Radio: Yes or No? Technology in the 1930's

 In the 1930 United States Federal Census a question was asked if respondents had a radio. It was the first time a consumer question had been asked on the census. Radio had been introduced earlier and was increasingly becoming a popular way of obtaining news, entertainment and a way of selling items to consumers. If anyone in the household owned a radio set, an "R" was placed next to the family name in box 9. I decided to look into it and see how many of our ancestors had a radio in 1930.

First up is George and Malvina Henrickson.

From the census record we know that George and Malvina did NOT have a radio set in 1930. In fact, they were like most of their neighbors. Only a few families in their area had a radio set. We also see that Malvina's older brother, Frank Anderson, didn't have a radio set. Malvina's younger sister, Selma, and her husband Andrew, did not have a radio set either. All 3 families lived on a farm. What about George's sister, Amanda, who lived in Illinois? Amanda and George Fahnstrom did not have a radio set either. They also lived on a farm.

I looked up the Henrickson children who weren't living at home in 1930. Sisters Selma, Eulalia, Grace, and Pearl all lived in Allegan, yet none of them had a radio set either. Only sister Ingrid, who lived in Allegan, had a radio set.

What about Carl and Mildred Strand? 

Located at the bottom of the page we see that Carl and Mildred did NOT live on a farm in 1930 and they DID have a radio set. Listening to the radio at night must have been a fun way to pass the evening. Some of the popular radio programs of the 1930's include "Amos 'n' Andy", "The Eddie Cantor Show", "The Adventures of Sam Spade," "The 64,000 Question". What about William and Mary Strandt? They lived on a farm in 1930. Did they have a radio?

Yes! Not only did they live on farm and have a radio set, it looks like most of their neighbors had a radio too.

While William and Mary Strandt had a radio, Mildred's parents, Charles and Elnora did NOT have a radio. They also lived on a farm. William and Mary seem to be the exception to living on a farm and not having a radio. Mildred's sister, Helen, who lived in Glendale, California had a radio, as did her brother, Lynn, who lived in Kalamazoo. I'm not sure of the whereabouts of wandering brother Ray in 1930.

On my paternal side, Albert and Emily Ashley lived on a farm and did not have a radio. Frank and Anna Thompson lived in Allegan and DID have a radio set. 

With the exception of William and Mary Strandt, most of our farming ancestors didn't have a radio in 1930. Radio sets mostly belonged to those living in town. After radio, television was the next big home entertainment. The Federal Census never asked a question about having a television set, but according to my mother, the Ray and Viola Henrickson household acquired their first television in the mid 1950's. Some of the programs watched were "Winky Dink" and "You". Later, "The Mickey Mouse Club" after school. The TV was a Sylvania and they were one of the first to have one. It was fun having moving pictures in the home, and not having to go to the theater in Allegan.

My dad also remembers getting their first television set sometime in the mid 1950's too. His cousin Ross had a television before he did. It was also fun getting to watch television programs at home.

Do you have any memories about new technology coming to your home? Radio, television, Internet? We've come a long way in being entertained at home.

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.)

 

Heirloom: The story behind the mysterious painting

 One of the things I remember most about spending an afternoon with my great grandparents, Carl and Mildred Strand, was a black and white print hanging on their wall in the living room. It was of a young woman, standing on a porch, staring out as a man on a horse came riding up the road. I remember saying I thought the woman was in love and she was waiting for a letter from her boyfriend, or her boyfriend was the one on the horse. I was around 10 at the time. I remember Mildred saying she thought the same. That the woman was in love and waiting for her intended. Then my grandmother Viola spoke up and said she just thought the rider was the mailman bringing the mail. No love involved. Mildred and I laughed together, agreeing we were more romantic about the young woman than Viola. 

You can see the print in the above picture. What or who was the woman waiting for? Where did the print come from? So many questions. 

