Gus and John's Excellent Adventure

My great-great grandfather Gustus Linn followed his two older brothers, John Linn and Peter Linn, to America. John was the first brother to come in 1849; Peter followed in 1851; and Gus came in 1853. Like most immigrants, they put roots down, bought land, became naturalized, raised their families, became part of a community, joined churches.

But some immigrants returned to their native countries. They became discouraged when they discovered that the roads were not paved in gold. They found it hard to assimilate. They missed their families. They had endured great hardships and tragedies. And so, they left America and never came back.

In the case of John and Gus, they prospered in their new country. They became citizens, raised their families, voted, were active in their churches, protected the country through military service. America had become their home.

But that doesn't mean that they didn't long for the old country. In 1894 Gus and John once again crossed the Atlantic Ocean, traveling on steam-powered ships that made the trip much faster than their original voyages 40 years prior.

Ship Majestic: 1,490 passengers (300 first class, 190 second class, 1,000 third class)

I hadn't even considered the idea that Gus and John would return to Sweden until I ran across news articles from the Dayton Review containing notices, updates and letters that were published about their trip. But why would they go back to Sweden in 1894? I don't know with any certainty, but I do have a few ideas:

1. Their brother Peter had died in December 1892, perhaps prompting a desire to connect with family and friends in Sweden.
2. Of the original 8 siblings, just 5 remained now. Eldest sister Maja who died in 1900; sister Brita who died in 1903; sister Johanna who died in 1901; John who died in 1907; and Gus who died in 1897. This would be their last time to reunite.
3. All of Gus and John's children were adults with families of their own, able to care for Catherine and Sarah, their wives, while the husbands were gone.

Gus and John left from New York City in May1894 and arrived back in the United States, coming through Ellis Island on August 29, 1894, aboard the Ship Majestic, built in Ireland in 1890. 

Information below from ellisisland.org:

Ship Manifest, line 735; John had 1 piece of luggage returning

Ship Manifest, line 714; Gus had 4 pieces of luggage returning

On the manifests, John is listed as a priest from Dayton and Gus is also listed as a priest from Dayton. Not sure what that was all about, but occasionally errors happen on records and in transcribing.

Following are just a few articles, all from the Dayton Review, tracking the progress of John and Gus.

May 3, 1894

June 14, 1894

July 5, 1894; the sister would have been Brita and her husband Adolf Isaacsson

August 23, 1894

September 6, 1894

John, Gus, and Peter had left their native Sweden, their family and friends and, except for an occasional letter, had no contact with those they left behind. I'm thankful that Gus and John found the time, the money, and the encouragement to make one final trip back to Sweden.

In 1849 and 1853, their trips across the ocean took several weeks followed by train, horse, boat and walking to reach their final destination of Iowa. In 1894, the trip across the ocean was much shorter, just days. Their journey from the port to Iowa was less arduous as well. Still, John and Gus were 40 years older than they had been during their first crossings. The trip couldn't have been easy. But they had each other as they always did. From the loss of their father at a young age, working as laborers as young boys, moving from farm to farm, they went through life together. They settled in Iowa within miles of each other. Close brothers. Close ties. Supporting each other. I find these two ancestors to be among the most inspirational to me in so many ways. I hope you do, too.

Follow-up to Tornado Post

After I posted the last blog about the tornado that struck near Stratford in 1918, I wondered where, exactly, Edwin Barquist, his wife Annie, and their 4 children lived. I was able to find a 1918 Plat Map for Hamilton County, showing Marion Township where they lived.

Just northeast of Stratford in section 5, you can see E. H. Barquist, 80 acres. His farm is next to the J. O. Westrum and P. O. Westrum farms that were also hit hard by the tornado. You might also recognize a few other names on the map, F. A. Barquist with 160 acres in section 2, and Andrew G. Barquist, 120 acres, in section 12.

