Serendipity in Genealogy

My ancestors are not generally among the movers and shakers in history. They were average people living average lives. That doesn't make them any less interesting to me; it just means that if they appear in a newspaper at all, it won't be on the front page.

So when I visited the Depot Museum in Batavia Illlinois several years ago, it was to get a glimpse of the work done at the U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Company. My second great-grandfather was a blacksmith there for many years.

The museum was very interesting. The displays were wonderful - I took many pictures of the USWE&P display and was grateful to the volunteer who answered my many questions about 19th century life in Batavia. At the end of my visit, Marilyn Robinson encouraged me to sign the guest book and add the surname I was researching. She said other guests sometimes look through the book and connections are made. I signed the book and wrote the name "Tolf".

A few days later Marilyn mentioned my from-out-of-state visit to another volunteer. The volunteer asked what surname I was researching. Together they looked at the guest book. The volunteer (also named Marilyn) said Tolf looked familiar. When she returned home, (the second) Marilyn looked in the scrapbook created by her husband's great-grandfather Charles Wenberg. He had been a professional photographer in Batavia during the time my family lived there. Inside the scrapbook she found these pictures:

l-r Charles Wenberg, Peter Tolf and Claus Pederson
These three men were instrumental in founding the church below 

First Swedish Mission Church in Batavia Illinois

Peter Tolf (center wearing tie) blacksmith foreman
at US Wind Engine and Pump Company

Peter Tolf and his wife Augusta Landström with their children
(l-r) Ranghild Henrietta Katarina, Harry Wilhelm, and Raymond Johan Carl

Helena Åman Tolf with daughters Christina Tolf and Amanda (Tolf) Peterson

I know I thanked both women at least a hundred times. Marilyn Robinson has since passed away, but her extensive work in the Batavia Historical Society surely guaranteed her a place in genealogy heaven. I will be forever grateful to the second Marilyn who gave me something I would never have seen without her generosity. I'm also grateful to Charles Wenberg who wrote captions at the bottom of his photographs without which his great-grandson's wife couldn't have made our connection.

And to my Tolf, Åman, and Landström ancestors: For putting the two Marilyns and me in all the right places at all the right times - there are not enough words in my vocabulary to express the depth and breadth of my feelings.

January Anniversaries

January is a bit of a "small world" in my family tree.

For example, my paternal 4th great-grandparents François SCHMITT and Elizabeth GROSSE were married 16 Jan 1804 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France - François' sister was married the same day:

On the other side of the ocean, three weeks after acting as witnesses at Peter's brother's wedding, my maternal 2nd great-grandparents Peter August TOLF and Augusta Sophia LANDSTROM were married 21 Jan 1882 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois:

My other set of 2nd great-grandparents Peter THOMPSON and Maria Fredrika PETERSON were married 20 Jan 1883 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois:

The longer I work on my family tree, the greater number of interesting connections I find among the members. From what I read in the 1880 and 1885 city directories, it appears that both the Tolf/Landstrom and Thompson/Peterson couples were married at the same church. It's possible that the four immigrants met there and built a friendship.

Years later Harry (Peter and Augusta's son) would marry Julia (Peter and Maria Fredrika's daughter). Unfortunately it wasn't happily-ever-after marriage, but their story may have begun earlier than I previously thought.

I wonder what other surprises my ancestors have in store for me this year?

Are any of my ancestors in your family tree too?

Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com

Let's compare notes!

2012 New Year's Resolutions

Another year comes to a close. The past 12 months were sprinkled with equal parts levity and laughter, wonder and worry, pitfalls and proud moments. I'm glad I was on the planet to see all the ups and downs firsthand and I very much appreciated your company along the way.

With family group sheet in hand, I nervously reviewed my 2011 resolutions. Not as bad as I thought - whew! 

2012 offers new opportunities to make check marks on my genealogy to-do list. Look out family tree, I'm getting serious about climbing you this year! With weekly encouragement from my Success Team partner Jenny, I plan to will:

1.) Attend at least one out-of-state genealogical conference or convention.

2.) Focus my research on 12 direct-line surnames; Clarin, Clarke, Gury, Landstrom, Littrell, Mangels, Mueller, Peterson, Schmitt, Thompson, Tolf, and Walton. Start by organizing the surname-related computer files, manila folders, family group sheets, and pages on my web site.

