Life in Hovdinge in 1887

Dear readers,

My family is growing! So many grandkids to present to you today that I have to sort it out, one family at a time! By now you have heard about my oldest son Oscar's four kids. He lives in Hovdinge North farm as does his brother August who has married and started a family. Let us concentrate today on this place on earth in the parish of Ljungby.

Göran's son # 1, Oscar with family (the Oscarson's)

Oscar is now a man of 41, living in Hovdinge with his wife Lina, 40. Her full name was Carolina Simonsdotter and she was born in the parish of Kånna, in the village of Dragaryd at the farm Landbogård.

Carolina (aka Lina) Goranson (nee Simonsdotter).

Oscar and Lina's four children presented to you earlier were

• Göran Algot, later called John Oscarson, by now 13 years old and a candidate for confirmation in the church of Ljungby.


• Salomon Edward, later called Ed Oscarson, by now 12 and earning his own living according to what he later recalled.


• Anna Christina, 9 years old.


• Amanda Cecilia, 7 years old.

In 1881, 14th April another little girl was added as # 5 of the siblings. Her name was Maria Elizabeth Goranson and "over there" in America she would be called Lizzie. 1887 she is a girl of six and would live for another 21 years only.

Maria Elizabeth Goranson (aka Lizzie).

In 1883 a little Esther Susanna was born to the world, on 9th October. She was later to become a modiste, making hats. At this time in 1887 she is four, # 6 of the siblings.

Esther Susanna Goranson

Sibling #7 of Oscar and Linas children was a little girl called Ruth Henrietta Goranson. She was born 22nd August 1886 and was to emigrate at the early age of three! So you might guess, exciting stories are to be told shortly.

Ruth Henrietta Goranson.

Göran's son # 2, August with family (the Goranson's).

In the church of Ljungby, 8th November 1881 my second son August, 31 years old, married his sweetheart Anna Kristina Salomon's daughter who was also born in Hovdinge. Seven months later the family was enlarged! A picture of Kristina below, being a little older, having given birth to ten children! When they married she was only 21 years old, being ten years younger than her husband.

Anna Kristina Goranson (nee Salomonsdotter)

Their first son Gunnar Siwer, later called Gonner was born on 12th June 1882 in the North farm of Hovdinge, in the house which earlier belonged to a man called Olof Svensson died in 1880. In 1887 Gunnar is five years old. On the picture below a grown-up man!

Gunnar Siwer Goranson (aka Gonner).

His brother Karl Henrik was born one and a half years later, 19th Jan 1884. In later years he was often called Carl H or Charly Goranson. In 1887 he is a boy of three. I bet many girls found him handsome when he grew up to be the man you see here!

Karl Henrik Goranson (aka Carl H. or Charlie)

Soon thereafter another little boy came to the world and was given the name Joseph Teophil Goranson. He is only two in 1887 as he was born 11th September 1885. His life ended tragically, which you will hear about later.

Joseph Teofil Goranson

And finally, up to this year of 1887 there was an eleventh grandchild to tell you about! A little girl called Betty Katarina (as her grandma) Sofia Goranson, later called Bettie, was born on 2nd August 1887. A very pretty lady, don't you think! I am a proud grandfather, just wish I could have had them closer.

Betty Katarina Goranson (aka Bettie)

My secretary once talked to a grandpa like me who had come up with the brilliant idea to plant a tree in the garden for every grandchild. He came regret it though, he could not live in a forest...A sweet man but not rational. Such words and knowledge, as science for beginners is what my secretary should be studying now instead of digging into old stories. She knows it too well, but cannot help herself, especially as she yesterday managed to get her husband, my descendant to spend his Sunday afternoon visiting three different cemeteries, looking for old markers and finding new exciting ones!!! Some were illegible so if you see a man and a woman with scrubbing brush among graves, it's them! What a vice!



Yours sincerely, Göran Danielsson.

Later in 1880

Dear descendants,

I presume you are the ones most interested in reading about your great grand pa's doings. We have passed the point of my lifetime but I assure you that those of my kids who survived childhood lived lives worth telling about. That is the reason why my secretary took up the challenge I gave her to write it all down in a foreign language.

