What Became of the Kjellander Sisters

I've received two inquiries regarding the last post, wondering if I had any information about Sophia's two surviving sisters, Christina Albertina Kjellander, born on August 27, 1820; and Carolina Jacobina Antoinetta Kjellander, born January 25, 1824.

I'm sad to say that I have nothing on Carolina, Sophia's younger sister who was placed in the orphanage twice, the last time with Sophia when their father became ill.

I do have some more information on the oldest sister, Christina, who, at age 10, went to work as a servant girl and to start her own life.

Christina married the widower, shoemaker Johan Jakob Jakobsson on October 31, 1847, in Stockholm. Johan, born on June 19, 1814, had been married to Carin Pehrsdotter, and they had the following children before Carin died:

• Emelee (Emlee) Jakobsdotter, born December 5, 1836
• Carl Gustaf Jakobsson, born July 15, 1839 

Johan and Christina are found in several clerical surveys in Katarina Parish in Stockholm. They had the following children:

• Johan Alfred Jakobsson, born July 16, 1848
• Hilda Christina Jakobsdotter, born September 19, 1850

I was able to track this family every year from their marriage in 1847 through 1852. But in the 1853 clerical survey, Christina is no longer listed with the family. Trying to find her death record in Stockholm would take a great deal of effort at this point, but I'm quite sure that she died sometime between 1852 and 1853, making her just 32 or 33 at the time of her death.

It's not likely that Sophia had any contact with or communication with either of her sisters once she was placed in northern Sweden. It appears that Christina had a normal, but short life. We can only hope that Carolina found happiness and love in her life as well.

Next week will be part 2 of the life of Sophia Margrite Kjellander, my second great-grandmother.

She Violated the 6th Commandment 4 Times*

It would be easy to label Sophia Margrite Kjellander (pronounced Shee-lander) as the "town whore," to dismiss her and then move on to the next person in the family tree. After all, she had given birth to three illegitimate children by different men before she met her future husband Olof Rask and then had three more children with Olof before they married. In one census, it was noted that “she violated the 6^th commandment 4 times”.* But to judge Sophia as the “town whore” doesn't help one understand the choices she made. To view Sophia's life more closely might show a different picture.

For the next two weeks, I’ll share what I have learned about my second great-grandmother, Sophia. She was born on April 9, 1822, in Finska Parish of Stockholm, Sweden, the second of four daughters born to Carl Jacob Kjellander and his wife Margaretha Elisabet Fogelqvist. Carl Jacob Kjellander was a miller who had moved to Stockholm for work.

The children were:

• Christina Albertina Kjellander, born August 27, 1820;
• Sophia Margrite Kjellander, born April 9, 1822;
• Carolina Jacobina Antoinetta Kjellander, born January 25, 1824;
• Charlotta Bernhardina Kjellander, born August 1, 1826.

The family was poor, but there was no indication that they had overwhelming difficulties. Every account of the family shows them to be healthy, happy, and adhering to the church principles, as outlined in the yearly clerical surveys conducted by the parish priest.

But then tragedy struck the family. On June 11, 1827, at the age of 10 months and 11 days, baby Charlotta Bernhardina Kjellander died. Her death record indicates a sudden death. This family tragedy started a series of events that changed the lives of every member of the Kjellander family, including the subject of this post—Sophia Margrite Kjellander.

As sad as the untimely death of their child and sibling was, the family was trying to make do. But then the family began to struggle to make ends meet. On March 23, 1830, the mill worker Carl Jacob Kjellander and his wife Margaretha Elisabet Fogelqvist were granted relief payment from the Public orphanage “Allmånna barnhuset” for their 6-year old daughter Carolina Jacobina Antoinetta (Reg. #1661). The family had placed Carolina in the orphanage on a temporary placement, indicating in the orphanage records that they would come for her once their financial situation improved.

The family had lost one daughter and had now placed another in temporary care of the orphanage. Clearly, the family was struggling on many levels. And adding to their struggles, another tragedy struck this family. On October 16, 1830, Margaretha Elisabet Fogelqvist died of a cold at age 38. She was buried in Adolf Fredric Parish in Stockholm on October 21, 1830. It is difficult to think of someone dying of a cold, but Margaretha may have been depressed and  run down for the two years since Charlotta’s death and the placement of her daughter Carolina in the orphanage six months prior, leading to her inability to fight off a cold. Now, this young family was without a wife for Carl and a mother for 10-year old Christina and 8-year old Sophia; and 6-year old Carolina was still in the orphanage.

