Wordless Wednesday: Edward and Ellen (Dahlquist) Anderson, September 1950

Tuesday's Tip: Swedish-American Newspapers

The Minnesota Historical Society provides access to 28 Swedish-American newspapers published between 1859 and 2007. These newspapers were published for the Swedish immigrant communities. More than 300,000 digitized pages are available for searching and browsing. There is a text correction tool that you can use to correct mistakes. There is also a user annotation tool, which can be used to add comments and tags.

I found some interesting things in this collection. My ancestors attended the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Chicago, and news from the church was published. My great-grandfather Edward Theodore Anderson and his brother-in-law Carl Dahlquist were elected to serve as deacons. My 2nd-great-grandfather C. J. Dahlquist (Carl's father) was in the Anti-Saloon League (something that I was previously unaware of).

Svenska Amerikanaren, 18 January 1917, page 15

I found a death notice for C. J. Dahlquist's son Martin L. Dahlquist.

Svenska Tribunen-Nyheter, 6 August 1919, page 12

C. J. Dahlquist's brother Frank A. Shirlander and his wife were attacked by a former employee in 1905. The incident was reported in two Swedish-American newspapers.

Svenska Amerikanaren, 30 May 1905, page 11

Svenska Tribunen, 31 May 1905, page 11

If you have Swedish ancestors who immigrated to the United States, this collection is worth a look. The collection can be accessed at http://www.mnhs.org/newspapers/swedishamerican.

Mother-in-Law Day

Since today is Mother-in-Law Day, I am posting a picture of my mother and her mother-in-law, my paternal grandmother Helen Martha Marie (Anderson) Gatlin.

Travel Tuesday: A. T. Anderson's Visit to Sweden

In 1912, my 2nd-great-grandfather Andrew T. Anderson (born Andreas Troedsson) traveled to Sweden to visit his family. He arrived in Sweden in late May 1912. He stayed with his sister Carolina and her husband Nils Andersson on Ollof farm in Grevie, Skåne. He wrote a letter to his wife and children on 7 June 1912. He said that they had had Sunday School there the previous Sunday, and that he was not able to attend church because he only had his old clothes. His trunk of clothing did not arrive until the day before he wrote the letter. Later that Sunday, he, Carolina, and Carolina's son Elof and his family drove to visit Pat Johnson. He planned to buy dress material for his wife the next day.

He was asked to lead Sunday school in the American fashion on the following Sunday. He also planned to visit his brother Johannes that day.

Carolina made a cheese for him to take home to his family, and made another one for him to bring home to to their sister Johanna.

Andrew/Andreas said that he and his brother-in-law Nils went to the forest one evening and heard a nightingale singing in the treetops at 11:00.

Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos, near Gordevio, Ticino, Switzerland. 12 May 2010. Photo by Noel Reynolds [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]. Available from Flickr and Wikimedia Commons.

He thought that he might go to Helsingborg and Copenhagen the following week. On 28 June 1912, he planned travel on the Göta Canal and go to Stockholm and see museums and art.

Göta kanal (Göta canal) near road E20, Sweden. 7 July 2015. Photo by Pudelek (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

On 20 July 1912, he sailed from Liverpool, England to New York, New York on the Caronia.

RMS Caronia. Cunard Line, 1905-1933. Ancestry.com. Passenger Ships and Images [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

He arrived at Ellis Island on 28 July 1912.

Passenger manifest, Caronia. 28 July 1912. Microfilm serial T715, 1897-195, microfilm roll 1904, line 6, page number 24. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Passenger manifest, Caronia. 28 July 1912. Microfilm serial T715, 1897-195, microfilm roll 1904, line 6, page number 24. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

This was probably the last time that he saw his family in Sweden. He died on 24 January 1916.

Church Record Sunday: Baptism of Theodor Mandius Eriksen

Theodor Mandius Eriksen, the son of my 2nd-great-grandmother Marthe Elisabeth Eriksdatter/Erickson's brother Svend Jacob Eriksen/Erickson and his wife Laura Thomsen, was baptized at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois on 9 March 1884.

Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois. Ancestry.com. U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. ELCA, Birth, Marriage, Deaths. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Chicago, Illinois.

Theodor was born on 20 December 1882.

