Christmas at a hospital? Unidentified photo

This picture, probably somewhere in Sweden, is from an old album that used to belong to my greatgrandfather with surname Berlin. He lived in Farstorp in the south of Sweden I dont know who the people in the picture are but it looks like it is Christmas celebration at a hospital?

Bothillda & Jöns

Bothillda & Jöns. That is what is written on the back of this photography. Taken by Thelon & Co, 1250 Third Avenue in South Brooklyn. I bought it in 2011 at a collectors/antique event in Helsingborg so the people on the photo are not related to me.

Jöns and Bothillda

Andrew Richardson and the Spanish-American war, part 2

As I wrote in an earlier post I suspected Andrew Richardson, my great granduncle had participated in the Spanish-American war after I found a Veteran Grave index record at Minnesota Historical Society. It didn't take 30 business days for the record to arrive but Ive been checking the mailbox everyday waiting for that letter to arrive. The day before yesterday was my lucky day. Every weekday at lunch I drive home to take the dog out for a walk. Just letting the dog into the house again that day I saw the yellow post car and waited for the postman to drop the mail off. There it was. All the way from Minnesota. How exciting it is before you open it. You think "Now all my questions will get answers".

I sat down in my car and opend it. At least I didn't open it standing next to the mailbox even if I wanted to. Two pages. A lot of fields with great information to fill out.. which hadn't been filled out. Well, it did say he served in Philippine Insurrection, birthdate was 1858 and birthplace Sweden, no more details than that. And then the feeling you get when you realize you didn't get any answers, just a few more questions. But that is why we all love genealogy and family history research right?

So many interesting fields to fill out,
homcome are most of them empty?

Drove back to work and used the last minutes of my lunch to scan the papers and email it to Andrews relatives in the US.

Well, I also sent an email to Aitkin County Historical Society, giving them the birth and death data of Andrew and telling the story of that he might have been in the Spanish-American war, asking if they had any obituaries or newspaper clippings since their homepage said they have local newspapers on microfilm. (Ive been searching genealogybank.com, newspaperarchive.com and chroniclingamerica.loc.gov with no luck).

Yesterday (within 24 hours), I got an email reply from Aitkin County Historical Society with an obituary of Andrew Richardson attached to it. What a joy! Answers to my questions, yes, Andrew was a Spanish-American War veteran.

But then also a little sadness reading the obituary. He was found dead by a man named Frank Fowlds on the floor in his cabin seven miles from Palisade, where he lived alone . According to the coroner E E Seavey he had probably been dead for about three days. He lived much to himself making occasional visits to Minneapolis.

Andrew Richardson Obituary 1928

So, now I know for sure he was in the war and he had a government pension. I have emailed Aitkin County Historical Society trying to express how grateful I am for their help but the truth is I really can't explain how happy I am with words. Im sure you all know that feeling too as well. They day I get to the US and Minnesota their museum is definitely on my list on places to visit.

The search may continue. I now need to find out how to find out where to find him, how long and where he served during the war. Any suggestions? I think he was in Wisconsin aroud that period of time.

Andrew Richardson Death Certificate page 1

Andrew Richardson Death Certificate page 2

In Sweden Andrew Richardson was known as Anders Nilsson Rickard Holmer. Born in Vinslöv, Kristanstad, Sweden January 26 1858.

Father:
Nils Svensson Rickard
b. August 8 1828, Kviinge, Sweden
d. May 27 1913, Vinslöv, Sweden

Mother:
Elna Holmgren
b. September 27 1820, Vanneberga, Sweden
d. March 14 1886, Vinslöv, Sweden

Siblings:

Anna Nilsdotter Rickard, in US aka Anna Nelson (married to Jens Nelson)
b. March 23 1853, Vanneberga, Sweden
d. July 17 1905, Swanville, Minnesota, US

Karna Nilsdotter Rickard (my greatgreat grandmother)
b. October 6 1855, Vinslöv, Sweden
d. January 10 1919, Bubbarp, Sweden

Nils Nilsson Rickard, in US aka Nels Richardson
b. February 23 1860, Vinslöv, Sweden
d. March 24 1935, Long Prairie, Minnesota, US

Elna Nilsdotter Rickard, in US aka Ellen Nelson (married to 1) Johannes Ericsson 2) Nels L Nelson)
b. July 6 1862, Vinslöv, Sweden
d. White Bear Lake, Minnesota, US

My Andrew Richardson in the Spanish-American war?

