December Birthdays

Happy December birthday to my niece Julia and to my cousins Dennis and Lynn.

Other December birthdays in my family tree include:

Sara Lisa JACOBSDOTTER, my 7th great-grandmother was born 31 Dec 1725 in Ostergotlands, Sweden. Sara's great-grandson, my 3rd great-grandfather Carl TOLF also celebrated his birthday in  December; he was born 19 Dec 1824 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. In May of 1878 he and his wife and four of their eight children left Sweden for America. Carl would live out his life in Batavia Illinois.

Carl's son Peter TOLF married Augusta LANDSTROM. Augusta's mother Lisa Katarina PETERSDOTTER was born 29 Dec 1829 Wallsjo, Sweden. The Landstroms also immigrated to Illinois.

My 2nd great-grandfather James WALTON was born on the Isle of Man 18 Dec 1843. He was only seven months old when his parents and an aunt and uncle immigrated to Cleveland Ohio.

A 2nd great grandaunt Sophia SCHMITT was born in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France 10 Dec 1845. Her sister-in-law Mary Ann BARNES was born 26 Dec 1845 in Dublin Ireland.

One of my family history mysteries is Carl Johan TOLF born 02 Dec 1849 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. It isn't clear whether or not he immigrated to Illinois as his parents and siblings did.

My 2nd great grandfather's brother Sven LARSSON was born in Hörby, Malmöhus, Sweden on 15 Dec 1856. Sven immigrated to Denmark on 19 May 1873 and younger brother Carl LARSSON CLARIN immigrated to Illinois.

Another direct line ancestor's brother celebrated a December birthday. Elmer Eugene CLARKE was born in Maryland 03 Dec 1865. He and several of his brothers, including my 2nd great-grandfather William Penrod CLARKE moved to Illinois when they were young men.

Emma Justina PETERSDOTTER (21 Dec 1866) is a 2nd great grandaunt who immigrated from her birthplace of Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden in 1883. To date, I have found no records of her on the US side of the ocean.

Alvina S SCHMITT, who was married to Otto V MUELLER, was born 15 Dec 1883 in Ohio. I hope to locate a living descendant of hers soon.

Swedish immigrant Ludwig Charles OGREN, born 21 Dec 1885, married one of my Thompson ancestors and moved to Ohio. Their adopted daughter Ruth was my maternal grandmother's cousin.

My maternal grandfather's sister Edith Josephine WALTON was born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois 23 Dec 1902. Grandpa's brother Rolf Sylvester WALTON was born in Chicago too, on 31 Dec 1909.

My paternal grandmother's brother Ernest Robert MANGELS was born 28 Dec 1907 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. He and his brother were given up for unofficial adoption. Their reunion decades later was more than just newsworthy:

Are any of my ancestors in your family tree too?

If so, please contact me at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Read more about my family's history on my web site.

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!