, and her mother is very ill. 

In the fall of 1872 Ingrid moves from Slatthog to Moheda parish to move in with Johan Jonasson, whose wife died earlier that year. Apparently, it was common then for a woman to move in with a single man and then marry later. The house they lived in was a backstuga. That means the house wasn't on land you could farm. The occupants had to support themselves in other ways. Also, on Ingrid's entry the priest noted that Ingrid had had a child out of wedlock. The Scarlet Letter seemed to follow her through her life.

On January 3rd, 1873, the Banns for the marriage of Ingrid and Johan were announced. Banns are an announcement of marriage between 2 individuals. It gives people an opportunity to come forward should they have a legal objection to the marriage. It's supposed to prevent invalid marriages from happening. What makes this case unique is that Ingrid and Johan didn't marry until January 1874. Marriage is usually a couple of weeks after the publishing of the banns. In between, Ingrid gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Amanda Christina, on June 13, 1873.

After finally marrying in January 1874, Ingrid gave birth to another child, son Sven Goran Henrik on January 19, 1875. That November Ingrid lost another child. Daughter Amanda died of illness. She was 2 and a half years old. Ingrid gave birth once more in July 1877 to daughter Amanda Emma Christina. 

The family seemed to live together until August 1892 when son, Sven, left for America. Shortly after this Ingrid and Amanda are living in Slatthog again. Amanda is confirmed in the church while living in Slatthog parish. It took about a year of studying to be confirmed. There are notes in the Household records that Ingrid and Johan are living apart. It is believed that Ingrid moved in with her sister Sara and helped take care of her, but there are no records that confirm this. Sister Anna had passed away in 1878. Her parents passed away in 1881 and 1883. Her brother Jonas had already immigrated to America with his family. 

Daughter Amanda left for America in 1901. Ingrid's husband Jonas passed away in December 1903. Although there is no record of her living with sister, Sara, Ingrid is sailing for America 3 months after Sara's death. Brother Anders and his family had already left for America too. 

Ingrid sailed for America in 1912 and passed away at her daughter Amanda's home in 1922. She had lived a very long, eventful life. 

Parish of Moheda where Ingrid and Johan lived with their family until 1892. Birthplace of Sven Goran Henrik (George Henrickson) and Amanda Emma Christina Fahnstrom.

Ingrid Christina Svensdotter Fahna, mother of

Sven Goran Henrik Johansson (George S. Henrickson), father of 

Selma

Sidney

Eulalia

Grace

Pearl

Ingrid

Carl

Evald

Raymond

Esther

Elvera

Victor

Origins: Smaland and Skaraborg, Sweden

 This week's prompt is "Origins." The origins for the George and Malvina Henrickson clan are in two areas of Sweden, Smaland and Vastra Gotaland.

Smaland is a province made up of 3 counties: Kronoberg, Kalmar, and Jonkoping. George Henrickson's paternal and maternal lines both go back in Kronoberg County until at least the late 1700's. Carl Anderson, father of Malvina Anderson Henrickson, has paternal lines that go back through Jonkoping, and his mother's family stretch back through Kronoberg. Malvina's mother, Ulrika Johansdotter Anderson, has family from Vastra Gotaland, in western Sweden. She is the only one who does not have roots in Smaland.

Smaland is in southeastern Sweden. The name literally means, "small lands." It is an area filled with forests, many lakes, bogs, and stretches to the east coast of Sweden where it borders the Baltic Sea. While some of the land is used for agriculture, it can be very rocky and the soil isn't the best. The weather averages around 72'F in the summer for a high, and around 32'F in the winter. 

The "small lands" names comes from the Middle Ages when each small province could declare itself neutral in Sweden's many wars. When the land south of Smaland was controlled by Denmark, and they would have conflicts and wars with Sweden, the provinces in Smaland could and would declare themselves neutral. They were so far from Stockholm that there wasn't much the King could do. This lasted until 1350 when a national law code was introduced and the small provinces and towns lost their autonomy. The area was also the scene of several peasant rebellions. 

In the 1800's Smaland was affected by famine, and had high levels of poverty. The many social and economic problems led many residents to emigrate to America. Residents read about America, the land of opportunity and left Sweden for a better life, including ours.

Today Smaland is known as the birthplace of the founder of IKEA. The birthplace of Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern day taxonomy, and Astrid Lindgren, author of the Pippi Longstocking books. Smaland is also known for glass blowing and for the original red and white peppermint stick.