If we look at Stratford from the Webster County side, you can see that the Andrew Linn and Olivia Olofson farms would have likely been in the path of this tornado as well. A. F. Linn's 120 acres is in Section 22, at the bottom of the screen, and Olivia Olofson's 80 acres is in section 13, just below Stratford.

I've not found mentions in local news articles about their losses, but I can't imagine that they, or their neighbors would have been spared from this devastating tornado.

Tornado of 1918

Any of us who have lived in Iowa or other Midwest states knows the impact that a tornado can have. I remember as a small child going into our dark, dirty, snake-infested cellar in Dayton to escape oncoming storms and tornadoes.

Our ancestors faced these terrible storms, and today's blog describes the tornado of May 1918 that ripped through the Stratford area. Much of what follows below is taken from the Stratford Courier under the title "Storm Ravages as Seen by Others" and dated May 29, 1918.

About 4:20 Tuesday afternoon, Stratford was visited by a real cyclone of large proportions which for a six-mile stretch devastated and destroyed everything in its path. It was a part of the storm which swept over the central portion of Iowa destroying millions of dollars worth of property and killing a number of people and injuring many others.

Ed Barquist was the grandson of John Barquist, Sr., and his wife Margaret and was my 1st cousin 3 x removed. He was Maria Barquist Olofson's (my great-great grandmother) nephew. The Courier article covers his experience this way:

Ed Barquist had been to Stratford and, when he saw the black clouds in the west, hurried home. He arrived just in time to grab the two younger children and rush to the cellar with them. Mrs. Barquist had already gone there to close the windows. A moment after they had gotten into the cellar, the house was carried off the foundation. Every window in the residence was broken out and the furniture was scattered over the fields far and wide. Both house and the furniture were entirely wrecked and practically worthless. The place is clean of all the buildings and fences. Hogs and chickens were killed and scattered in every direction.

The storm did more damage than at any of the other farms destroying every building on the farm except a small garage which housed a car belonging to Mr. Barquist's son Ralph. Neither the car nor the building was damaged. It was on this farm that three persons were seriously injured. P. O. Westrum, Ralph Barquist and Harry Borg were all in the large barn when it was destroyed, and for a time, it was thought that Westrum had been killed. He was on his way to his home from Stratford and drove into the barn to keep out of the coming storm. Ralph and the Borg boy were also in the barn unharnessing a team and before any of them could get out of the building, the tornado struck and demolished it.

Mr. Barquist states that no one who has ever been in a tornado of this kind can realize how forceful and how much suction there is in the wind. He had the greatest difficulty in keeping his little ones with him in the cellar because of the great suction. The property loss on this place is total and will be between $15,000 and $20,000. [Note: In today's dollars, $15,000 would be over $260,000.]

No insurance. No savings. House and animals gone. What could be done? While I don't have all of the details, here are a few follow-up articles, all from the Stratford Courier:

June 2, 1918, thanks for help with fences

June 13, 1918, house put back on foundation

Two articles from June 20, 1918; injury and another notice of thanks

I'm confident that the Ed. H. Barquist home and other buildings were put back into working order with the help of their neighbors, friends, and family. Still, losing $260,000 and revenue from farm animals and crops had to set this family back for quite some time.

By the way, readers, do you know what the Woodmen organization was? A quick look on Wikipedia brought up the following about their history:

Modern Woodmen of America was founded by Joseph Cullen Root on January 5, 1883, in Lyons, Iowa. He had operated a number of businesses, including a mercantile establishment, a grain elevator and two flour mills, sold insurance and real estate, taught bookkeeping classes, managed a lecture bureau, and practiced law. Root was a member of several fraternal societies throughout the years. He wanted to create an organization that would protect families following the death of a breadwinner.

During a Sunday sermon, Root heard the pastor tell a parable about pioneer woodmen clearing away forests to build homes, communities and security for their families. He adopted the term "woodmen" for his organization. To complete the name, he added "modern" to reflect the need to stay current and change with the times, and "of America" to symbolize patriotism.

