Friday's Faces From the Past - DIY Bracelet

I made a bracelet for my mother for her birthday a couple of weeks ago. I printed out photos of my second great grandmothers, Marie Tedder and Karna Nilsdotter Rickard, my great grandmothers Julia Verno and Hanna Persson and my grandmother Ludmila Seck. I glued them onto small photo framependants I found at my local craft store and then attached them to a leather bracelet.

It took some hours to make it, first to get the right proportion of the pictures, I did have to print them out a couple of times before I got them right. Then deciding the design of the bracelet and getting the pendants to stay in place. But I think it turned out quite nice in the end. And now I want a bracelet like that of my own.

*UPDATE*

Sibling Saturday - The siblings of Jens Nelson aka Jöns Nilsson

Jöns Nilsson was the husband of my great grand aunt Anna Nilsdotter Rickard. In US they are known as Jens Nelson and Anna Richardson.

Jens was the fifth and last child of Nils Persson and Sissa Jönsdotter. He was born at Nr. 10 Vanneberga, Skåne in Sweden on September 14 in 1859. The sponsors at his christening were Hanna Jönsdotter, sister of Sissa, Ingar Persdotter at Vanneberga nr 4, Anders Jönsson (married to Hanna, sister of Sissa) and Per Mattisson. In 1887 he left Sweden and went to America. The year after he was followed by his wife Anna Nilsdotter Rickard and thier two sons, Nils Henrik and Carl Emil Jönsson.

Birth of Jöns

Jens had two older brothers that he never met, they died before he was born. The oldest one was Nils who also was the first child of Nils and Sissa. He was born on October 5 in 1849 and died only two days old on October 7, the same day his was christened. The sponsors at the christening were Hanna Jönsdotter , sister of Sissa, in Vanneberga, the midwife Pernilla and Christian Persson, brother to Nils.  The cause of death was noted as fever.

Birth of Nils

In October, the 19th in 1857 Jöns was born, He died on January 13 in 1858, not even three months old. Fever was noted as cause of death here as well. The sponsors at the christening were Bengta Pålsdotter in Lommarp, Pernilla Olsdotter in Kialt, Anders Mattsson in Lommarp and Christian Persson, Vanneberga the brother of Nils.

Birth of Jöns

Jens older sister Elna was born February 5 in 1851. The sponsors at the christening were Karna Jeppsdotter and Per Mattisson at Vanneberga 4, Elna Perdotter in Röe and Anders Vanberg (husband of Hanna Jönsdotter, sister of Sissa) at Vanneberga.

Birth of Elna

At the age on 31, in 1882, she went to America. In 1891, about a year after the father Nils Persson died, she returned to Sweden. She bought a house in Vinslöv, and her mother and her niece Anna moved in with her. Elna died on March 31 in 1922. She never got married and didn't have any children. In her will, written in 1907 it says that her house and all of her belongings will be inherited by her sister and niece without interference from her other relatives living in America.

The house Elna bought after she came back to Sweden from America

The other sister Hanna was born on April 8 in 1853. The sponsors at the christening were Andreas Dahl and his wife Elna at Vanneberga nr 9., Pehr Sonasson at Vanneberga nr 13 and Hanna Jönsdotter (sister of Sissa Jönsdotter). She never got married. She had a daughter out of wedlock, Anna, born in 1876. Hanna spent a lot of time in Denmark. Her mother Anna stayed with grandmother Sissa. When Elna died Hanna inherited her house. Hanna died in 1928.

Birth of Hanna

The daughter of Hanna, Anna, born September 1 in 1876. Sponsors at her christening were Elna Nilsdotter, Håkan Nilsson at Vanneberga 13 and Jöns Nilsson, probably as in Hannas brother Jens Nelson.

Birth of Anna
ArkivDigital: Vinslöv CI:10 (1874-1894) page 26

Sponsors at christening of Anna
ArkivDigital: Vinslöv CI:10 (1874-1894) page 26

Just like her mother, Anna spends a lot of time in Denmark. Later she moved to Denmark and Copenhagen and got married to Jens Peter Petersen.

Marriage Jens Peter Petersen and Anna Nilsson, August 13 in 1908.

They live at different addresses in Copenhagen. They have two children. The son Oscar Christian Petersen born on November 5 in 1911. He was christened on February 4 in 1912 in the Nazaret church in Copenhagen

Birth of Oskar Christian Petersen

The daugher Agnete Elisabeth Petersen born on February 10 in 1913.  She was christened on June 10 same year in the Nazaret church in Copenhagen as well.