After Carl and Mildred's passing, I learned the print went to their granddaughter Colleen. It had actually belonged to Colleen's mother, Marylaine initially. Marylaine had moved out on her own and was living in Kalamazoo, I think. She found it in a closet and hung it up. Later, when she moved, she gave it to Carl and Mildred and Mildred hung it in the living room where it stayed for years. After corresponding with Colleen, it turns out that Mildred and I were right about the young woman.

The name of the painting is, "Love's Young Dream." It was painted by Jennie Brownscombe in 1887. Jennifer Brownscombe was born in Pennsylvania in 1850. She moved to New York where she studied art and painting, later traveling to Paris and Europe where she studied and gained attention. She's best known for historical genre paintings, the best-known being "The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth" which hangs in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She's also known for idealized, romantic visions of rural life, of which "Love's Young Dream" is an example of. The young woman is waiting for her intended to come on horseback. Her mother is gazing up at her, and her father is wholly unconcerned. Below is a copy of the print in color.

nmwa.org

I'm really glad Marylaine found this picture, and even happier she gave it to Mildred, where it eventually found its way back to Colleen.   

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

Influencer: Carl "Charlie" Freidrich Strandt

 This week's prompt is "Influencer." I wasn't sure how to interpret it until I learned that Carl Strand's Uncle Charlie Strandt used to visit the Strand farm in Allegan and bring Hershey chocolate bars with him to hand out to Carl and Mildred's children. It was a tasty treat and one that was well received. Carl Strand is also known for handing out Hershey chocolate bars to grandchildren. Could Carl have been influenced by his Uncle Charlie? Let's find out.

Carl "Charlie" Freidrich Strandt was born in January 1860/1 in Teschendorf parish of Mecklenburg, Prussia, in present day Germany. His parents were Carl Friedrich Theodor Strandt and Dorothea Auguste Sophie Schroeder. Dorothea was the first wife of Carl Friedrich Theodor. Unfortunately for both Carls, Dorothea died soon after. Records don't indicate when exactly she died, so no way to know if her death was connected to giving birth or if it was unrelated. Some records indicate the birth of Carl was in 1860, others 1861. Same with Dorothea's death. It was either 1860 or 1861. Either way Carl Friedrich Theodor remarried on December 6, 1861 to Wilhelmina Gley. 

Carl and Wilhelmina had 2 daughters, Carolina and Wilhelmina before immigrating to America with their children in October 1871. They were headed to Chicago to meet other Strandt relatives. This is from notes in the Strand family Bible. Charlie was around 10 years old. In 1876 Charlie's Half-brother, William Frederick Strandt was born in Chicago. The only Strandt child born in America.

The 1880 Federal census finds Charlie living with a family as a farm laborer in Naperville, Illinois. On January 7, 1888, at the age of 27, he married fellow German immigrant Margarethe Schirmer. The 1900 Federal census finds them renting a house on 8441 Sangamon St in Chicago, Illinois. This address is where they will spend the next several years. They have a son and daughter. Margaretha notes on the census she has given birth to 4 children, with only 2 surviving. Charlie is a shipping clerk at a wagon works factory.

In 1910 Charlie has the same job, same address. He now owns though, instead of renting. He also notes he is a naturalized citizen. An addition has been made to the family. Son George Strandt was born in 1901. 

1920 brings much of the same. Charlie owns his home, free and clear. Same job. On August 27, 1929 Margarethe passes away. In 1930 Charlie and son Arthur still live at the same address. They have a radio to listen to.

1940 finds Charlie living with his daughter, Freda and her family in Elmhurst, Illinois. The census notes he has an education through the 8th grade, which was quite common for the time. 

Charlie dies on August 4, 1945. He was 84 years old. 

I know from newspaper articles found, and family stories, that Charlie and Margarethe would travel and visit friends and relatives. There are several stories of the "Chicago relatives" coming to visit the Strand farm in Allegan. With son, George, being born in 1901, the same year as Carl, they must've found a lot to talk about.  

