Occasionally, I come across an ancestor who, while not closely related, offers a glimpse of life and death in early Iowa. Today, we have a look at a couple, Charles Lundblad, my first cousin, 3 x removed, and the nephew of our Catharina Lundblad Linn. Also, we see the short life of his wife, Anna Sophia Moard.
Charles August Lundblad is the son of Anders Lundblad who was written about in this blog just a couple of weeks ago. Charles was one of 4 children born in Sweden to Anders Lundblad and his wife Anna. In 1857, the family moved to Iowa, living near the Des Moines River north of Pilot Mound. The couple eventually had 12 children, 2 of whom died at a young age in Sweden.
Charles married Anna Sophia Moard on 23 February 1877 in Boone County, Iowa. Below you can see from the Dayton Centenniel Book, pages 91-92, what a full life Charles had. After the early death of his wife, Charles invited his sister Julia into his home to care for his 3 young children. Julia never married, remained close to Charles and his children, and is buried next to them in the Dayton Cemetery.
Charles was in the grain business for a time with our Gustus Linn and he served on the school board, town council for Dayton, and was even the Mayor of that great, small town.
Charles' wife Anna was born in Illinois on 6 September 1858. Her family moved to Dayton in 1868, and Charles and Anna married in 1877. Three children were born in this marriage: Daisy Evangeline, 1878; John Leonard, 1879; and Nellie Adelia, 1880. On 19 June 1883, at the age of 24, Anna died of TB. Below are two beautifully written obituaries that show the flowery language of the time:
In the Dayton Review, 20 July 1883, taken from the Pilot Mound correspondent to the Ogden Reporter about the death of Mrs. C. A. Lundblad, a fitting tribute to a worthy life:
It is with profound sorrow that we announce the death of Mrs. Annie Lundblad, a true wife and devoted mother. No higher eulogy can be pronounced upon any woman. How the little motherless children will miss her tender care. How those fragile little ones will miss her sweet presence at the evening hour when she sat by the bedside and listened to their innocent prayers, soothing their little spirits as they dropped off to sleep. Although they have a loving and devoted father to attend to their many wants, yet when a mother is called to the realms across the mystic river, the great central sun of the household goes down, and Mr. Lundblad has the true and deep sympathy of his many friends in his afflictions. Let us hope however in the language of the scripture "I go to prepare a place for you" that in the golden summer of another life, children, mother and father gather again in a sweet reunion where parting is unknown.
Dayton Weekly Review
June 22, 1883
DIED - Anna S., wife of C.A. Lundblad, Tuesday morning, June 19th, 1883, of consumption (tuberculosis).
Mrs. Lundblad was a daughter of Andrew Moard near Dayton and was born in Wataga, Ill., Sep. 6th, 1858. They moved to Moline a few years after, and came to this township about twelve years ago. She leaves a husband and three children, the youngest of which is 22 months old, and parents, brothers and many friends to sorrow over her grave.
An early death like hers seems peculiarly hard to bear by those who live. All who knew her loved her. All who loved her found her worthy of their love. She was happy with her friends here but she knew she must go to another world, and she knew she would meet friends there better than the best on this earth. Better, because they have passed from temptation and received their glorious reward. She awaited the coming of the silent messenger calmly and fearlessly, conversing up to the last moment. Truly it can be said "Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord."
The funeral services were conducted at the Lutheran church, Thursday, by Revs. Seashore and Swanson, and was largely attended.
These two obituaries for Anna were lovely, weren't they? Today, we rarely see such beautiful and uplifting words to describe a very sad situation. Charles August Lundblad never married again and was a widower for 49 years until his death in 1932. Charles died of nephritis of 2 years and influenza with anorexia nervosa being a contributing factor.
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