What a struggle it must have been for Carl Jacob Kjellander. He had to continue working as a miller in order to provide for his children. But how could he do that and also care for Christina and Sophia, and bring Carolina home from the orphanage? From the records, it is clear that Carl could not, although he tried. He brought Carolina home from the orphanage; and in the 1830 clerical survey for Adolf Fredric Parish in Stockholm (Gruftdrangen), Carl is found with his three surviving daughters: Christina, Sophia, and Carolina. But he could not continue to take care of them. Carl’s own health was suffering. He had to make a difficult decision.

Oldest daughter Christina was now of an age where she could be sent out to live with another family as a servant girl (pigan). It was not unusual in those days for a 10-year old to live with another family and to begin her own independent life.

The other two daughters, Sophia (age 8) and Carolina (age 6) could not work yet. And so, Carl believed he had no other choice but to place them both in the Stockholm orphanage on a temporary basis. Both Sophia Margrite Kjellander and Carolina Jacobina Antoinetta Kjellander were admitted to the Public orphanage (reg # 2227 and 2228) on February 2, 1831, in order to be placed in foster homes. Among the admissions documents is a letter of application dated January 19, 1831, signed by a representative of the parish poor relief administration and the vicar, in which they describe the trying conditions the family lives under, as the father, the widower Carl Jacob Kjellander, is taken ill and cannot support his family. It is stated in the application that the children watch over their sick father and cry for bread, warmth, and care on a daily basis. In the letter, the vicar, Lars Lund, points out that the father is young enough to be able to take care of his children when he is well again, and that the sisters are to be admitted only during their father’s sickness.

Sophia and Carolina must have been saddened by all of these events that had happened in their young lives. Their baby sister had died; their mother had died; their older sister was sent out to work; their father was very ill; and now they were placed in the orphanage. Their father probably talked with them about the need to do this on a temporary basis until he was well and could come back for them and care for them. Sophia and Carolina accepted this temporary arrangement, knowing they would be back with their father soon.

The totality of these events was heavy. How much more could these young girls take? Sadly, there would be more. They were placed in the orphanage on February 2, 1831, and on February 9, 1831, their father, Carl Jacob Kjellander, died.

Were the girls told of their father’s death? Did they wonder why he never came back for them? How did this affect Sophia and Carolina? And what impact did this have on the rest of their lives? Following Sophia’s life gives some idea into the impact these tragic events had on her and the decisions she made.

On February 21, 1831, within three weeks of her admittance to the orphanage and two weeks of her father’s death, Sophia was taken under the care of Anders Gustaf Edberg of Svedje Håsjö Jamtland, approximately 300 miles north of Stockholm. One of the reasons orphans were placed with families in northern Sweden was because the Swedish government was trying to populate parts of Sweden that, at this time, were sparsely populated. But this would have seemed like a different world to Sophia.

Sophia was the servant girl to this family, and how she was treated could have varied from being a member of the family to being abused. In May of 1832, the orphanage made its one and only check on Sophia and the family and determined that she was not being mistreated. In 1836, when Sophia was 14 years old, the orphanage permanently closed her file.

At around age 18, Sophia begins her life as a servant girl on various farms, moving often, sometimes as often as 3 times in one year. At one point I found Sophia as a “person with no permanent residence”.

What was happening to Sophia? My great-great grandmother had suffered so much in just 18 years. My heart has always ached for Sophia, losing her baby sister, then her mother, then being separated from her older sister, then being placed in an orphanage while her father tried to regain his own health, only to die. Sophia, sent away from everyone and everything she knew.

What would happen to this young woman who had no permanent residence? Next week’s post will look at Sophia as an adult.


* The 6th Commandment as we know it has to do with murder while the 7th is about committing adultery. When I read this, I tried to find out whether an old Swedish version of the Bible might have had different numbering, but I had no luck. I put a query out on a site where Swedish experts help with translations and other Swedish genealogy questions, and no one had a definitive answer, but one person stated that "In the Lutheran tradition [Swedish tradition], the 6th commandment is about adultery." Now that was from Wikipedia which might not be the most accurate source. 

