Three more kids in the family of August/John Goranson

Hi,

Göran's son #2 - August Göranson, later calling himself John Goranson (the Goranson's)

Time to take you back to the year of 1894, to South Dakota and White Rock. The next place which would be the home for the family of my son August/John was called the John Rose place. Here child #7 was born, a boy called Albin. He was born 18th December 1892 and then had 61 years ahead of him. This is his picture to the right.

The day the family moved away from John Rose's place a near tragedy took place according to the story of Edna Goranson. My oldest son Oscar's daughter Amanda came over to help scrubbin the floors after the furniture was moved out. She wore a bright red dress. My son August/John had a team hitched to a hayrackwagon, with some hay in the bottom, where they laid breakable household articles on the hay. When Amanda came out to deposit some articles, the horses caught sight of her red dress and bolted with fright! As the horses passed by August/John he caught the bridle of the nearest him with one hand, with the other he took the horse by the nostrils and literally shut off his wind so they had to stop. August/John was of short stature, the horse lifted him right off the ground with his head. A wonder he wasn't killed. Had they got away both he and Amanda could have been killed. There would have been no great grandkids like Boyd, no Ian, no Valerie, no Alton...puh, overjoyed our guardian angels were there to save the situation.

"That day they moved north-east to a place called the school land with a house little more than a hovel in the ground, with the roof and windows above ground. The rest was dug out like a cellar in the earth..."(E. Goranson). Here a new little son of August/John and Kristina was born in 1894. His name was David, his picture to the right.

"When on this place they had a promise of a wonderful crop, the heaviest growth since any of the settlers arrived. They were all so happy with anticipation, thinking now they could pay their debts, and get ahead a little, to buy some much needed items. Dad (John/August) had dickered with a friend for a team fo young horses so he could change off with a couple of old ones to keep going steadily as it would be quite an undertaking to cut all that good crop. He had his binder in all readiness, went for the team he had purchased to start cutting on the morrow. That night a terrific hailstorm wiped out the crop, the whole countryside for miles around. The next day he took the team back to the man he bought them from, as now he would be unable to pay for them, he too lost his crop so was very understanding and took them back. That winter there was no money to buy shoes for the smaller children. Mama (Kristina) made shoes of old felt hats, which were both sturdy and warm" (E. Goranson).

Edna also tells us that when on this farm, her Mama Kristina was in bed for six months due to a kidney ailment. "Imagine her predicament with eight small children around her! She had to organize them to help themselves and each other with the help of two kind neighbour ladies, so good to her she called them angels. Every week they came to clean the house, do some baking and cooking for her, washing and ironing and always they brought a treat of something along, a cake, cookies or a pudding." They also made her a pair of feather pillow cases, never in all her life was she so grateful for any gifts as these pillows. Her mattress was a cover filled with fresh straw after threshing (E. Goranson).

The next move for the family was to the Charlie Peterson place - a house build on a small hill or knoll. The house had four rooms and an upstairs, really good buildings and there children #9 and 10 were born. Edgar was born in 1896, his picture to the right.

The little sister Edna, to whom we are so grateful for her story, was born in 1899. Her picture to the left. Edna also tells us about a fire, caused by a train in the midst of harvest. The family helped stopping it, had it got beyond control at least eight to ten farms places would have gone, their included. Another story is about the family's dear horses being shot by the Vet, saying they had glanders, having a drag from the government for each animal shot. August/John was not good enough in the English language to cope with him and the boys were too young to bulldoze him off the farm or demand more proof by another Vet (E. Goranson).

Your ancestor Goran.