It's Time to Let Maria Go

Those of us who have worked on our family history for any length of time have most certainly run into a few brick walls, a wall that we keep trying to find a way around, under, through, or over, to find the information we lack.

Perhaps it's an ancestor who just can't be found. It might be a birth, marriage, or death record. A military record. It might be an entire family that is uprooted and seems to have fallen off the ends of the earth. A good researcher is only as good as the information available. If a courthouse has burned with all of the records for a county, we try to find other records and newspaper articles and diaries and photographs that lead us to our answer. But in a very few cases, our work on an ancestor stops at the brick wall.

My great-great grandmother, Maria Helena Barquist Olofson, is one of those brick walls. Maria was born in Amot, Gavleborg, Sweden in 1842, and came to the United States with her parents and most of her siblings in 1857. After a short stay in Illinois, the family moved to Hardin Township in Webster County.

On July 21, 1865, Maria married Olof Olofson in Boone County. They settled in Hardin Township where Maria gave birth to my great-grandfather, William Edward (Eddie) Olofson in 1866. Church records show that they had a second child, Mathilda, born on July 31, 1869, who died in February 1870.

Because Maria appears in the 1870 census, we know that she didn't die in childbirth. We also can assume that she didn't die at the same time as Mathilda, February 1870, because the 1870 census was taken in July and Maria appears in that census.

But next comes the mystery. Maria isn't found in the 1880 census, we cannot find a death record or cemetery plot for her, she doesn't appear in any newspaper obituary at the time, she is not found in insane asylum records, and she is not living with her parents or siblings.

I have spent years, off and on, searching for Maria's death date and place of burial. Because Hardin Township is near the border of other counties, I've searched in Webster, Hamilton, and Boone county records. I've searched under name variations, searched under Maria Barquist as well as Maria Olofson.

With no additional directions to take, I turned to two expert DNA friends who belong to my genealogy group. I would put their skills up there with the likes of any of the DNA experts we see on television. They looked at the same records I had found, looked for additional records, and then used my DNA and the DNA of another Olofson relative that I have access to.

There are several possible clues to what happened to Maria:

• Maria does not appear in the 1880 census; that is the year when Olof marries Brita Rask. But before he marries Brita, Olof has a notation of "D" meaning divorced. That is a possibility, but there are no records or news articles to verify that.
• In William Edward Olofson's obituary in 1924, no mention is made of his birth mother, Maria. In 1870 when Mathilda dies, William would have been 4 years old, perhaps too young to understand he had a sister or what exactly happened. But we don't know exactly WHEN Maria disappeared--anytime between late 1870 and early 1880 is the range I have to work with. Her son Edward might have been 13 or 14 years when Maria dies or disappears.
• Olof Olofson also died in 1924; his obit also does not mention Maria Barquist, his first wife.
• In obituaries located for Maria's parents and siblings, there is no mention of Maria.
• Olof had been blind the last 40 years of his life, meaning that his blindness would have started in the early 1880's. Did this progressive disability cause friction or difficulties between Olof and Maria? Was it too difficult for Olof to farm and much of the burden fell to Maria?

These are just a few possibilities, but each has been researched with available records, and none have brought this brick wall to a positive close.

So, how could DNA work into solving this brick wall? One theory is that Maria either left on her own after losing her daughter and finding life with Olof to be too difficult; another is that the D" in the 1880 census was real and not a mistake, meaning a divorce and Maria's leaving. And finally, if Maria had been responsible for her daughter Mathilda's death OR if she believed she was responsible OR if others shunned her as being responsible, Maria might have left in disgrace. If any of these scenarios were true, then Maria may have had a second life, second marriage, second family. DNA would show descendants who are related to me but not at the same level as William Edward Olofson is. But sadly, after a thorough search, no DNA matches gave a breakthrough.

Brick walls are, for me, the most difficult and frustrating part of family research. Something happened to Maria, but what? When? Where? and where is she buried?

For now, no records are available with an answer, or even a lead. At this point, I have to move on to other ancestors who are willing to be found. But I'll be back. I'll take another look someday. 