Another conclusion is that the parish priest wrote it down incorrectly and meant that Sophia had violated the Commandment on adultery 4 times, the 7th as we know it. I'm quite sure that she didn't murder 4 children, and I've not found anything to indicate that Sophia murdered anyone. If any of my Lutheran scholars has something more definitive than Wikipedia, please comment for others to see.

Andrew and Anna Lundblad at Rest

Andrew and Anna Lundblad at rest in the Linn Cemetery

Thanks to Myron and our mom LaVonne for taking and sending this photo while decorating family graves for Memorial Day.

Catherine's Older Brother

Until I started this blog, I hadn't looked at Anders Lundblad very closely other than locating his birth and death and his marriage to Anna, plus a few details about their children. But after writing about Catherine and involving Andrew a bit in her story, off I went to find out more about him and his family. And a large family it was!

The only son of Carl Johan Lundblad and his wife Maria Andersdotter, Anders Carlsson (later known as Andrew Lundblad) was born on Saxebacken farm in Malexander Parish on September 21, 1819.

In the postings about his sister Catherine, we know that Anders left home when his father remarried, working as a laborer on various farms in Malexander Parish. He met Anna Catharina Johansdotter whom he married on December 27, 1844.

The couple had the following children in Sweden:

·         Anders Johan Alfred Lundblad (later known as Alfred), born August 6, 1845;
·         Carl August Lundblad (later known as Charles), born March 25, 1848;
·         Anna Charlotta Lundblad (known later as Charlotte), born May 14, 1850;
·         Hedda Matilda Lundblad, born July 12, 1852, and died March 17, 1856;
·         Maria Lovisa Lundblad (known later as Louisa), born July 19, 1854;
·         Gustaf Melker Lundblad, born June 20, 1856, and died April 14, 1857.

As we learned from the post two weeks ago, Andrew Lundblad and his family immigrated to the United States in 1857. We see them in the moving out records to North America on April 14, 1857. Does that date mean something? When we look at the date 9-month old Gustaf Melker died, they are the same. I had to look several times at the records to be certain I had it right. And I did. When I reviewed Gustaf’s death record, I see that he was buried on April 26, days after the rest of his family had left for North America.

As usual in genealogy research, one item often brings up additional questions or confusion. But I remind myself that the lives our ancestors lived were not the same as those we live today. Were the wheels in motion for sailing before Gustaf died? Tickets purchased? Travel arrangements made? If so, there was little choice this family had but to leave when scheduled. And one other thought: Today we have hospitals and doctors and medicine and tests that reduce child mortality tremendously. But it was not unusual for families to lose several children to what seems to us to be simple diseases. In this case, Gustaf contracted pneumonia, and his 9-month old body could not overcome that. It was just a very sad fact of life.

There was no time for grief. No time to bury their son. And so, Andrew and Anna Lundblad, along with their two surviving sons and two daughters, sailed in steerage for North America, arriving in Boston on July 3, 1857. Once settled in Pilot Mound, near his sister Catherine and her husband Gus Linn, they had more children:

·         Augusta Lundblad, born July 27, 1859;

·         Anna Julia Lundblad, born July 23, 1861;

·         Henrik Julius Lundblad, born July 28, 1866;

·         Edward Lundblad, born in 1868;

·         Maria Lundblad, no birth date known

·         William Lundblad, no birth date known but he died August 22, 1869.

Just like Gus and Catherine, Andrew did well for himself in this new country. He became a citizen and owned his own farm. In the 1870 Federal Agriculture Schedule, we see that the family owned 160 improved acres, 10 unimproved, worth $5,000 total. Machinery and farm implements totaled $250. They owned 8 horses, 7 milch cows, 6 working oxen, 13 other cattle, 11 sheep, 16 swine. They had 750 bushels of spring wheat and 3,000 bushels of Indian corn, in addition to other produce.

Looking at this family over the next several years, I find no news articles other than the usual "newsy, homey" kinds of articles about visiting neighbors or going to town. They led a quiet life, but one that clearly centered around their children. 

ARTICLE FROM DES MOINES REGISTER, JAN 5, 1905: Their 60th Wedding Anniversary
PILOT MOUND, IOWA Jan 5 several relatives and kind admiring friends met at the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lundblad on Tuesday, December 27, to assist them in celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. Lundblad are pioneer settlers in this vicinity, coming to this country from Sweden in the early days and when the country was almost a wilderness, enduring all the hardships imminent to the life of a new country, and with the patience, determination, perseverance, bent all their energies to build up the happy home they now enjoy, surrounded by scores of kind friends and acquaintances.