Vastra Gotaland was formed in 1998 when three counties were combined into one. They were Alvsborg, Goteborg och Bohus, and Skaraborg. Ulrika Johansdotter's family goes back to the early 1800's in Skaraborg County.

Skaraborg sits between lakes Vanern and Vattern. It has densely wooded forests and plains and a table rock landscape. I couldn't find much other information on Skaraborg. 

The first map below shows were Skaraborg is located within Vastra Gotaland. The second map shows the area of Smaland. Underneath that is a link to a short 2 minute video that showcases the sights and sounds of Smaland. 

Visit Smaland

You Wouldn't Believe It!

 This week's prompt is "You wouldn't believe it." I've uncovered a lot of surprising things about my ancestors and relatives over the past few years. One of the facts that I really found surprising was when my mom told me that her father, Raymond Henrickson, had surprised her and her siblings by playing a bit of a tune on a piano one day. No one knew that he could even play the piano!  I dug deeper into it.

Raymond Henrickson was the 9th child born to George and Malvina Henrickson. Ray most likely learned to play the piano from his parents. Both Malvina and George played the organ at the local Lutheran church. Malvina had even helped donate money, and traveled to Detroit, Michigan to bring back the first organ for the church. From Allegan to Detroit and back again with a horse and wagon. Ray wasn't the only child of theirs to play. Oldest daughter Selma also is listed in the church records as church organist for a time. I'm unsure if any other of Ray's siblings knew how to play the piano/organ, but I'm sure there must've been others.

After establishing where Ray and his siblings learned to play the piano, the next question is how did George and Malvina learn to play? Malvina already knew how to play the organ when she met George. Her parents, Carl and Ulrika Anderson, had immigrated from Sweden. Carl was a farmer, as he had been in Sweden. Both came from poor families. Carl had worked at a railroad station and Ulrika had worked for many different families as a maid before they met and married. After marrying, Carl farmed. It seems unlikely either family had a piano. Ulrika's parents were both dead by the time she was 7. Perhaps she learned somewhere along the way from one of the families she worked for? 

George Henrickson immigrated from Sweden as a 17-year-old boy. His family also was poor, but his maternal uncles were a bit better off. One immigrated to America in 1869 and became a successful farmer. Another one worked as a tailor in Sweden, and then in America. George also had a maternal aunt who worked as the local schoolteacher. It seems music and dancing seemed to be fun pastimes in his mother's family. I found this excerpt from a letter written by one of his sister's descendants: 

 Karl and Sven George Henrickson were handsome men, several of the Fahnstrom's and the Johnson's were good looking people, also musical and some loved to dance, guess that's something I inherited. Grandpa George and his sons played accordion by ear, Great Uncle Fred's sons, Wesley (Jack) Elmer (Unk) and Leslie (Pete) were very good and played accordion, guitar and banjo for dances.

At this Mid-summer picnic George was enough of a singer to be part of a quartette, singing, so he must've enjoyed it, and had a good voice!

Our ancestors, especially the ones who lived in Sweden, had hard lives. They weren't easy, filled with hard work. Oftentimes working from sunup to sundown. But, I'm glad that they did make time for fun. That they celebrated and sang and danced, with family and friends. 

This Swedish Ancestor Stayed Home

The prompt for this week is "This Ancestor Stayed Home." I thought I'd write about an ancestor that stayed in the old country and didn't immigrate to America.

We all know Sven Goran Henrik Johansson, aka George S. Henrickson, came to America. His sister, mother, and all of his uncles and their families on his mother's side also came to America. All of his immediate family on his mother's side either came to America, or had already passed on. But what about his father's side?

George's father was Johan Jonasson. At some point in time, Johan and Ingrid, George's mother, stopped living together. Johan stayed in Sweden and passed away in 1903 at the age of 76. Cause of death was listed as heart disease. Johan had a half brother and 3 sisters. He also had a younger brother, Anders. 

Johan's sisters all left home and worked as maids at various farms. Oldest sister Lena died at the age of 91. I haven't found a marriage record for her. She stayed in Sweden and apparently had no children. Sara, like Lena, seemed to spend her life working as a maid on various farms around southern Sweden. No marriage or birth records of children have been found for her. She died at the age of 95. Youngest sister, Stina, worked briefly as a maid before marrying and having at least 2 children. She died at the age of 69 and also lived in Sweden her whole life.

