1910 Census - Hugo and Sarona Alvine

I found my grandfather’s sister, Sarona, and her husband, Hugo in the 1910 Census. Sarona was one of the first Kallman family members to come from Sweden. She had followed her brother Håkan Patrik, but on immigrating, she did not name him as her contact but her future husband, Hugo. Hugo had arrived in the U.S. in 1893. He visited Sweden as a U.S. citizen returning to the U.S. in 1903. 1904, Sarona left to join him. Did he meet her on a return visit to his family, or was the intent always to leave for the U.S., establish himself, and return for his love, Sarona? I like either possibility!

April 16, 1910 Chicago, Cook, Illinois    889 King Place

#59- Alvine,Hugo H., head, Male, White, 34, Married 1st time for 2 years, born in Sweden, both parents born in Sweden, immigrated in 1893, naturalized citizen, occupation merchant in retail grocery, not out of work throughout 1910, can read and write, renting a house

#59- Alvine, Sarona, wife, female, white, 30, married 1st time for 2 years, born in Sweden, both parents born in Sweden, immigrated in 1904, *, occupation none, can read and write.

* Naturalization is not noted for Sarona. Before 1922, marrying a citizen automatically conferred citizen status on a woman. Conversing, an American-born woman lost her citizenship if she married an alien!

1950 Census - Hugo and Sarona Alvine

 In this 1950 Census, my great uncle Hugo and great aunt Sarona lived at 611 Main St. Turlock, Stanislaus, California. They are retired, age 74 and 71 respectfully.

#4 house #611, Alvine, Hugo H., head, white, male, 74, married, born in Sweden, naturalized citizen, unable to work

#5 house #611, Sarona R., wife, white, female, 71, married, born in Sweden, naturalized citizen, unable to work

In this census every fifth person had additional questions. Luckily Great Uncle Hugo was one of those.

#4 living in the same house 1 year ago, both parents were born in Sweden, he finished the 8th grade as his highest education, he did not work at all the last year nor earned any money working, he earned $700 from other income (perhaps some came from lodger income), he did not serve in the US military during WWI, WWII or any other time.

I never met my great Uncle Hugo as he died a few months before I was born. I did once meet great Aunt Sarona, but being only 3 or 4 I do not remember that meeting. Great Aunt Sarona, her sisters Tekla and Olga and also my Uncle Albin all moved out to California well before my birth. I do not think my Illinois branch of the family, unfortunately, ever really knew them.

1893 Hugo Henrik Allvin leaves Sweden.

March 3rd 1893, my great Uncle Hugo Henrik Allvin left the port of Gothenburg, Sweden on the ship "Rollo". The "Rollo", full of emigrating Swedes was headed for Hull, England.

The Gothenburg Swedish Passenger List

March 3rd 1893, the ship "Rollo"

line #34 Hugo Allvin of Linkoping Waderstad, Sweden

18 years old, final destination Chicago, Illinois

From Hull, England he and his shipmates would board a train that took them overland to Liverpool, England. He arrived in the U.S., New York harbor, March 25, 1893 on the ship "Britannic". Hugo Henrik was 18 years old and he traveled alone. He stated his occupation as "laborer". Hugo Henrik would then board a train to his final destination, Chicago.

In Chicago he would find work and meet his future wife, my great aunt Sarona Rebecka Kallman, my grandfather Richard's oldest sister. They had two sons, Stanley and Milton. Somewhere early in their marriage they "Americanized" their surname to Alvine.

My Great Uncle

Hugo Henry Alvine

b: 6 Oct 1875 Väderstad, Östergötland

d: 9 Jan 1952 Stanislaus, California

**click on document to enlarge for easier reading**

Tombstone Tuesday - Hugo and Sarona Alvine

my Great Aunt and Uncle 

Hugo Henry Alvine

b: 6 Aug 1875 Väderstad, Östergötland, Sweden

d: 9 Jan 1952 Turlock, Stanislaus, California

Sarona Rebecka Källman Alvine

b: 11 Dec 1878 Tjällmo, Östergötland, Sweden

d: 28 July 1956 Turlock, Stanislaus, California

married: 4 Dec 1907 in Chicago, Illinois

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

World War I began on this day, July 28

On this day, July 28 in 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This was the beginning of WWI. The U.S. had hoped to remain neutral but that was not to be and in April of  1917 we entered the war. My grandfather, my great uncles and their contemporaries were required to register for the draft in 1917. My great uncle Andrew Soderstrom and my great uncle Richard Peterson were called to serve. The rest were luckily not called but World War I draft enlistment records still exist that tell us a bit about our ancestors and who they were, what they were doing and what their family situation was at the time.

my great uncle Hugo Henry Alvine was born in 1875. In 1917 he was married to my great aunt Sarona Kallman and they had 2 boys. He was already 41 so not likely to be drafted. I learned from this registration that he was medium height and build with blue eyes and light hair. He lived in Chicago, Illinois and worked for Marshall Field as a clerk.

