Sibling Saturday: Finding a Previously Unknown Half-Brother

When I obtained the Civil War pension application of Samuel August Samuelson, the brother of my 3rd-great-grandmother Johanna Carolina Samuelson, I discovered a previously unknown family member.

Statement of C. J. Johnson. Samuel A. Samuelson (Pvt., Co. E, 73rd Ind. Inf., Civil War, pension application no. 283,424, certificate no. 217,996),Case Files of Approved Pension Applications..., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

C. G. Johnson gave a statement, and was asked if he was in any was related to Samuel A. Samuelson. He answered, "I am what is called a half brother."

I knew that Johanna and Samuel had two older brothers, Johan Peter and Anders Fredrik, but I did not know that they had a half-brother. Their mother, Anna Lisa Torstensdotter, was thirteen years older than their father, Samuel Eriksson, so I wondered if C. G. Johnson was her son from a previous marriage.

I found Carl Gustaf Johnson's death certificate in Ancestry.com's database Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011. He had died in Westchester, Porter County, Indiana on 30 July 1909. The death certificate gave his date of birth: 27 October 1823. His birthplace was listed as Vastra Harg, Sweden.

Indiana State Board of Health. Death certificate no. 109, Carl Gustaf Johnson, 1909. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

I had already known that the family had come from Västra Harg, Östergötland, Sweden. I looked at the Swedish records on ArkivDigital, and found Carl Gustaf's birth and baptismal record. He was not a child from a previous marriage; he was an illegitimate child. The record did not name his father.

Västra Harg C:1 (1797-1840) Image 179 / page 341 (AID: v42201.b179.s341, NAD: SE/VALA/00446)

I found the family in the household examination records, after Anna Lisa Torstensdotter had married Samuel Eriksson. Carl Gustaf was listed with the patronymic Jaensson.

Västra Harg AI:11 (1835-1840) Image 88 / page 159 (AID: v27140.b88.s159, NAD: SE/VALA/00446)

Carl Gustaf Johnson married Matilda Sofia Johnson. According to the 1900 United States Census, Matilda had six children.

1900 United States census, Westchester, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, enumeration district 94, page 3B. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

However, I have only discovered four of the children: Albertena Johnson (born 15 August 1868), Albert L. Johnson (born about 1874), Ida Johnson (born 24 March 1875 or 1876), and Gustaf Johnson (born 29 March 1883).

Mary Florence (Gatlin) Pate

My great-grandfather's older sister Mary Florence Gatlin was born 134 years ago today, on 1 September 1882, in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. She was the first child of my 2nd-great-grandparents John William Morton Gatlin and Sarah Claire "Sadie" Dyer. She was probably named after her aunt Mary Florence Gatlin, who died in May 1881.

Florence married Downie Campbell Pate on 2 April 1902 at St. Columba's Church in Nashville. The couple originally planned to marry on 9 April 1902, but changed their wedding date at the last minute.

Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZWS-695 : 20 July 2016), D C Pate and Florence M Gatlin, 05 Apr 1902; citing Davidson, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 2,073,659. 

Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZWS-69G : 20 July 2016), D C Pate and Florence M Gatlin, 05 Apr 1902; citing Davidson, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 2,073,659.

Florence and Downie's first child, Bruce Clarence Pate, was born in Nashville on 16 March 1903. Their second child, Downie Campbell Pate, was born in Nashville on 1 November 1905. Sometime between 1905 and 1908, the family moved to Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana. Florence and Downie's other children were born in Bloomington: William Melville Pate (born 8 October 1908), Kenneth Stansell Pate (born 15 September 1909), Mary Florence Pate (born 21 November 1911), James George Pate (born 21 December 1913), and Sarah Caroline (or Sara Carolyn) Pate, born 10 April 1920.

By 1930, the family had moved to Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, where Florence's parents and most of her siblings were living.