Just like any tree in my garden my familytree needs some trimming at times. And with that I don't mean cutting of branches (unless I discover someone is in the tree that shouldn't be there of course). I see it as giving the exsisting tree a little bit of extra care. Like now, after the release of the 1940 census, adding that information to the persons that are in the census. Or when I find a database or function on a webpage I haven't seen before, doing lookups on the people in my tree that it applies to.

A couple of days ago, I found a people finder at the Minnesota Historical Society homepage I hadn't noticed before. I typed in the names of my relatives who emigrated to Minnesota and I got an interesting match. My great-grandmothers brother Anders Nilsson Rickard Holmer (known in the US as Andrew Richardson) showed up in the Minnesota Veterans Grave Index.

The dates wasn't exactly right, his death certificate say August 1 as his date of death and the VGI said August 4 (which happens to be the date he was buried). According to the little information I am able to see at the page his military service was during the Spanish-American war. It didn't take me many minutes to press the buy button and pay 9 USD. Now I am just waiting for this paper to arrive in the snail mail...

Andrew was one of the first emigrants I found related to me which has made him feel a bit special. He was born in Vinslöv 1858 and for six years (1875-1881) he lived in Kristianstad. (For at least a couple of years he was an artillerist.) I don't know if that qualified him for the Spanish-American war in some way, after all, in 1898 it has been seventeen years since he was a soldier in Sweden. There are great info about people who was in the war, like this homepage. Seems like most of the soldiers were in their twenties or early thirties. Anders on the other hand would have been 40 in 1898. Most annoying I can't find any Andrew Richardson in any list. At the time, he might have been in Idaho or Wisconsin.

Anyday now I will get that document and hopefully be able to add some extra information about Andrew Richardson. He never married and died in Aitkin, Minnesota in 1928. He was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery.

From New York Public Library

WDYTYALive 2012

I would have been blogging during the event if only I would have had a better internetconnection.

Summary: I had a blast!

1) Always have a bottle of water in your bag. When you feel tired, drink!
2a) Buy a cup of coffee to go before going to the event and the huge queue.
2b) A medium Latte from Costa lasts for 45 minutes in a queue.
3) Know there will be a lot of queues!
4) Bring paper and pencil (or laptop/tablet/phone) and write, write and write.
5) Go through your notes in the evening and add your thoughts
6) Look at twitter and see whats going on
7) Have fun! Get motivated! Get inspired!

I first heard of this event last year in the Genealogy Gems podcast hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke and it sounded so much fun. A while ago she mentioned it again and I was thinking..hmmm London, never been to UK, but its not THAT far.. I checked what a flight overthere would cost and a closely hotel...Thinking once, thinking twice,  nope, booked and ready to go.

My Friday started early, since there is a timedifference between Sweden and UK, it was even earlier, 3am the time-to-get-up-alarm went off. One hour later I was on the train to Danmark and the airport, checking-in, bagage-drop and security went smooth. On the plane and I was lucky to have a three row all to myself. Unfortunatly my ears have problem with the pressure. I use something called airplanes but when at a  specific height it is quite painful and not much I can do about it. I always take a painkiller before takeoff but the worst thing is that when on the gound I cant hear very well. It is greatly annoying and when I talk everything echoes. And it lasts for days. This time even worse since I have a little cold.

Anyways, got to Gatwick, found a bus to take me to Earls Court (which looked close to my hotel looking at the map at the busticket desk). Well.. got of the bus after about an hour drive.. and I felt quite lost. Doh. Found a tubestation and noticed I was only one station from Kensington Olympia.. I know I was close. So, took the tube and got there.

My plan was to go to my hotel first to drop of the luggage and then to Olympia so lucky enough there was a cab dropping of people right infront of me. Told the driver where I wanted to go and I added, "this is my first time in UK and London". Good thinking! The driver was supernice and told me he had a relative who had some some family research which showed they had Scottich roots. And my hotel was about just around the corner (thats why I booked it, so I would be close and less likely get lost ;) ). He waited when I dropped of my luggage and drove me back.. and before I left he said, when you are leaving this place later and there are cabs outside, dont take one, just walk that way and you will be at your  hotel. :)

Got in just in time for my prebooked class with Lisa on Harness the Power of Google Earth for Your Family History. It was great seeing Lisa live and even if Im working with IT and has been for 17 years you always learn something you didn't know before. I just wanted to get my computer and start GoogleEarhing right away.

