I love being a genealogy detective, a family ancestor searcher. Sometimes I tell people that I sit at my computer "finding more dead people," but the truth is that I love the stories of their lives. And while I enjoy learning about our ancestors' lives, they continue to intrigue me with the facts, the stories, the problems that are left out.
Catherine Lundblad Linn, my second great grandmother, was born in 1823 in Sweden and died in 1912 in Iowa. She was the youngest of 3 children born to the soldier Carl Johan Lundblad and his wife Maria Andersdotter. Catherine and her husband Gus and oldest son Johan came to the United States in 1852, settling in Iowa near Gus' older brother John Linn.
Catherine's older brother Anders Carlsson Lundblad (1819-1908) was married in Sweden to Anna Catarina Johansdotter and they had 6 children in Sweden before they left for the United States in 1857. In Iowa they had 6 more children for a total of 12.
The oldest of the 3 children was Maria Carlsson Lundblad, born in 1816 and died in 1900. Wherever I find Maria, at whatever age she is, Maria was unmarried and working as a laborer on various farms. In the last clerical survey where I find her alive, Maria is living in the poor house, noted as the Fattighus below. Maria is the 5th entry below.
Maria, Anders, and Catherine's mother had died in 1838; their father in 1841. The 3 children were all adults and should have been capable of making their way.
Maria had a long life, living until age 83 when she passed in the poor house. Her brother Anders and sister Catherine were both 88 when they died in Iowa.
Does any of this raise a question? For me, it does. Catherine and Gus came to the United States in 1852. Anders and his family came in 1857. Why didn't either of them take sister Maria with them?
Perhaps she didn't want to leave Sweden. Perhaps there were physical or mental issues that made taking her very difficult. Perhaps Catherine and Anders had lost contact with her as Maria moved from farm to farm for work.
Below is Maria's death record for 1 May 1900. She died of old age in the poor house.
This is just another mystery in the family.
My guess is similar with yours. She may have some limitations or fear of the long trip. Maria may, and likely, had social matters and just didn't fit in. You would think Anders and his wife w 6 children to get on a boat and tske care of the kids
ReplyDeleteYes. Something doesn't add up. So many immigrants took family or extended family with them or sent for them once they were established. If Maria were capable, she could have been a big help to Anders with the 5 children (one died just before they were going to immigrate).
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