Aunt Laverne's Birthday

Today my Aunt Laverne would have been 102 years old. Every year I remember her birthday above all birthdays of extended relatives. April 29th, a day I can never forget. Why? My mother often reminded me that she went into labor for me at my Aunts birthday party! I was not born until the next day but Aunt Laverne, the favorite sister-in-law of my Mom. never let her forget it!

MyAunt 

Laverne Ruth Esther 

Kallman Johnson

1923-2009

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #43: "Dig a Little Deeper" -

 Prompt #43 (Oct 22 - Oct 28): "Dig a Little Deeper"- Laverne Kallman

A picture given to me by my cousin, handed down through his mother. My cousin recognized our grandmother Lydia (as I did also) but did not know who the infant was she carried in her arms.

Who is the infant she carries? In order to figure that out I have to "Dig a Little Deeper".

 • Since Grandma Lydia only returned to Sweden once, that being in 1913, this infant was either hers or a child of either her sister Ruth or sister Anna. Photographs being somewhat dear I seriously doubt a photo would have been taken of an infant unrelated to Lydia.

• I blew up this photo on my computer and find that on the piano above Lydia's right shoulder is a photo of her sister Ruth on her wedding to Andrew Soderstrom. They married 1917 so I eliminate Anna's children born before that date. Rudolf b.1907, David b.1908, Betty b.1910, and Evelyn b.1915 are out. Grandma's first three children, Albin b.1912, Eva b.1915 and Melvin b.1916 are also out of the running.  

• The photo on the wall behind Lydia's right shoulder is a photo of my great grandparents, Albin and Anna Abrahamson. I have a copy of that photo and it is dated 1923. So Harry Soderstrom b.1922 and his Jacobson cousins; Harry b.1918, Arthur b.1920 and Paul b.1922 are also ruled out. Lydia's daughter Ebba b.1920 is also a "no".

• The additional photo on the piano is difficult to name but I believe it is Ruth and Andrew Soderstrom with their oldest. This appears to be the home of the Soderstroms. Their family unlike the Jacobsons or the Kallmans had quite a few photos taken as their family grew. Possibly due to finances? No photos of Melvin b.1924, Esther b.1926 or Evelyn b.1935 Soderstrom are displayed. I tentatively also rule them out.

• That leaves Laverne Kallman b.1923 in Lydia's lap. Laverne was also the one that saved this photo and why? Perhaps this was the only baby photo she had of herself?

Sometimes you just have to "Dig a Little Deeper".

 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.

 

1950 Census - Howard and Laverne Johnson family

 3840 Sheffield Ave Apt 4B Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Here is my Uncle Howard and Aunt Laverne in the 1950 Census

line #15 - Johnson, Howard, head, white, male, 28 yr old, married, born in Illinois, working 40 wks this last year, occupation television service man

line#16 - Johnson, Laverne, wife, white, female, 26 yr old, married, born in Illinois, at home, not working or seeking work

line#16 - Johnson, Marilyn, daughter, white, female, born last August, never married, both parents born in the U.S., did not attend school

1930 US Census - The Kallman Family - Chicago

 In the 1930 US census we see my grandparent's family complete. They own a home at 3215 74th St. in Chicago. I tried to find it on Google maps but it seems streets 74th through 76th are no longer (at that west Kedsie ave.intersection). A railroad passover was build in their stead. Oh well, I think it was highly unlikely that the original building would be standing anyway.

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

line 25: Richard Kallman, head of household, owns home, worth $6,000, owns a radio*, not a farm, male, white, age 40, married, 23 at age of marriage, not attending school, can read and write, born in Sweden, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden, Swedish spoke in country of birth, immigrated in 1907, Naturalized citizen, able to speak English, Mechanic in auto repair shop, working presently, not a veteran

line 26:  Lydia Kallman, wife, female, white, age 40, married, 21 at age of marriage, not in school, can read and write, born in Sweden, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden, Swedish spoken in country of birth, immigrated in 1909, Alien, able to speak English, no occupation

line 27:  Alvin R Kallman, Son, male, white, age 18, single, not in school, can speak English, born in Iowa, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden, no occupation

line 28:  Eva D L Kallman, daughter, female, white, age 15, single, in school, can speak English, born in Illinois, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden, able to speak English, no occupation

line 29:  Melvin C Kallman, son, male, white, single, age 13, in school, able to speak English, born in Illinois, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden, no occupation

line 30: Ebba R Kallman, daughter, female, white, age 10, single, in school, able to speak English, born in Illinois, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden, no occupation

line 31: LaVerne E R Kallman, daughter, female, white, age 7, single, in school, able to speak English, born in Illinois, father born in Sweden, mother born in Sweden, no occupation

It is marked that grandma Lydia answered the questions for the census taker. I guess that the census taker was not Swedish as he misunderstood my uncle's name as Alvin not Albin.  Albin is the more common name in Sweden. Although not in school Albin is not working. Indicative of the Great Depression? My brother once told me that Uncle Albin had told him that without work in Chicago he hopped a freight to California to seek his fortune.