Let us today concentrate on the years leading up to 1880. My dear wife was at that time 55, still living with her new husband on the west farm of Berghem in the parish of Kånna.

Göran's son # 1, Oscar with family.

Oscar, by now 34 years old, was at this time a family father of four, two sons and two daughters. The sons have been introduced already: Göran Algot later called John, was now 8 years old and Salomon Ed was 7. They lived at Näs outside Ljungby, about four kilometres from Hovdinge. In 1879 the family moved to Hovdinge North farm.

In 1876, 9th March, a little girl was added to the family and she was called Anna Christina Göransdotter. She was later to become a soldier in the Salvation Army! This is what she looked like in the family photo I showed you earlier. She was a girl of four years old in 1880, the photo below being taken some years later.

Anna Cecilia Göransdotter (aka Goranson)

Next daughter to be added to the family was Amanda Cecilia Göransdotter, below. She arrived in October 1878 and according to her children it was on the 14th of the month although the church books say the 11th. Amanda was a little girl of two years old in 1880. Her grandchildren Carol and David have been to visit my secretary and she is looking forward to more dear visitors, Ian, Valerie and Boyd this summer coming (2008)!

Amanda Cecilia Göransdotter (aka Goranson).

Göran's son # 2, August.

August was 30, living on the north farm of Hovdinge, soon to be married but not just yet.

Göran's daughter # 1, Emma with family.

Emma Göransdotter (later married Johannesson) was 26 at the time, having lived in Ljungby for a couple of years since 1878. She had met her future husband and married him 19th September 1880. His name was Bengt-Johan Johannesson and he was four years older than his wife, born in 1850. He came from the village Rataryd, the north part, which is about four kilometres west of Hovdinge, situated in the parish of Angelstad. We have no wedding day photos of the couple but would of course love to have copies if descendants could supply. Emma lived in Rataryd all her life and raised a family of five children, of which four survived childhood.

Thanks to Emma's granddaughter Gun we have a photo of a group of navvies, hopefully the correct word for these railway workers. The man to the left is according to her Bengt-Johan. What a well-dressed man!

Front Left - Bengt-Johan Johannesson

Göran's daughter # 2

Lotta Göransdotter was 22 and had probably also met her husband to be. She marries in 1881 so I will tell you next time.

Göran's daughter # 3

Maria Göransdotter was 16 in 1880, having been a candidate for confirmation in the parish of Kånna a couple of years earlier, still living with her mother and stepfather.
Blessings from above from your

Göran Danielsson.

Life in Ljungby

Hi,

In 1857 the church of Ljungby was ready, in the reign of Oscar I. This picture is taken 150 years later. The baptismal font is still there, since the 14th century. Must be the same we used for our kids. The inscription on the side of it says "Christ has scattered the power of evil and takes man out of it with the help of baptism".

Ljungby Church

Our first industries in Ljungby were a tannery and a dye works. There was also an organ manufacturer started by a man called Elfström who was to be the best organ manufacturer in the country. When my Katrina remarried and moved to Hamneda she might have used the steam boat carrying both people and goods from there to Ljungby and back. It was later replaced by railway. When the railway was first opened in 1878 the King was here to speak at the opening ceremony.

I would like to quote a few lines from the criminal code used in our court here in Sunnerbo, in efffect in 1877. It gives you a picture of circumstances confining our lives. It is a quote about observing the Sabbath:

"If anyone on a Sunday or on another festival day between 6 am and 9 pm is occupied with handicraft or other job's which can be postponed will be punished with fines, at the most 20 rix dollars, if it is not done because of your own or somebodys bare necessities of life."

For many of the emigrants, being free to believe in God in the way they wanted, without the intervention of priests and accompanying church hierarchy, was one of the reasons behind choosing to leave what was well known and hope for a new future across the ocean. My two sons and one of my girls chose to do so as I will tell you about later. I have come to realize that amazingly the immigrants re-established a similar spiritual system again in their new home land. Changing a habit is not easy. From my vantage point up here the major enticement was the possibility of being land owners in a very short timeline.