And for now, YOU might have the clue to solving this mystery. Do you have any letters or a diary that mention Maria? a photograph with Maria in it? An old document or church record with Olof and Maria. Any relative who has kept every piece of paper they have ever received that just MIGHT have a clue? If so, I'm here, waiting, not so patiently anymore, hoping to know where my great-great grandmother is buried and what happened to her so long ago.

The Mystery of Maria Barquist Olofson

Maria Barquist Olofson is my 2nd great grandmother, born on 28 September 1842. She was the third of 6 children born in Sweden to John Barquist, Sr., and his wife Marget Pehrsdotter. But when did Maria die, and where is she buried? 

Let's take a look at what we know about Maria:

When Maria was just 15 years old, the entire family came to the United States, settling first near the Jansonite settlement of Swedes in Illinois. But soon they moved to Hardin Township in Webster County. There, Maria met and married Olof Olofson in 1865.

Maria and Olof had a son, William Edward Olofson, born in 1866. The family was not well off when compared to others in the area, including the Barquists. For example, in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule (Agriculture), Olof Olofson is shown in Hardin Township, Webster County. He has 30 improved acres and 40 unimproved woodland or forest acres and 19 unimproved "old fields" not growing wood.

Olof's father-in-law, John Barquist, Sr., however, is listed as having 60 tillable acres, 100 total acres. it also lists the value of his property, crops, and animals. [Note: You may recall the post from last year about John Barquist being one of the settlers who had his property taken from him in a dispute that went all the way to the Supreme Court for a final decision.]

Whether the Olofsons had wealth or land, they had a real community of Swedes including Olof's mother and siblings and their families, as well as Maria's parents and siblings and their families. They were church-going people, belonging to the Stratford Lutheran Church.

On 31 July 1869, Olof and Maria had a second child, a daughter named Matilda. We see her in the Stratford Lutheran Church records with her parents and brother "Eddie". But Matilda's life was short. We see an entry in that same church record for February 1870, stating that Matilda had died.

The 1870 US Federal Census was taken in August and shows Olof, Maria, and their son Eddie. Daughter Matilda is gone, but I have no death record and no burial location for her. That isn't unusual for the time as Iowa was still a relatively new state without standardized rules for vital records.

But adding to the mystery is what then happened to Maria? In the 1880 US Federal Census, this is what we see:

Olof, age 43; W. E. (Eddie), age 14; and Olof's mother Christine Olofson, age 76. No Maria. And did you also notice the letter "D" in Olof's record? That is a column for marital status: Married (M), Single (S), or Divorced (D).

Now, was that accurate information? Census information is only as good as those GIVING the information and those WRITING it down. If Olof and Maria were indeed divorced, there is no record. But clearly something happened between the 1870 census where we DO see Maria and the 1880 census where she is gone. 

I've looked in many, many places. With her parents, her siblings, in the insane asylum, married to someone else, and in death and burial records. But I've not found her. I've had others look, asked for help from local genealogy societies, worked with others researching the Barquist family, and still not found her. Nor have I found daughter Matilda.

I put this brick wall away, but periodically I look again, hoping there are new records, new information, additional ideas for finding Maria, for finding Matilda's burial plot. My tree is so beautiful with branches going up and out into a fullness that makes me so proud. And yet, I have one branch that has a hole in it. 

Recently, I came across an article about the Methodist Church cemetery in Hardin Township. The following transcript is about John Linn, but I think you might see the relevance to our Maria Barquist Olofson brick wall:

"John Linn born in Sweden in 1826 and settled in Hardin Township in 1850. Mrs. Edna Anderson of Stratford is a granddaughter. She is 87 and very, very alert. She told this story: They had a daughter 2 years old [Julia Linn], a second daughter [Mary] was born and the mother died. Mr. Linn hewed out a large walnut log and buried her in this. Later when the cemetery was moved from the Methodist Church site, she was moved also to the South Marion Cemetery along with other graves."

She and others were moved to the South Marion Cemetery! Could Maria and Matilda also be among those moved from the Methodist Church cemetery to the South Marion Cemetery?