After the class I had some time to walk around getting an overview of the booths and joined a DNA Success stories class.

Listend to Nick Barrett and Family History and Education, followed by a presentation by  Daniel Horowitz on How Do we share and preserve memories in a digital era.

At the end of the day I was REALLY tired, walked straight to my hotel and pretty much
fell asleep at once.

Don't know if you are able to be jetlagged with one hour of timedifference but I woke up really early and was the first one down for breakfast. Walked to Olympia and found a quite looooong queue being there 30 minutes before opening. Had a nice chat with my queueneighbour who had been clever enough to drop by a cafe getting a cup off coffee.

Got in, went upstairs to the next queue and picked up the tickets for the presentations I wanted to attend. Went to my third queue, to the cloakroom. Fourth queue, to Maureen Taylor on finding familyphotos, cant wait to try some of the things she told us about!  Fifth queue, a bottle of water and a sandwich. Sixth queue, to Nick Barratt on Ancestral  Tourism.  Seventh queue, to the Keynote on Family History and Social Media, one of my favorite subjects.  Afterwards I had a nice little chat with Lisa, she is a gem! Queue number eight,
Lisa Lousie Cooke on Google Search Strategies. Queue number nine: Cloakroom.

On Sunday, I went by Costa and got myself a medium latte. Yummy! There were some really nice people around me that morning and everyone was so excited and I just couldnt believe it was the last day.

I started out with the birthdaygirl Gill Blanchard and her class on Top Tips, Writing Your Family History. Good tips that really got me thinking. After that class I took the time to walk by every booth more careful and talked to a lot of nice people. I joined Ancetery on one of their presentations. In the afternoon I was at Janet Hovorka and Charts to Visualize Your  Family Tree. She makes some awesome charts. Last presentation, The Future of Family History, I went to the wrong place. Doh. I guess I was a bit tired.

Suddenly it was the end of three fantastic days. I learned so much and I talked to so many nice people. Went out for some food and back to the hotel early. 5 am on Monday a taxi picked me up and I took the Gatwick Xpress from Victoria. Did some shopping at the airport. So, at the plane, after the captain asked everyone to turn the electical equipment off there was a lady sitting next to me that kept texing on her phone... when we were out on the runway getting ready to take off I asked her to turn it off.. When in Copenhagen I saw they people unloading the luggage and that was NOT a pretty sight. Really. It was like they tried to cause damage, throwing, dragging and dropping the luggage around.

Back home, I long for coming back next year, but hopefully sooner to visit London again, since I liked the city A LOT!

So to everyone involved arranging the Who Do You Think You Are Live 2012, the speakers, the exhibitors, the people working at Olympia and visitors, a BIG THANK YOU, I had such a great time!

Ancestral Tourism and WDYTYALive

Finally back home. London is three hours away, one hour to Copenhagen by train followed by a two hours flight, but it is still almost a total of 10 hours journey from my house to London Olympia.

I guess, coming from Sweden, Im not really the typical person to be visit Who Do You Think You Are Live. I don't have any roots what so ever in the UK. Still, for me, I went there mainly for the presentations. To get motivation and inspiration. A genealogy boost. A family history 3 day bootcamp. There were plenty of presentations suitable for anyone with knowledge of the English language and an interest in family history and genealogy. DNA, Google, the KeyNote about social media and so on. They certainly filled my day and still I didn't have time to visit all that I wanted to. The software companies have users all over the world (me included) which was also neat. I would say WDYTYA Live is very international with a lot of local (national) content as well. Great event, I loved being there and I had a wonderful three days!

About ancestral tourism. (OK, I know it isn't really, but close..?)

How about when buying the tickets for WDYTYALive 2013:

- What about a checkbox: Do you want to stay at this hotel? It will cost you XX. A bus will pick you up every morning for you to be in the queue 1 hour before opening. In the evening the bus will leave 30 minutes after closing.