Easter is over, party was nice, house is cleaned so my secretary has been a good girl. Her kids have enjoying themselves and everybody is happy. That's the way I like it. Snow is covering spring. My secretary met a nice person today doing her shopping, who had been cooking porridge for the starlings to help them survive this backlash of winter. My secretary has her limits, she doesn't do breakfasts for starlings. The starlings of Hovdinge might die... They won't get any new houses either, she is not good at climbing trees and her husband is too busy. He saw a lapwing today, so there is hope for the future.

Until next time, yours sincerely
Göran Danielsson.

Ps. Do send me a mail or comment! You might have questions how I remember it all? You might like to know my sources? Don't worry all you people, my mind is sharp and my secretary knows exactly from where she gets the information. It might be incorrect anyway and if you would like to help, feel free to get in touch. Life is not perfect. I might possibly use some speculation, cannot give any guarantees, but I will let you know when I am less reliable.

If my use of your native language is sometimes unclear, just guess how it would have been without the help of another Danielson with no equal living in Kanata, Canada. You all owe him gratitude and St Peter up here will certainly be informed about his language corrections to make this blog more readible.

Legacy from the Lord

Dear ones,

In 1875 the king of Sweden was also king of Norway. He reign over these countries with supreme and divine powers worthy of the respect of such an ambassador. What is true I do not know as I honestly was not in the closest circles around his ilk here in heaven. But check on Wikipedia, those of you who are good at googling!

From there a photo of the king, Oscar II who remained king until he died in 1907:

King Oscar II King of Sweden and Norway

Oscar II:s period of reign was a time when Sweden was industrialized and technical developments quickly changed the circumstances, for example the ability to telegraph, send a letter with a stamp with the picture of Oscar I, make a telephone call, turn on an electric light or ride a bicycle! I realize my dear family was not first in line to use all the new gadgets in the parish of Ljungby, but gradually they too could make use of the new inventions.

My secretary has a book about Ljungby with a picture of Olof Ljungcrantz, the man is still famous because of his efforts promoting Ljungby. From this picture we know what Olof looked like before he died in 1876. As you have seen already the successors of camera obscura enabled us to see what my sons and their families looked like around 1890. I escaped that experience leaving this place in 1870. You did not miss a thing ;-)




Another site to visit is this http://www.dunkerskulturhus.se/templates/StandardPage.aspx?id=19209&epslanguage=SV There is a picture of a house which was the hussar regiment barracks for a squadron of cavalry of 60 men and their officers coming to Helsingborg in 1873 to ensure the defence of south of Sweden. The same year my second son August left for Helsingborg, but my memory and recall is lacking of anymore information...

My secretary feels guilty when she steals time from family life spending it with me and my kids. She had better promise not to blog until the house is clean and food prepared for party on Easter Eve. Fortunately, she will not have to see to the garden. The daffodils are covered with heavy snow. Always look at the bright side of life!

Yours truly, Göran Danielsson.

Life in 1875

Dear readers,

Although I cannot be with you any longer my family will. Five year after my departure, life looked like this for my wife and my kids:

Göran's son #1, Oscar with family.

In 1875 my oldest son Oscar was a grown up man of 29. He had met a girl by the name of Carolina, the daughter of Simon från Landbo-farm in Dragaryd, not far away from Hovdinge but in the parish of Kånna. Her name was shortened to Lina and she was a year younger than her husband to be. They married in the church of Kånna the 23rd of June in 1871 when Oscar was 25. What I know is that they lived in Näs, a village closer to Ljungby from our point of view in Hovdinge, about four kilometres from our home. I guess they moved back when my wife Katrina remarried and moved to Hamneda.

God blessed my wife Katrina with grandchildren, at first in 1872 (11th May) when another Göran was born! I am grateful for the honour of lending him my name. His second name was Algot and when he later moved on to America it was easier to be called something else, more easily pronounced, so he chose the name John. But in 1875 he was only three years old and knew nothing about crossing the Atlantic. As he was the son of Oscar, his family name was Oscarsson. Below a close-up from around 1890 when he was 18 years old.

Goran Algot Oscarsson (aka John Oscarson)

The second grandchild came in 1873, 21st of December. Quite a christmas present... He was given the name Salomon Edward Oscarsson and when he too later left for the states he was known there as Solomon Ed Oscarson. On the picture below he would be around 17 years old.

