Tombstone Tuesday - Sailor Edvard Meijer, drowned in the Atlantic Ocean

A while I go I was at the old cemetery in Helsingborg (Sweden) uploading photos to Billiongraves.com. Walking around I often wonder about the people and about thier lives. Many of them passed away more that 100 years ago. Today I picked sailor Edvard Meijers' tombstone. Edvard August Ferdinand Meijer was born in Helsingborg (Sweden) July 30 in 1857. His father was brewer F A Meijer and his mother Carolina Marie Rolfes.

Sjömannen Edvard Meijer * 30/7 1857 + på Atlanten 29/7 1881

The tombstone says Sailor Edvard Meijer, born July 30 1857. Dead on the Atlantic Ocean July 27 1881. He died (drowed) one day before his 24th birthday. I tried to  find out more by searching some old newspaper to see if I could find out what happened but no luck this time.

Below is from the birth book. Edvards father, died in 1860. In 1861 Carolina remarried with a man called Johan Fredrik Granlund. He died only four years later, in 1865.

From the birth book.  Helsingborgs stadsförsamling (Maria) CI:9 page 527
(AID: v107209.b266.s527, NAD: SE/LLA/13171)

Edvard had a couple of siblings (those are the ones I have found):

• Agda Mathilda A, born October 19, 1851 in Halmstad
• Christina Constantina H, born August 26, 1855 in Halmstad
• Sigfrid Stefan Frithiof, born May 30, 1860, in Helsingborg,died in Christmas Eve (Dec 24), 1861
• Carl Johan Fredrik, born December 12, 1861 in Helsingborg

Looking through the deathbook I didnt find any record of him in July. Instead he is one of the last posts in 1881.

From the death book. Helsingborgs stadsförsamling (Maria) FI:7 1875-1887
(AID: v107238.b207, NAD: SE/LLA/13171)

Edvard and his family is not related to me.

Wordless Wednesday - Olov Hansson

Photo from an album I bought at a fleemarket a couple of years ago. Next to the photo it is written Olov Hansson. Photo is taken in Malmö, Sweden at Atelier Favorit.

Olov Hansson

Tracing Hilma Charlotta Hansdotter - my grandmothers aunt

 A few years ago I and my dad made a trip to Tving, the place where his grandparents lived. The place is still in the family, owned by his cousin. It was nice, we stayed in the little house and went sightseeing in the surroundings looking at other places where relatives had lived.

One day turned into a spontanious family reunion. We shared information and photos and it was all very nice. At one point though, noone had any information at all, or, at least not very much. My grandmothers aunt: Hilma Charlotta Hansdotter. I had the basic facts, birthdate and marriage date and that was it. Pretty much what everyone else had as well.

So, back home, I decided that it was up to me if I wanted to find out what happend to her. I knew that she was deaf since that was written down in the houseexaminerolls. I also know that she went to the deafschool in Karlskrona.

I started to dig!

Hilma Charlotta Hansdotter, born July 15 1875 in Tving. Parents: Hans Persson and Anna Andersdotter. Hilma had two older sisters and five younger sisters and two younger brothers. On 29th of December in 1903 she married Ernst Victor Samuelsson in Ronneby. Ernst Victor was born on February 28, 1876 in Ronneby. (Parents Samuel Pålsson and Cecilia Jönsdotter). Ernst Victor was also deaf.


So far, so good. I found out they had four children and that Hilma died shortly after the fouth child was born from TBC. The youngest son only lived for a few months and thier daugther died at age 13 from Spanish Flu. I tried to find the two other sons but I could only find one of them. He died in 1978 and I sent for the real estate papers from the archives. That solved some clues. His brother emigrated to the US and had three children that inherited thier uncle since he was dead. Thier names and addresses at the time of 1978 was written down. What a luck!

I searched the web trying to find them but it is really hard to find living persons in the US I think. Well, seemed like one of the sons where still living at the same address. I went for weeks trying to think of the best way to get in contact.. I would perfer email but couldnt find any email address. So, left was the phonenumber..

One day I took all my courage and dialed the number. A female voice answerd and I introduced myself and made sure I had called the right place. I had. And I was asked to call back a few hours later. I did and I talked to the grandson of Hilma Charlotta and Ernst Victor. He confimed we were related. He said he appreciated that I have called but he wasnt interested in any information about Hilmas siblings, parents or decendants. My mind froze and I think I just said thank you and then we hung up. I wish I at least had asked if he had any picture of Hilma Charlotta. We have pictures of all the siblings except of her.

Timeline and facts:

• 1905 January 27, daughter Anna Cecilia Wiktoria Samuelsson is born in Ronneby
• 1906 October 24, son Axel Hjalmar Viktor Samuelsson is born in Ronneby
• 1909 April 6, son Ture Vilhelm Samuelsson is born in Ronneby
• 1913 March 31, son Karl Alfred Samuelsson is born in Ronneby
• 1913 May 1, Hilma Charlotta dies from TBC 37 years old in Ronneby
• 1913 Jun 23, son Karl Alfred Samuelsson dies, less than 3 months old in Ronneby
• 1918 December 23,  daugher Anna Cecilia Wiktoria Samuelsson dies from Spanish Flu, 13 years old in Ronneby
• 1920 Ernst Victor Samuelsson marries Hilma Mathilda Ling (born Nilsdotter) a widow who also is deaf in Borås
• 1928 September 17, Axel Hjalmar Victor Samuelson emigrates and arrives to New York
• 1939 August 6, Ernst Vicor Samuelsson dies in Töreboda,  63 years old
• 1965 April, Axel Hjalmar Victor Samuelson dies in Massachusetts, 58 years old
• 1978 April 16, Ture Vilheml Samuelsson dies in Tving, 69 years old

Places:

• Tving and Ronneby are in Blekinge province in Sweden.
• Borås and Töreboda is in Västergötland province in Sweden.

Hilma Charlotta and her siblings:

• Amanda Hansson (Dec 30 1871 - )
• Johanna Hansson (Jun 17 1873 - 1937)
• Hilma Charlotta Hansson (Jul 15 1875 - May 1 1913)
• Carl Adolf Hansson (Sep 10 1877 - 1912)
• Sara Lovisa Hansson (25 Jab 1880 - Sep 18 1938)
• Mathilda Hansson (Oct 20 1882 - )
• Emma Hansson (Oct 15 1885 - May 5 1931)
• Otto Hansson (Jan 2 1888 - )
• Nina Elisabeth Hansson (Sep 26 1890 - Oct 31 1965)
• Anna Thea Hansson (Dec 13 1892 - Feb 27 1959)