3.) Answer the following burning questions:

• Did Esther give birth to the Clarin/Mangels child I recently located? Was her divorce from Gustave really as public as family stories suggest?
• From what country did the Maryland Clarkes originate?
• Who is the child that accompanied Marie-Anne Gury and her children from France to Cincinnati?
• When (and at which port) did Augusta Landstrom arrive in America?
• From what country did the Virginia Littrells originate?
• What did the inquests into Herman Friedrich Carl Mangels and Frank Mangels' deaths reveal?
• In which Swiss town was Jacob Mueller born? Were Otto Mueller and his wife Alvina Schmitt really cousins?
• Where did Maria Fredericka Peterson's sisters settle after leaving Sweden?
• What were the circumstances around Elizabeth Schmitt's divorce from Anton Bidenharn and marriage three days later to Jacob Mueller?
• Where did Peter Thompson die and where is he buried? Was his daughter really institutionalized so her husband could obtain a divorce?
• At which American port did James Walton and his parents end their voyage from the Isle of Man?

4.) Keep other living descendants up to date on our family history research progress through emails, letters, Twitter, this blog and my web site. Search for as-yet-unknown cousins in the same way.

5.) Honor the relationship between genealogy and scrapbooking: Scan and digitize old photos. Preserve hard copies of pictures. Archive online photos off-site. Organize, label and safely store slides and negatives. Share pictures with relatives. Assemble heirloom photo albums.

6.) Share (and create more) family history with my glorious grandchildren.

Every one of my goals interests and excites me. 2012 could be a great year for my family and me. I hope yours is even better. Happy New Year!

Surname Saturday ~ October Anniversaries

Happy October anniversary to my niece Kathleen and her husband Richard!

October anniversaries that appear in my family tree include:

Clarke/Downey

My 3rd great-grandaunt Henrietta CLARKE has been instrumental in uncovering records about her brother Morgan CLARKE (my direct line ancestor) so I have a special affection for her. Henrietta married Thomas E DOWNEY in Washington County Maryland 20 Oct 1849.

Johanisson/Andreassdotter
My 3rd great-grandparents Peter Johan JOHANISSON and Johanna Kristina ANDREASDOTTER were married in Tånnö, Jönköping, Sweden on 16 Oct 1864. They had seven children. Four of the five who reached adulthood immigrated to the United States, including my 2nd great-grandmother Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER. A few years ago I had the great pleasure of meeting a descendant of the child who remained in Sweden.

Klarin/Larsson
My 2nd great-grandmother Bengta JONSSDOTTER was just 28 years old when she died in 1895, days after giving birth to her fourth child. Her husband Carl LARSSON KLARIN married Ida Maria LARSSON, also widowed, on 19 Oct 1897 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Landstrom/Weig
The youngest of seven children who immigrated from Sweden to Chicago with my 3rd great-grandparents, my 2nd great-granduncle Axel Fabian LANDSTROM married Anna O WEIG 16 Oct 1907 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. A special affection for this collateral ancestor began after learning he moved his parents' graves to Rosehill Cemetery when he buried his young son there.

Lidstrom-Tolf
My 4th great grandparents Carl Jonas TOLF and Maja Lisa LIDSTROM were married 04 Oct 1817 presumably in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. Presumably because my notes lack any details (ugh!), but both Carl and Maja were born and died there. Sadly Carl died at 38 leaving Maja with seven young children.

Mangels/Brenke
My paternal grandparents divorced and (Grandma) Frances Lois MANGELS went on to marry Robert Emmett BRENKE 19 Oct 1940 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Samuelsdotter/Uhlitz
Swedish immigrant Ricka SAMUELSDOTTER married my 2nd great-granduncle Oskar Fredrik LANDSTROM in 1902. Theirs was a physically demanding life, he was a blacksmith and she was a laundress. Oskar died in 1913 and I wondered what became of Ricka. Then one day I stumbled upon a marriage certificate on FamilySearch. Ricka married German immigrant Otto George August UHLITZ 19 Oct 1916 in Chicago.

Do we share any ancestors? If you see any familiar names above, please email me at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com and let's compare notes!

Surname Saturday ~ October Birthdays

Happy October birthday to my youngest and most adorable grandson, my niece Rebecca, my husband's nephew Paul, my cousin Rose, and my aunt Kylene!