Salomon Edward Oscarsson (aka Ed Oscarson)

Below a picture of Oscar's family, taken much later than 1875 of course but I am so proud of my grandchildren as you all seem to be so I cannot withhold it any longer! You do recognize the feeling, don't all grandma's and grandpa's?! I am so pleased to be able to see them this way as I missed them in real life.

Oscar and Carolina Goranson's family ca 1890

Göran's son #2, August.

August was a young man of 25 in 1875, having moved to Helsingborg in the south of Sweden in 1872. We know he did his military service which might have had the duration of three years and it might have been because of that he had moved south.

Goran's daughters, Emma, Lotta & Maria.

My wife Katrina remarried as I told you earlier, with a man from Håå Storegård, that is the big farm of Håå in the parish of Hamneda, south of Ljungby. Our three girls moved together with their mum and in 1875 Emma was 21, Lotta was 17 and Maria was 11. In 1877 they moved on to Berghem in the parish of Kånna, first to Bergsgård and later to Västregård.

So, in retrospect rather a lot happened during these five years since I left this earth, don't you think? Have a good day, yours friendly Göran Danielsson.

My death in 1870

Dear ones,
Sad to say, but this is the end of my rather short life on earth. I am pleased that I can go on living in your minds with the help of a blogging secretary. She will tell you what happens with my wife, my kids, my grandkids and even my great grandkids...

As I told you earlier the years of 1868 and 1869 were hard. People starved because of bad weather conditions spoiling our crops. I was 52 years, 8 months and 28 days old when my days were ended by an illness described by Doctors of the day as Brights, a kidney disease. It is November 17, 1870.

My oldest boys Oscar and August took over the farm at Hovdinge Norregård. They were now 24 and 20 years of age. My daughters were 16, 12 and 6. In October 1874 they moved with their mother to the parish of Hamneda, in Håå. After a few years, on new-years-eve in 1875, my dear wife Katrina remarried with a man from Håå. He was a shoe-maker and his name was Carl Isak Johannesson. In 1877 they moved on to the parish of Kånna, to Berghem.

My secretary has been to a place called Vadstena where old estate inventories are kept since many years back. She was allowed to look into these old original books where the inventories were kept, written in the very best oldfashioned handwriting. After a few hours, fellow genealogy researchers around her fell asleep, one after the other with their noses literally in the books. At the very last minute before the archives closed for the day my secretary found the very estate inventory from Hovdinge Norregård. She ordered a copy and would later read several pages giving us details of my collected riches on earth. The one collecting the most stuff does not win by the way.

I owned for example

• 3/32 parts of Hovdinge South farm,
• 3/8 parts of Hovdinge North farm,
• a little necklace with ring in silver,
• a pocket-watch in silver,
• tin-candles,
• copperbowls,
• an iron,
• four axes,
• eight scythes,
• a mare,
• two pair of oxen,
• one pair of steers,
• cows - one red in colour, one brownish, one faint red,
• two heifers,
• four calfs,
• one cow which was in Näs village where my son Oscar lived,
• tools and equipment for cultivating, among them some in Näs which Oscar was using.
• a little house or a flat in the near of Tofta South farm.
• Some people owned me money, there is a long list.
• And there were of course curtains,
• bedquilts,
• a mirror
• and a spinning-wheel.
• Finally a smoke-pipe, not even possible to bring that along when leaving this earthly life.

Since 1859 I had been having two children under my guardianship. Two boys, almost adults when I passed away in 1870. Their names were Jonas Petter and Johan Magnus, both son's of Goran. My secretary wondered why these boys were under my protection. Yesterday when telling you my mother's story it all became clear to her. These kids were the grandchildren of my oldest sister Kristina. Their mother died when they were little. Their father was alive but I was to be the guardian for them. When I died their father took my place.

Glad be able to get back to you,
yours Göran Danielsson.

My mother's story

Dear readers,

In the year of 1867 two dear ones left us. We had a little son called David Göranssson who was born 20th Oct 1866. I suppose he was too good for this life, he lived for only three months. Our family was in sorrow - older brothers Oscar (21) and August (17), older sisters Emma (13), Lotta (9) and Maria (3).

