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.