Florence died on 22 November 1944 in Chicago. The cause of death was heart disease. She was buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in River Grove, Cook County, Illinois on 25 November 1944.

Illinois Department of Public Health. Division of Vital Statistics. Death certificate no. 32377, Mary Florence Pate, 1944.

Johanna Carolina Samuelsdotter

Johanna Carolina

My 3rd-great-grandmother Johanna Carolina Samuelsdotter (Samuelson, Erickson) was born 180 years ago today, on 18 August 1836, in Västra Harg, Östergötland, Sweden. She was the daughter of Samuel Eriksson/Erickson and Anna Lisa Torstensdotter.

Johanna was baptized on 21 August 1836.

Västra Harg C:1 (1797-1840) Image 250 / page 483 (AID: v42201.b250.s483, NAD: SE/VALA/00446).

In 1851, Johanna, her parents, and her brothers Anders and Samuel left Sweden. Johanna's oldest brother Johan Peter did not go with them.

The family arrived in New York, New York on the Preciosa on 8 September 1851.

Passenger list, Preciosa, 1851. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

The family spent a year in Chicago, and then settled in Westchester, Porter County, Indiana. Johanna married Johannes "John" Borg, and their first child, Clara Matilda, was born on 29 August 1858. Their second child, Anna Christina, was born on 24 August 1860.

1860 United States census, Westchester, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, page 466, family 281. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

By 1860, Johanna's brother Johan Peter had joined the family in Porter County, Indiana.

John and Johanna's third child, my 2nd-great-grandmother Mary/Marie Louise Borg, was born on 13 January 1864. Their first son,  Alfred, was born almost exactly two years later, on 15 January 1866. Another son, Carl Gust, was born a little over two years later, on 26 January 1868.

Johanna's mother Anna Lisa had died by 1870. Johanna had four more children during the 1870s: Emil Richard (born 11 June 1870), Minnie (born September 1872), Malinda (born 16 March 1875), and Carl/Charles John (born 28 July 1878).

1880 United States census, Westchester, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, enumeration district 136, p. 399A, family 243. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

Johanna had two more children during the 1880s: David Theodore (born 21 October 1880) and Daniel Elvin (born 17 October 1882).

In September 1888, the family moved into a new house, which was designed by A. J. Lundquist.

Johanna experienced two losses in less than two years. Her son Carl/Charles John died of typhus fever on 18 October 1889. Her father Samuel Erickson died of dropsy on 18 July 1890. Six years later, Johanna became a widow; her husband John died of cancer on 20 September 1896.

In 1900, Johanna lived with her daughter Clara and her sons David and Daniel. Three months after the census was taken, Clara married Nels A. Samuelson, whose family was listed underneath the Borg family in the 1900 census.

1900 United States census, Westchester, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, enumeration district 95, p. 8B, families 168 and 169. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Johanna died on 11 May 1903 in Westchester, Porter County, Indiana. The cause of death was carcinoma of the stomach. She was buried in Augsburg Lutheran Church Cemetery in Porter, Porter County, Indiana.

Indiana State Board of Health. Death certificate no. 23, Johana Carolina Borg, 1903. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Mappy Monday: Map of the Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad and the Belt Railway of Chicago

Map of the Chicago & Western Indiana RR and the Belt Railway of Chicago Showing Connections. Traveler's Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. New York: National Railway Publication Co. 32nd year, no. 10. March 1900. Page 52. Available from Google Books.

This map shows the connections of Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad and the Belt Railway of Chicago. Some of my ancestors lived in Chicago and Indiana, and they may have traveled along this route.

Wednesday's Child: Darrell Richard Borg

Indiana State Board of Health. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Death certificate, Darrell Richard Borg, 1947. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900–2011. Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Darrell Richard Borg was born in Gary, Lake County, Indiana on 18 July 1947. He was the son of my first cousin 3 times removed Delmar Emil Borg and Genoa L. Bartels. He died in Porter Memorial Hospital in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana on 17 October 1947. The cause of death was septicemia due to kidney or meningeal involvement. He was buried in Augsburg Lutheran Church Cemetery in Porter, Porter County, Indiana on 19 October 1947.