Birth of Agnete Elisaberh Petersen

I am able to follow them until the Danish Census of 1921, by then they live at Ryesgade 116b and has been living there for quite some time. In the following census they are not at that address anymore.

Google Maps/Street View: Ryesgade in Copenhagen, number 116 and the Nazaret Church

When Annas mother Hanna dies in 1928, Anna is present at the estate inventory but after that I have not been able to find them.

Folketaelling 1921 (Danish Census 1921). The family of Jens Peter Petersen, Anna, Oskar Christian and Agnete
Elisabeth lives on Ryesgade 116 B in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Mystery Monday - Was there another child?

Nels Henry Nelson was the oldest son of Jens Nelson and Anna Nilsdotter Rickard. He was born in Vinslöv parish, Sweden August 22 in 1885. In 1887 he emigrated with his mother and younger brother Carl Emil to America, a year after their father and Annas husband Jens went there.

Nels married Emma Larson and they had a son, Howard Emmet Nelson, born September 21 in 1915.

Howard Emmett Nelson

Looking close on the birth certificate of Howard, it says:

Number of children to this mother, including present birth: 2
Number of children of this mother now living: 1

I had this birth certificate for years and only recently noticed that detail.

Since Howard was born in 1915, this child must have been born sometime after 1910 but before 1914 and probably in Minneapolis and Hennepin county. At Minnesota Historical Society there were two possible birth certificates from 1913, with surname Nelson and mothers maiden name Larson. 18 USD later I found the right one:

A baby girl, stillborn on April 15 in 1913 in Minneapolis.

Sentimental Sunday - Visiting the grave of Andrew Richardson

It was a three-hour drive to get to Pine Grove Cemetery in Palaside, Aitkin, Minnesota. Well, first of course, it was a eight hours flight over the Atlantic to New York and then a couple of hours flight from New York to Minneapolis... but then it was only a three-hour drive..

I have finally been able to follow my great grand uncle Anders Nilsson Rickard Holmer or Andrew Richardson as he was known as in the US.

Earlier this year I got an invitation to a family reunion that would take place in July this summer in Minnesota. Besides from the reunion there were two things on my must-do list:

1. Visit Ellis Island in New York
2. Find the grave of my great granduncle Andrew Richardson in Paliside.

I know he was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Paliside in Aitkin County according to his death certificate and his obituary.

I wanted to be as prepared as possible, driving to that cemetery and not finding the grave... heh.. I can't even describe how I would have felt... So, I contacted the Aitkin County Historical Society asking if they had a map of the cemetery and perhaps knew where his grave was. I got a map in return, and an exact location, Section 0, Lot -10, Site -1. And the information that there wasn't any headstone. So, I would be looking for a marker, good to know. Going there and looking for a headstone with his name, I would never had found anything.

Coming there on July 17, it was a warm, sunny day. The last couple of miles to get to the cemetery was on a grovel road. The cemetery was quite small but nice. And plenty of mosquitoes. It took a while to find the marker. No headstone of course, but where his headstone should have been there is a tall pine tree.. There were a couple of white tree crosses without any names with Veteran markers close but none of them would be at what I figured would be Section 0, Lot -10 and Site -1. Really, there should have been a Veteranmarker at Andrew as well since he was a Spanish-American war veteran.

Andrew Richardson
aka
Anders Nilsson Rickard Holmer
born in Vinslöv, Sweden,
January 26, 1858
died in Palaside, USA
August 1, 1928

With that visit, I now have followed up on all the Rickard-siblings. Karna, my great great-grandmother in Farstorp in Sweden, her siblings Anna, Ellen and Nels in Swanville, Minnesota and finally their brother Andrew in Palaside, Minnesota.

Pine Grove Cemetery, Palisade, Aitkin, Minnesota, USA

Other posts on Andrew Richardson:
http://cousinlinda.blogspot.se/2013/01/children-of-sven-peter-rickard-part-2.html
http://cousinlinda.blogspot.se/2012/04/my-andrew-richardson-in-spanish.html

Friday's Faces from the Past - Great grandparents Berlin

My great grandparents, Nils Anton Berlin and Hanna Persson.

Nils Anton Berlin and Hanna Persson.
Photographer Herman Piil, Hässleholm

Nils Anton Berlin: Born December 6, 1888, Farstorp
Parents: Jöns Torkelsson Berlin and Else Månsdotter

Hanna Persson: Born September 12, 1881, Farstorp.
Parents: Born out of wedlock. Mother: Karna Nilsdotter Rickard, father Unknown.

