Grand Uncle Andrew Olaf Soderstrom was born Olof Anders Söderstrom 15 Sep 1888. He was listed in the Emigrants registered in church books as leaving 03 September 1910, destination "Nord Amerika". He was the first of his immediate family to leave for America. He followed a maternal uncle who had emigrated before him.
Manifest of the ship "Empress of Ireland" which left Liverpool, England September 23, 1910 and arriving in Quebec, Canada September 29, 1910, crossing the border into the U.S. at St. Albans, Vermont. Steerage passengers, second to the last line #29,
• Söderstrom, Olof Andrew
• age 22
• unmarried
• laborer
• can read and write
• nationality Swedish
• born Helgum, Sweden
• father Söderstrom in Sweden
• final destination Chicago, Illinois
• has ticket to final destination paid by self
• in possession of $10
• never been in the U.S.before
• joining uncle Eric Nordquist 3008 Palmer St. Chicago, Illinois
• not a criminal anarchist or polygamist
• good health, not crippled
• 5'10", brown hair, blue eyes
• light complexion, no identifying marks
• born in Norway (incorrectly dittoed) Helgum
From St. Albans Andrew would have traveled by train to Chicago. coming through Canada was a common route for Scandinavians at this time. Canadian entrance laws were less stringent than those at Ellis Island (rumors and fears in the homeland) and the fare was cheaper although traveling conditions were not as good.
Andrew's younger brother, Johan Edvin followed him the next year.
My Grand Uncle
Andrew Olof Soderstrom
b: 13 September Helgum, Västernorrland, Sweden
d: 08 October 1960 Moline, Rock Island, Illinois, USA
*** download ship manifest and enlarge on computer to read clearly***
1 comment:
Olaf Soderstrom is my great grandfather. Andrew Nelson Sodestrom is my grandfather, Ranald my dad. My brother Dirk has worked on ancestry quite a bit.
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