The baptismal sponsors were Jorgen and Antonetta Thompson, Andreas and Martha Anderson (my 2nd-great-grandmother Marthe Marthe Elisabeth Eriksdatter/Erickson and her husband, my 3nd-great-grandfather Andreas Troedson/Andrew T. Anderson, and Hans Olson.

Sports Center Saturday: Earl Anderson

My paternal grandmother's brother Earl Theodore Anderson was on the swimming team when he was in high school. He was the Calumet High School team's fastest swimmer.

Temulac (yearbook, Calumet High School,  Chicago, Illinois), 1934, p. 75.
Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 

He came in fourth in the 200-yard free stroke at the senior city meet.

Temulac (yearbook, Calumet High School,  Chicago, Illinois), 1934, p. 124. Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

Treasure Chest Thursday: My Father's Baby Book

My grandmother Helen Martha Marie (Anderson) Gatlin recorded information about the first seven years of my father's life in a baby book. The book is full of treasures. I learned who attended my father's birthday parties and what gifts he received. My grandmother recorded my father's first reaction to his new baby sister. She wrote that at age 18 months, my father could carry the tune of a Swedish hymn, Tryggare kan ingen vara. She wrote about the trips that he took.

The baby book also includes a family tree. There are some mistakes, but the family tree provided an important clue about the identity of my 3rd-great-grandmother's father. Her name was Amanda Russell, but she was listed as Amanda Sawyer. This record helps me to make the case that James Sawyer was her father.

Sympathy Saturday: Executor's Notice, Estate of Sven T. Anderson

My 2nd-great-grandfather's brother Sven T. Anderson (born Sven Troedsson) died on 6 October 1914 in Burdick, Morris County, Kansas. His widow, Hannah (Abramson) Anderson, was the executor of his will. The following notice was published in the Council Grove Republican (Council Grove, Kansas), on 13 November, 20 November, 27 November, and 4 December 1914.

Council Grove Republican, 20 November 1914, page 10

Tombstone Tuesday: Esther Elizabeth (Anderson) Kellman

Photo by Joan Kobernik Hoeft - Find A Grave contributor

Esther Elizabeth Anderson was born on 1 September 1889 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of my 2nd-great-grandparents Andreas Troedsson/Andrew T. Anderson and Marthe Elisabeth Eriksdatter/Erickson. She married Carl Winton Kellman on 15 November 1913 in Chicago. They had two sons, Carl Winton Kellman and Robert Anderson Kellman. By 1930, the Kellman family had moved to Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois. Esther's husband Carl died on 11 November 1944. Esther moved to Selah, Yakima County, Washington in 1960. She died on 17 November 1970 in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington. She was buried in Terrace Heights Memorial Park in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington.

Mappy Monday: Skåne Län Before 1997

Old provinces of Skåne. By Lunnen2009 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

Skåne län [county], the southernmost county in Sweden, was created in 1997. Two counties, Kristianstad and Malmöhus, were merged.

My 2nd-great-grandfather Andreas Troedsson/Andrew T. Anderson and his ancestors were from Grevie, which is part of the municipality of Båstad. It was located in Kristianstads län and is now in Skåne län.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Ellen Victoria (Dahlquist) Anderson's Daily Planner

I have a daily planner book that belonged to my great-grandmother Ellen Victoria (Dahlquist) Anderson. Rather than recording appointments, she used it to record the dates of family births, marriages, and deaths. Although the planner is dated 1967, events from before and after 1967 were recorded. Some of the information I found in it was new to me.

Wordless Wednesday: Helen Martha Marie Anderson, 1916

Wednesday's Child: Emma Christina Anderson

Emma Christina Anderson, 2 June 1880. Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1940 database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQTB-YML), citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference/certificate 5766, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,287,808.

Emma C. Anderson. Illinois State Death Index, Pre-1916.

Emma Christina Anderson was the second child of my 2nd-great-grandparents Andreas Troedsson/Andrew T. Anderson and Marthe Elisabeth  Erickson (Eriksdatter). She was born in Chicago, Illinois on 2 June 1880. She died in Chicago on 9 June 1881.