Married: February 17, 1912

Nils and Hanna.

Hanna died February 24, 1958 and Nils May 12, 1976.

Children of Sven Peter Rickard, part 5a, son Sven

Sven Peter Rickard was my 4th great grandfather. He is a brickwall backwards, I haven't been able to find his birth and parents. He seemed to be an interesting person (lookes like he was married four times and he had an interesting occupation, husar/soldier). So meanwhile trying to find out about his past I'm trying to find out as much as possible about his descendants. This is about his fifth child, son Sven, in the marriage with Kjersti. I have decided to make a part 5a and b about Sven. Part 5a is about Sven in Sweden, b will be posted another day and will be about a Sven in the US that might be "my Sven" but since I am not certain I want to keep them apart.

Sven Svensson Rickard was born in Kviinge on December 15 in 1836.

Sven birth: Kviinge CI:3 page 339

Sven and his family lives in Kviinge, nr 15, Torp 5.

Torp 5 Kviinge AI:5 page 66

In 1846, the year when Sven is turning 10 years old, he, his father Sven Peter, mother Kjersti and brother Gustaf moves to Vinslöv. The distance between Kviinge and Vinslöv is about 15 kilometers.

A = Kviinge, B = Vinslöv

When Sven is 16, in 1852, he moves to Färlöv. He lives at Bjärlöv nr 10, and work as a farmhand. Living at the same place is also his half-sister Gunnild Svensdotter and her husband Bengt Jönsson. Sven stays at Bjärlöv for a year, until 1853.

Sven at nr 10 Bjäröv in Färlöv:  Färlöv AI:9 page 126

From Färlöv, Sven moves to Hjärsås. Unfortunatly there was a fire in Hjärsås in the end of 1800 which destroyed 200 years of church books. This could have been the end of the story about Sven, but I was quite lucky.

A = Kviinge,  B = Vinslöv, C = Färlöv, D = Hjärsås

Since Sven only stayed for a year in Färlöv I took a chance he only stayed for a year in Hjärsås as well.. and I was lucky. In the moving-book, year 1854, he is moving from Axeltorp, together with a whole lot of other people to the US.

Sven emigrating to the US: Hjärsås B:1 page 75

So, 18 years old, in 1854, he leaves Sweden and moves to the US. When I first found out about his brother Gustaf emigrating in 1867 I thought that was early. But Sven is by far the earliest emigrant related to me I have found so far. That is so cool, fun and exciting!

Children of Sven Peter Rickard, part 4, son Gustaf

Sven Peter Rickard was my 4th great grandfather. He is a brickwall backwards, I havent been able to find his birth and parents. He seemed to be an interesting person (lookes like he was married four times and he had an interesting occupation, husar/soldier). So meanwhile trying to find out about his past Im trying to find out as much as possible about his descendants. This is about his forth child, son Gustaf, in the marriage with Kjersti.

Gustaf was born in Kviinge, August 21 in 1833.

Gustaf birth: Kviinge CI:3 page 313

Gustaf, his older siblings and parents Kviinge AI:4 page 54

In 1846, Sven Peter, wife Kersti, Gustaf and his younger brother Sven moved to Vinslöv. In 1850, Gustafs older brother, Nils moved to Vinslöv as well and they seems to have lived close to eachother.
Then when Gustaf was 19 (in 1852) he joined the army. When joining the army he got a new surename, Holmberg.

He moved to Ingnaberga parish where he lived in his (problably) little soldierhouse, called Gulastorp 2. He was a soldier between 1852 and 1867.

Gustaf decided to emigrate and he went to America in 1867, 34 years old.

Husar Gustaf R Holmberg Vankiva B:3 page 127

I think "my" Gustaf is the one found in Dayton, Iowa in the 1900 census. Everything seems to match, except his birthyear (1834 in census instead of 1833). He is married to a woman called Ida, she is also from Sweden and they got married in 1868. He is a cobbler.

Gustaf and Ida: Year: 1900; Census Place: Dayton, Webster, Iowa; Roll: 465; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0172; FHL microfilm: 1240465.

 Ida and Gustaf are found in the 1910 census as well, living at the same place. In 1920 census Ida is a widow.

At find a grave there is a couple that seems to be Ida and Gustaf. In that case, Gustaf died in 1910 and Ida in 1922. They are buried at Dayton Cemetery, Webster County, Iowa.