- What about a checkbox: Do you want to book the special Friday night WDYTYALive 2013 Dinner at this hotel? It will cost you XX and during the dinner which starts at XX, YY will be there and tell some exciting stories about.. the tube of London/Charles Dickens/Jack the Ripper/you get the idea.

- What about a checkbox: Do you want to go on the special Saturday WDYTYALive 2013 sightseeing bustour? It will cost you XX, you will be picked up outside Olympia London at 6pm, the tour will take 2 hours, and if you want to join the dinner afterwards at XX it will cost you an additional XX.

- What about a checkbox: Do you want to join the special WDYTYA 2013 London Walking tour? It will cost you XX and the starting point is London Olympia at XX pm.

Me, I would definitely checked those boxes. And I don't think it is just me.. or?

Ruby Sena Nilson and Samuel Peter Nilson, Smithfield, Utah

In the same photo album where I found the picture of Perry Olson in my last post there are two other identified pictures.

It is Ruby Sena Nilson (May 20 1894 - January 3 1995, yes almost 101 years old). She married William Hazen Hillyard.

I also have a picture of her father, Samuel Peter Nilson (July 13 1863 - October 5 1945). It is the same picture he uses on his passport application issued April 13 in 1920 (can be found at ancestry.com). The picture is taken in Malmö, Sweden.  He went to Sweden a couple of times doing missionary work.

Pictures of their headstones (and the other members of the family) can be found at Find a grave.

I am still trying to find how they are linked to me, related or friends of the family.

P Olson - Wausa, Nebraska

In one photo album among unidentified pictures from the end of 1800 and beginning of 1900 that belonged to relatives of mine there are a couple that has names written on it.

One of them is this photo:

Perry Olson, Wausa, Nebraska, USA

I can't read the the first name, my guess it thats its is Perry. So, this man is Perry Olson, picture is taken in Wausa, Nebraska in the US.

What is a picture of him doing in this photo album? Distant relative or friend of the family?

P N Ramberg and Ingar Ramberg, buried at Kropp cemetery

My walk around the gravestones at Kropp cemetery continues. I get a little curious when the full name isn't printed out on the gravestone so today I picked a stone like that and with only years without dates: P N Ramberg (1835-1901) and Ingar Ramberg (1827-1907).

According to the stone, P N Ramberg was a farmer, living in Hjortshög and Ingar was his wife.

Paul Nicolaus Ramberg and his
wife Ingar Ramberg (b Persdotter)

P N, which stands for Paul (or Pål) Nicolaus, was born in Kropp at a place called Gravarehuset, on April 19 in 1835. His father was Lars Ramberg, a shoemaker, and his mother was Bengta Wittgren. Paul grew up at Grvarehuset and in 1851 he moved to Björka to work as a farmhand. In 1853 he came back to Gravarehuset then moved on to Hyllstorp 2.

Pål Nicolaus in Kropp CI:3 (1831-1860) page 35 

Ingar Persdotter was born on December 30 1827. Father Per Nilsson and mother Karna Jönsdotter. They lived at Västraby 4. In 1850 Ingar moved and worked at Kropp 2. In 1852 Ingar moved back to Västraby 4 where her mother Karna died in 1856 and her father Per in 1857. 1857 Ingar moves to work at Hyllstorp 2, the same place where Paul lives and works. If they didn't know each other before this point this must be where they met.

Ingar Persdotter in Kropp CI:2 (1758-1830) page 347

On October 28 1865 Paul and Ingar gets married. The move back to the house where Paul grew up, Gravarehuset.  

Gravarehus in Kropp, where Paul was born and where
he and his wife Ingar lived between 1865 to 1868.

In February 1868 Pauls mother Bengta dies and on June 28 in 1868, Ingar give birth  to a girl who is stillborn. The girl is buried on July 2. In November the same year Paul and Ingar moves to Helsingborg. They live in a area called Närlunda. They stay in Helsingborg for two years. In 1870 they move to Hjorthög 3 in Mörarp. On May 2 in 1870 thier daugther Lovisa is born. In 1872, March 22, they have a son, Peter.

Hjortshög 3 where Paul and Ingar lives until they die and
where thier son Peter lives with his wife Anna Kristina.

Paul and Ingar stays on Hjortshög 3 until they die. Paul dies on February 6 in 1901 and Ingar on  March 2 in 1907. They are buried at the cementary in Kropp.