Kansas Day

On 29 January 1861, Kansas was admitted to the Union. Kansas Day, which commemorates this anniversary, has been celebrated since 1877. Students in L. G. A. Copley's class in Paola, Kansas gathered as much information as they could about Kansas and on 29 January 1877, they drew the state seal and maps on the blackboard, gave speeches, and asked and answered questions about Kansas history. The following year, his class again studied Kansas history on January 29. Copley became superintendent of schools in Wichita in 1879, and for the next three years, Kansas Day was observed in the Wichita schools. In 1881, Copley published an article in The Educationist and suggested that other schools try Kansas Day exercises.

In 1882, the Northwestern Kansas Teachers met in Beloit. Copley spoke about Kansas Day, and a Kansas Day booklet was printed. Since then, Kansas Day has been observed in Kansas schools.

Phillipsburg Herald (Phillipsburg, KS), 30 November 1882, page 3

The Governor of Kansas and the Kansas Legislature issue special Kansas Day proclamations. The Kansas state song "Home on the Range" is performed. A Kansas Day cake is presented at the Kansas State Capitol.

My 2nd-great-grandfather's brother Sven T. Anderson (Sven Troedsson) was living in Kansas by 1885. His children probably participated in Kansas Day exercises at school.

References
Copley, L. G. A.   Kansas Day, Brochure of Information and Exercises for Use in Every Kansas School, Containing Kansas History. Clay Center, Kansas: Dispatch Printing House, 1882. Available from archive.org.
Kansas Day at the Capitol
Kansas Historical Society. Kansas Day.

Sunday's Obituary: Edward T. Anderson

St. Petersburg Times, 3 December 1965, page 17-B

ANDERSON  – Mr. Edward T. Anderson, 83, of 4327 Fourth Ave. N., passed away Thursday (Dec. 2, 1965). He moved to St. Petersburg 18 years ago from his native Chicago, Ill. He retired as secretary in the Chicago Treasurer's Office after 25 years service. He was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church, St. Petersburg. Mr. Anderson is survived by his wife, Ellen V.; son, Earl T., Houston, Tex.; daughter, Mrs. Henry C. Gatlin, Ridgewood, N.J.; a brother, Reuben A., Chicago; sister, Mrs. Esther Kellman, Selah Wash.; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 4, 1965) in the Downs-Ford Chapel, 1045 Ninth Ave. N., with the Rev. L. F. Gerhart officiating. Interment services will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Redeemer Lutheran Church. Friends may call to pay their respects from 9 a.m. Friday until the time of service Saturday at the Downs-Ford Chapel.

My great-grandfather Edward Theodore Anderson was born on 10 August 1882 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Andrew T. Anderson (Andreas Troedsson) and Marthe Elisabeth Erickson (Eriksdatter). He married Ellen Victoria Dahlquist on 20 June 1910 in Chicago. They had two children: Helen Martha Marie Anderson (my paternal grandmother), born  27 September 1911, and Earl Theodore Anderson, born 7 July 1917. Edward and Ellen moved to St. Petersburg, Florida about 1947. He died at New Fern Restorium in St. Petersburg on 2 December 1965. He was buried on 4 December 1965 in Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Petersburg.

Snow

The Blizzard of 2016 has buried my house in snow. There is so much snow that I can only open the side door (the one I use) an inch or two. I shoveled the front and back steps, but the rest is still there. I got a text from my town that said that 24-30 inches of snow were expected. The storm could break New Jersey records.

My backyard

I have lived through other major snowstorms. After the Blizzard of 1996 struck, I did not leave my apartment for four days. When all the snow melted, the roof leaked and water poured down my ceiling. I had to move out of my first apartment.

My ancestors experienced many snowstorms. On 17 March 1892, Nashville, Tennessee experienced its biggest snowstorm, which brought 17 inches of snow.

Daily American (Nashville, TN), 18 March 1892, page 4

St. Louis, Missouri experienced a severe ice storm in December 1924. Three-quarters of the state of Missouri was covered by ice for the last half of December. When this happened, my maternal grandmother Margaret Ann Schneider was thirteen years old, and my maternal grandfather John Boe was sixteen years old.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 19 December 1924, page 1

My ancestors in Chicago, Illinois also experienced snowstorms, such as the one in January 1918, which at that time was the worst blizzard in Chicago's history (it is now the 10th worst). My paternal grandmother Helen Martha Marie Anderson was six years old, and my paternal grandfather Henry Cornelius Gatlin was seven years old.