My great uncle Richard Reinhold Peterson was born in 1892. 1917 found him unmarried and only 25, primo for drafting. Uncle Richard served in France and before discharge was given his citizenship. Richard was a Chicago chauffeur of medium height and build, with blue eyes and light hair. He had the good sense to marry great aunt Tekla Kallman before he went in to the Army.

My great uncle Uno Markus Palm was born in 1883. At 34 and married to my great aunt Olga Kallman, he wasn't chosen to serve. He was a tall, medium built man with blue eyes and light hair. He filed first in California and registered in Alaska where he said he was a miner. His wife was in Washington state. I don't know much about this fellow. Seems he was a bit shifty. Aunt Olga had the good sense to leave him or the good luck that he left her, I don't know which. She said he was "a ladies man" and in true Swedish style that's all she would say about that!

My great uncle Andrew Olaf Soderstrom was just the man our country was looking for. He was born in 1888 and unmarried, plus he had military experience back in Sweden.   He was a machinist for the Deere company in Moline, Illinois. He served in the cavalry but before he left he married great aunt Ruth Abrahamson. Tall with a medium build, blue eyes, light hair and that square jaw, he made quite a good looking soldier didn't he?

My great uncle John Emil Jacobson was born in 1878. A farmer from Illinois, he was recorded as medium height and build and you guessed it....blue eyes and light hair. Pushing 40, married to great aunt Anna Abrahamson, with 4 kids and one on the way, he also was not a good candidate to draft. 

And of course my grandfather Richard Severin Kallman. Born in 1887 he was the right age but he was already married to my grandmother Lydia Abrahamson. They had 3 children whom he supported as a chauffeur in Chicago. He was of medium height and medium build with light hair and light blue eyes. Interesting to note that his right index finger was 'crippled". The family joke was he was rejected because that was his trigger finger. Most likely that was a beginning sign of the terrible rheumatoid arthritis he would later suffer from.

These documents give us a little glimpse of who the ancestors were at the onset of World War I. I really like seeing their personal signatures also. The "WAR TO END ALL WARS" is what they called World War I. Boy, how I wish that had been the truth.

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

Great Aunt Sarona Källman emigrates 1904

My Grand Aunt, Sarona Rebekah Källman, was the eldest sister of my paternal grandfather Richard Severin Källman. The family was very poor. Sarona would have 5 additional siblings. Håkon Patrik born December 31, 1880, Karl Botvid born July 31, 1883, Olga Euphemia born November 3, 1885, Rikard Severin (my grandfather) born October 3, 1887, and Tekla Eugenia born October 3, 1889.

*line #29 - 25 year old Sarona emigrated to the United States in May of 1904. She was following her brothers Patrik and Botvid who had emigrated in 1901. Sarona named as her contact in the US, Hugo Henry Alvine of Chicago, Illinois. Hugo had emigrated in 1893 and was now an American citizen. He came from the same area of Sweden as Sarona. He returned to Sweden to visit in 1903. I don't know if he at that time met Sarona and convinced her to leave for America or if he returned to Sweden specifically to persuade her to follow him but on December 4, 1907 Hugo and Sarona married in Chicago. In a process that is now called "chain migration" one by one each of the Källman siblings would come to America and work to save money to bring the next sibling over. My grandfather emigrated next, naming Sarona as his contact. 

Sarona and Hugo had two sons born in Chicago and the family moved on to Ohio and eventually settled in California.

my Grand Aunt and Uncle

Sarona Rebecka Källman

11 Dec 1878 -  28 Jul 1956

Hugo Henry Alvine

6 Aug 1875 - 9 Jan 1952

an interesting note is that the apartment that the poor young couple lived in with their two young boys in 1917 was on Barry Ave. in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. At that time it was a heavily Swedish immigrant neighborhood. Hugo worked as a clerk at Marshall Fields. That particular building was rehabbed into a three story townhouse. In 2014 it sold for $955,000. Go figure.

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