Sunday's Obituary: Malinda (Borg) Lawrence

Vidette-Messenger, 12 October 1948, page 1

North County

Native Dies

Mrs. Malinda Lawrence 

Succumbs At Methodist 

Hospital In Gary

   CHESTERTON, Oct. 12–Mrs. Malinda Lawrence, who resided in the Chesterton vicinity for almost three-quarters of a century, died Monday morning in the Methodist hospital, Gary. She was 73 years old.
   The decedent was born March 16, 1875 in Baileytown, and spent all her life in the community. Her husband, Charles, died 12 years ago.
    Surviving are two sons, Rudolph and Randolph, and one daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Harbrecht, all of Chesterton; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Dahlquist and Mrs. Minnie Olson, both of Chicago; and two brothers, Gust Borg of Chicago, and Daniel Borg of San Francisco.
   Services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Bethlehem Lutheran church with the Rev. Carl Lorimer officiating. Burial will be in Chesterton cemetery.
   Friends may call at the Flynn funeral home after 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Malinda was the daughter of my 3rd-great-granparents John Borg and Johanna Carolina Samuelson. She married Charles August Lawrence on 28 November 1900 in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana. They had three children: Elmer Rudolph (born  8 February 1903), Dorothy F. (born 31 March 1905), and Edward Randolph (born 3 November 1908). Her husband Charles died on 21 December 1936. Malinda died on 11 October 1948 in Gary, Lake County, Indiana.

Travel Tuesday: Visiting Relatives in Indiana

Vidette-Messenger, 29 May 1931, page 4

On 27 May 1931, Marie Louise (Borg) Dahlquist, her daughter Juliet (Dahlquist) Gilbert, her son-in-law Fritz Arthur Gilbert, and her granddaughters Lois and Joyce Gilbert traveled from Chicago, Illinois to Porter County, Indiana. They visited Marie's sister Clara Matilda (Borg) Samuelson and brother-in-law Nels A. Samuelson. They also visited Marie's brother Alfred Borg and sister-in-law Emily (Chellberg) Borg.

Tuesday's Tip: Look for Husbands' Names Too

March is Women's History Month. Many of my posts this month will focus on female family members.

When searching for information on married women, also look for them under their husbands' names. A search for "Malinda Lawrence" would not have found this article on the Bethlehem Lutheran Ladies' Aid meeting in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana. The article mentions my 2nd-great-grandmother's sister Malinda (Borg) Lawrence, but refers to her as "Mrs. Charles Lawrence." She and her daughter Dorothy ("Mrs. Edward Harbrecht") were both honored at the meeting, since their birthdays were in March.

Vidette-Messenger (Valparaiso, IN), 11 March 1939, page 7

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

52 Ancestors: Week 41 "Colorful": John Reynold Gatlin

I have many colorful ancestors and collateral relatives. It would have been hard to choose just one to focus on this week, but since I already wrote about many of them in previous 52 Ancestors posts, I have chosen one I have not yet profiled for the 52 Ancestors Challenge.

John Reynold Gatlin was born on 10 April 1889 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. He was the son of my 2nd-great-grandparents John William Morton Gatlin and Sarah Claire "Sadie" Dyer.

Nashville, Tennessee City Health Department, Division of Vital Statistics. Affidavit for Correcting a Record. File #224, John  R. Gatlin. 10 August 1942. Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Tennessee Delayed Birth Records, 1869–1909. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. 

As a young man, he joined the United States Navy. I have not yet discovered the date of his enlistment. Although he is listed at his parents' address in the 1910 Nashville City Directory, he was not in their household when the 1910 United States Census was enumerated, and I could not find him elsewhere. He was probably in the navy at that time. If, as he later stated, he was in the navy for six years, he had probably enlisted several years earlier.