Thier two children, Peter and Lovisa are buired at the same cemetary.

Lovisa get married on December 29 in 1900 (just about a little more a month before her father Paul dies) to August Strandqvist born September 7, 1864 in Raus. He is a butcher. August bought a piece of land in 1900 from a man called Nils Knutsson and they build a house (Hjortshög 8). August dies on January 5 in 1916 at the hospital in Helsingborg from appendictis. Lovisa takes over the house and in 1921 she lease it to her son-in-law, Erik Andersson. Lovisa dies January 11 in 1954.

Hjortshög 8. The house August Strandqvist builds and
where he lives with his wife Lovisa Ramberg and she
later leases to her son-in-law Erik Andersson.

Peter marries Anna Kristina Andersson (born June 26, 1870 in Kropp) on May 2 in 1903. At some point  they move to Hjortshög 3 (Paul and Ingars house) where they live thier whole life. Peter died on March 27 in 1921 and  Anna in 1940 on October 23. Thier daughter, Elsa Linnea (September 5 1905 - June 1 1925) is also buried in this familygrave. She died from tuberculosis, 19 years old.

Familygrave of Peter Ramberg. Peter
 and his wife Anna Kristina and their
daughter Elsa Linnea is buried here.

Source:

Ingar:
Kropp CI:2 (1758-1830) page 347 (AID: v107315.b184.s347, NAD: SE/LLA/13216)

Kropp AI:4 (1827-1830) page 22 (AID: v107294.b27.s22, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4

Kropp AI:5 (1831-1833) page 23 (AID: v107295.b29.s23, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4

Kropp AI:6 (1834-1835) page 23 (AID: v107296.b24.s23, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4

Kropp AI:7 (1836-1837) page 23 (AID: v107297.b30.s23, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4

Kropp AI:8 (1838-1839) page 22 (AID: v107298.b27.s22, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4

Kropp AI:9 (1840-1842) page 21 (AID: v107299.b27.s21, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4

Kropp AI:10 (1843-1849) page 28 (AID: v107300.b29.s28, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4

Kropp AI:11 (1849-1852) page 35 (AID: v107301.b36.s35, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4 1849 - 1850

Kropp AI:11 (1849-1852) page 45 (AID: v107301.b47.s45, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Kropp nr 2 1850 - 1852

Kropp AI:11 (1849-1852) page 35 (AID: v107301.b36.s35, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Västraby nr 4 1852

Kropp AI:12 (1853-1857) page 40 (AID: v107302.b44.s40, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Westerby -> Hyllstorp 1857 

Paul Nikolaus:
Kropp CI:3 (1831-1860) page 35 (AID: v107316.b22.s35, NAD: SE/LLA/13216)

Kropp AI:6 (1834-1835) page 47 (AID: v107296.b51.s47, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Grafvarehuset

Kropp AI:7 (1836-1837) page 45 (AID: v107297.b56.s45, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Grafvarehuset

Kropp AI:8 (1838-1839) page 45 (AID: v107298.b52.s45, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Grafvarehuset

Kropp AI:9 (1840-1842) page 45 (AID: v107299.b51.s45, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Grafvarehuset

Kropp AI:10 (1843-1849) page 53 (AID: v107300.b54.s53, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Grafvarehuset

Kropp AI:11 (1849-1852) page 58 (AID: v107301.b61.s58, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Grafvarehuset 1849-1851

Kropp AI:11 (1849-1852) page 82 (AID: v107301.b84.s82, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Björka 1851-1853

Kropp AI:11 (1849-1852) page 58 (AID: v107301.b61.s58, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Grafvarehuset 1853

Both:

Kropp AI:12 (1853-1857) page 74 (AID: v107302.b76.s74, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Hyllstorp 2

Kropp AI:13 (1858-1860) page 66 (AID: v107303.b71.s66, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Hyllstorp 2

Kropp AI:14 (1861-1865) page 77 (AID: v107304.b83.s77, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Hyllstorp 2

Kropp AI:14 (1861-1865) page 18 (AID: v107304.b25.s18, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Gravarehuset

Kropp AI:15 (1866-1870) page 91 (AID: v107305.b86.s91, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Gravarehuset

Kropp CI:5 (1861-1879) page 55 (AID: v107318.b58.s55, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Stillborn daughter

