52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #1 "I'd like to meet" - Luther Abrahamson

 From Amy Johnson Crow, a genealogist, far more experienced then I. "The data that we've accumulated in our genealogy software and in our binders and folders doesn't do a whole lot of good just sitting there. We need to do something with it." Each week she sends out a prompt to share a bit about an ancestor, collateral relative, or family friend. 

Prompt #1 (Jan 1-7): "I'd Like to Meet"

I'd like to meet my cousin twice removed LUTHER ABRAHAMSON (1891-1974).

He was the nephew of my great grandmother Anna Carolina Carlsdotter and cousin to my grandma Lydia Abrahamson Kallman. His side of my grandmothers family was Lutheran as opposed to her Seventh Day Adventist family. His family appeared poor while grandmothers appeared comfortable and certainly more affluent. He also immigrated to the U.S. in the early 20 th century. He went to New Britain Connecticut, which also had a large Swedish immigrant population, as opposed to Illinois as my branch did. I would ask him his and his families opinion of the Abrahamsson clan and what prompted his emigration and settlement in Connecticut as opposed to Illinois?

just wondering,

If not cousin Luther Abrahamson than who is this handsome young man?

 The most rewarding part of this blog for me is the chance to find additional cousins, cousins I never even knew I had! Through this blog I was contacted by a third cousin, the grand daughter of Luther Abrahamson. Luther was a cousin of my grandmother Lydia. Lydia and her sisters came to Illinois. Luther's branch settled in Connecticut. "That is not my grandfather", my new found cousin has voiced and she should know, right? I know that I can readily recognize even early young photos of my own grandparents. So then who IS this handsome young man? A photo saved for three generations most likely is a relation. Any thoughts?

Open to suggestions,

"Teamwork and coincidence"

I opened my email today to find this photo and this note from my second cousin in Sweden, Ingemar Majholm.

on back of photo is written " Luther på 80 års dagen"

*****************************

"Hi,

This is an example of teamwork and coincidence.

Looking into one of the bags taken from my mother's house before we sold it this summer, I found a bunch of old pictures the other day. One of them would never have got my attention if I hadn't read your blog from Oct 10 this year. The name wouldn't have rang any bell, but now it did.

September 29, 1971, 80 years old, with just three years more to live."

Cheers,

Ingemar"

*****************************

Luther Abrahamson, the son of Anna Susanna Karlsdotter and Anders Abrahamsson, the maternal cousin of Anna, Lydia and Ruth must have been a favorite cousin and its great that with a little "teamwork and coincidence" we were able to identify him.

I am glad we are on the same team, thank you Ingemar!

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

Mystery Monday - who is Luther?

Last spring the wife of a cousin shared some mystery photos with me. They had belonged to her deceased mother in law who really didn't know who many of the people were but didn't want to throw the photos out because her mother (my grandmother Lydia) had kept them for so long. One of those photos was really only half of a photo that had been ripped. On the back was written "Ruth and Luther". Great Aunt Ruth Abrahamson Soderstrom of course, but who was Luther?

I have found that Anna, Lydia and Ruth had some additional Abrahamsson cousins who also emigrated to the U.S. Not Abrahamsson on Robert Albin's side but on their mother, Anna Karolina Karldotters side. Anna Karolina had two sisters. Her younger sister, Anna Susanna b. 1861 married Anders Abrahamsson. Their oldest son was Luther. Luther emigrated in 1912 but he went to New Briton, Connecticut (another Swedish favorite town) not Rock Island as his cousins had. His younger sister Alma Charlotta followed him in 1916. Another photo shared with me at the same time I believe to also be of Luther, in Sweden before he left for America. A bit overexposed, when enlarged and compared side to side, is a close match to the photo of Luther with Ruth, in particular around the eyes, ears and nose.

May I introduce my first cousin twice removed

Luther Abrahamson

b: 29 Jan 1891  Håcksvik, Älvsborg, Sweden

d: 9 Nov 1974 Kensington, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

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