Ranae's Swedish-Chicago Heritage
In the early 20th century my paternal grandparents, Richard Kallman and Lydia Abrahamson, immigrated from Sweden, coming to a new life in Chicago. I've been researching my family for over twenty five years. In this blog I will share the family history, photos, documents and stories that I have collected, along with my memories of growing up Scandinavian-American in Chicago. Welcome to My Swedish-Chicago Heritage!
Oct 7, 2024
1950 Census Andrew and Ruth Soderstrom
Oct 1, 2024
An Anniversary to Remember
Sep 25, 2024
Another Lovely Baby Cousin
Sep 17, 2024
Swedish Covenant Hospital
The Swedish Covenant Hospital, on Foster Avenue, is on the north side of Chicago. The hospital was established in 1885 in an area heavily populated with newly immigrant Swedes. It was Swedes, more specifically members of the Swedish Mission Covenant church that founded this great hospital. I was born there and both of my Swedish grandparents died there. I found an interesting article on the history of Swedes and the Swedish Covenant Hospital that continues to serve the now ethnically diverse area. I enjoyed the read and thought perhaps you would also?
click here → A NEW SHIFT FOR SWEDISH
Sep 10, 2024
Birth of my Great Grandfather Carl Theodor Källman on this day
My great grqndfather Carl Theodor (alternately spelled Karl Teodor) was born on the farm Nystugan in Tjellmo, Östergötland, Sweden September 10, 1853 to Anders Larsson and his wife Stina Caisa Jaensdotter who had wed in 1843. He was baptised into the church of Sweden (Lutheran) the next day. The names of his sponsors or godparents are not legible to me. He would be known as Carl Theodor Andersson until as an adult he adopted the name Källman.
Like many of my grandfather's ancestors, Carl most likely had a hard life and died far too young of Tuberculosis. My father Carl Melvin, was named for him.
Aug 28, 2024
Death of Grandpa Kallman
On this date in 1968 my paternal grandfather, Richard Severin Kallman, died.
I grew up in a neighborhood with a significant Jewish population. At a young age I noticed how some Jewish contemporaries had no grandparents. In fact they had no extended family at all as their parents had been Holocaust survivors. Perhaps the only survivors of their family.
My grandpa Kallman was the first of my grandparents to pass on. I was already in high school. I was almost 40 when I lost my last grandparent. I had Uncles, Aunts, cousins in the Chicago area, throughout the U.S. and in Europe, in spite of WWII, I had loads of more relatives.
I feel very fortunate/lucky/blessed, however you may describe it.
Richard Severin Kallman
d. August 28, 1968 Chicago, Cook, Illinois, U.S.A.