I've checked the records. First, there is no mention of John Linn's first wife Brita being buried there. And there is no record of Matilda or Maria being there either. I've emailed the local genealogy society and haven't heard back. Still, I'm hopeful that we will learn where Brita, John's wife is, and more important, where Maria Barquist Olofon and Matilda Olofson are buried.

40 years of searching. Do you have any thoughts? I'm willing to look anywhere. None of these female ancestors should be lost.

Maria Barquist Olofson

Two Deaths

Mary Barquist Olofson's older brother, Anders Barquist, stayed in Illinois when the rest of the family moved west to Iowa. And there, in Galesburg, Illinois, he married Christina Anderson on November 2, 1866.

Christina had come to this country with her family from Sweden a few years after the Barquists, settling in Illinois. She must have been very close to her parents, Elin Johansdotter Anderson and Anders Anderson because, shortly after Anders and Christina moved to Iowa, Christina's parents followed.

In the March 14, 1903, issue of the Saturday Mail out of Stanhope, we see the following death notice:

At the home of A. G. Barquist (Anders), on Thursday, March 13, Mrs. Ellen Anderson, aged 81 years, died. The deceased was the mother of Mrs. A. G. Barquist and A. H. Anderson, and the stepmother of G. P. Anderson, while two other sons reside at a distance--one in Kansas and the other in Galesburg, Illinois. Mrs. Anderson was born in Sweden and came to America in 1864, making her home in Galesburg until 1882 when she came with her family to this county. She was highly esteemed by all who knew her, and her death, which resulted from the infirmities of advanced years, will be learned with sorrow by every acquaintance. The funeral will be held at Stratford tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock. 

And from the Stratford Courier, March 14, 1903, the following:

Mrs.  Andrew Anderson died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. A. G. Barquist, Thursday morning, March 12, at 4:15 a.m. She had been confined to her bed for some time and had before her last illness been weak and sickly.

Deceased was born January 12, 1822, in Vastergotland, Sweden, and in July 1864 migrated to America, locating in Galesburg, Illinois, and in 1882 moved to Iowa. Her husband died March 28, 1893, and she had since lived with her daughter here. She left one daughter and 4 sons to mourn her death; also 19 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. 

The funeral was held from the Lutheran church Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock by Rev. Christensen of Dayton. The remains were interred in the Olson Cemetery.  

Even though her mother had been quite ill for a very long time, Christina Anderson Barquist had a very difficult time with her grief. And, within a month of her mother's death, Christina took her own life. She was just 57 years old. The news articles below give some of the details to this very sad end:

 From the April 9, 1903, Stratford Courier:

DROWNS HERSELF IN A POND.

Mrs. A.G. Barquist Suicides While Temporarily Insane.

Stratford was horror struck Tuesday to learn of the suicide of Mrs. A.G. Barquist by drowning herself in a pond containing less than two feet of water. She had lately been very despondent and subject to mental derangement and it was while in one of these spells that she committed the deed.

She got up about six o'clock to fix some bread, she said, and when her husband came down a little later, she could not be found. He at once hitched up and drove to where a son, Edwin farms, two miles east of town, but she had not been there. On his return he found her lying a short distance from the family home in a small pool of water.

A coroner's jury was impaneled and the decision rendered was "that the deceased came to her death by drowning herself." Peter Cannnon was deputized as coroner.

And a second obituary, source unknown:

Barquist

Mrs. A.G. Barquist was born in Westergötland, Sweden, September 20, 1845. In 1864 she, with her parents, came to this country. On November 6, 1866 she was married to A.G. Barquist and they resided in Galesburg until 1881 when they moved to a farm six miles east of Stratford, moving to Stratford a few years ago. She leaves a husband, four brothers, and six children to mourn her death. The children are - Emma J., Minnie, Agnes C., Arthur, Frank A. and Edwin H.

Deceased was all that the best woman is - a kind and loving wife and mother, a sympathizing friend to all, loved by everybody. The funeral will be held from the Lutheran church this afternoon at 1 o'clock by Rev. J.A. Christenson of Dayton.

Christina left a husband, Anders Barquist, who died in 1924; and 6 children, the youngest, Agnes, being just 15 years old.