Gust Holmberg (1833 - 1910) - Find A Grave Memorial
Ida Holmberg (1849 - 1922) - Find A Grave Memorial

That is what I have found out about Gustaf Svensson Rickard AKA Gustaf R Holmberg AKA Gust Holmberg. Perhaps in time, it will show that Im wrong.. or that Im right. For now, Im 98% sure that Im right,

Children of Sven Peter Rickard, part 3, daughter Anna

Sven Peter Rickard was my 4th great grandfather. He is a brickwall backwards, I havent been able to find his birth and parents. He seemed to be an interesting person (lookes like he was married four times and he had an interesting occupation, husar/soldier). So meanwhile trying to find out about his past Im trying to find out as much as possible about his descendants. This is about his third child, daughter Anna, in the marriage with Kjesti.

The third child of Sven Peter and Kjersti was the daughter Anna. She was born in Kviinge, on August 20 in 1830.

Anna birth: Kviinge CI:3 page 291

Anna in houseexamineroll with a line over her name. She died only a couple of weeks after her first birthday.

The family in the houseexamineroll: Kviinge AI:3 page sid 24

 From the deathbook. It says Anna died from Augustifeber (augustfever). I noticed the priest wrote Anna Petersdotter when I would think it would be Anna Svensdotter. He also left out the name Sven and it says her fathers name was Peter Rickard.

Anna death: Kviinge CI:3 page 291

Children of Sven Peter Rickard, part 2, son Nils

Second child of Sven Peter Rickard and Kjerstin Nilsdotter was my 3rd great grandfather Nils Svensson Rickard. He was a shoemaker and lived most of his life in Vinslöv (Sven Peter Richard also moved to Vinslöv later on).

Family of my third great grandfather Nils Svensson Rickard

Nils Svensson Rickard was born in Kviinge on May 8 in 1828. December 12 he married his first wife (my 3rd great grandmother) Elna Holmgren, born Septemer 27 in Vanneberga.

They had five children:

1) Anna Nilsdotter Rickard AKA Anna Richardson and Anna Nelson born March 23 1853. She and her husband, Jöns Nilsson AKA Jens Nelson emigrated to the US. Jens in 1887 and Anna in 1888. First they went to Wisconsin but they ended up in Minnesota. Anna died in 1905 from injuried she got when kicked by a horse. Jens remarried and he died in 1930. They had five children together. Jens had two children with his new wife.

Anna and her two oldest sons on the passenger list

2) Karna Nilsdotter Rickard, AKA Karna Persson born October 6 1855. Karna was my 2nd great grandmother. Karna had four children, Hanna, Marie, Jöns Anton and Per, all born out of wedlock. I have never found any wedding certificate but she lived with and worked for Per Persson. Karna died January 10 in 1919 from the Spanish flue. Only three days before her son Per died from Spanish Flue as well.

From Farstop, Karna, Per and Per

3) Anders Nilsson Rickard Holmer AKA Andrew Richardson born 26 Jan 1858 in Vinslöv. Andrew is very special to me. He was the first person I foumd related to me who emigrated. In 1882 he emigrated to the USA and his destination was Webster City. He later came to Wisconsin, he was in the Spanish-American war and then in 1920 he lived in Minnesota. He was found dead in his house in August 1928. Andrew never got married.

Andrew Richardson

4) Nils Nilsson Rickard AKA Nels Richardson born February 23 1860 in Vinslöv. He also emigrated to the USA in 1882. He ended up in Minnesota as well and died in 1935. Nels never married.

1920 Census, Nels and Andrew Richardson

5) Elna Nilsdotter Rickard AKA Ellen Nelson born July 6 1862 in Vinslöv. Elna emigrated with her youngest daughter Elina Ceclia in 1891. Elna had another daugher Ellen who she left with Nils Svensson Rickard in Vinslöv. Ellen first married Johan Eriksson and after he died she married Nels Nelson. Ellen and Nels and children lived in Minnesota. Ellen died in 1950.

Elna in the birthbook Vinslöv CI:9 page 4

Children of Sven Peter Rickard, Part 1, daughter Karna

Looking at my familytree the other day I was a bit annoyed missing information about Sven Peter Richards children in his marriage with Kjerstin Nilsdotter. I have put my focus on Nils Svensson Richard (1828 - 1913) my 3rd great grandfather and his children who emigrated to the US.

Now I have spent a couple of days and I think it is time to share some of the results.

Family of Karna

First child, Karna Svensdotter Rickard, born July 14 1825 in Kviinge. She Married Nils Olsson (1821 - 1877) and so far I have found six children.

