Great! Great grandkids growing up!

Hi,

Busy up here, celebrations going on, birthday times you know!

But being busy is no excuse when great grandkids let me know they like to be part of my blog. So here you are, the sons and daughters of my youngest grandkids Hulda and Caleb:

To the left, Hulda's daughter Lu
and her grandson Clint.

To the right, Hulda's daughter Lu's
granddaughter Sarah.

And finally, below, Caleb's son and daughter and their families in Sweden:

May the joy of the season make every moment special - Merry Christmas to my readers!

Remaining yours faithfully Goran Danielsson.

Hulda and Caleb, my daughter Maria's youngest.

Hi down there,

To start with today, a picture of my youngest grandkids. The youngest of them, Caleb and Hulda, were born in 1901 and 1903. As I told you earlier, Hulda left for America in 1923 when she was 20 years old to join her older sisters and brothers. In April 1921, this picture below was taken. From left to right in the back row, Ruth and Hulda. From to left to right in front, Hanna and Caleb. Ruth, Hanna and Caleb stayed in Sweden.

Johansson Children ca April 1921
Back row L-R Ruth , Hulda Front L-R Hanna, Caleb.

Caleb was born in Bolmaryd Norregård in Nöttja 24th of July 1901. He was left in a crib with bars at the photographers, being not more than a couple of years old which he doesn't seem very happy about.

Caleb's career started with work on roads, peat mosses and saw mills. He worked with an axe in ground frost and was struck with TB on his lungs. He became a farmer in his thirtees when he rented land together with his brother Simon at a place called Södra Vare in the near of Alvesta. Thereafter he rented another farm on his own inHällorna in the parish of Hamneda and finally bought himself a farm in Hovdinge where his mother Maria was born. Maria and her husband Carl Petter Johansson stood surety for a friend with their own home. It ended with bankruptcy and Caleb therefore bought his parents a new home, called the home of peace - Fridhem. It was situated in Ryssby, east of Ljungby.

In Hovdinge Caleb started farming in 1946 with the help of his sister Hanna before he met his Agnes Rydh. She became his wife in 1951.

Caleb and Agnes raised a family and called their children Britt-Marie, born in 1953 and Key-Göran, born in 1955.


Warm greetings from my heavenly place,
yours sincerely

Goran Danielsson.

My daughter Maria's children

Dear ones,

Keeping track of my great grandkids is a huge task even if they are no longer running along but are maturing both in body and mind. I guess that one of the youngest of them all is the husband of my secretary. He is 55 years of age and still busy farming parts of his ancestor's land. Happily, judged by this picture below. His father Caleb, the youngest son of my daughter Maria was also farming the same land and is seen on the picture above.

And who knows what lies ahead. The fifth generation is still too young to take over:

My secretary is busy studying old documents which was found in a secret compartment of a chest of drawers. It was contracts of sale and estate inventories from the village of Hovdinge, dated back as far as 1837. On one of the documents the judge of the village, "häradsdomaren", had signed his name. And guess who that was!?! His name was Daniel Olofsson and he was my father, born in 1793, in Göteryd, Sweden. Here is his signature from the document:

Warm blessings from above,

Goran Danielsson.

Time for the now living...

Dear relatives,

As your heavenly father, i e your great grandfather in heaven, I would like to move on to those of you who are still here on earth. My secretary is waching over you now living with loving care and insists that only first names are published and no pictures without permission.







To sum up this story about my life and my kids I will begin with the youngest of my great grandkids.

Therefore, may I again present Hulda who was born in 1903 in Angelstad in the south area of Sweden called Småland. When she was 20 years old in 1923 she went to Rockford, Illinois from her home in Ryssby, Sweden, never to see her parents again. My secretary found this information about Carlsson, Hulda Debora in a database called Emihamn.

As you can see on the photo above Hulda married Hjalmar Johnson 6th July 1929 and raised a family in Rockford, Illinois. They had three kids, Robert (born 1930), Richard (born 1933) and Lucille (born 1936). In the Summer of 1964 Hulda went back to visit her brother Caleb in Sweden. Hulda's daughter Lu continued to write to her uncle and family in Sweden just like her mother before her. Thanks to her they are still in touch. I must admit that I as a great grandfather therefore tend to have some favourites, sinning is still possible up here I am afraid.