Originally, Modern Woodmen had a unique set of membership restrictions and criteria. Religiously, the group was quite open, accepting "Jew and Gentile, the Catholic and Protestant, the agnostic and the atheist." However, until the mid-1900s, membership was restricted to white males between the ages of 18-45 from the 12 "healthiest" states -- Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas. Residents of large cities were also disqualified from membership, as were those employed in certain professions, such as railway workers, underground miners, gunpowder factory employees, liqueur wholesalers and manufacturers, saloon keepers, "aeronauts," sailors on the lakes and seas, and professional baseball players.

In 1884, the head office was organized in Fulton, Illinois. The first death claim of $698.58 was paid the same year.

Well, we certainly wouldn't want PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYERS! HA!


The obituary for Edwin Herman Barquist follows:
Obituary from January 27, 1944 attached to Biographical Record Hamilton County, 1902, states: "Last rites for E. H. Barquist were conducted in the Lutheran church here Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Earlier at the Schroeder funeral home in Boone friends were permitted to view the remains.

The Rev. Waldo Ekeberg of Dayton, vice pastor of the local Lutheran church, had charge of the services and he used for his text words found in the 139th Psalm. "In the Garden." "no Night There," and Saved by Grace" were sung by Mrs. Arthur Larson, Misses Marie and Velva Berglund with Mrs. Lloyd Angstrom at the console of the organ.

Large banks of beautiful flowers placed on either side of the altar and the large attendance at the service attested to the popularity of the deceased.

Following the close of the services, the remains were laid to rest in the South Marion cemetery. The pallbearers were Emil Berglund, Emmil Larson, Chas. O. Erickson, Elmer Bergren, Tom Hakes and L. M. Peterson.

Edwin Herman Barquist, son of A. G. and Christine Barquist, was born in Galesburg, Illinois, May 22, 1879, and died in the county hospital in Boone, January 20, 1944, at the age of 64 years, 8 months, 28 days.

At the age of two years, he came to Iowa with his parents and grew to manhood on the Barquist homestead, two miles west of Stanhope. Later he moved to the Stratford vicinity and resided there until his death. He was confirmed in the Lutheran church here in 1895.

On May 19, 1901, he was married to Annie Leksell and to this union was born four sons: Ralph, Floyd, Aubrey, and Clifford. He was preceded in death by his wife, who died September 29, 1929, and by his eldest son, Ralph, who passed on October 12, 1934.

Surviving are the three sons: Floyd, of Boone; Aubrey, who is in the nation's armed forces and stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; and Clifford who is in the armed forces overseas. He is also survived by his sister, Miss Agness Barquist of Tulsa, Oka, and one brother, F. A. of Stanhope, four grandchildren and a large circle of friends.

By nature deceased was quiet and unassuming but he always had a kindly greeting for his friends, all of whom respected and honored him deeply.

The sympathy of a host of friends here are extended to the bereaved relatives."

Treatment of Our Poor Swedish Ancestors

Just like most families, we have had our share of ancestors who were unable to care for themselves. And, as you might expect, family members often helped one another in Sweden, taking in their poor relatives or finding a way to care for their basic needs.

In Sweden before the mid 1800's, the poor were cared for in the following way:

1. Relatives were to care for their poor family members when possible.
2. Parishes were directed to build a facility to house the poor, but in rural Sweden, this was often not done.
3. Without a facility, members of a Parish Board made a list of the paupers in their parish, and the paupers were assigned to a place in that parish that was responsible for the pauper.
4. The pauper was given a piece of wood on which the names of the various farms in the assigned area were written and the amount of time a pauper could stay at each location. Food and clothing and shelter were provided before the pauper then had to move on to the next location.

In 1847, a Poor Relief law was passed to standardize care across the entire country. And under this law, the following additional rules were added:

1. Only those unable to work, who could prove they were from that specific parish, and whose relatives had exhausted their ability to help were eligible for relief from the parish.
2. If a person moved out of the parish, the new parish would NOT care for the person until the pauper had lived in the new parish for at least 3 years. This discouraged people from moving just to receive aid.