The Des Moines River Land Grant Case of 1872

They had little money. Without knowing what they might find at the end of their journey, they traveled to a port in Sweden, then a long and dangerous trip across the Atlantic Ocean to a port in the United States. They traveled for weeks by foot, horse, and boat to their destination. And there, in Iowa, they laid down roots, buying land as they were able.

They became citizens. Sent their children to school. Participated in local government. Buried their families. And at least one of our ancestors was stripped of his land by the U. S. Government, lost it all through no fault of his own.

If I put the best spin on this sad tale, it was a huge debacle. A mistake of monumental proportions. But whether you believe that is true, or there was a more sinister design behind it, our ancestor, for all of his hard work, was literally dragged off of his farm by the local sheriff and lost everything, his land and his home. 160 acres. Improved on and farmed. Home built. And all he received for his efforts was $800 from the Government.

This is a complicated case, one that went all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court for a final decision. And the ancestor I'm describing is John Barquist, Sr., my 3rd great grandfather, father to our Maria Barquist Olofson.

John Barquist, Sr., had immigrated with his family from Sweden in 1857, traveling through Illinois as we saw in a previous post. Making his way to Webster County, Iowa, John and his family settled near the Des Moines River, in Township 86, Range 27, and there they purchased 160 acres along the Des Moines River, noted as being the West 1/2 of the NE quarter and the East 1/2 of the NW quarter, as seen below:

86N, 27W, 160 acres purchased by John Barquist, West of Washington Avenue and South of Hwy 175

This land was surveyed, divided into townships (36 square miles), range and section (one square mile within the township) and then sold through land offices. In Iowa, this land was sold through the Iowa Homestead Company. But the U.S. Government had held some farm land to give as "partial payment" and "bonus" to those men who had served in the military previously, including in the Revolutionary War and the Mexican War. From the warrant below, you can see that the original owner of the land was Private Samuel Hicks. And through Thomas Dale, the land eventually was sold to John Barquist in 1866.

The 160 acres described above was signed over from Samuel Hicks, through Thomas Dale, to John Barquist on June 1, 1866

You can see a better copy of the above land warrant at the Bureau of Land Management site. Search page is here.

And so, all of this seems to be tidy, legal, authorized by the president, Andrew Johnson. John Barquist thought so, too. He built his home, cleared the 160 acres, and farmed the land. That is, until he learned that the land was erroneously given to the soldiers. Instead of purchasing this land that he thought was free and clear, John Barquist became embroiled in law suits, legal claims, sheriffs coming to his door, and finally a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. And in the end, John and several hundred other Iowa farmers along the Des Moines River had to relinquish all claims to their land. 

Perhaps you remember from an earlier post about John Linn that he worked on a dam in Des Moines for a company known as the Des Moines Navigation and River Company. It is that company that filed suit, laying claim to the land that was in odd numbered sections along the Des Moines River from the Raccoon juncture all the way north to Fort Dodge. The land, they argued, was theirs, everything within 5 miles of the river itself in the odd numbered sections from Raccoon Forks north to Fort Dodge.

The Des Moines Navigation and River Company was incorporated in 1854 with 3 of the 10 original owners being men named Litchfield. Those of us who have lived in that area know the name Litchfield, Litchfield Realty, and many people today still harbor ill feelings about this company. The first lawsuit Litchfield was involved in was Dubuque and Pacific Railroad v Litchfield. In this suit, it was held that the land grant did not extend above the Raccoon Forks. With that decision in 1859, land was being sold up and down the Des Moines River to settlers. But in 1867, the Commissioner of the GLO said that settlers who had purchased before the original grant in 1846 would be able to keep their land, but later purchasers could not.

Litchfield was involved in lawsuits in both Webster and Hamilton counties. Individual farmers were sued by Litchfield. 

During the lawsuits and challenges, bills were passed in the U.S. Congress to give relief in the courts to those families who farmed on the disputed land; but President Andrew Johnson vetoed the bills twice. 