In 1985 Hulda's daughter Lu and her husband Harland came from Wisconsin to Hovdinge with Lu's nephew Peter. In 1990 Peter's father Dick came from Rockford, Illinois, to see his relatives. Cousins from Sweden repaid the visit, for example in 2004 when this picture is taken in Florida:

If anyone of you descendants of Hulda, like Stephen and Peter, Mary Vera and Margaret, Pierce, Skip and Brian, Dallas, Gray and Nick or Sarah and Clint would not mind to take part with a photo, please connect with my secretary at goran.danielsson@ljungby.nu

Finally a greeting in Swedish from my beloved descendant who still remembers his mother's tongue!

God bless, with love Goran Danielsson.

Dead or alive?!

Yeah, relief! Finally in touch again! What a trauma! I am still dead as you know, but heavenly active.

Without connection to that woman on earth, my secretary, I could have written a national encyclopedia without you noticing it! She mixed the codes up. But with the help of my beloved great grand son Boyd she sorted it out. So there might be some new stories coming. She is not sure. But I am.

The picture above is from september 2010. My great granddaughter Jeanne and her husband came all the way across the ocean to visit my secretary. Behind the family is Bruno, the moose known from a film.

Your heavenly great ancestor Goran Danielson

Last but not least...

Dear family,

Göran's daughter # 3 - Maria Johansson.

And now, the story of Maria, my youngest daughter. As I told you earlier on back in April 2008 she married 120 years ago...12th May 1888. The man she married was called Carl-Petter and had his home in Rydaholm, where Maria probably worked for a while. We know that she moved from her home in the parish of Angelstad to Rydaholm. She was 24 years old and he was 27. No wedding photo to find. But as I remember they looked very solemn saying yes to one another, but I can be wrong. I told you earlier that they married in the parish of Angelstad. I have to check that up and might correct myself.

Soon they were to be blessed with their first son. He arrived as a New Years gift on the very first day of the year of 1889. The family then lived in the parish of Berga, about 15 km from Hovdinge. The little baby was given the name Gideon, 15 years later shortened to Gid in his new homeland. He was the young boy I just recently told you about, leaving Sweden to try to earn some money to send home. His picture to the right.



Together with him far away from home went his sister Ellen. She was born shortly after him, in July 1890. The family then lived in Bjärnaryd, in the parish of Angelstad. They went back with their uncle Oscar, my oldest son, in 1904 and stayed with his family in White Rock in South Dakota. They came back to Sweden for a visit later but returned to live their lives in the States. Her picture to the left.




In 1892 another son was born. His was given the name Simon. The priest in the Lutheran Church had to write a special note about him in the ministry books: "has not received the Christian baptism".







Some of you might wonder why as you remember me telling you that Carl Petter, the father of the children, was especially eager to serve his Lord. Well, he also believed in following his Master's words about first believing and then as a sign of turning to God being baptized. Carl-Petter did probably object to the customs of the Lutheran Church, baptizing children. The older children might not have been baptized either, but not all priests were as good as this one concerning making notes for secretaries to read a hundred years later. In all the younger sibling's birthbooks the same notes are to be found.


So, Maria, my daughter was busy. In 1894 Edith was born. Her picture to the left. She emigrated at the age of 18 and lived her life in Illionios.







In 1896 Hanna was born. Her picture to the right. Hanna lived a long life, being almost 100 years and was one reason why my secretary got involved in my family. Hanna talked about her sisters and brothers being in heaven, wondering why she should be sitting there in the old-people's home when she wanted to see Jesus. While waiting, she told my secretary many stories about life, like when she lived in the parish of Angelstad when she was a little girl. She went to school there, but only for four semesters. She could start a little later as she already knew how to read. "I had heard my sisters and brothers read. They thought I just knew it all by heart, but I could read. So I did not need to go to beginners class."