On 7 July 1911, John and his brother William got into a fight. They were in Bloomington, Indiana, where their sister Mary Florence (Gatlin) Pate was living. George Alexander, who witnessed the fight while sitting on his front porch, went inside and came back out with his gun. One of the brothers shot at him, and he was seriously injured. The Gatlin brothers were pursued by the police.

 Indianapolis Star, 8 July 1911, page 1

John claimed that he had been the one who had shot George Alexander. I wonder if he was trying to protect his brother William, who was a convicted felon.

Indianapolis Star, 9 July 1911, page 16

By 1912, John was in Charlestown Naval Prison in Boston, Massachusetts, serving time for desertion.

 From Department of Correction Indiana State Prison records for William Gatlin, 1912.

 From Department of Correction Indiana State Prison records for William Gatlin, 1912.

By October 1914, he was out of naval prison and was living in Chicago, Illinois, where he was working as a bookbinder. On 1 October 1914, he, a man named Charles Harris, and two men that Harris knew began driving from Chicago to Bloomington, Indiana. John planned to visit his sister. As they approached Lafayette, Indiana, the three other men beat John, stole a diamond stud and $103, and threw John out of the car.

Indianapolis Star, 3 October 1914, page 4

William K. Wells, John's brother-in-law, was the owner of the car. At the time of the incident, John's sister Mary Florence was married to Downie Campbell Pate, and his sister Anna was married to Frank Joseph Smith. John was probably married to William K. Wells' sister, but I have not yet determined who she was.

On 7 October 1916, John was at Frank Morilli's saloon at 537 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois. He and several other men were causing trouble, and Morilli threw them out. John tried to go back inside the saloon, but Morilli shot him in the right leg.

Chicago Tribune, 8 October 1916, page 4

John's World War I draft registration card stated that his occupation was "ruler" but he was unemployed, that he was single, that he was an ordinary seaman in the U.S. Navy for 6 years, and that he had been dishonorably discharged.

World War I draft registration card, John R. Gatlin. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

In 1920, John was living in a rooming house in Chicago which was owned by Harry R. Arthur. He worked in a factory as a paper ruler. A 21 year old woman named Ermer Gatlin was listed underneath him. Although the relationship given (Roomer) was to the head of the household, she was probably John's wife. Both were listed as married in the census.

On 16 April 1923 in Cook County, Illinois, John married Pearl L. Charles.

Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois Marriage Indexes, 1912-1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 

In 1930, John lived in Chicago with his parents and his brothers Walter and Bruce. He was listed as married, but his wife was not in the household. The census record states that John was 18 years old when he first married. This may have been his marriage to the sister of William K. Wells, or he may have had yet another wife. He was working as a printer in a shop.

I think that the two items below probably refer to John and his wife Pearl. Although the marriage date is slightly off, it is close. John's sister Mary Florence (Gatlin) Pate lived in Bloomington, Indiana, and his sister Anna was living in Detroit, Michigan. I have not yet been able to locate any information about the child.

Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Logansport, Indiana), 22 January 1931, page 9

Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Logansport, Indiana), 24 March 1931, page 3

At the time of the 1940 U.S. Census, John was living with his brother Walter and mother Sadie. The handwriting is difficult to read, but it looks like his occupation was night watchman at City Yard.

On 9 December 1940 in Chicago, John married Mrs. Kathleen Culberson.

Cook County, Illinois marriage license and return, John R. Gatlin and Mrs. Kathleen P. Culberson, 9 December 1940.

This marriage apparently did not last long. On John's World War II draft registration card, he listed his mother as the person who would always know his address.

The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration), for The State of Illinois; State Headquarters: Illinois; Microfilm Series: M2097; Microfilm Roll: 95. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 

John died in Chicago on 13 July 1945. He fell on a public sidewalk and fractured his skull. Since he lived such a colorful life, I wonder if there was more to the story. Perhaps he had been drinking. Maybe someone pushed him, although since his death was ruled an accident, it probably did not look like someone intended to kill him.

Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Statistics. Coroner's certificate of death. John R. Gatlin. Filed 19 July 1945.

John was buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in River Grove, Cook County, Illinois.

Grandma and Grandpa Boe's Anniversary

Today is the wedding anniversary of my maternal grandparents John Boe and Margaret Ann Schneider. They married in Indianapolis, Indiana on 25 September 1939. Because my grandmother was divorced from her first husband, William Herbert Foerstel, she had his surname at the time of the marriage.

Sunday's Obituary: Alfred Borg

Vidette-Messenger, 24 June 1939, page 1

From the June 24, 1939 issue of the Vidette-Messenger (Valparaiso, Indiana):

                            NORTH COUNTY RESIDENT DIES
                                                        _____

                  Alfred Borg, Life Long Citizen of County Succumbs at Age of 73.
                                                       _____

   CHESTERTON, June 24. – Alfred Borg, age 73 years, died Friday night at midnight in his home on Chesterton R. R. 1. He had been ill for some time with a heart ailment.
   He was a life-long resident of Chesterton, being born here on Jan. 15, 1866, a son of John and Johanna Borg.
   Forty-two years ago he was united in marriage to Emily Chellberg, who survives together with three daughters, Mrs. Violet Johnson, of Gary; Mrs. Elin Johnson, of Chesterton, and Adele at home: two sons, LaVerne and Viorene, both of Porter: four grandchildren; four sisters, Mrs. C. J. Dahlquist, Mrs. Anna Greandahl, and Mrs. Axel Olson, all of Chicago, and Mrs. Melinda Lawrence, of Chesterton, and three brothers, Emil, of Porter, Gust, of Chicago, and Daniel, of San Francisco, Calif.
   Mr. Borg followed farming for many years, but retired several years ago. He was a member of the Augsburg Lutheran Church of Chesterton all his life. Memorial services have not been completed.
                                       ________________________________

Alfred was the brother of my 2nd-great-grandmother Mary/Marie Louise Borg. He married Emily Chellberg (or Kjellberg) on 29 September 1897. He died on 23 June 1939 and was buried in Augsburg Lutheran Church Cemetery in Porter, Indiana.

Shopping Saturday: Shopping in Gary, Indiana

Vidette-Messenger, 9 August 1929,  page 5

My 2nd-great-grandmother's sister Anna Christina (Borg) Greandahl and her daughter Lillian (Greandahl) Nelson, residents of Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana, went shopping in Gary, Lake County, Indiana on Wednesday, 7 August 1929.

Several other residents of Chesterton also went shopping in Gary that day: Frances Sherman, Mrs. Austin Brooks, and Mrs. Brook's daughter Mrs. William Vaughn.

Gary was the fifth largest city in Indiana by 1930. It was only about 17 miles away from Chesterton.

Sunday's Obituary: Anna Christina (Borg) Greandahl

Vidette-Messenger, 29 February 1944, page 1

From the February 29, 1944 issue of the Vidette-Messenger (Valparaiso, Indiana):

Pioneer of County Dies

CHESTERTON, Ind. – Mrs. Anna C. Greandahl, 83, a pioneer resident of Porter County died Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Carl Nelson.

She was born at Baileytown north of here on Aug. 25, 1860. All her life has been spent in north Porter County.

Surviving besides the daughter Mrs. Lillian Nelson are a granddaughter; two brothers, Gus and Daniel Borg, and three sisters, Mrs. Mary Dahlquist, Mrs. Minnie Olson and Mrs. Malinda Lawrence, all of Chesterton.