Especially in my thoughts today; my dad who would have been 80 years old October twenty-fifth.


Karl Larsson KLARIN

 October birthdays that appear in my family tree include:

Clarin/Klarin

My 2nd great-grandfather Karl Larsson KLARIN was born 19 Oct 1863 in Hörby, Malmöhus, Sweden. He served in the Swedish army until 1884 and later immigrated to Chicago. Karl and his wife had three daughters. Mabelle, the youngest, had a baby named Betsy Ann WALLIN 18 Oct 1933. Sadly Betsy died the same day.

Jönsdotter and Jönsson
My 2nd great-grandmother Bengta had at least seven siblings. Her sister Hanna JÖNSDOTTER was born 02 Oct 1859 in Bjäresjö, Malmöhus, Sweden. This is a copy of the husförhör (household examination roll) from Hörby 1863-1870:

Landstrom
My 2nd great-granduncle Johan Wilhelm LANDSTROM was born 22 Oct 1860 in Norra Sandsjö, Jönköping, Sweden.

Johan Wilhelm LANDSTROM

Littrell

My 2nd great-grandmother Mary Ella LITTRELL was born 30 Oct 1858 in Roanoke County Virginia. Her mother died when Ella was quite young. Ella's father married a widow with three children; Ida born 15 Oct 1857, George and Anna DEMASTER. The blended family moved to Springfield Ohio. Anna's daughter Catherine May TEACH was born there 10 Oct 1891.



Gustav Robert MANGELS



Mangels

My great-grandfather Gustav Robert MANGELS was born 20 Oct 1889 in Chicago; the oldest son of German immigrants. He and my great-grandmother divorced and both remarried. Between marriages, Gustav appeared on the 1920 census in Massachusetts as a soldier in the US Army stationed at Fort Warren. Gustav and his second wife lived in Fort Wayne Indiana where he worked for General Electric. His daughter Lucille Emilie MANGELS was born 18 Oct 1930.

Schmitt

The last child born before my Schmitt ancestors immigrated to Cincinnati Ohio, my 2nd great-granduncle Francois SCHMITT was born 24 Oct 1853 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France. What became of him in the US is not yet known.

Tolf

My 2nd great-grandfather's brother Gustaf TOLF was born 25 Oct 1847 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. He was the first of his seven siblings to immigrate to America. Gustaf settled in Batavia Illinois where he worked as a blacksmith as he had done in Sweden. 

Gustaf and Nettie Tolf with six of their children

Gustaf's sister Frida married Charles Johan LJUNGBERG/YOUNGBERG born 27 Oct 1861 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. The couple moved from Batavia to Chicago where Charles worked for the Pullman Car Company.

Their daughter Myrtle married Joseph Philip FRIEND born 24 Oct 1885, an immigrant from Schonlinde, Czechoslovakia. Joe worked as an "operator at the moving picture theater" according to the 1930 census.

Charles and Frida's son Lawrence Charles YOUNGBERG was born in Chicago 12 Oct 1887. Lawrence had two daughters, Dolores Lorraine YOUNGBERG born 01 Oct 1913 and her younger sister Evelyn. Both girls married men with October birthdays: Dolores to Paul Evert JOHNSON born 08 Oct 1909 and Evelyn to Douglas Lee FOSTER born 29 Oct 1924.

Do we share any ancestors? If you see any familiar names above, please email me at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com and let's compare notes!

Surname Saturday ~ September Birthdays

Happy September birthday to one of my favorite grandsons, my nephew Zac, my uncle Ernie, my cousin Michael (pictured below), my great-grandniece, my brother-in-law, my cousin-in-law Stephen, my grand-uncle Fran, my great-grandfather Alfred Jacob MUELLER, my second great-grandfather William Penrod CLARKE, my third great-grandmothers Johanna Kristina ANDREASON (pictured far below) and Anna SVENSDOTTER.