Hanna also told the following to my secretary in 1988: "I was not at home much between semesters. I stayed with other families and looked after their children. I was not more than five years old when I was in Bjärnaryd. The mother in the family had to set the fire going in the tiled stove because it would be too cold in the house while she was milking the cows in the barn. So they were afraid that the children would touch the charcole. So that's why I was to be there. I remember getting some wool leaving for home. I suppose they thought I should have something to bring home and did not really have anything else to give me. I was not at home much. I wanted to help, because I saw that they needed it." In 1898 when Hanna was three years old the family moved to Bolmaryd in the parish of Nöttja. I guess she was about 20 km away from her home taking care of the children in Bjärnaryd.


In 1889 Ruth was born in Bolmaryd, Nöttja. Her life was to be shorter than Hanna's, she died only 37 years old. Her picture to the left.


















And then there were two more siblings, Caleb, born in 1901 in the same place as his older sister. At Oscar's visit he must have looked just like he does on the picture to the right.



And finally, Hulda, born in 1903 at Björkedal, under the north farm in Angelstad. So she was a baby when Oscar returned to see his mother, sisters and brothers and their little ones. Her picture above.





I was richly blessed with grandkids! Will love to tell you more about their lives later, with rich blessings from above,

Göran Danielsson.

Dear folks,

Göran's daughter #1 - Emma Johannesson


Back in April 2008 I told my secretary on earth to tell you about "Life in Rataryd in 1887". That was the place were my daughter Emma raised her family together with her husband Bengt Johan Johannesson. By that time she had had four kids: Frida, being six years old, Hjalmar, a boy of five, Karl Wilhelm who was then two years old but would not live to be a grown man and finally David, newborn by the time.

David was the one who I told you about just recently, as he was one of the young people going with his uncle Oscar, my oldest son, when he returned to South Dakota after his visit in Sweden in 1903-04. David's kids and grandkids live in Canada and now and then visit this site, so hello to you from my secretary and from myself up here of course!

Well, back to business. Today I wanted to let you know that yet another little baby was born into the family of Emma and Bengt Johan. He was born in 1896 , was given the name Albert and we will hear about his family later. They are to be found not too far from the place of their origin. He grew up to be the handsome young man who you can see on the picture to the right.




Göran's daughter # 2 - Anna Charlotta Johansson

Back in April 2008 I also told you about my second daughter Anna and her "Life in Ingelstad in 1887". She had by then married Sven-Gustav Johansson and had started raising a family. Her first born was called Johan Gottfried and was five years old by then, her second baby was a girl called Karin, three years old by the time. She was the one I told you about recently, going with my son Oscar when he returned after his visit in Sweden 1904. Her name was then changed to Carrie and she stayed in the States all her life. There was also a little boy of a year by that time, born in 1886, called Joseph who stayed in Sweden, being the only one of the siblings doing so.


Today I want to continue with the rest of my grandkids by Anna. In 1889 another girl was born. Her name was Sigrid and I am a little insecure but I think it is her on the picture to the right. You know I do have quite a few grandkids to keep track of by now, being dead does not make it easier to remember.



In 1892 there was another girl arriving to the family. Her name was Hanna. We think she is the girl standing to the very right on the family picture below.

In 1894 Paul was born. He is the boy standing to the very left on the photo above. Some years later, for me unknown, their little boy Ragnar was born. Finally their youngest daughter Vera. These two youngest came to the land of their origin, Sweden, to visit around 1955. But that is to go too far ahead in time - we are trying to tell you the story up to 1903 for all five of my children before we continue.

Your ancestor, still alive up here,

Göran Danielsson.

More about August/John's family up to 1903

Hi again dear descendants,

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

Here my secretary would have liked to publish a photo of the siblings Betty, Miriam and Edna, daughters of August/John and Kristina Goranson. Edna tells us in her story Transplanted that their picture was taken, her remembering sitting on a chair, having a seat affair on top of the back rest where she was sitting way up high which was intriguing to her. Anyone who has a copy???

