Monday

Remembering Mom

 Today is March 4. My mother's birthday. Gone way too soon I remember her today with love.

Mommy and me 1956



1950 Census John Emil and Anna Jacobson

 I found a few things of interest on this census record.

 John Emil and Anna are now living in Chicago at 903 Waller St. first floor. The children are all grown and gone, nor are any grandchildren living with them as in the 1940 census.


line 24-Jacobson, John E,-Handyman-white-male-71-married-born in Sweden-citizen-worker-worked 40hrs last week as a burner? in a railroad supply mfg.

line 25- Jacobson, Anna-maid-white-female-64-married-born in Sweden-citizen-worker-worked 70 hrs. last week as a maid in the home.

Noted is that John Emil is not listed as the head of the household but as a handyman and Anna is not listed as his wife but as an additional employee, a maid. An additional person is also living in the same first floor apartment.

line 23-Lundberg, Anders G.-Head of household-white-male-85-widowed-born in Sweden-citizen-unable to work

My guess is that Anders is the owner of the building. Anna and John Emil live with him, but not as boarders. Anders is quite elderly and unable to work. Perhaps in lieu of rent John and Anna work for him. John Emil does the basic maintenance and upkeep of the building, plus he has an additional job 40 hours a week. Anna is a sort of live in maid for him and judging by the amount of hours she works weekly 70!! she most likely also has an additional job as a full time maid for someone else. 

903 Waller Chicago, Illinois

My Great Uncle
John Emil Jacobson
1878-1962

My great Aunt
Anna Abrahamson Jacobson
1885-1965

As a child I was always aware that Onkel Emil and Tante Anna were poor immigrants (as were my grandparents) but I guess I really had no clue. Seems a far cry from life on the lovely and loving farm of Albin and Anna Abrahamson?







Thursday

Ten Thousand Swedes ran through the Weeds

 I am Swedish on my Dad's side and Norwegian on my Mom's. You Swedish cousins will have to forgive me for this post! 

My Norwegian grandmother, who I was very close to, always said. "You are half Swedish for sure but if anyone asks you, just tell them you are Norwegian. Ten Thousand Swedes ran through the weeds chased by one Norwegian."

As a kid I always thought she was serious! Today I came upon this poem, that I never knew existed, and it gave me a laugh and better yet, memories of my loving Norwegian grandmother and my snus loving Swedish grandfather!

“The Battle of Copenhagen”


Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one Norwegian.
Ten thousand more ran to the shore
in the battle of Copenhagen.

Way, way back in history,
back when the world was new,
Norwegians searched all over,
to find some snus to chew.

They fished for Lutefisk and Torsk,
it helped to make them strong,
and you and me, we know a Norsk,
cannot do nothing wrong.

But Swedes and Danes were envious
of Viking trips and raids.
The Viking shields and helmet horns,
made all those folks afraid.

Throughout the world the Vikings sailed,
to Ireland and to France.
The even found America,
one afternoon by chance.

My grandpa says, and he should know,
the Swedes made up the minds.
To beat the Norsky Vikings,
and kick a few behinds.

But history, so grandpa says,
show that the Norskies won.
They clobbered all the Swedes and Danes,
and made it lots of fun.

Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one Norwegian.
The dust from the weeds,
made snus for the Swedes,
and they called it Copenhagen, 
E. C. Stangland

Actually, the two Battles of Copenhagen in recorded history involved the British, not the Swedes. This poem seems to be more like folklore than actual history. Such English language rhymes might have originated in the American midwest, as a way of differentiating Norwegians from Swedes, according to James P. Leary in Wisconsin Folklore.


I couldn't tell you what I had for lunch yesterday but for some reason I do remember that Grandpa Kallman only used Seal brand snuff. 

Oh how grandma Lydia hated that snus!



    Stolt till hälften norsk och hälften svensk,


Evert Kallman plays the Sweet Potato?

 A second cousin of mine shared this picture of her father, Evert Hakan Kallman, playing the "Sweet Potato" in his Salvation Army uniform.

PLAYING WHAT???

Google informed me that  Sweet Potato is another name for a type of Ocarina and again....

WHAT??

Thank you Wikipedia! 

"The ocarina is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute.[1] Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. It is traditionally made from clay or ceramic, but other materials are also used, such as plastic, wood, glass, metal, or bone.

There are many different styles of ocarinas varying in shape and the number of holes:

  • Transverse (Sweet potato) – This is the best-known style of ocarina. It has a rounded shape and is held with two hands horizontally. Depending on the number of holes, the player opens one more hole than the previous note to ascend in pitch. The two most common transverse ocarinas are 10-hole (invented by Giuseppe Donati in Italy) and 12-hole. They have a range of between an octave plus a fourth and an octave plus a minor sixth."

This is all I needed, or cared, to know but if you need, or care, to know?
Knock yourself out and click here →  HISTORY OF THE SWEET POTATO OCARINA 

My Father's cousin
Evert Hakan Kallman
b. Aug 8,1905 Sya, Östergötland, Sweden
d. Mar 18, 1980 Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

Well, back to my family history,


The Young Abrahamson Family

 My great grandparents, Albin and Anna, pose with their first two children, Hilma and Anna. 


My Great Grandparents:
Robert Albin Abrahamson
1860-1923

Anna Karolina Karlsdotter Abrahamson
1859-1925

My Great Aunts:
Hilma Abrahamson Persson
1881-1953

Anna Abrahamson Jacobson
1885-1965

In future years Albin and Anna would be blessed with seven more children. My grandmother, Lydia, would be their fourth,



Monday

52 Ancestors in 52 weeks #52: "Tradition" - Christmas Lutefisk dinners

 Prompt #52 ( Dec 24- Dec 30) "Tradition" Christmas Lutefisk Dinners

Good friends of my parents were Al and Ruth Anderson. My Dad had known Al since childhood. Al had stood up for my Dad at my parents wedding. Great people. Each year we were invited over to their home for a traditional Christmas Lutefisk dinner. Sharing great company, Christmas presents, good times, and ............LUTEFISK. Oh dear God it has been at least 60 years since those Lutefisk dinners and if I never have it again? It would be too soon.


Looks disgusting, smells disgusting, tastes disgusting and wiggles like old jello on your plate, There I said it.


Al and Ruth Anderson, a treasured childhood memory.




From Amy Johnson Crow, a genealogist, far more experienced then I. "The data that we've accumulated in our genealogy software and in our binders and folders doesn't do a whole lot of good just sitting there. We need to do something with it." Each week she sends out a prompt to share a bit about an ancestor, collateral relative, or family friend.