Celebrating St Lucia Day

Shortly after starting my family history research I had an epiphany: my children and I actually shared the DNA of the people I was researching!

We weren't just related to Swedes and Germans, we were English and Swedish and German (and Manx and two other ethnicities, but that discovery came much later.)

This meant we had to do more than have an ethnic heritage; we needed to honor our ethnic heritage.

I asked my daughters (then 10 and 11 years old) to choose the country whose traditions we would include in our upcoming Christmas celebration. Would it be Germany, Sweden or England? They decided on Sweden.

We checked books out from the public library (did I mention this was in the 80s?) and read about Sweden's holiday traditions.

On December 13th the girls and I drove to Chicago where we watched the crowning of a young St Lucia.

We explored the Swedish American museum in Andersonville, bought pastries at Nelson's Bakery, chose a few special straw ornaments at the Swedish Museum Gift Shop, and had dinner at a tiny restaurant called Svea's.

During dinner, Svea's owner played the guitar, serenading his patrons. Several diners added their voices to the Swedish Christmas music he played. The whole day was magical.

As part of our Christmas celebration a couple weeks later, my daughters served their grandmother and aunts Lussekatter buns while dressed in traditional St Lucia Day attire. 

The following year, I asked which country (Germany or England) we should explore during the next holiday. Shocked that I would ask such a question (!), the girls said Sweden would be our focus. Always.

Music at Svea happened only once since that first Swedish Christmas 25 years ago. But the melody will play in my heart forever.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Randy Seaver chose another fun activity for geneabloggers. Finally my timing is right on (!) and I can play along. Here are Randy's questions/my answers:

1.) How old is your great-grandfather now, or how old would he be if he had lived? Divide this number by 4 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."

The great-grandfather I chose is Gustave Robert Mangels who would be (had he lived) 122 years old next month. 122 divided by 4 = 30.5. Rounding up, my roulette number is 31 which corresponds with my second great-grandmother Maria Fredrika Peterssdotter:

Randy writes "Tell us three facts about that person with the "roulette number." Here goes:

1.) Maria Fredrika Peterssdotter was born in Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden on the 22nd of November 1864. She was Peter Johan Johanisson's and Johanna Kristina Andreassdotter's first child. (Click here for information about patronymic names.) 

2.) Maria left Sweden for North America in 1880. This is a copy of the Tånnö parish record showing her date of departure. Maria is on line 4. Her name is crossed out because she no longer resides in the parish. The date she left is on the far right. Two other family members' names are also crossed out. Their dates of death appear in the furthest right column on the left page:

2.) Mary Fredrika settled in the midwest, and in 1883 she married a Norwegian immigrant named Peter Thompson. Their four children were born in Chicago.

3.) In her later years, Mary lived with her daughter Julia (Thompson) Chinell and Julia's son. She died in Chicago on the 23rd of July 1941.
 

Looking at Maria's Swedish records reminded me that her sisters Emma Justina and Elise also immigrated to the US in 1883 and 1887 respectively. It's been awhile since I looked for them. Thanks for the reminder Randy - this will be fun for more than just a Saturday night!

#1 Source: Genline, http://www.genline.com/ GID 100006.33.5600 Jönköping _scb Jönköping  :143 Births 1864-1864 0/0.
#2 Source: ArkivDigital, Tånnö-AI-2-1874-1880-Bild-144-sid-136.

Genealogist or Family History Researcher?

What do each of these terms mean to you? Which term do you use when describing yourself?

To me, a genealogist is a little more devoted to the system and the rules, perhaps a tad better organized, maybe less likely to bark up the wrong family tree.

A family history researcher may or may not do all of the above, but also spends a fair amount of time exploring paths that, to the casual observer, may seem unrelated to documenting one's lineage.

Because of my diverse ethnic background, I find myself meandering back and forth between both worlds.

My Swedish Tolfs are unique in their homeland. If you're a Tolf, we are definately related. My interest in this line includes causes of death ~ they repeat themselves every two or three generations all the way to the present. I've gotten fairly good at deciphering medical records.

There is alot of emotional baggage in the Mueller line. Deaths, divorces, remarriages, and stubborn personalities are forever simmering over a low heat. Who can answer this question or that without causing the pot to boil over? There are many mysteries to solve in the US before I can cross the ocean to Switzerland and begin the Swiss records learning curve.

Clarkes and Littrells require a history lesson with every record; what Revolutionary or Civil War battle took place where? When did the city/county/state boundaries change? Which reformed church had a pastor during this or that timeframe? What on earth is a Dunkard? And will I ever find the answer to the #1 burning question ~ what is their country of origin?

The Schmitts are from France and their surname is hardly unique. I require three forms of ID when working with their records. It would be easy to follow the wrong Schmitt, especially one named Jean, Jules, or Nicolas as they appear in every sibling's family. Then there is the Alsace-Lorraine issue, a region that changed hands many times. I use research logs liberally with this branch and backtrack to double-check my work with each new discovery.

My Manx ancestors had a preference for a limited number of given names. There is a William and a John, sometimes two or three in every family. The Isle of Man has it's own government, but is culturally influenced by Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the UK. Records are well kept, but can be challenging to locate. The only other known family member researching this line recently passed away. Playing alone in dusty libraries isn't nearly as much fun.

I enjoy discovering the story that unfolds with each new record. Storytelling helps engage disinterested family members. The charts are wonderful for placing people visually, but the stories make the names on the chart memorable. Making my ancestors memorable for future generations is one of my top ten reasons for being a genealogist. And a family history researcher.