Later the same year, 18th Dec 1867 my mother Stina Andersdotter passed away. She had a long life, being 81 that year. This is the story of her life as told to me by Anders Peter Nilsson in Brokhult, Göteryd parish who wrote it down so my secretary could read. God bless him, because without him we would not have known so precisely what happened. Anders Peter was related to us in a very distant way.

Stina, or Kierstin as she was named in the church books, daughter of Anders was born in Rommarehyltan, in the parish of Göteryd 15th Jan 1786. When she was almost 21, she married a young farmer, who was a widower about her age, called Anders Håkansson. They married in the church of Göteryd 26th Dec 1806.

• In 1809, 29th Jan, they had a baby girl, called Catharina Andersdotter. She had whooping-cough and died after two months.
• In 1810, 16th May, they had another girl called Kristina Andersdotter. She married Petter Jonsson from Ekenäs in Göteryd. Later he was a local jury court member. They had three boys and one girl.

21st April, 1811, her husband Anders died by breast fever in the age of 24 years, 9 months and 15 days.


Not long time passed as Stina was engaged the following year with a man called Anders Esbjörnsson from Brokhult, according to the writer Anders Peter. Anders Esbjörnsson was good-father and present at both christenings of the children mentioned above. In the church books he is called Esbjörn Andersson and was probably six years younger than Stina. So she was 26 at this time, in 1812 and Anders was 20 years old.

Anders Peter tells us the following story:
Stina was engaged to Anders Esbjörnsson in Brokhult. One Sunday morning he was the one to ring the churchbells at the church of Göteryd. At those times this was done with ropes. He had put the rope around his hand and rang the bell so much that it turned over and he could not let go of the rope. It hoisted him up and the bell got him squeezed up, severly bruised him and instantly killed him. A man called Petter who rang the bells with him was suspected to have made the bell turn around with purpose. The reason should have been that Petter was envious of the fiancée Stina, that is my mother.

In the churchbooks of Göteryd we can read that Esbjörn Andersson was hit by the little church bell during careless ringing and died 20 years old 17th May 1812.

So Stina, was left alone for the second time, with a little daughter of two. But in only seven months time she was married again, 31st Dec 1812. This time, 27 years old, she married my father Daniel who was 19 at the time. And a few year afterwards I was born in 1818.

Hope you liked the story, with love Göran Danielsson.

My sister

Hi,
time to tell you more about my sister Anna-Greta, daughter of Daniel. As I told you before, she was born in the parish of Göteryd, 10th April 1821. She moved to Tofta with our family and was a candidate for confirmation in the church of Ljungby in 1837. She married Sven-Johan Nilsson 15th September 1844 in Ljungby. Together they continued the work at the north farm of our home in Tofta when our father Daniel Olofsson died in 1851.

Anna-Greta and Sven-Johan had the following children:

• Beata Kristina Svensdotter, born 23rd Oct 1844. She married a man called Johan Nilsson from the parish of Tånnö and they lived at Tofta North farm and raised four children.
• Johanna Gustava Svensdotter, born 18th Jan 1847. I was present at the christening a few days later. She married Anders Johan Johannesson from the parish of Berga and lived there at Torlarp's Björsa-farm with their eight children.
• Ingrid Maria Svensdotter, born 15th Jan 1850 and died the following day. She was baptist in emergency and died of stroke.
• Maria Helena Svensdotter, born 23rd Sept 1851. She married a corporal, Carl Reinhold Rosén, lived in the parish of Hamneda and had two children. Only one survived childhood.
• Johan David Svensson, born 6th August 1854, died seven months later by stroke.
• Nils David Svensson, born 7th Sept 1856, died by accidential suffocation three months later.
• Emelie Charlotta Svensdotter, born 28th Sept 1858, died after three months in scarlet fever.
• Carl Edvin Svensson, born 6th Feb 1860. Married Ingrid Kajsa Johannesdotter from the parish of Berga and had four children together. They lived in Ljungby, in Hagatorpet.

Some of you might have gone to sleep during these lengthy revelations, telling you only names and dates. Sorry, just wanted you to know what happened to my siblings. May be this gives you a bit of insight of how life was in those days. You could not rely on hospitalcare when your children were ill. You would probably, in any family, have to count on loosing some of your little ones. My sister gave birth to eight kids and lost four of them. My parents had six kids and lost three.