Kropp B:3 (1861-1884) page 29 (AID: v107312.b33.s29, NAD: SE/LLA/13216) Kropp -> Helsingborg

Helsingborgs stadsförsamling AI:53 (1866-1869)page 283 (AID: v107148.b291.s283, NAD: SE/LLA/13171) 

Helsingborgs stadsförsamling AI:61 (1869-1874) page 263 (AID: v107156.b206.s263, NAD: SE/LLA/13171) Närlunda

Helsingborgs stadsförsamling B:7 (1860-1871) picture 221 (AID: v107195.b221, NAD: SE/LLA/13171) Närlunda -> Mörarp

Mörarp B:3 (1861-1889) page 27 (AID: v107390.b32.s27, NAD: SE/LLA/13274) Helsingborg -> Mörarp (Hjortshög 3)

Mörarp AI:10 (1866-1870) page 171 (AID: v107383.b153.s171, NAD: SE/LLA/13274) Hjortshög nr 3

Mörarp AI:11 (1871-1875) page 194 (AID: v107384.b170.s194, NAD: SE/LLA/13274) Hjortshög nr 3

Mörarp AI:12 (1876-1881) page 212 (AID: v107385.b167.s212, NAD: SE/LLA/13274) Hjortshög nr 3

Mörarp AI:13 (1881-1885) page 157 (AID: v107386.b133.s157, NAD: SE/LLA/13274) Hjortshög nr 3

Mörarp AI:14 (1885-1894) page 205 (AID: v107387.b176.s205, NAD: SE/LLA/13274) Hjortshög nr 3

P J Hilding - Kropp

Im helping out with the cementary inventory arranged by the Swedish Genealogy Society. Right now Im typing in from the old inventory into the new database. I picked the cementery in Kropp since it takes me five minutes to walk there. Im also taking geotagged pictures and uploading them to billiongraves.com. 

Walking around at that cemetary Im getting more and more interested about the people behind (well, rather under I know) the names on those stones. How was their life and what did they do an ordinary day. How did this place look a hundred years ago? 

Wouldnt it be nice to be able to walk in that cemetary and have something little to tell about every person? I don't really have any relatives of my own in this little area, but if I dont write about them, who will? Its not that I dont have a lot of other things to research, but as importent it is to know my history and where I came from I think it is to know this little spot on earth where I now have my home, love and where I want to stay forever.

I randomly I picked the first stone I came to think of. It is a beautiful stone, shaped like a tree, and you pass it when walking to the entrance to the church.

P J Hilding gravestone - shaped like a tree
Kropp, Skåne, Sweden

It has three names on it:

P J Hilding, born October 5 in 1835, died November 17 in 1915.

Thilda Hilding, born 26 of May in 1840, died February 5 in 1920

(which happens to be today, 92 years ago, that felt a bit weird)

Alma, born September 4 in 1882 and died on August 18 in 1910.

It says P J Hilding was a gardener, and that makes sense when you think of the shape of the stone.

I did a lookup in the houseexaminerolls of 1881 - 1885 from Kropp and I found the family on page 4. Living at Rosendahl which is the castle built in 1615 by Andres Bille not far from here.

Rosendal

The family consists of the gardener and father of the house, Per Isaksson Hilding (born in Strö), his wife Botilla Isaksdotter (born in Kvistofta) and thier seven children, six girls (Ida Maria, Selma, Josefina Emilia, Bernhardina Vilhelmina, Bertha Lovisa, Alma) and one son (Johan Ernst). Next to Pers name it says that he has received a goldmedal from The Royal Patriotic Society. That must have been a big event since the priest wrote it down.

Goldmedal note

Looking at the Swedish Census of 1880 CD this is the family:

Isaksson, Per Hilding - 1835 Father

Isacsdotter, Botilla - 1840 Mother

Ida Maria - 1865 Child

Selma - 1868 Child

Josefina Emilia - 1871 Child

Johan Ernst - 1873 Child

Bernhardina Vilhelmina - 1876 Child

Bertha Lovisa - 1878 Child

Notice that Per is called Isaksson as a surname, not what it says on the stone. His wifes name is Botilla and Thilda as it says on the stone is ofcourse short for Botilla. In the houseexamine rolls he is also known as Per Hilding.