Chicago Daily Tribune, 7 January 1918, page 1

Chicago Daily Tribune, 7 January 1918, page 1

Porter County, Indiana experienced a bad snowstorm at the end of 1927.

Vidette-Messenger (Valparaiso, IN), 31 December 1927, page 1

The Children's Blizzard, also known as the Schoolhouse Blizzard, struck Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho on 12 January 1888. It was the deadliest blizzard in Minnesota history. Many of the victims were schoolchildren.

Saint Paul Globe, 14 January 1888, page 1

Some of my ancestors were living in Swift County, Minnesota at that time. Benson is the county seat.

Saint Paul Globe, 14 January 1888, page 1

Wedding Wednesday: Two Announcements (One Incorrect, One Correct)

When the announcement of the marriage of my great-grandparents Edward Theodore Anderson and Ellen Victoria Dahlquist was published in the 24 June 1910 issue of the Chicago, Illinois newspaper Englewood Times, it contained many mistakes. The groom's surname and house number, the bride's father's first initial, and their honeymoon destination were incorrect. I wonder how so many mistakes were made. Maybe whoever took down the information had terrible handwriting.

Englewood Times, 24 June 1910, page 1

A corrected version of the announcement was published in the 1 July 1910 issue of the Englewood Times. The families may have wanted the announcement to be published again with the correct information.

Englewood Times, 1 July 1910, page 1

Ellis Island Opens

First Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York Harbor. Public domain. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

On 1 January 1892, Ellis Island opened. On that day, 700 immigrants arrived on three ships. The first immigrant processed was Annie Moore, an Irish teenager who arrived with her brothers Anthony and Philip. The original immigration station was destroyed by a fire on 15 June 1897. The second immigration station opened on 17 December 1900. Before it was completed, the passengers were processed at the Barge Office.

Ellis Island closed on 12 November 1954. More than twelve hundred immigrants had arrived at the port, which is shared by New York and New Jersey.

My Schneider ancestors immigrated in 1892, but I do not know if they came through Ellis Island. However, my 2nd-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider arrived at the port when he returned from a visit to Germany. He sailed on the Noordland and arrived on 16 August 1900. By then, he had become an American citizen. He was listed on the manifest as Charles Schneider.

Manifest SS Noordland, arrival in New York, NY, 16 August 1900. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C.

My 2nd-great-grandfather Andrew T. Anderson (formerly Andreas Troedsson) also arrived at Ellis Island after a visit to his homeland. He traveled to Sweden in 1912, and returned on the Caronia on 28 July 1912.

Manifest SS Caronia, arrival in New York, NY, 28 July 1912. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C.

References
Ellis Island
Ellis Island History
9 Things You May Not Know About Ellis Island

Sunday's Obituary: Elizabeth Zana (Young) Anderson

Chicago Tribune, 2 July 1950, page 22

ANDERSON–Elizabeth Zana Anderson, nee Young, beloved wife of Dr. Reuben A.,fond mother of Dr. Robert A., sister of Henry L. Yung, grandmother of Cynthia and Claudia. Services Monday, July 3, 1:30 p.m., at funeral home. 1107 W. 79th street. Interment Cedar Park Cemetery.

Elizabeth Zana Young was the daughter of Henry Bernard and Zana A. Yung. She married my great-grandfather's brother Reuben Alexander Anderson on 10 April 1935 in Cook County, Illinois. Robert A. Anderson was actually her stepson, and Cynthia and Claudia were her step-granddaughters.

52 Ancestors: Week 24 "Heirloom": Andrew T. Anderson's Chairs

My 2nd-great-grandfather Andrew T. Anderson (born Andreas Troedsson) was a wood turner. He made a set of six chairs, one for each of his children: Anna Matilda Anderson, Edward Theodore Anderson, Albert Bernard Anderson, Esther Elizabeth (Anderson) Kellman, Reuben Alexander Anderson, and Ruth Elvira (Anderson) Matson.

My parents have the chair that was made for his son Edward (my great-grandfather, and my father's grandfather).

My cousin Carla has two of the chairs. One of them was made for her grandmother, Esther. Esther did the needlepoint on the chair.

Photo by Carla Harcum

The other chair was made for Anna, the oldest daughter.

Photo by Carla Harcum

Carla and I would love to know where the other three chairs are. Hopefully they are still with family.