All of this probably seems reasonable. But added to this were the "pauper auctions" in which an individual or a family would "bid" on a pauper who would be under their care. Bidding was kept as low as possible because the family winning the "bid" and providing the care would receive a stipend from the Parish Board to provide food, clothing and shelter to the pauper. This was clearly a money-making effort on the part of some Swedes.

And so, in some places there was a centralized poor house. In others, the poor were given a piece of wood with the names of various farms they could stay in for a short time before moving to the next. And in other cases, paupers were "bid" on and often mistreated as the care was kept to a minimum to increase the profits a family might make off of the care.

My 4th great-grandmother, Ingeborg Ingedotter, became one of the paupers who needed care. She was the mother of Carl Lundblad, and the grandmother to Catherine Lundblad Linn (Gus Linn's wife). Ingeborg was born in 1768 in Malexander Parish in Ostergotland County. She gave birth to Carl, her only child, as a 25-year old unwed woman, and she never married.

For a time in the 1820's and 1830's she lived with her son Carl and his family, but when Carl's first wife died and Carl remarried in 1839, Ingeborg left.

I don't know her experiences as a poor person in Malexander Parish. But based on what I do know about the Swedish poor laws and what I've seen in clerical records and her death record, I would guess that Ingeborg was one of the people who roamed from farm to farm with a piece of wood that was provided by the Parish Board. Her death record below states that she died in the poor house in Malexander and came there from Brannstugan farm where I find NO record of her ever living. Ingeborg also died before the change in laws in 1847 that included "bidding" on paupers. Thus, I feel confident in my guess. 

I picture Ingeborg walking from one farm where she had received food and shelter to the next farm listed on her piece of wood, walking on dirt roads during very cold Swedish weather, a woman in her 70's. It's a visual that is hard to get out of my head.

I wonder about Ingeborg's life. From a single mother who never married, to living with her son until he remarried and may have felt she needed to leave, to roaming from farm to farm with a piece of wood that told her how long she could stay in each place, having to rely on parish members for food and shelter, to dying in the Poor House, she seems so very sad and alone. 

Every ancestor we have can't have a story that is only positive, only happy. I hope that Ingeborg took great pride in the one son she raised, a son who was a soldier. I know that I'm thankful for the gift of his life and for what that meant for those of us who follow.

Ingeborg Ingedotter from Fattighushet (poor house) died December 6, 1844; born May 14, 1768 and came from Brannstugan. She was buried on December 15 died of a breast fever (pneumonia) at age 76 and never (o) married (gift)

The Murder of Olof Ericsson

Do you ever wonder how close we came to having one of our direct line ancestors die? How close we came to never being born with the murder of an ancestor? For example, if Peter or Frank Linn had died in World War I, none of us would be here.

In one case, my grandmother Maude Edith Olofson's line would have failed to exist with the death, the murder, of her 5th great grandfather, my 7th great-grandfather, Olof Ericsson. Here is the story of his murder.

Olof Ericsson was born in Farila Parish in Gavleborg County on August 6, 1688. He met and married the soldier's (later the innkeeper) daughter, Kerstin Persdotter, on November 13, 1713. They were both just about 25 years old. Olof was a farmer, a successful farmer, who had a large, two-story home in Farila. Today, that home is preserved as a Heritage Farm in Farila as an example of the architecture of the early 1700's. I have visited Farila Parish and walked through the beautiful home that belonged to our ancestor.