It has been the writer's privilege to live a near neighbor to this illustrious couple for many years and they have always been ready to grant any favor of accommodation in their power. Many are the kind deeds that can be attributed to their willing hands, many the kind and encouraging words spoken by them to cheer, comfort and encourage their friends in diistress and trouble.

This venerable couple have seven children to comfort them in their declining years. Alfred Lundblad, Mrs. Charlotte Peterson and Mrs. Augusta Bergendahl living in Pilot Mound Township, C. A. Lundblad, Mrs. Mary L. Nelson and Miss Julia Lundblad, living in Dayton, Iowa, and Henry Lundblad, who lives near Laurens, Iowa.

Ten years ago this couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. At that time there were present seven children, twenty-three grandchildren and many friends. They now have twenty-eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.

While this couple is quite aged, they are enjoying reasonably good health. Mrs. Lundblad doing her own housework, and Mr. Lundblad does light work and his own chores, while when the weather is fine, they drive eight miles to church.

Heaven has bounteously lengthened out the lives of this venerable couple and their many friends pray that the Father of all mercies will smile on their declining years and bless them.

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UNSOURCED INFORMATION: In 1894 Andrew and Anna celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. The Dayton Lutheran Church presented him with a gold headed cane and her with a gold band ring. After his death the cane went in turn to Alfred, Charlie and Henry and now is with Henry's son, Frank. The ring is with Charlotte's daughter, Callie Huglin.

NOTE: Wouldn't it be fun to see those two items? I hope they are still in their family.

✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸

Anna Lundblad died on January 18, 1907, at age 82 and is buried in the Linn Cemetery. Husband Andrew Lundblad died a year later on February 23, 1908, at age 88 and is also buried at the Linn Cemetery.

Andrew, Catherine, and Maria, the three siblings, all died at the age of 88. An amazing fact!

Obituary in Dayton Review, January 31, 1907,
page 4

Obituary in Dayton Review, March 5, 1908,
page 1

Mother's Day

On Mother’s Day, appreciation and thanks to these Swedish moms who came before me, the women I research and try to bring to life for others to know:

My grandmother: Maude Edith Olofson Linn (1897-1973)*

My great-grandmothers: Olivia Rask Olofson (1859-1943) and Elin Mathilda Andersson Linn (1867-1925)

My great-great grandmothers: Catharina Lundblad Linn (1823-1912); Anna Maja Abrahamsdotter Anderson (1832-1918); Maria Barquist Olofson (1842-?); and Sophia Margrita Kjellander (1822-1888)

And the many, many female ancestors whom I appreciate for their strength, courage, and abilities that trickled down from generation to generation to give us life. Some of these women endured extreme hardship or poverty, the loss of a spouse and children; some raised their children as single mothers; some had a dozen children or more and some died in childbirth; some crossed the ocean to find a better life. Others said goodbye to their entire families and never saw parents or siblings again. All were women who, through their strength in being the heart of the home, their courage in traveling across the ocean for a better life for them and their families, or for their education and pioneer work in medicine or teaching or other fields, fill me with pride.

All of them, each of them, is a part of each of us and we are a part of them. I honor

each of these mothers and their place in the history of our family…the Linns. And to my blog readers who are mothers, I send you a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY as well.

*Yes, I believe Grandma Linn that she was born in 1897, not 1896. Contact me for details as I used this as a topic I presented at my local genealogy society.

Maude Edith Olofson Linn

More on Catherine Lundblad Linn

It took nearly 4 months for Gus, Catherine, and John August to make their long trip to Boston in 1853 and then to Iowa. From Boston, it's likely that the trio would have used several modes of transportation to Iowa: the train to Chicago, then perhaps by wagon train or foot to Keokuk, Iowa, where they would have traveled by boat up the Des Moines River.

I can't imagine how very difficult this weeks-long voyage in steerage was, followed by the long trek to Iowa, for Catherine and Gus with their young son. They would have traveled with others from Sweden, perhaps someone who could translate or help with difficulties that surely came up.