In any case, if you are still reading I guess you do not think I am a TW. Quite like to learn short forms like LOL and LOFL which we do a lot up here in heaven. TW is a time waster and some folks think genealogy is of that category. I have all the time in the world up here and I just love those intelligent kids of mine who TW with genealogy stuff on earth already.

In future there will be more stories than names. That is what keeps my secretary going...next time she will tell you a love-story about my mother! And then later on there will be more photos to show you. Cameras were scarce you know in those days back in 1800. But I enjoy just being alive. You know my days are numbered as we talk about the days just before 1870.


Friendly greetings from my heavenly place,
Göran Danielsson.

My niece

Just a quick note to let you know what my secretary has found out - that my little niece Anna-Maria's life was short. She died after only three years and three months. What happened to the rest of the family is still very dim in my recollection.
/Göran

My brother

Hello,
I'm back,
with news from my heaven. Today I must tell you about my brother Elias. Earlier on I said that my secretary did not know for sure what happened to my brother. Well, with the help of KGF, that is the genealogy society here in our district Kronoberg she found on their CD church records some interesting news today.

Elias Danielsson, my little brother, born in Göteryd, married a lady from Domaryd in the parish of Berga nearby Ljungby, on 31st October 1846 in the church of Berga.

• In 1847, 3rd September their first child was born - a girl by the name of Johanna Kristina Elisdotter. When she was christened a couple of days later my sister Anna-Greta Danielsdotter was one of the godmothers.
• In 1850, 1st May their second child was born - also a girl. They called her Anna Maria Elisdotter and I remember it very well. You see, I was there! I was one of the godfathers.

And then I realized that I lived in the parish of Kånna some years up to 1851 with my family because it said so in the church books. That was a good thing to be reminded of, my secretary tells me. I had not told her before. So I had to admit that my oldest kids Oscar, born 1846 and August, born 1850 were both baptized in the church of Kånna. So there are still some secrets about me to reveal. That is why she spends time with me. She likes to be a detective. She is going to continue trying to find out what happened to those girls, Johanna Kristina and Anna Maria.

Good night, we rest here in heaven too,
Göran Danielsson.

My daughters

Dear readers,

My secretary is back in business! She has been writing about the Swedish economy and labour market policies for her school, managing to keep the dead line without dying herself, only being a bit frustrated. But now she is connecting with me again so I can tell you about my daughters!

1853 our sons Oscar and August were 7 and 3 years old. We then had a beautiful daughter born  January 20th. We named her Anna Kristina. She lived only 28 days. She was accidently suffocated.

On May 19, 1854 we were blessed with another girl. We called her Emma Kristina Göran's daughter. She lived for 83 years and below you will see her picture. She stayed in Sweden all her life. On the picture you can see what she looked like in older life, remember no film, no movies, no pictures...

Emma Kristina Johannesson (nee Göransdotter).

On May 6, 1858 our next little girl arrived. Her name was Anna Charlotta, called Lotta or may be Anna or sometimes both. She grew up and married in Sweden, moved to America for some years and raised their family, before they returned to Sweden in old age. Her picture as an old woman below.

Anna Charlotta Johansson (nee Göransdotter).

On July 22, 1861 another little girl arrived to our home on the north farm of Hovdinge. It was a joy for us all, mum and dad and the brothers and sisters who were now 15, 10 ½, 7 and 3 years old. We decided to give her the name Dorothea Gustava. She lived for 2 years, 8 months and 27 days. Two months before she died a new little sister Maria was born.

Maria was born February 2, 1864. She lived until she was 82 years old and is the great grandmother of the girl I told you about who is smiling in front of her paintings.

Maria Johansson (nee Göransdotter).

I am now 45 and my wife Katrina is 38. Counted in joys and sorrows we can sum up these last ten, eleven years: Five girls were born, two we had to give back.
That's my life this far. It won't last much longer...

Yours sincerely, Göran Danielsson.

My sons and my father

Dear everybody,

In 1845, I was 27 when I married, and 28 when we moved to our new home, the north farm of Hovdinge. In the spring that of 1846 I also became a father! The father of a son, halleluiah....that is the lyrics of a great group called the Arch I am told. There weren't too many groups to entertain in my days so I have to enjoy yours.