The next move for the family of John/August Goranson was "down the road half a mile north to Whitted's farm - a lovely large square house painted yellow, with white trimmings, the gables, had fancy wood trellis trim's in their peaks, two good sized barns, a good granary with an upstairs in it and an outside stairway leading up, a windmill with large circular wooden tank in the corner of the pasture right by the barn. The farm belonged to a widower who reserved one room upstairs for himself" (E. Goranson). Edna wonderded in later years how he could put up with all of the kids, as they must have been a noisy racketing bunch at times as she expresses it. She also remembers being three years old when they moved into this house, being sat on the top of a piled heap of bedding on the floor to be out of the way while everybody else carried in the furniture.

By now their circumstances were much improved, the three boys were now full grown and working out. Also the girls took jobs of housework. Edna writes "But because we were such a large family we always lived as cheaply as possible, to economize was a daily practice at our house and there never were any large sums left over". Therefore John/August was never able to build on the land he purchased 1st Dec 1903. He had always in mind to buy land and have a home of his own. He bought a quarter east of Whitted's, NE 1/4 of section 13, Township 128 - Range 47 Traverse county, on crop payments (E. Goranson).

Right to Left, back row: Teofil, Charlie, Willie, Gunnar, Bettie and Miriam.

Right to Left, front row: Albin, father John/August, Edgar, Edna, mother Kristina and David.

The oldest son, Gunnar was buying and trading horses and bringing home the loot from his trade-ins. Teofil's interests were guns and Kodaks, always taking pictures to develop and print them himself, baseball was his joy, also hunting. All the young boys were good ball players. Willie and Edgar, became camera fans. Odd musical instruments appeared, first the old accordions, the old zither, the mouth organs which were "cajoled into really beautiful music in many different mouth's. The violin was a horse of a different colour, took a lot of see-sawing to lure any lovely tunes out of it, but as time went on it too responded beautifully" (E. Goranson). There was also an Estey organ were many happy hours were spent by many of them. Edna also tells us about her first movie, a Charlie Chaplin film, silent of course, with written explanations between episodes. Chaplin was chasing a white goose up and down the streets of a town, never quite catching it.

At this time, around 1903, it was almost solid Swedish around White Rock according to Edna Goranson, with a sprinkling of German, Irish, Norwegians and Danes, by this time it was well build up with beautiful big houses and barns. This year, Edna tells us, my son Oscar went to Sweden for Christmas to visit his mother, stepfather, sisters and their families, coming back in June 1904, bringing many young folks back with him, like Edna's cousin Carrie (my daughter Anna's oldest daughter) and her cousin David Johnson (my daughter Emma's son), on the pictures to the right.

My secretary wants to add that also Edna's cousins Gideon and Ellen came at that time (my daughter Maria's oldest children), to stay with their uncle Oscar Goranson. They were as young as they look at this picture below, 14 and 15 years old, leaving their parents to try to earn some money to send home.

With love to you readers from my heavenly resting place,

Goran Danielsson.

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.

Connecting

Hi again dear folks,

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

Time to tell you the story of the friendship between a concert pianist and my secretary. Back in 1949 the pianist married Alton, my granddaughter Amanda's son. They lived in Canada, but sometime in the 60's they went to Sweden to visit their relatives. My secretary's husband was one of them, only a young boy living in Hovdinge. A photo was taken of his uncle and the visitors and that photograph was found by my secretary 40 years later.

Trying to sort out who these people were was a bit tricky. The sister in the family remembered the place where the visitors came from as she had been given a book about British Colombia. After a while she also remembered their second name. With the help of her earlier research my secretary begun to understand how they were all connected, with me as their origin (with a little help from my wife and the Lord Almighty).

Searching the internet resulted in a notification on the Radville Guestbook in 2005 and three months later there was an e-mail adressed to Hovdinge. The missing lady was now in her nineties but capable of using new technology, most interested in knowing about the genealogy of her children. Even wanting to pay a visit again!





So in the Summer of 2007 she came and my descendants from both side of the Atlantic met to enjoy eachothers company at the farm of Hovdinge. E-mails continued to be written and friendship was developed. Therefore, thanks to the most helpful son of the hosts in California were my secretary was spending Christmas 2008, she was also able to pay the visit back to the Canadian lady, moving as a snowbird to Palm Desert in wintertime.




With love to you all,

Göran Danielsson.

Pickled Cucumber and Swedish Pancakes

Hi again,

Goran's daughter #3, Maria with family.