*A question of interest in the 1930 census is "does the family own a radio?". An indication of how well or up to date/modern Americans were in 1930?

A photo of the Kallman family around this time

Grandma and her girls

In the middle is my Grandma Lydia Kallman with my aunts Ebba, Eva and Laverne welcoming the newest member of the family, my Mom Grace.

 Grandma and her girls,

Introducing my Chicago family, just as I remember them.

This is one of, if not THE, favorite picture of my family in Chicago. I found this in a box of slides and converted it to digital format. It was taken the year I was born in 1952. The occasion was my father's 36th birthday in August. Why the favorite picture? They are all there! All four of my grandparents and my aunts and uncles, just as I remember them. Missing is my Dad's older brother Albin. He and his family moved to California in the `40's and I maybe only saw them a few times growing up. But the rest are there and they look just as I remember.

Let me introduce you to my family, as I remember them, of course!

left to right

standing: 

• My grandpa Kallman. See his lips? Well, that is the biggest smile you would ever get from him. He was sort of a tough and stern old Swede, those crossed arms say it all. His favorite saying? Tyst meg dig! (Be quiet!) as he pounded his cane on the floor. To be fair, he did have a rather tough life and was quite crippled with arthritis at a young age. To me he didn't seem to care for much...except his snus...chewing tobacco tucked into his lower lip which seemed to constantly dribble from the corner of his mouth.

•My favorite uncle, Uncle Arnold. Always happy and laughing with red hair as bright and curly as mine. My mom's older brother, grandma's favorite, he worried our religious family with his chain smoking and love of a nip now and again. When he gave you one of his big hugs, oddly enough, it made me happy to breathe deeply that faint smell of smoke that clung to his collar. 

•Tall fellow in the middle? Uncle Howard. He always seemed as he looks here. A little uncomfortable as he quietly walked around observing, never saying much, just "ummm" now and again. Almost like he was thinking "who are these people and how did I get hooked up with them?". A straight-up dependable guy.

•Uncle Bill. A burly, swaggering Irishman. Loud, fun, vocal, outgoing and straightforward. Exactly what our tightly wound Scandinavian family needed, whether they knew it or not. He would chase me, grab me in a headlock and give my head a knuckle rub. "It's good luck to rub a red head and I need some good luck". I loved him. 

•My Grandpa Sevald. Kind, honest, loving and generous. Short and bandy legged...he could tap dance! He adored my grandmother. His right arm no doubt is draped across her back so he could give her a little klappa (pat) now and again.

seated:

•Aunt Ebba. She never married nor left Grandma and Grandpa to have a life of her own. Or any life really in my opinion. She didn't work, I don't think she ever did. She spent her time at the Salvation Army and playing religious hymns on the piano. To me things just didn't seem right about her. She had a big box under her bed where she had many many notebooks where she kept daily diaries. But of what? I never saw her actually DO anything. After she died the box was tossed. I often wonder now... what was in those diaries?

•Aunt Laverne. She was the youngest and the prettiest. Never overweight, her hair always done nicely and makeup on. My favorite of the aunts, she was gentle, kind, dependable and forgiving of everyone. She seemed to always have a look of wide-eyed wonder on her. She saw the positive side of everything.

•My grandma Kallman. She always seemed grey, elderly and crippled to me. Always wincing in pain but she never did complain. Family, close and remote speak well of her but I never really knew her at all. I regret that now.

•My grandma Sevald. I spent loads of time with her. They never lived far away and my mom was ill a lot so I remember my grandmother coming and caring for us quite often. A devout Christian, she lived it. She didn't just pray for you, she worked beside you and for you. She could be feisty, opinionated and strong willed but she was dependable, a rock that could weather any storm. You never worried because whatever happened you knew that grandma would always know what to do. She would "make a plan". All would be well.

•Aunt Eva. I think she was my Dad's favorite. She had the same goofy sense of humor as he. She was a lot of fun. No putting on airs with her. See her bit of a buck tooth grin? I remember when she had to get false teeth she asked them to please make them overlap a little so my friends recognize me!

Up front:

 My Dad the birthday boy. He just loved everyone getting together and laughing so I am sure it was his prompting to get a picture of the whole gang.

A few of the cousins have already been born and are pictured here (Karen, Marilyn, Rita and Robert) in 1952 but where am I? At four months, probably napping or beside my Mom who no doubt is the one taking the photo.

Good job Mom! You caught them all, just as I remember them!

“How often do we tell our own life story? How often do we adjust, embellish, make sly cuts? And the longer life goes on, the fewer are those around to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told to others, but—mainly—to ourselves.” 

― Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending

1936 The Kallman Family

Another photo of the Kallman Family taken about 1936. This was also in my brother's family album, newly discovered while I visited him this summer.

 Below is a photo in my possession, obviously taken at the same time with the family members arranged a bit differently. I believe I like the top version better.  Those on the couch look a bit squished but it's a better likeness of my Dad, Melvin.

Looks like poor Aunt Eva was the only one who never got a chance to sit! Unless there is a third version out there somewhere?

Thanks to my brother for sharing,

1961 The Kallman Family

I visited my brother this past week in Fort Worth Texas and came across this photo I had never before seen in an album of his. "I thought you had a copy of this", he said. I did not and was pleased to get this photo of my grandparents and their adult children. I could be wrong but I believe this photo was taken on the occasion of Richard and Lydia's 50th anniversary. I was only 9 at the time but I feel confident that I recognized her dress as the one she wore to the party given for them.

1961 Chicago, Illinois
top row - Melvin, Ebba, Eva and Laverne - bottom row - Albin, Lydia and Richard

Grandpa looks a bit grumpy doesn't he? Just as I remember him!

Happy Birthday Aunt Laverne!

April 29, 1923 my Aunt Lavern Esther Ruth Kallman Johnson was born. I know I have posted this picture before but I think it is a particularly cute photo of the happy fun loving person she was.

 My grandmother stated Lavern was born in Crystal Lake, Illinois yet I found her listed in the Cook County birth database. Crystal Lake has never been in Cook county. Nor am I aware that the Kallman Family ever lived in Crystal Lake. Perhaps Grandma and Grandpa registered her birth her Chicago, Cook county although she was born elsewhere. Until I see proof otherwise I am going to go with Crystal Lake. I would not dare dispute Grandma's word for it!

my paternal aunt

Lavern Esther Ruth Kallman Johnson

b. 29 April, 1923 Crystal Lake, Illinois, USA

d. 29 June 2009 Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA

Girl Cousins

Kallman and Jacobson girl cousins in 1940. Snow in March? Looks like typical Chicago weather.

left to right: Laverne Kallman, Ebba Kallman, Evelyn Jacobson, Eva Kallman, Betty Jacobson

Grandma Lydia Kallman and her baby

from the collection of my late Aunt Laverne Kallman Johnson comes this photo.

In this photo I can positively state that is my grandmother Lydia. However, which of her five children is she holding? Again I relied on my photoshop program and blew up the photo. One of the photos on the piano is a wedding portrait of Lydia's sister Ruth and her husband Andrew Soderstrom. They married in 1917. That eliminates my Uncle Albin (b.1912), Aunt Eva (b.1915) and my Dad (b.1916). One of the photos on the wall is of her parents Robert Albin and Anna Abrahamsson. A smaller copy of the same photo is on this blog and marked 1923. That eliminates my Aunt Ebba (b.1920). Bingo! the picture is of Aunt Laverne (b. 1923).

It seems the firstborns every move is captured on camera or video. We sort of run out of steam with the later kids don't we, I am sorry to say? In years past with photos being so expensive and families having more than a few children it may have been even more so. I heard a story about a gal who came  from a large Irish Catholic family. She had in her possession only one baby photo of herself that her Mom had given her. An older brother saw the photo and said "Hey that's me!". She confronted her mother who was still living. "Well, yes, I gave you one of Marty's baby pictures because I did not want you to feel hurt. Dad and I loved and wanted each one of you, but you were number eight after all and we had just pooped out. What's the big deal? you looked just like Marty  anyway." God bless that Mama, I just loved that response!

Perhaps Aunt Laverne saved this particular photo as it was one of the few or maybe the only baby photo she had of herself. She was the youngest Kallman child, the family was financially poor or maybe Grandma and Grandpa had just "pooped out?"

The Kallman Smile

Chicago, Illinois - The Kallman Family
Laverne, Eva, Melvin, Richard, Albin, Lydia & Ebba

 This is one of my favorite photos of my Kallman grandparents and their children. It is just a small snapshot so it unfortunately doesn't enlarge clearly but it shows the nature of the family. I am dating this the late 1930's, the midst of the Great Depression. It was a very hard and uncertain time in the world. The family had been through one world war and was about to enter another. They had financial difficulties, health issues and no doubt family troubles of all sorts. But don't they look happy together?  This season I am most thankful for the legacy of descending from stable, loving, godly, happy people. People who never forgot how to smile.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday's Faces from the Past - Laverne Kallman Johnson

A 40's "pin-up girl" type pose of my Aunt Laverne. She was a cutie wasn't she? 

More importantly, she was a really nice lady.  Missed by her family. A lot.

my father's younger sister and my aunt

 LaVerne Esther Ruth Kallman Johnson

b: 29 Apr 1923 in Crystal Lake, Illinois

d: 29 Jun 2009 in Chicago, Illinois

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