Our first son was born April 9, 1846 and we named him Oscar Salomon Gorans' son, in Swedish that is Göransson. The wood anemones looked just likethey do today. It does not seem appropriate to show you a picture of an old man, but what to do? We don't have millions of pretty baby photos as I imagine you have with your own kids or grandkids. I am pleased to show you a picture of Oscar, but he is a bit too big for the cradle.

Oscar Salomon Göransson/Goranson

When our first son was four years old and I was 32 we had another son who we named August Johan Göransson. He was born in wintertime, December 10, 1850. Well, here we go again, showing our beloved little baby as a man with glasses and beard. You just have to trust my words that he was such a sweetie!

August John Göransson/Goranson

A couple of months later, February 2, 1851 my father passed away. As I told you before he was a farmer at the north farm of Tofta in the parish of Ljungby and a jury man at the local court of Sunnerbo. In the archives my secretary found minutes from meetings May 7, 1830, Jan 29, 1830 and October 1,  1830 when the jury court man Daniel Olofsson in Tofta was present. At those times in Ljungby there were public executions and punishments using whips. Such details as suitable sorts of gravel for absorbing blood might have been on the agenda according to a book about Ljungby. Those were the days my friend!

The court men were chosen among the owners of land and they enjoyed public confidence. They were also asked to administrate the estate of deceased, address people on important issues or have guardianship. All these tasks gave them good knowledge of what was going on in the area, which could be misused. Sometimes these men were also parish constables or took part in the local administration. In a document from 1840 which my secretary has in her home my father is called District Judge. That was a title of honor of the juror in the twelve manna Board with the most seniority. On that document is also my father's signature:

My father passed away when he was 57 years old, Feb 2nd 1851 with colicky pains. In the parish of Ljungby 25 people left for heaven that year, at least I am sure that ten of them arrived here as they were under the age of ten. My secretary can assure you that I remember correctly as she has checked the tabular statements from Kronoberg's county for the births and deaths of the rural areas and towns.



Yours sincerely, Göran Danielsson.

My kings and my siblings

Hello down on earth,

The very year I was born in 1818 a French man Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was asked to be king of Sweden and Norway which he could not resist. Look at his picture! His wife Desiré was not that keen on the cold countries he had chosen I've heard. Those of us who have not seen warmer climates lived our lives in our "little boxes" but my secretary assures there are other places warmer than Hovdinge. Well, in my condition I am quite pleased actually I am not at the hottest of places ;-)

So the king of Sweden and Norway which belonged in a Union was between the years of 1818 and 1844 Karl XIV Johan, the former soldier Jean Baptiste Bernadotte. His son Oscar I took over the throne in 1844, managed to became vice king of Norway but never succeeded in making the countries unite more than on paper. He fell ill and died in 1859. The last years of my lifetime the king's name was Karl XV who ended his reign the same year I passed away, 1870.

And what about my siblings? Siblings surviving childhood were Anna-Lisa and Elias, both younger than myself. Anna-Lisa married Sven-Johan Nilsson, born in 1821 and they raised a family taking over our father's farm in Tofta where I grew up. My little brother Elias either married a girl from the parish of Berga, moved to Denmark or remained unmarried. It is such a long time ago and I cannot remember. My secretary has three different sources and cannot choose either. But if you know, please refreshen my memory!

May my secretary let me rest in peace for the rest of day,
yours sincerely Göran Danielsson.

My marriage in 1845

Dear grandchildren and others,

Love is in the air today! You know, it is spring and we had the same feelings as you have, both in sorrow which I wrote about in my last blog and in love! Today is the day to tell you about Katrina Petersdotter, my beloved wife.

Katrina, the daughter of Peter, was born in in the parish of Kånna, next to the parish of Ljungby, both in the province of Kronoberg. She first saw the light of day in a cottage that was set aside from the larger farm house. This was 1825 and the location was a little farm called Kvänjarp's. My father and mother-in-law had six children, Katrina was the seventh.