My secretary was much obliged to be welcome to share Christmas 2008 at the home of my youngest daughter Maria's descendants Jim and his Rosaly in Orange County. Jim's mother was Margaret and his grandmother's name was Ellen, the daughter of my youngest Maria. Alongside warm fellowship with the extended family she was offered pickled cucumber, swedish pancakes and other traditions prooving that the Swedish heritage was still treasured. A special treat was their homemade "polkagrisar", with ginger taste completetly irresistable if you ask me, heavenly delivered of course.


Disneyland on the very day before Christmas! All glory to the hosts managing such a treat! Rollercoasters, the Christmas Parade which was one of the kind, snow from above making all eyes go sparkling, at least until discovering it was foam. A good try though and the street sweeper told my folks that the Christmas tree was not for real either, a plastic one replacing the annual cost of £20 000 to import a proper tree from Canada.
Really, there is only one Magic Kingdom and it is up here where I belong! But nevertheless, it was a magnificent experience for my secretary and her kids and so was spending Christmas with hospitable relatives.


With love from your ancestor, Göran Danielsson, looking down on you, smiling. Wishing pickled cucumber would be heavenly delivered too!

Snuff box in Sacramento

Hi there family,

You might be wondering what in the world is happening up here! Well, let me tell you that nothing disturbing is going on in these heavenly places where I reside. But down on earth where you are living your short lives there was an earthquake in southern Sweden in December 2008, the first there in about fifty or a hundred years time, and in California there was snow stopping the air planes just about the same time. Just when my secretary was taking a leave to visit the kids of my sons and daughters to celebrate her 50th birthday! She was not to be stopped by force majeure, no way, and rather snow, than earthquakes! But she is busy, you know, always.

One of you readers actually got her going blogging again, for which I thank you.

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

Well, my secretary was to my great pleasure extremely well taken care of by my great grandkid Billie and her Pat living in the area of Sacramento. Billie's mum was Helen and her grandpa was my son Göran, calling himself John. My secretary has told me how remarkably patient her hosts were with her, her getting a flu coughing away endlessly. They even fed the homeless with the rest of a huge birthday cake. They allowed my secretary to look into private photo albums and above is a picture of my son Oscar in fur and his wife Lina. A proof of their worldly dignity I guess.

One of the pleasures of life in those days was having a pinch of snuff. I was not aware of my son having such a habit, myself preferring a smoking pipe. But my dear descendant in Vacaville has taken good care not only of my secretary but of the earthly goods of my son Oscar. Ladies and Gentlemen, my secretary proudly presents his snuff box:



Until next time, be blessed.

With much concern your ancestor Göran Danielsson.

A new homeland

Dear folks,

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

What a joy when Kristina Salomonsdotter arrived to White Rock in South Dakota with the four kids being 7, 5, 3 and 1 years old to meet her husband August again after having been parted for a year. He now called himself John and had rented a place for his family at the Frank Johnson farm.

Edna Goranson tells us in her story that sorrow soon was to follow this happy event. Kristina's sister Anna, who came along to help with the kids was not happy in her new country. Her homesickness made her decide that she was going to return. To save the money she cooked for a bachelor, a cousin of August. Sadly Anna suddenly took sick. She died of pneumonia, probably in the year of 1889 and a return ticket was no longer needed.

My brother-in-law, that is my wife's brother Jonas Persson went to White Rock too, in 1892. He was 77 years old emigrating. Probably it is his photograph you can see on the picture to the right. His daughter Stina was married to Gust Magnusson and they had left for America earlier, between 1876 and 1889. They lived just across the road from Frank Johnson's place. Jonas had remarried and his second wife was called Brita-Stina Andreasdotter. Together they had a daughter called Ingrid Augusta who was later to be married to Gonnar Goranson, born in 1882, the oldest son of August.

