Stommen in 2022

 My husband, a retired carpenter, often speaks of construction he was a part of that has since been torn down to make way for "new and better". The American Way? It is somehow comforting to me that the home of my great great grandparents, my great grandparents and my grandmother and her siblings remains, is valued and lovingly cared for.

This is Stommen, Östra Frölunda, Sweden, January 2022. The photo was taken by the current occupant (and my Facebook friend) who lives there with her partner and two beautiful little boys.

Thank you Madelene!

***Note the Östra Frölunda, church in the backround. For more detail on this church and a beautiful view of the interior click HERE, ***

How the Abrahamson family came to own Stommen in Östra Frölunda, Sweden

A Swedish second cousin sent me a Swedish local history and parish farm/family history book. This book written in 1987, by the town's historical society, details the history of my grandmothers birth town of Östra Frölunda, its various farms and the families that lived on them.

Or family has often wondered how the Abrahamsson's came to own the farm Stommen. P. 387 has the answer. Please excuse my rough translation from the Swedish original. Thank you Google translate!

Östra Frölunda en bygd i Ätradalen

en socken bok 

av Östra Frölunda hembygdsförening

 

Stommen about 1915

p.387 "When the Danish owner came into insolvency, the farm Stommen was exchanged for a rental property on Söder in Stockholm (Vita Bergen). A Stockholm lawyer was helpful. The new owner wanted his then 19-year-old son to become a farmer, so in 1879 the properties were exchanged equally.

The new owner was Edvard Julius Abrahamsson, b. 25/12 1832 in Lindesberg, married to Charlotta Majholm b. 2/4 1826 in Arboga. They had a son Robert Albin b. 7/6 1860, Edvard Julius Abrahamsson died 24/7 1886, his wife 29/2 1904.

The son Albin Abrahamsson became, as the father wanted, a farmer and took over the farm. His wife is Anna Kkarolina Karlsdotter, born 11/2 1859 in Skäremo, Håcksvik. Children: Hilma, born 23/8 1881, Anna, born 31/7 1885, Gustaf, born 15/9 1887, Lydia, born 25/2 1880, Seth, born 17/5 1892, Ruth, b 3/6 1894, Ester, born 11/8 1896, Marta, born 8/7 1889, and Tyra, born 27/8 1901.

Albin Abrahamsson, who was technically interested, designed a wind engine or wind turbine. It was set up with the barn at an angle. The wind engine powered both the threshing machine and the planer. At the end of the year, the work went away very quickly. The wind gradually increased, the wing spun faster and faster, and finally it began to slide. It squeaked and moaned, so it was heard all over the village, but no one had a chance to smother it, it was far too risky to go up there. When the great Christmas storm of 1902 hit with full force, nothing could stop it. Albin understood that now it was going down. He urged his children to run in as soon as possible so as not to be killed. Then the wing went down with noise and commotion, there were remnants of it all over the courtyard. Fortunately, no one was injured.

It was a little calmer when he built the hay lift, also there right at the beginning of the 20th century. With the horse's help, he was able to lift the hay.

Albin Abrahamsson died 10/11 1923, his wife 21/11 1925.

At the beginning of the century, the post office was here for a while.

For a few years Johan Emil Jakobsson and his wife Anna, daughter of Stommen, lived here. Children: Rudolf b. 4/8 1907, David, b. 28/12/1908, and Elisabet, b. 25/8 1910. They emigrated in 1913. Also other sisters Lydia and Ruth emigrated to the USA."

Interesting, as numerous family members had various theories as to how the family came to farm Stommen. Also the accounting is a nice insight into the talents of great grandfather Robert Albin.

Thank you cousin Ingemar,

The Abrahamson home today.....this is Stommen, Östra-Frölunda

Today......
Through this blog I was contacted by a pleasant young woman. She told me she was the current occupant of Stommen, the childhood home of my grandmother Lydia and her Abrahamson family over 100 years ago. We excitedly conversed through Facebook messenger service in real time. Isn't the world now so much smaller than when sisters Anna, Lydia and Ruth took their long anxious journey to America?

I thought the many descendants of Albin and Anna would be interested in seeing the home as it is today.  Madelene Juneborg, sent me these photos as she described each building.  Her father bought the property from cousin Gösta Abrahamson.  I post these photos with the approval of both Madelene and her father Roger Juneborg.

Madelene describes Stommen today.....

     "My father Roger and brother Rasmus live in the larger main house. In the main house they had a fireplace in the kitchen and one upstairs. The living room was not used because it was so cold. My father added another fireplace but he still kept the original old big entrance doors. The rain and winter snow still blows in....but he feels they are too lovely to change."

Those Places Thursday - Using Google Maps - Östra Frölunda Church

Surely anyone familiar with computers have used Google maps for directions. I use it for that purpose but have found it be be a great resource for family history also. When I see an address on a census record of an ancestor or family member I generally use Google maps to see the house or building in which they lived. Sometimes a disappointment when a family home was leveled for a parking lot but often the building still exists and it gives me a feeling of closeness to the life  experience of that particular ancestor.  Following the arrows on Google maps I travel up and down the streets, checking out the area.

The Östra Frölunda church stands next to the home and property of my great grandfather Robert Albin Abrahamsson. He, his wife, parents and additional family members are buried in the churchyard. I have posted this photo before but now thanks to Google maps you can now view

INSIDE THE ÖSTRA FRÖLUNDA CHURCH

How cool is that? Thank you cousin Ingemar Majholm of Sweden for the update on the views of the interior of the town church and for the reminder of how awesome GOOGLE MAPS is.

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

***click on the above links to go directly to the church and Google maps***