How we met is a little secret, I'm afraid. But in the church books it is open for everybody to read how we confirmed our relationship the church of Kånna, built in the 12th centuary. We lived happily for 25 years until I died in 1870. 1868 and 1869 were dreadful year for harvesting. The crop failures caused much starvation and made people beggars. According to the church records I died of Bright's, a kidney disease.















And then in 1870, Katrina was left alone with our children, the youngest Maria, only being six years old. After five years Katrina remarried which I think I blessed. At the end of her life, ending in 1905 when she was 79, she lived in the parish of Angelstad, in Bolmstad Änganäs and Drängagård.

Friendly greetings from above,

Göran Danielsson.

My background in Göteryd, Småland.

Hello everybody,

Hope your weekend was as fabulous as mine. You should know more about what is going on here in heaven, I'll let you know some other day. I understand that you travel long distances incredibly quickly in your days. Reminds me of when I was young and worked as a door to door salesman around Gothenburg. That is what my secretary has heard from other relatives. It took me some time to get to Gothenburg, not nearly as a quick as your X2000 trains. But this was back in the years around 1840 and a different world from yours.

Well, up here I mentioned my background. I was born 1818 in Goteryd in the province of Kronoberg in Småland. My father was a jury man in the local court; his name was Daniel Olofsson and he was born there in 1793. My mother's name was Stina Andersdotter. She was a bit older, born in 1786. She was quite a lady. I have a story to tell you about here later. In 1828 when I was ten years old, the family moved to the parish of Ljungby and bought a farm in the village Tofta, west of Ljungby.

The family was mum, dad and myself, also my half-sister Kristina. She was twenty at the time and my secretary guesses that she didn't come along when we moved from Goteryd. Later she married Peter in Ekenäs according to another relative. I had two little sisters called Anna-Greta, born 1821 and Anna-Stina, born 1822 and a little brother called Elias, born 1823. I also had another sister, Helena, who was born in 1826 but she died the same year.

So, when coming to Tofta in Ljungby parish I was ten years old, Anna-Greta nine, Anna-Stina six and Elias five. Can you picture the family? I am sorry to tell you that also my little sister Anna-Stina died later, in 1831 when she was nine because she became swollen. Hard for you to understand I guess, but that was not usual in our times, having to say goodbye to your children much too early. I know that my parents also had a little boy before I was born called Olof. He was born in 1814 and died young too.

Glad to be able to meet you in spite of the time-differences, remaining yours sincerely

Göran Danielsson.



Ps. A picture showing the same rainbow as in my days, this one taken from my secretary's house overviewing the direction where my house was situated in Hovdinge, Småland.

My place on earth, Hovdinge in Småland.

Hello there,

Here I am again, expressing myself in a language I do not know, just to be able to communicate with you my dear grandkids over there. I have been thinking about making a site of my own on the internet for such a long time. Then today I was inspired to start blogging instead, from the other side of the grave.

You see, I have a great, great grandkid who is planning to start a blog also. I thought we could help eachother along. She has been having a great day today. You see, she is artistic and has been painting as a happy amateur for half a year or so at a school here in Småland. And today she had her first simple exhibition and sold her first painting!

Emelie Keynemo

Today I would like to start telling you about myself. As I said earlier, I passed away to our heavenly place back in 1870. I had then been living in Hovdinge, in Kronobergs province of Småland since I moved there in 1846.

The previous year I married my dear Katrina Petersdotter from the parish of Kånna, close to the parish of Ljungby where Hovdinge is situated. I owned some units of land of the north farm of Hovdinge. Before me Olof Ljungcrantz was the owner. He owned many farms around Ljungby and was later called Father of Ljungby. He was the first alderman of Ljungby.

I'll be back!
Yours sincerely, Göran Danielsson.

My time in life, 1818 to 1870.

Dear Everybody,

Delighted to be able to communicate with you my dear kids and grandkids and everybody else interested! Time has passed and I have been dead and gone for over a hundred years...so in that perspective it is quite a challenge to blog! And in English which I was not capable of useing to express myself, back in those old days of 1870 when I passed away. So please do not forget to believe in miracles, they still happen.

Well, I will be back and intend to tell you about my life and my kids as promised in the headline. In the address you can read the name of Hovdinge. That is the place where I spent most of my days and where my blog is written.