More September birthdays include my grandaunt Alma Erika MANGELS, my granduncles Harry Vincent FLOOD and Roy WALTON, my great-grandaunts Alma E MUELLER and Esther Maria THOMPSON, my great-granduncles Herman Joseph MANGELS, Otto V MUELLER, John H and Thomas Arthur WALTON, my second great-grandaunts Kersti PERSSON and Christina SCHMITT, my second great-granduncles Harry Orville CLARKE, Gustaf Adolf LANDSTROM, Henry Charles and John Henry LITTRELL; my first cousins twice-removed Branden and Tyler ALLEN, and Edward H CARLSON; first cousins thrice-removed Albert Joseph, Clara, and Emil Julius BIEDINGER, Franklin Whitfield BLAKE, Clifford Morgan and Edna Jeanetta CLARKE, Fredrick DOMKOWSKY, Jules Arthur DROLL, Julius Jacob PLUM, Ernest Carl SWANSON, Clarence Ferdinand, Eva Matilda and Wesley Lambert TOLF; my second cousins twice-removed Julius J PLUM and Ruth SWANSON, and my fourth cousin once-removed Joseph FRIEND.



Do we share any ancestors? Click here to visit my web site or

send me an email at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Surname Saturday ~ August Birthdays

Happy August birthday to my wonderful husband, my little sister, my beautiful granddaughter, my uncle Bob, my cousin Bill, my cousin in-law Michael, my grand uncle Bud, my first cousin once-removed Faith, my first cousin twice-removed Courtney, my third cousin once-removed in-law Cindy, and my fourth cousins once-removed Spencer and Taylor.

My August-born ancestors are also in my thoughts:

Helen Irene ADAMS born 04 Aug 1919 married William Howard TOLF in Chicago Illinois. Their daughter is one of my favorite genealogists.

Lyman John CLARKE was born 01 Aug 1893 in Chicago Illinois and his aunt Zora E CLARKE was born in Washington County Maryland 19 Aug 1857. Their unique names help in the search for Clark/e ancestors and descendants.

My 4th great-grandmother Elizabeth GROSSE was born in Virming, Moselle, Lorraine, France 07 Aug 1781. She married François SCHMITT in 1804.

Although not yet documented other than the photo below, Christina GURY born 15 Aug 1821 in Altroff, Moselle, Lorraine, France became a nun. Her brother Jean Louis GURY was born 26 Aug 1819 also in Altroff.

Axel Fabian LANDSTROM was born in Norra Unnaryd, Jonkopings, Sweden 10 Aug 1874, the youngest of seven children who immigrated to Chicago Illinois with their parents Johan Peter LANDSTROM and Lisa Katarina PETERSDOTTER. Axel's older brother Carl Werner LANDSTROM was born 17 Aug 1863.

John Alfred LUND was born 13 Aug 1879 in Sweden. His wife Hannah Christina TOLF and her sister Ella Jubelina TOLF 21 Aug 1886 were born in the Swedish community of Batavia Illinois.

My grandfather Harold Clarke MUELLER was born 07 Aug 1908 in Chicago Illinois. He married Frances Lois MANGELS 22 Aug 1930.

Following the Swedish naming tradition, Jöns PERSSON born 23 Aug 1829 in Bjäresjö, Malmöhus, Sweden had a daughter named Bengta JÖNSDÖTTER. In America she would be known as Betty Johnson. Jöns' daughter created this priceless family treasure:

After my 3rd great-grandmother Margaret Jane SHARTZER died in 1867, Julia PETERS born 25 Aug 1827 married the widowed Charles W LITTRELL. She helped raise his children John Henry LITTRELL and Mary Ella LITTRELL.

Oscar F THOMPSON born in Chicago Illinois 12 Aug 1883 was the first American born child of Norwegian immigrant Peter THOMPSON and his Swedish immigrant wife Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER.

My 4th great-grandfather blacksmith Carl Jonas TOLF was born in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden 25 Aug 1795. He died at 38 leaving wife Maja Lisa LIDSTROM with seven small children, among them my 3rd great-grandfather Carl TOLF. Carl immigrated to Batavia Illinois in 1878. His August-born grandsons include Frank M TOLF 29 Aug 1884 and Leroy Harrison TOLF 10 Aug 1888. Owen Henry TOLF, a great-grandson, was born 03 Aug 1914.

On 21 Aug 1891 Swedish immigrants Carl Johan YOUNGBERG and Frida Katrina TOLF had their second child Myrtle Alvira YOUNGBERG. Myrtle's brother Lawrence Charles YOUNGBERG is one of the family mysteries I enjoy solving.