Another of Grandma's cousins emigrated to Chicago and became an American - Lars Gunnar Andersson

I started my family history journey with the belief that my grandparents came to the U.S. and settled in Chicago alone. All alone, leaving their family in Scandinavia behind forever. I knew that my paternal grandparents had a few siblings that also came to the U.S. but my research is turning up one cousin and extended relative after another that not only left Sweden for America but settled in, of course, Chicago.

My grandma or grandpa had cousins in Chicago and never told me? Then it occurred to me that I have never discussed most of my cousins with my children and am not in touch with them except perhaps with an occasional Christmas card or meeting up at a funeral.

Today in 2018 I do not personally know a single soul remaining in Chicago who is 100% Swedish (or Norwegian either for that matter). I know quite a few of my age, that I grew up with, who can point to a Scandinavian immigrant grandparent. I have not yet found any of them to be related to me.

I am beginning to wonder however if there are perhaps loads of folks, walking around Chicago and suburbs that are actually my third, fourth  etc. cousins. The descendants of my grandparents cousins. Their grandparents and my grandparents were born in the same small Scandinavian area, made that same long journey on foot, by boat and train that ended in Chicago. Today, over a century later how many of us, grandchildren and great grandchildren, unknowingly pass each other's car on the expressway, share a seat on the train, or stand right next to each other at a Chicago parade never knowing the history, the culture, the blood, that we share. How many of us? Boggles my mind.

my cousin twice removed

Lars Gunnar Andersson

b: 12 September 1895 Skäremo, Håcksvik, Älvsborg, Sweden

d: September 1973 Chicago, Cook, Illinois USA 

Gunnar's mother, Lena Johanna Karlsdotter Andersson was the sister of Anna Karolina Karlsdotter Abrahamsson. Gunnar came to Chicago in 1920. He worked as a carpenter living on North Clifton ave. in the Swedish neighborhood of  Lakeview. He became an American November 19, 1930. My grandmother, his cousin Lydia, was naturalized the same year.

***double click naturalization records for easier reading***