Catherine, Gus, and John, arrived in Iowa and within 3 years, Gus had taken out his naturalization papers (April 5, 1856) making him and his wife and son American citizens. By the 1860 US Federal Census, Gus and Catherine held real estate in Pilot Mound, Boone County, worth $750 and personal property worth $600. The family consisted of the parents, John August, William Peter, Emma Catherine, and Anna Sophia. In the US Federal Agriculture Census for the same year, they had 30 acres of improved land, 52 acres unimproved, cash value of the farm $780, $250 in farm implements and machinery. The family owned 2 horses, 2 milch cows, 2 oxen, 2 other cattle, 8 sheep, 16 swine, for a total value of livestock at $325. The family held 75 bushels of wheat, 30 bushels of rye, 350 bushels of Indian corn, 100 bushels of oats, 100 pounds of tobacco, and 14 pounds of wool. This family was working hard and living well, doing more than just surviving.

Gus and Catherine had two more children, Andrew born in 1861; and Mary, born in 1863.

And then, tragedy struck this family.

On August 24, 1862, daughter Emma died at the age of five. Then four-year old daughter Anna died on January 10, 1864. This devastating blow to the family, the deaths of two young daughters in less than two years, had to sap the strength out of both Catherine and Gustus. So why would Gustus choose to volunteer to fight in the Civil War, leaving his family, his grieving wife Catherine, mustering in 5 days before Anna's death?

It seems impossible to me that a husband and father, after losing two daughters, and in the middle of  an Iowa winter, would go, leaving Catherine and their four young children to tend the farm. I have read about Gus' true sense of patriotism for his adopted country, his appreciation for the life it had given him and his family, the opportunities he had been given to own land and make a good living to support his family. But there may be additional reasons for his going.

• Did Gus even know of Anna's death? If it were a sudden illness or accident, Gus may have been gone before Anna passed.
• There were bounties paid to those who entered the war effort in the waning days of the Civil War, even in a state such as Iowa where, because of volunteers, no one was drafted. In some cases, a man who needed money would take the place of another man. 
• It's also possible that this was how Gus dealt with his grief.

Whatever the reason, Gus was gone. Catherine was on the farm. And she didn't know if Gus was dead, alive, wounded, where he was, when or if he would return. Two daughters dead. Two sons who were still children (John, age 12 1/2; William, age 9 1/2) but of some help in operating the farm. Two other children (Andrew, age 3; Mary, age 1) who were too young to be of any help. When we look at what this family's holdings were from the 1860 Agriculture Schedule above, I am in awe of what Catherine and her children were able to do.

My hope is that Catherine had help from Gus' two brothers, John and Peter, during his absence. But there is some good news for Catherine during this time. In last week's posting, I questioned if either of Catherine's siblings might have also come to Iowa. And the answer is "yes". In 1857, brother Anders Lundblad, born in 1819, and his wife Anna, along with four children arrived in Boston, made the trip to Burlington, Iowa, where they were met by Gus who took them the rest of the way to Pilot Mound. Anders, later known as Andrew Lundblad, settled just a short distance from Gus and Catherine. His two oldest children, Alfred and Carl, were born in 1845 and 1848 and were certainly old enough to help Catherine with all she had to do in Gus' absence. And Catherine now had family there to support her.

Gus returned in July of 1865, but he was most certainly a changed man physically. His time as a POW took a toll on his body, and he was unable to be at 100% strength on the farm. Once again, we see Catherine having to shoulder a great deal, both physically and emotionally. Gus and Catherine had one more child, Charles, born in 1866, who was the subject of an earlier post.

To shorten this a bit, Catherine and Gus lived a quiet life, one of service to their family and neighbors, one of devotion to their church, one of patriotism. Once their days of farming were over, they moved to Dayton to live out their final years. Gus passed away in 1897, but Catherine lived 15 additional years, passing in 1912 at the age of 88.

Catherine Lundblad Linn

Whenever I used to look at Catherine's picture, I would think "that is one serious, stern looking woman" but looking now, after all she went through, I can see in her eyes a real softness, maybe kindness, certainly a life with challenges. In those eyes I see a woman who lost her parents at a young age, made a difficult and long journey to Iowa, a place that she didn't know. In those eyes I see the loss of her two young daughters, the stress of being alone on the farm while her husband served in the Civil War. In those blue eyes, I see how hard she worked, what a great partner she was to Gus.

Thanks for all you did, Great-great Grandma Linn, for giving those of us who follow you the life we are able to have today.

Obituary from the January 18, 1912, Dayton Review, Page 1
Errors in her birth year and location (1823; Malexander)