Eva Wilhelmina Strandt

 After last week's blog about William F. Strandt, I received a request wanting to know more about William's oldest daughter, Eva. This week's blog is what I've been able to piece together about Eva Wilhelmina Strandt. She also sorta fits the prompt for this week which is "War and Peace." 

Eva Wilhelmina Strandt was born April 20, 1899 in Allegan, Michigan to Mary and William Strandt. She lived with her parents on a farm belonging to her grandparents, Carl FT and Wilhelmina "Amena" Strandt in Allegan. Eva was soon joined by siblings Carl, Ruth and Howard. The family also moved from Michigan to Illinois and back to Michigan again. At the age of 18 Eva followed in her mother's footsteps and became a teacher in a rural school. She lived at home and taught school for many years. 

On January 11, 1923 she married Reed Hayes, an auto mechanic. They lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 1929, or earlier, a daughter was born to them, Ruth Marilyn Hayes. Ruth was born after the death of Eva's sister, Ruth. My guess is that she named her daughter after her beloved sister. Ruth's early death seemed to bring great sadness to the Strandt family.

On January 20, 1934 Eva was granted a divorce from Reed Hayes. In the petition Eva cites extreme and repeated cruelty, and non support for reason for divorce. Reed didn't contest it. In talking to Eva's granddaughter, she relayed a story her grandmother told her about her first husband. Eva said that he had asked her to move to Florida with him so he could find work there. Eva refused, on the grounds that she wanted to stay and help her mother stay safe. Whatever the real reason was, after the divorce Reed did move to Florida where he remarried and had another child. Eva stayed in Kalamazoo with daughter Ruth.

The 1940 Federal Census finds Eva and Ruth living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Eva supports herself and Ruth by teaching. Her income was $926, with no other source of income. 

On August 14, 1943 Eva married for a second time. She married Robert G. Kiser, who was originally from South Dakota. He worked in a local paper mill. Eva still worked as a teacher. In February 1948, daughter Ruth marries Jack Jones and moves out. A year later in 1949 her daughter Marilyn Eva is born. Eva is now a grandmother.

Eva and Robert live in Kalamazoo. Eva's daughter has moved to Orlando, Florida after the death of her husband in 1952. On one of her trips back home to visit family in December, daughter Ruth goes for a ride in a car with her cousin Charles Strandt, son of Howard. With them is Ruth's daughter Marilyn. While driving, a postal truck hits the car they are riding in. All 3 occupants are injured. Ruth dies later at the hospital, Charles survives, but with crippling injuries for life. Marilyn is severely injured but survives. Eva takes Marilyn in and helps raise her.

Marilyn remembers Eva as a kind woman. Eva never spoke to Marilyn about the conflict with her brother Carl. One day Eva drove Marilyn past the farm and told her her oldest brother Carl, his wife, and four children lived there, but no more was said about Carl. Eva also didn't mention any of the Strandt relatives in Chicago either. Eva and Howard did talk and associate, but I think there may have been a falling out with Howard after the tragic car accident. Marilyn does remember visiting William and Mary when they were older, and when they went to live in a nursing home before their deaths.

At some point after the deaths of William and Mary, Eva and Robert moved to Tampa, Florida. There they remained until their deaths. Robert passing away in 1967, and Eva passing away in 1980, at the age of 81.

Eva loved to teach and taught many children over the years. She also spent 5 years teaching children with Special Needs. She spoke both High and Low German, and drove a Model T in her younger days. Like her brother Howard, she supported the Republican party. 

Eva had a lot of trials and tribulations in her life, but she seemed to deal with everything with grace and dignity. Always trying to help others. Her granddaughter Marilyn had very fond memories of her. 

Mary, baby Eva, William Strandt.

Eva and 2 boys on horse. Perhaps Carl and Howard?

Ruth Marilyn Hayes, Eva's daughter

From the Tampa Tribune 1980

Loss

 This week I thought I'd combine Women's History with the 52Ancestors prompt of "Loss." This is the story of Ingrid Svensdotter, mother of George Henrickson, my great, great grandmother.

Ingrid Christina Henrickson Fahna Svensdotter was born November 22, 1840 in Slatthogg, Kronobers, Sweden. Her parents were Sven Andersson Skold Fahna and Kajsa Johansdotter. She had 2 sisters and 2 brothers. Her father served in the Swedish army and was given a cottage/croft to live in. This is copied from Family Search and explains what a "croft" was.  The new system divided the parishes into “rotar” and each “rote” (several small farms) was to recruit a voluntary soldier to the infantry and also to provide a croft with a small piece of land and whatever else the soldier and his family needed to subsist. The soldier would live on his land, take part in military training, and serve in active duty during times of war. According to information I found on another website from Fahna relatives, Sven was a very intelligent man and an excellent writer. The other men would come to him for advice and have him write letters for them. He was well thought of in the community.

Ingrid worked as a housekeeper for a local bachelor when she got older. His name was Johan Karl Jonasson. He was known to the local authorities for taking his neighbors' property and causing disturbances. Nevertheless, in January 1874, Ingrid married Johan. She was 33 years old. In January of 1875 a son was born, Sven Goran Henrik Johansson, later known as George S. Henrickson. That November Ingrid's first born daughter, Amanda, died. She was 2 years old, which means she would have had to have been born in 1873, before Ingrid and Johan were married. I'm not sure if the dates for Amanda's birth and the marriage are entirely accurate. Or if Johan is indeed the father of Amanda. That time period is still grey.

In July 1877 Ingrid and Johan have a daughter, named Amanda, to honor the daughter who had died earlier.

In 1878, Ingrid's older sister Anna dies. Her father passes away in 1881 and her mother in 1883. Her son Sven leaves for America in 1892, and her daughter leaves in 1900. By this time Ingrid is living with her sister Sarah, who is blind. Ingrid's 2 brothers also use this time to move their families to America. 

In 1903 Johan passes away. In 1907 her brother Anders, who had moved to America passes away. Finally, in August 1912 Ingrid's sister Sarah passes away. On November 21, 1912 Ingrid leaves Moheda to begin her travel to America. She departs Gotenberg on December 11, 1912 to sail to Grimsby, England to continue on to New York and to then join her daughter Amanda and her family in Illinois. She is 72 years old and makes the journey by herself. Her brother Jonas passes away in 1914. Ingrid is the last survivor of her brothers and sisters. 

She lives with Amanda's family until she passes away at the age of 81 in 1922. Newspapers list her age as 85 but according to church records she was only 81. 

Ingrid had a hard life, and suffered a lot of loss. But she was a survivor. She took care of an ailing sister and then joined her children in America when she was able to. To travel alone, across the ocean, at age 72 took a lot of strength. And she was definitely traveling in steerage, not first class. I like to think that life was easier for her once she got to America.