Sunday

Swedish immigration to the US and Swedish Americans

Swedish American children 




An article written by Mark A. Granquist in the Countries and their Cultures forum. He writes about the various periods of immigration from Sweden, who came, why they came, where they settled and the Americans they became. I highly recommend this as an interesting look at Swedish immigration to the US and Swedish Americans. The article can be found if you click  → HERE.









Wednesday

Rikard Severin Källman

This month marks 130 years since my grandfather was born. 
Rikard Severin Källman was born October 3 1887 in the foundry town of Grytgol, Sweden. He was the fourth child of seven born to a poor wire factory worker. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was ten. At 18 he worked his way to Gothenburg where he boarded the boat "Ariosto" to travel to Hull, England. At Hull he boarded the train packed with other immigrants which took him to the Liverpool wharf. His older sister Sarona, who had gone to America in 1904, had bought him a steerage ticket on the "Ivernia", destination America. Life must have been pretty hard for him in Sweden because he never returned and I don't think he ever looked back. Maybe the only positive thing a poor and dirty town of foundries and wire factories gave him was black smith skills. Those same skills he had heard were welcome in the large growing industrial cities of America.  Cities like Chicago.


my paternal grandfather
Rikard Severin Källman
b: 03 October 1887 Grytgol, Hällestad, Östergötland, Sweden
d: 28 August 1968 Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA

His eyes were the lightest blue....just like my Dad.




Thursday

Mystery Young Men? Do you recognize Us?

I love to wander through old antique shops, boutiques, and second-hand stores. You never know what you will find. One thing that always disturbs me. There is always a large box or pile of beautiful old family photos. Weddings, Family groups, babies....all who were loved and photographed by their loved ones for a remembrance of them.  Those photos were most likely once displayed with great pride in the family home. Here they are abandoned because no one now alive can identify who these people, once cherished, were.

I have posted this photo before. A photo found among family photos and memorabilia. Two young handsome men that look to be no more than older teens or early twenties. Can you identify them or do they resemble a family member of ours? Please contact me.


DEAD FRED is a genealogy website. They host these abandoned photos hoping to find a home with current family. I posted this photo on that site. I love that site and in fact found there a photo of my great grandfathers' cousin. You never know what you will find. Check out the site for yourself.

And please please take a bit of time to write your name and date on the back of that great photo of you with your prize catch (and all the others too). Your great great granddaughter/son will thank you.

2003-Otto Feick-Granite Lake, Ontario,Canada


Monday

Leif Eriksson - The First European in North America




Today, Columbus Day is observed. 
As a kid it was always nice to have the day off ...but
all good Scandinavian/Americans know
LEIF LANDED FIRST
and that's all I have to say about that.







check it out↓↓





Wednesday

Happy Cinnamon Bun Day!




Did you know that there is an official Cinnamon Bun Day Website? 
Who Knew?
Check it out. Bake some buns. Make a pot of strong black coffee. 
Have a FIKA with friends and family!

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Tuesday

Happy Birthday Aunt Tekla!

1889 Födelsebok for Hellestas, Linkoping, Östergötland, Sweden


In 1889 on this day, October 3rd, my great Aunt Tekla Eugenia was born in Hellestads, Östergötland, Sweden. She was my grandfather Richard's youngest sister, the baby of the family, number 6. Born into a grindingly poor family she once said they had no toys as children, and very little to eat. Her mother, my great grandmother Klara Sofia, died of Tuberculosis when Tekla was just nine. Each of her older siblings had emigrated to the United States in the first years of the 20th century. Her older sister Olga returned to bring 17 year old Tekla back to Chicago with her in September of 1907. Olga and Tekla entered through Ellis Island giving my grandfather Richard's name as their connection in the US. Her occupation was listed as "domestic". In Chicago she met another Swedish immigrant, Richard Peterson who in 1917 would become her husband.


my Great Aunt
Tekla Eugenia Källman Peterson
born: 3 October 1889 Hellestads,Östergötland, Sweden
died: 1 October 1979 Santa Cruz, California USA






**click on document to enlarge for easier viewing**