On the CD Swedish Death Index 1901 - 2009 it says Pers place of birth is Strö, Skaraborg but in the census it says Norra Strö, Kristianstad. Looking in the birthbook of both Strö and Norra Strö I find no Per born on October 5 in 1835. Neither in Östra Strö or Stövelstorp. I find one Per born on October 5 in Västra Strö. Could be him.

A child called Per, born i Västra Strö Oct, 5 1835

So, need to follow him backwards. In houseexaminerolls 1861-1865 it says he came to Kropp in 1863, from Härslöv.

I find him in Härslöv, being a gardner at Hildesborg (another beautiful castle, at the time owned by Wong) He came to Härslöv from Bosarp in 1857, age of 22. Going though the houseexamine rolls of Bosarp  (1856 - 1860) without finding Per. I didnt find any moving in/moving out records for Boarp either so instead I had to go back to the person I suspect is him in the birth book looking forward and hope the two lose ends will connect at some point.

The family i Västra Strö, Skåne, Sweden

He leaves Strö for Näs, which acctually is Trollenäs when he is 15 years old, in 1850. He stays at Trollenäs  until 1853 when he moves to Malmö.

Trollenäs

In the moving out record of Trollenäs (found in Gullarp) is says gardener student P J Hilding. That was the last piece needed to solve the puzzle. Per was born in Västra Strö.

# 37, thats Per

So, Per moved out from his parents at age 15 to Trollenäs in 1850. In 1853 he moves to Malmö and he is a gardener student. In 1857 he moves from Bosarp to Härslöv where he works as a gardener at Hildeborg, another beautiful castle and in 1863 he comes to Kropp and the Rosendal castle. On October 19, 1864  he married Botilla Isakdotter from Kvistofta.

Per and Botilla marriage in Kvistofta, 1864

He dies at the age of 80 in 1915. In 1920 Botilla dies only a few months before her 80th birthday.

Alma Hilding, died in 1910, age 22 from tuberculosis.

Im still thinking about how he picked his last name, Hilding. Im also wondering about the J in P J. In the census he is Per Hilding Isaksson and perhaps the J is really an I. And last, Isaksson, to me it looks like his fathers namn is Ivar. This is genealogy. You solve one mystery and you end up with even more questions. Thats the beauty with it, don't you agree?


Sources (house examine rolls (A), birth book (C), moving books (B)):

Västra Strö CI:2 (1806-1861) Bild 42 / sid 67 (AID: v106851.b42.s67, NAD: SE/LLA/13479)

Västra Strö AI:2 (1830-1841) Bild 16 / sid 26 (AID: v106835.b16.s26, NAD: SE/LLA/13479)

Västra Strö AI:3 (1842-1847) Bild 16 / sid 16 (AID: v106836.b16.s16, NAD: SE/LLA/13479)

Västra Strö AI:4 (1848-1852) Bild 17 / sid 19 (AID: v106837.b17.s19, NAD: SE/LLA/13479)

Gullarp AI:11 (1848-1860) Bild 74 / sid 2 (AID: v106442.b74.s2, NAD: SE/LLA/13121)

Gullarp B:1 (1829-1861) Bild 23 (AID: v106443.b23, NAD: SE/LLA/13121)

Härslöv B:6 (1857-1869) Bild 86 (AID: v110531.b86, NAD: SE/LLA/13172)

Härslöv AI:28 (1861-1866) Bild 147 / sid 141 (AID: v110517.b147.s141, NAD: SE/LLA/13172)

Härslöv B:6 (1857-1869) Bild 5 (AID: v110531.b5, NAD: SE/LLA/13172)

Kvistofta CI:4 (1862-1881) Bild 172 / sid 165 (AID: v107368.b172.s165, NAD: SE/LLA/13223)

Kropp B:3 (1861-1884) Bild 12 / sid 8 (AID: v107312.b12.s8, NAD: SE/LLA/13216)

Kropp AI:14 (1861-1865) Bild 15 / sid 7 (AID: v107304.b15.s7, NAD: SE/LLA/13216)

Kropp AI:17 (1876-1880) Bild 7 / sid 5 (AID: v107307.b7.s5, NAD: SE/LLA/13216)

Kropp AI:18 (1881-1885) Bild 9 / sid 4 (AID: v107308.b9.s4, NAD: SE/LLA/13216)