Sunday's Obituary ~ Carl Magnus Carlson

From the Chicago Daily News, Monday February 12, 1945;

"CARLSON - Carl M. Carlson, Feb 11, late of 2617 N. Seminary av., beloved husband of Laura (nee Olson), fond father of Florence Quinlan and Edward, brother of Hannah Flood and the late Maria Pearson and John. Funeral Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 1 p.m., from funeral home, 2056-58 Belmont av., to Acacia Park Cemetery."

Carl's sister Johanna is my great-grandmother. She and Maria and Carl were close throughout their lives. I know very little about John except for the clue above that he died before Carl and that all four siblings immigrated to Chicago from Börstil (which was later renamed Östhammar), Uppsala, Sweden.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Lutefisk Dinner

Sunday's Obituary ~ Carl Johan Youngberg

From the Chicago Daily News January 28, 1920 page 30;

"Youngberg - Charles J., aged 58 years. Jan. 26  at home, 1421 E 75th st., beloved husband of Freda Youngberg, fond father of Myrtle Elvira and Lawrence Youngberg.

Funeral Thursday Jan. 29 at 2:30 p.m. from late home to Swedish Mission Church, 74th st and Cottage Grove av., at 3 p.m.: interment Oakwoods. For information phone Stewart 77."

Carl/Charles was born Karl Johan 27 Oct 1861 in Svenarum Norregård Sweden to Anders Johan Johannisson and Ulrika Jonasdotter. Karl took the surname Ljungberg when he did his military service in Sweden.

He emigrated in 1883. Within months he began what would be a long career at the Pullman Palace Car Company building sleeping cars for the railroad.

Carl married my 2nd great-grandfather's sister Frida Tolf in Batavia Illinois 07 May 1887. They made their home in the Englewood area of Chicago.

Who Do You Think YOU Are?

For decades, I thought I was Swedish and German. Never mind that my maternal grandfather was somehow English. I'm not sure how we overlooked that bit of information, but I continued to believe I was 50% one ethnicity and 50% another long after I should have known better.

I started my genealogical exploration with the Swedes. It was my Swedish great-grand uncle's safe deposit box that gave me the push into a "hobby" that has taken over my life. The Swedes are a fascinating group and I attribute many of my personality quirks to them. In terms of record keeping, you can't ask for a better ancestor than a Swede. Every move is dutifully recorded in the church books and one can follow a family back more generations than there are Andersons in the phone book.

At some point, I realized my gene pool had more swimmers than just Swedes. My dad is Swedish too, and we all correctly believed, German. But that oh-so German-sounding surname actually belonged to a Swiss ancestor. Hmm. A little reframing of the picture, but we're all okay with our "new" heritage. We started reading books on the history of Switzerland and dreaming of a vacation to the Alps. Before I finished winding my Swiss watch however, I learned my direct-line ancestor from Switzerland married a woman who immigrated to the United States from France. A French woman, mind you. From France.

Okay. So I'm not just Swedish and German. I'm Swedish and German and Swiss and French. This seemed a bit much for me to digest at one time. So I returned to the comfort and safety of the Swedish church books. And I researched one line after another, making the connections between Sweden and America. Until I learned one of my direct-line Swedish ancestors married a man from Norway. A Norwegian man, mind you. From Norway.

This is okay. I understand and accept I am no longer just Swedish and German. I'm Swedish and German and Swiss and French and Norwegian. Oh my. Maybe this isn't okay. After all, I'm so enamored with Sweden that I have celebrated St Lucia Day for, oh dear, could it be 20 years now? Will I ever love a Swiss holiday the same way? Can I embrace my French-ness as enthusiastically? And Norwegian ~ didn't Sweden once rule that country?

Oh, but I mustn't forget Grandpa who is somehow English. Is it even possible to add another country to the display on flag day? Some of my grandfather's personality traits, in particular his dry sense of humor, were always attributed to his English ancestry. So it was rather interesting when I learned my grandfather isn't English. His father immigrated from the Isle of Man. Which means....

I'm Swedish and German and Swiss and French and Norwegian and Manx. And finally, after getting to know the ancestors that contributed their DNA to my gene pool, I'm okay with that.

But there's more! Another surprise may be lurking on the horizon. I traced one of my direct lines to 18th century Maryland. For all we know, he may have crossed the ocean from England or Ireland or Scotland...

I’d better start shopping for another flag pole.

Site-seeing Saturday ~ Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden

This church (kyrka in Swedish) is the place in which my Åman and Tolf ancestors worshipped during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The design is simple, but the feelings it invokes are deep and complicated.

A few clicks on my keyboard and I'm a world away, seeing a place my ancestors frequented for the important events in their lives; baptisms, weddings, funerals. In Sweden, they would also have visited the church to share their plans to leave the parish. Did they look back over their shoulders as they walked away?

Google and other sites can bring a wealth of geographic pictures to family historians. Mapping sites with satellite capabilities allow us to see our ancestors' hometowns in real time. Mortgage and real estate sites offer photos of homes we may never visit, but can see on our computer screens. The first home owned by an immigrant ancestor. The apartment building an aunt mentioned in a family story. These pictures make the events real. They imprint the memory of an ancestor on our own memories. This is a part of family history we shouldn't overlook.

It's important to get the facts ma'am; those names, date and locations. But it's equally important to color in the stories of our ancestors and their descendants.