Edna Goranson tells us that Stina and Gust Magnusson where the folks that her dad August came to when arriving from Sweden. She is now reminding me that I should take a break not to make her remarkable story too downloaded with names and facts no person except genealogists wants to know. I'm sure she is right with that intuition ;-)

At Frank Johnson's farm my granddaughter Miriam was born in 1889. I showed you her picture earlier. In 1891 she had a little brother always called Willie, but given the name Joshua Wilhelm Goranson. He was born 20th May and baptized in the church of White Rock 8th June 1891. This is what he look like on the family photo, sent home to Sweden some years later when all their kids were born. Can it have been a gift for my wife, their mother, when Oscar returned to Sweden in that year of grace in 1903?

With love from my heaven,

your great grandfather Goran.

The very trip

Dear ones,

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

I am so pleased to be able to tell you what happened during the very trip across the ocean for August's wife Kristina and their four kids born to that date. As I told you before, August went first to see if he could make a home for his family. This was in 1888. Many relatives, friends and neighbours had gone on before to settle by White Rock in South Dakota. Having worked as a farmhand for a year August sent a ticket for his wife and four kids to come. My other son Oscar and his oldest son Göran, (changing his name to John in the new country) came along with them on this trip which is vividly described by my beloved great granddaughter Edna Goranson:

"Mama's sister Anna decided to come along to help her with the kids, also Dad's brother Uncle Oscar and his eldest son John, so they were eight in the party to cross the ocean. In those days they packed their own food to take along, I don't know if ships were not equipped with dining rooms as I have heard many old folks speak of their food baskets, they had to have enough for three weeks as that was the extent of their journey.

All went well on this trip until they came to New York, when they left the ship they passed customs in New Castlegar, then on into New York Central station, there they split them up, putting Mama and her kids on one train, while Uncle Oscar, Johan and Anna, were sent to another train standing by. When Uncle Oscar saw what was happening he took Mama's food basket which they had helped to carry, running over to Mama's train, tried to tell the conductor they belonged to her. He could not speak a word of English, but gesticulated wildly with his arms, finally made him understand they were hers. If Uncle hadn't been so stubborn or formidable with the conductor, Mama would have been without food, not able to speak a word of English, with four small children.

The reason for all this mix up was Mama's ticket had been purchased in White Rock, as Dad sent it to her, their tickets were purchased in Sweden. They had been routed on different railroads, nevertheless they both led to Chicago. The first person Mama saw when she changed trains in Chicago was her sister Anna. The joy and unspeakable relief of this unexpected turn of events can only be imagined in our minds.

From Chicago, Uncle Oscar and John, went to Chesterton, Indiana, while Mama and her sister continued on to White Rock, South Dakota. Uncle Oscar and John worked a couple of years at Chesterton, then sent for Aunty and the rest of the family to come...they stayed there a couple of years, then came on to White Rock, S.D: also" (E.G.).

Must add again how wonderfully pleased I am with the possibility to use this almost eyewitnessed story as my own memory has has deteriorated. It is a joy to be able to tell you these details and I thank everybody involved. The ship on the picture above is MS Gripsholm, Swedish American Line. On board in 1964 was another of my beloved grandkids, returning to the land of her origin for a visit. She wrote on the back of the card with the picture of the ship in Swedish, translated into the following:

"The storms are swishing, the waves are rolling, but my life is in the hands of God, so I fear nothing. I have not been sick yet. The ship is fine and everything is to my satisfaction. Hope to be in New York Thursday morning" (Hulda Johnson, 1964).

With much love from your granddad

Göran

"Sweden is a very religious country"

Hi,

As I can overlook almost two hundred years back from now, being born in 1818 and still able to follow the state of affairs from above in my heaven I know one thing for sure: The heading about Sweden being a very religious country was true when written by my great granddaughter Edna, looking back on the years when her father and mother lived in that country, up to 1889.

Today Sweden is not a very religious country. The Lutheran Church is still there but has lost its impact on people. Edna tells us in her story that her parents "were both good Christians, but it was really the Lutheran church of Sweden, that caused them to leave the homeland they loved so well" (E.G.).

"The clergy ruled over all the affairs of the people, each clergyman ruled over a certain district or locality and they ruled with a vengeance, downright dictatorship, so many folk left the Lutheran church and formed a church of their own, called the Mission Friends, very similar to the Christian Alliance church of Canada. They felt the Lutherans were not biblical Christian when they could inflict such harsh unreasonable treatment on the parishioners, but it didn't help to leave their church, for the State church still held the whip-hand over all business affairs.

