Grandma's Abrahamsson cousins

Lena Johanna Karlsdotter was born  on the farm Skäremo in Håcksvik, Älvsborg, Sweden to my second great grandparents Karl Andersson (1819-1895) and Sara-Brita Larsdotter (1821-1906). She was their first child and the older sister of my great grandmother Anna Karolina Karlsdotter. She married Linus Andersson in 1881 and 11 months later gave birth to her first child, the first of eleven!

Håcksvik, Älvsborg, Sweden, the farm Skaremo

Lena Johanna Karlsdotter b. 15 Jan 1857  d. 06 May 1917
Linus Andersson b. 21 Feb 1853 d. aft 1920
   they married 15 July 1881 in Håcksvik

   their children:
     Axel b. 1882 d. 1884
     Johan Bernhard b. 1883 d. 1884
     Karl Axel b. 1886 d. ?
     Johan Bernhard b. 1887 d. 1935 in America
     Alma b.1888 d.1890 (twin to Lara)
     Lara b. 1888 (twin to Alma) ?
     Ernst Robert b. 1890 d. 1890
     Ernst Robert b. 1892 d. 1949 in America
     Frans Gottard b. 1894 d.? in America
     Lars Gunnar b.1895 d. 1973 in America
     Sven Albin b. 1897 d. 1971 in America


Lena Johanna and her husband Linus lost 4 of their children when they were no more than infants and toddlers. Her first two children died within a day of each other from whooping cough (Axel and Johan Bernhard). A twin girl was lost possibly to being born premature (Alma), her twin survived (Lara) but I have been unable to trace her since her birth. Another boy died at 2 months (Ernst Robert), the cause not documented.  Karl Axel married and moved to Borås. I know he died in Sweden but I do not know if he had any children.
Times were difficult in Sweden at that time and many young men probably did not see much of a future in Sweden and were lured to the promise of America. The remaining five of Lena Johannas boys left for America, never to return. Johan Bernhard left in 1906, followed by his brother Ernst Robert. The remaining three youngest brothers; Frans Gotthard, Lars Gunnar and Sven Albin departed from Gothenburg 14 May 1920.  None of the three ever married but remained bachelors living together in Chicago. Their father Lars? The last trace I have of him is that the three youngest mentioned him as their next of kin in Sweden.

By comparison, my great grandmother Anna Karolina Karlsdotter had 9 children, all healthy, all lived to adulthood. Those 9 children gave her 35 grandchildren and great grandchildren? I didn't even try to count us all.

But I fear that perhaps Lena Johanna died in 1917, after burying four babies of her own and without ever having the joy of a grandbaby on her lap.

How cruel and unfair life can sometimes be.

Grandma Lydia had five Abrahamsson cousins that lived not far from her in Chicago. I had never heard mention of any of them. It is possible she herself did not know?