Memorial services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Carl Nelson residence and at 2 p.m. at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Rev. Cecil Johnson officiating. Burial will be in Chesterton cemetery.
                                       ________________________________

Anna was the oldest sister of my 2nd-great-grandmother Mary/Marie Louise Borg. Their parents, John (Johannes) and Johanna Carolina (Samuelson) Borg, emigrated from Sweden in the 1850s. Anna married John Lewis Greandahl, a Swedish immigrant, on 28 April 1894. Her only child, Lillian V. Greandahl, was born on 8 February 1896. John Lewis Greandahl died in 1930.

Malinda was actually the only one of her siblings who was still living in Chesterton. Daniel was living in San Francisco, California, and the others were living in Chicago, Illinois. Four brothers and a sister predeceased her.

52 Ancestors: Week 31 "Easy": Marie Louise Borg

My 2nd-great-grandmother Marie Louise Borg has been pretty easy to research. Her name and correct dates of birth are listed in my father's baby book. My father remembered her, and told me that he knew her as "Denny." A family photograph of the Borg family is clearly labeled on the back; it lists the names of everyone in the picture, and includes the married names of the Borg daughters. I have located her in every census except 1870.

Marie (also known as Mary) Louise Borg was born on 13 January 1864 in Porter County, Indiana. She was the daughter of John (Johannes) Borg and Johanna Carolina Samuelson, who had emigrated from Västra Harg,Östergötland, Sweden in the 1850s. She grew up as part of a large family (she was the third of eleven children). I have several family photos of the house that the Borg family lived in, which was located in the Swedish community of Baillytown.

In 1880, Marie was keeping house for her uncle Samuel August Samuelson in Westchester Township, Porter County. His wife had died, and he had five young children to take care of. His 70-year-old mother-in-law lived with the family as well. On 20 December 1885, Marie married Charles John Dahlquist, a Swedish immigrant from Kinneved, Västra Götaland, Sweden. He lived in Chicago, Illinois and worked  as a shoe dealer. They married at the Swedish Lutheran Church in Baillytown, Porter County, Indiana. Reverend A. Challman solemnized the marriage. I was fortunate to find their marriage announcement from the Chesterton Tribune transcribed on the Porter County, Indiana message board. I later located the original record.

After her marriage, Marie moved to Chicago to live with her husband. Their first child, my great-grandmother Ellen Victoria Dahlquist, was born on 8 September 1886. They had three more children: Carl Frederick Dahlquist (born 10 January 1888), Martin Luther Dahlquist (born 22 February 1891), and Juliet Caroline Marie Dahlquist (born 14 July 1896).

In 1900, the family lived at 6031 State Street, Chicago, Illinois. By 1910, they had moved to 6311 Eggleston Avenue in Chicago. Marie and Charles became grandparents on 27 September 1911, when my paternal grandmother Helen Martha Marie Anderson was born. Helen's two middle names were the names of her grandmothers.

On 30 July 1919, Marie lost her son Martin Luther after his appendix ruptured. His only child and her sixth grandchild had been born nine days earlier.

By 1930, Marie and Charles were living on 509 W. 61st Place, in Chicago, in the home of their daughter Juliet and her husband Fritz Arthur Gilbert. They were still living there in 1940.

On 14 September 1942, Marie's husband Charles died.

Marie had surgery in 1949, and it was discovered that she had pancreatic cancer. She died of uremia at the Augustana Home for Aged in Chicago, Illinois. She was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, which had been established for Swedish families in Chicago.

From my father's baby book

Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDHQ-35C), Charles J Dahlquist and Mary Clara Borg, 20 Dec 1885; citing Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana, county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,686,157. Mary's middle name is incorrect on the document. Note that when Rev. A. Challman filled out the form, he gave her name as Mary L. Borg.

1930 United States census, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, Ward 17, population schedule, enumeration district 16-647, sheet no. 4B. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. 

Medical certificate of death, State of Illinois. State file no. 74765. Mary Louise Dahlquist. 29 October 1953.

Chicago Tribune, 31 October 1953

Marie (or Mary) Borg

Marie and Charles Dahlquist