Olof Ericsson House in Farila Parish

Inside Olof Ericsson House - First Floor Living Space with Fireplace

Bed in Olof Ericsson's house, second floor

In the cold Swedish winter, on January 20, 1717, something terrible happened to Olof. He stumbled from the local inn feeling the effects of the beating he had taken earlier in the day. His head ached. And he could feel the welts building on his shoulders and back. Olof knew that he'd been hurt but assumed that he would be fine if he could just keep going. He staggered toward the church on his way to a nearby town. It was late on the evening of January 20, a bitter cold evening in this northern village in Sweden. Olof made his way to the steps outside the church grounds but before he could climb the steps, Olof crumbled to the ground. The last breath of life exhaled from his body onto the icy pool beneath him. Olof's body lay in front of the church in Farila all night.

Farila Church where Olof Ericsson died

The next morning, farmer Anders Olsson found Olof's frozen body. Anders ran to the inn where Olof's in-laws, Per Mansson and Margreta Andersdotter, the innkeepers, lived. As Anders relayed the news of the death of their son-in-law, Per and Margreta immediately suspected the Sargent, Sargent Hook as the murderer. They had heard a commotion outside the inn earlier in the day and had seen Olof and Sargent Hook arguing. And, according to the stories they'd heard from others, they knew the source of the argument.

Sargent Hook needed transportation to the nearby village of Jarsvo where he would soon meet up with other soldiers and be sent to fight the Russians and their allies in the Great Northern War. Up to this point, Sweden had been a world power, but since 1700, fierce battles had been taking place. It was customary for local farmers to aid soldiers, and Olof Ericsson was willing to lend his horse to Sargent Hook and later walk to the nearby village of Jarsvo to retrieve his steed.

Before I continue this story, you might be wondering how I know these details or even if I'm making it up. The story is true, and I'll explain at the end of this post how I know so many details of a murder in 1717.

Earlier in the day, Olof had arrived with his horse at the home near the inn where Sargent Hook was staying. The Sargent came out to greet Olof, but he was immediately upset that Olof hadn't shown proper respect to him. Olof had not removed his hat for the Sargent. This may seem like a minor insult today, but not in Sweden in the 1700's and not to Sargent Hook. The Sargent drew his sword, yelled at Olof, and beat Olof around the upper back and shoulders. As Olof tried to run away, Sargent Hook beat him with his fists around the head and shoulders until Olof fell to the ground. A neighbor came out to remind Sargent Hook that Olof Ericsson was an esteemed farmer, son-in-law of the innkeepers, and a well-respected man in the village. The Sargent put his sword back, apparently realizing that he had overreacted. Hook helped Olof up, invited him into the house where they had a drink. Both men apparently thought that Olof was not badly hurt at the time.

After the two men consumed a small amount of alcohol, Sargent Hook left with Olof's horse to go to Jarsvo. And later, Olof struck out to walk the 12 miles to Jarsvo to retrieve his horse. Olof only walked as far as the local church in Farila when he collapsed and died.

When word reached Sargent Hook that he was wanted for the murder of Olof Ericsson, Hook fled. But he later returned and was tried and sentenced to death for Olof Ericsson's murder. He was in prison in Gefleborg but was released in 1723. He went to Jarsvo where he died in 1724.

So, how do I know that this is true? When we visited Farila in 2009, we met with a local tour guide who took us to the church, to the inn, to the home that was Olof Ericsson's. And then she shared the transcript of the trial with me.

Olof Ericsson and his wife Kerstin Persdotter had been married just a bit more than 3 years when Olof was murdered. This line, with Olof dead, might have ended, meaning I wouldn't be here, and probably you wouldn't either if you are descended from Maude Edith Olofson Linn. But lucky for us, Olof and Kerstin had one son before Olof was murdered. His name was Eric Olofsson. He was born on January 24, 1716, he was just one year old when his father was murdered. And he is my 6th great-grandfather.

Happy 65th Wedding Anniversary!

On August 8, 1953, these two wonderful people tied the knot. They are my aunt and uncle; and today I want to wish them a very happy 65th anniversary full of the love and laughter and warmth that they have shared with the rest of the family.

Comment on this blog or send your wishes directly to Uncle Ellis and Aunt Johanna on this great milestone!