Charlie is remembered as being tall by those who knew him, and his grandson remembered him as also being a kind man. Carl Strand didn't seem to take too kindly to too many people but the fact that he allowed his uncle Charlie, and cousin George, to visit shows that Carl must've thought highly of them. Or at least, thought they might think the way he thought. Perhaps Carl saw Uncle Charlie passing out the Hershey bars and decided to take up the same habit. Either way, I think it's neat that both men had the same habit of passing out chocolate bars. 

Here is a picture of Uncle Charlie and his family. Charlie is standing up in the back, with the hat on. His wife Margarethe is standing next to him. Son Arthur is seated directly in front of Charlie, and sister Freda is next to Charlie, looking like Princess Leia. :) The other people are assumed to be other Strandt relatives. (the picture is colorized from Ancestry's service)

How Uncle Charlie fits in:

Carl Friedrich Theodor Strand (1834-1914)

His sons Carl F. Strandt "Uncle Charlie", and William Frederick Strand. Charlie and William were half-brothers. Same father, different mothers.

Charlie's son, George, was a 1st cousin to Carl Strand, son of William. 

It's also interesting to note that with Charlie Strandt I sometimes found the last name spelled Strand, with no "t". It seems that in Scandinavia the name is spelled with no final "t.". In Germany it was spelled with a final "t". The spelling of the name depended on the census taker or person taking the information down it seems. 

Witness to History: John William Brownell

 This week's prompt is "Witness to History." History can be on an international or national level. It can also be on a local level. I've chosen to focus on a more local level. 

The boundaries of Allegan County, Michigan were laid out in 1831. It officially became organized in 1835. Sometime between 1837 and 1840 John William Brownell traveled to Allegan from Monroe County, New York. John was followed to Allegan by his parents, Ephram and Sarah Brownell, and three of his siblings. John had married Lavinia Sadler in New York before moving to Michigan. John was 27 and Lavinia was 16. They were definitely living in Allegan in February 1840 as their eldest son Charles Richard was born on February 25, 1840 in Allegan.

When John came to Allegan he settled on one hundred forty acres of land. The land was covered in woods and John worked hard to clear it. Not only did he clear the land on his own farm, but he also worked to clear a road from his farm to the tiny village of Allegan. It took 17 days to clear the road. At that time there was only one other farm between his and the village. Allegan consisted of 10-12 shanties at that time. John was also willing to help build other roads, buildings, schools, etc. The 1850 Federal census lists John's real estate value at $1200. Occupation was farmer.

In 1860 his real estate was valued at $2500 and his personal estate was $500. In 1870 his real estate value had increased to $8000 and personal estate increased to $1200. The family also had 3 non-family members living with them, a laborer, a domestic servant, and a carpenter. That was the last year the census listed the value of real estate. John did have 3 servants listed under his name on the 1880 census. One was a farm laborer, and 2 were domestic servants. 

John was involved in Allegan affairs. He served as Path Master for 30 years. A path master is someone who is in charge of the roads. He also served as a school director and Moderator. He was also one of the stockholders of the Allegan Co-operative store. He was described as a Christian gentleman, but he wasn't affiliated with any particular church or religion. His parents belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church.  John was also said to be a strong supporter of the Republican party. 

John passed away on April 29, 1904 at the age of 92. Cause of death was listed as old age, with heart disease which had been present for several years being contributory. Carl Strand would have been 3 years old at the time. 

John Brownell was able to witness Allegan town, and County, go from being a heavily wooded area with few settlers to the thriving town of 3,000 inhabitants it was in 1904. Multiple schools, churches, businesses, newspapers and recreational activities. 

How John William Brownell fits into the family:

Ephram Brownell 1783-1864

his son, John William Brownell 1812-1904

his daughter, Eva Brownell Pulsipher 1856-1939

her daughter, Mary "Matie"  Pulsipher Strandt 1877-1961

her son, Carl Strand 1901-1996

sources used include Federal census records obtained on Ancestry.com and 

Portrait and biographical record of Kalamazoo, Allegan, and Van Buren Counties, Michigan : containing biographical sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of the Presidents of the United States. Published in Chicago by Chapman Bros. 1892.

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