Hjärsås AI:3 (1876-1885) page 102

Kjersti Nilsdotter, born in Hjärsås, January 19 1855
Bengta Nilsdotter, born in Hjärsås, January 10 1857
Nils Nilsson, born in Hjärsås, June 4 1859
Ola Nilsson, later Ola Nilsson Rosengren, born in Hjärsås, March 26 1864
Anders Nilsson, born in Hjärsås, August 24 1865
Anna Nilsdotter, born in Härsås,  February 1869

Nils Olsson died on April 15 1877 in Hjärsås. He died from smallpox.

Hjärsås FI:1 (1877-1894) page 2

Karna died October 29 in 1887 from TBC.

Hjärsås FI:1 (1877-1894) page 68

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.

Drowned in 1876 - Due to intoxication

I have a line of people with the surname Rickard born i Vinslöv. I found a person, Pehr Rickard, born 1844 in Vinslöv. I don't know if there is a relation, he was born out of wedlock and I don't know who his father was. The name is not very common and Vinslöv is not a very big place. I decided to find out what ever I could about him.

Pehr moved from Vinslöv to Ängelholm. From Ängelholm to Malmö and then back to Ängelholm. He made tiled stoves. Then, June 24 in 1876 he dies. Drowned in Rönneå the priest wrote down in the death book. Unmarried and only 31 years old. When looking in the death book I notice right under Pehr there is another maker of tiled stoves that also drowns, in the same day at the same place, Lars Magnus Persson from Lund. Why would they drown in the middle of the summer?

Ängelholm FI:1 (1862-1894) picture 80 / page 76 

So, down to the library, digging into the microfilms of old newspapers.. and I found a small notice in Öresundsposten..

Translated, something like:

"Due to intoxication,
A tile stove maker Persson from Lund and a tile stove maker Rickard from Engelholm, both in named town, on midsummerday, took a trip on the stream next to Engelholm in a small boat,  eventhough warned not to enter the boat, they did not follow the advice, the outcome, they both drowned. They were picked up after a while but thier lives could not be saved"

From Öresundsposten

Midsummernight eve is a typical Swedish tradition to celebrate and it seems like whoever wrote that article in the newspaper felt they had them self to blame since they were probably drunk.

I still havent found out if he is a relative or not.

All the places mentioned in this post are in the south of Sweden.

Karna Nilsdotter Rickard - My second great grandmother

Today, January 10, 1919, 92 years ago, my second great grandmother Karna died. She died from the Spanish Flu which killed 35 000 Swedes between 1918 - 1919, mostly quite young people, 20 to 40 years old. Karna was 63 years old.

Probably Karna Nilsdotter Rickard

Karna was born in Vinslöv in the south of Sweden in 1855. Her father, Nils Svensson Rickard was a shoemaker. He was married to Elna Holmgren. They had five children, Anna, Karna, Anders, Nils and Elna. Mother Elna Holmgren died in 1886 and Nils remarried in 1887, to Elna Persdotter.

All of Karnas siblings emigrated. In 1882 Anders and Nils emigrated to the US. In 1888 Anna emigrated with her children Nils Henrik and Carl Emil. Her husband Jöns Nilsson went to the US the year before and in 1893 Karnas little sister Elna also travelled over the pond with her youngest daughter Elina Cecilia.

Anna, Anders, Nils and Elna were the first persons Im related to that I found emigrated to the US. I didnt even know I had relatives who did emigrate. And it is only a few generations back in time. I found it extremly exciting which kept my motivation up to found out what happend to them.

One amazing thing, when they left Sweden they were all going to differnet states in the US and when I finally found them they all ended up in the same state, in the same county and the same town.

So, Karna, she stayed in Sweden. Wonder why. I havent found any records that she ever got married. She had four children, Hanna, Marie, Per and Jöns Anton. She worked at a farmer called Per Persson who was a widower. He has confessed that he is the father of some of her children (my guess is that he is the father of all of them but I guess we never will know for sure). None of them inherited him though, his two sons, Sven and Nils from his marriage did. Nils does in his will refer to Hanna as his sister.

Only three days before Karna died, her son Per died, from the Spanish Flu as well, 29 years old. In his real estate papers it says he had a gramophone. I dont think that was very common at the time and Im quite curious about what kind of records that were on the toplist back then.

Eventhough Karna wasnt married, she and Per share the same grave and it says Karna Persson on the gravestone.

Headstone from Farstorp, Per and Karna.

The son Per is also buried with them.

Same headstone