Proosten would come out to a place he chose for his hearing, giving notice to every family in his district to appear at this home chosen by him, he requested a big dinner be served to all that came, no matter how humble or poverty stricken they may be. Proosten is a church dignitary just under the Bishop. At his chosen home he would hold what is called Husförhör. Hus means house and förhör means a questioning , rather more like a documentary of each family for his church books, names and ages of each family as well as their ancestry on both sides...

...so great numbers decided to leave the country so they could live in peace and worship God Almighty himself, instead of the State Church of Sweden." (E.G.)

Might go and ask the Almighty himself about His judgement, checking up on who is here and not!

With love to you all,

Göran.

Long gone

Hi,

Scared you, did I? You might have thought I was dead, never updating my story?! Well, I am, but that doesn't bother me very much. I have been more concerned about and being busy enjoying myself lately and I insist on you all to follow in my footsteps doing so, worthy of imitation ;-) We get a bit self-righteous up here in heaven you know. Hope you still understand the Swenglish my secretary is using! Wasn't able to find someone else as it requires enthusiasm up to a non-descriptable limit to get them to write details about times long gone. She's got that all right so this is what we get! Ok, let's get going:

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

We are still concentrating on what happened up to the year of 1903. I have already told you that August married Kristina Salomonsdotter in 1881. She was a girl from Hovdinge Lillegård, the farm where my secretary now lives (but, you know, they moved the houses when shifting the land in 1902 so we cannot say exactly where). They had three boys - Gunnar, Charly and Teophil who were 7, 5 and 3 years old and a little girl called Betty not much more than a year old when the family left Hovdinge in 1889. That place was "beautiful beyond compare" in their eyes and they left all that was "dear and near to their hearts" (E.G.).

Thanks to August's youngest daughter Edna Goranson who I will tell you about later, my memory is refreshened. She made sure that her memories where saved for the future by writing them down. Because of her we know a little more of what happened to this family and this story will be enriched. And thanks to one of Charlie's descendants we are promised to use her story Transplanted here on the blog. It's a wonderful document, too good not to be shared and we will use it with respect and love and gratitude. Quotation marks like those at the end of the last passage above refer to her exact words, but her story will be woven into all knowledge we have about the family. Bless her, for doing this. And bless those who have helped in the process.

"Sweden has beautiful trees, picturesque lakes and land contours with rivers meandering, both great and small where fishing was every boys delight. Every farm home had its stone hedge enclosure with row of beehives amidst coloured blossoms that grew in every dooryard, wherever there was a thatched heather roof, it grew on the housetops. There were rocks and rills everywhere, slender brooks gurgling here and there. The people on the land were considered poor people as far as wealth in cash was concerned, however they lived a high standard of living even so... What lonesome longings must have been theirs at times after their arrival in America, where at the time in the early century, only prairie with small crude buidlings existed. "(E.G.). All these things were told to their children by the parents August and Kristina and other Swedish immigrants.

"They raised their own beef and pork, lamb and mutton, honey from their bees, eggs, butter and cheese, any surplus was taken to the market place, in Ljungby, a place out in the open with stalls marked off where they displayed their goods for sale. Market day was usually held on Saturday where came the farmers and people from far and near for miles around to sell or buy livestock, meats, fruit, eggs, butter, cheese, as well as woven articles of either wool or linen to be turned into cash for necessities.

To this market place in Ljungby came the parents of the world famous soprano singer Christina Nelson, as they were farmers living close by, there one day Dad, saw and heard her sing as she was skipping about like children do. He said her voice at that tender age was beautiful, so unusual, people stopped all around to listen to her. There a wealthy citizen of the city heard her, was so impressed by her marvellous voice, he arranged with her parents to receive training of that priceless gift of voice she possessed. Several years later she was acclaimed one of the world's greatest sopranos..."(E.G.).

In the museum at the old square of Ljungby you can find the piano and other possesions of Christina Nilsson. A statue of her is erected in the town. Read about her here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Nilsson

All for now, love
Göran Danielsson.