Johan's youngest brother was Anders.  Anders was only 9 when his father, Jonas, passed away. I haven't found many records of how young Anders supports himself. First real record I have of him is June 22, 1867, when he married Ingrid Palmquist. After marrying, Anders works as a shoemaker.

Anders and Ingrid have 12 children altogether. Of the 12, at least 8 children survive to adulthood. I haven't found a death record for one of his daughters yet. Of the 8 that survived, 6 came to America. These children would all be 1st cousins of George Henrickson. They settled mostly in North Dakota. One went to Wisconsin, and one went to California. Only 2 of Anders' children stayed in Sweden. 

Anders's youngest son, Axel, came to America and lived in Montana, Minnesota, and Washington before becoming an American citizen and enlisting in the U.S. Army to fight in World War I. He lost his life on October 31, 1918. He's buried in Flanders Field in West Flanders, Belgium. I'm not sure if George knew his cousin was fighting or not but I'm sure he would have been proud of him.

Anders himself stayed in Sweden his entire life. Anders passed away on June 20, 1920, at the age of 82. He still lived in Moheda, Sweden. Same parish as he was born in. 

So, do we still have relatives in Sweden today? Yes! Not only do we have relatives from Anders, but we also have relatives related to Carl and Ulrika Anderson in Sweden. I uploaded my DNA to MyHeritage, another ancestry site that matches your DNA with people all over the world. Unlike Ancestry, MyHeritage is based more in Europe. I have matched with people living in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Belgium, England and literally all over the world. Most are 3rd and 4th cousins, meaning we have the same 3x or 4x great grandparents. It's still pretty cool though. 

A colorized picture of Anders Jonasson. Anders and wife Ingrid sitting in the front. Son Carl, standing on the left. Daughter Elvira, and her husband Magne on  the Right. Dated 1911. Carl was visiting Sweden from America. Elvira lived in Sweden. 

Surprise! You're Swedish!

 One of the biggest surprises I found after taking an Ancestry DNA test was how high the estimate of Swedish/Danish DNA was. I knew my maternal grandfather was full Swedish, but that would have given my mother around 50%, and I should have received about 25%, more or less. Instead, my Swedish/Danish estimate was close to 50%, and my mother and some of her siblings were at 50% or more. How was this possible? Did I have more Swedish ancestors I didn't know about? The answer was to look back into the history of the Baltic Sea area.

I knew for a fact that some of my ancestors had lived in southern Sweden. I also discovered that other ancestors had lived in northern Germany, and northwestern present day Poland. In fact, I traced many of my ancestors back to areas that bordered right along the Baltic Sea. It was time to look at the history of this area, and specifically Sweden.

Today, Sweden stays neutral and doesn't get involved in wars among countries. In the past, it was much different. The Viking Age of Sweden was from 800-1050 AD. The Vikings sailed around the Baltic Sea, up rivers, and pretty much all over Europe. Some stayed in these new found lands, while others brought slaves and wives back to Sweden. During the 14th century trade among towns and villages on the Baltic Coast began to grow. The Hanseatic League was formed. Many towns were part of this trade and business alliance. North German towns would trade with Scandinavian towns. Migration occurred and people scattered. When I was in Bergin, Norway last summer our tour guide told us about how the locals didn't appreciate the German merchants coming and taking Norwegian girls back to Germany as their brides.  

Sweden also had a foreign policy of which the aim was to dominate the Baltic Sea area. There were repeated wars with Denmark. Eventually Sweden controlled the area from Sweden east to Finland, along the Baltic coast and down to northern Germany. All land area bordering the Baltic Sea was under Swedish control. This was in the 1600's. Sweden was unable to keep control of such a large empire, though, and eventually lost control of this land. This was the Great Northern War of 1700-1721. Sweden fought against Denmark, Poland, and Russia. During the Napoleonic wars Sweden lost Finland to Russia. Norway was forced into a union with Sweden in 1814. Norway gained their independence from Sweden in 1905.

So, when you take all this into account and see how much land Sweden used to control in the Baltic Sea area, and see where our ancestors lived, then it's not surprising that so much Swedish/Danish DNA shows up. 

This is just a very small, brief, Cliff Notes version of Swedish history. One day I'll do a more in depth blog of Sweden's military past, and the Hanseatic League. Information for this came from Sweden's history