In trying to seek relief, the Iowa Secretary of State wrote the following in 1872:

These people have acted in good faith in the effort to secure homes for themselves and their families. They have spent years of earnest toil, aside from the investment of all their means. In this course, they have walked in the light of the counsel they have received from the authorities of the State and Nation. With patents of the United States as their muniment of title, they have been turned out of their homes by the strong arm of the law. Some have been imprisoned because they have not obeyed the decrees of the courts to give possession. Several hundred suits are now pending in the State and Federal Courts against the settlers, all of which must be decided in favor of the plaintiffs, and these unfortunate people rendered homeless.

It's clear that these farmers had the sympathy of some attorneys, legislators, and their communities; but in the end they had purchased land that was not for sale. They had to relinquish the land and then were paid the appraised value of the land, minus any amount owed the government. There was no restitution for improvements they made. 

In John Barquist's settlement, it was noted that the value of the land was $800, but the value of the improvements he had made was $5,741. Still, he only saw the $800.

John didn't live long enough to see all of the lawsuits finally end in around 1887. He died in 1878. He and his wife Margaret, who died in 1890, are buried in the Hardin Township Cemetery.

Some believe that the settlers were aware, or should have been aware, of the disputes along the Des Moines River and should not have bought that land. But others believe that these settlers, some with limited English skills, bought in good faith and were entitled to just compensation. 

There is much more to read on this fascinating bit of history that involved at least one our ancestors. 

And just a side note: In talking with my mom this week, I asked her about the disputed land. While she didn't know that John Barquist had lost his land, she did know that the odd numbered parcels were the Litchfield parcels. And if you ask her about her opinion of Litchfield, it would not be a good one. This river land issue and resulting law suits happened in the 1860's and 1870's, yet my mother had learned about it when she married into the Linn family in 1946, at least 80 years after. The hard feelings had clearly prevailed all of those years.

Further readings:

U.S. Supreme Court Case 1887

Report of the Iowa Secretary of State to the Governor You will see on a chart in this document that each parcel of land is in an odd numbered section; John Barquist's was in Section 23 of Township 86, Range 27.

History of the River Lands

The Janssonites

Several years ago I learned about a Swedish commune, a religious cult, that included several hundred Swedes from Gavleborg County where Maude Edith Olofson's Barquist ancestors are from. Over a period of about 5 years in the mid 1800's, Swedes from this area migrated to Bishop Hill in western Illinois.

Erik Jansson, along with many Swedes in the 1840's, became disenchanted with the state church, its rules, and the oppression they felt. Erik Jansson became a leader of a movement that rebelled against the state-run Lutheran Church. Meeting in secret in various homes to hear Jansson speak, the group lived in fear that they would be found and arrested. As the group of Jansson followers increased, a plan was made to flee to the United States, to establish a colony where they could worship freely.

Members wishing to join Erik Jansson, and the group known as Janssonites, sold all of their belongings and put the proceeds into a common fund used to transport followers and to establish their American colony. The first settlers, around 1,500, arrived in Henry County, Illinois, in 1846 and bought 60 acres, establishing Bishop Hill as their home.

Readers can learn more about this colony and Erik Jansson through a Google search or by following these links:

Bishop Hill 1846

Bishop Hill, Wikipedia

Erik Jansson Wikipedia

More Janssonites arrived over the next few years, and more land was bought to accommodate these Swedish settlers. Adults worked the land, children were schooled in English and Swedish, and strict Christian values, as interpreted by Erik Jansson, were followed.

In 1850, Erik Jansson was murdered by a man wishing to leave the colony and take his wife (Jansson's cousin) and children. Without their leader, Bishop Hill struggled, and in 1858, the male voters decided to dissolve the commune. Property was divided among the residents, but fighting and court cases continued for many years.

The question for us, though, is "are we related to the Janssonites?"

Even after I learned about this group and their origins in the same general area as my Olofson and Barquist ancestors were from in Sweden, I didn't give this much thought. That was, until we went to Sweden in 2008 and met with a local historian. I had sent her several surnames and parishes and farms ahead of our visit, and we arranged for a day to follow her to see as many as we could.

While having lunch, she asked for more information about my Barquist ancestors. When did they come to America? Where did they settle? Did I know if they were part of the Janssonite colony in Illinois?

We think of the Barquists immigrating directly from Sweden to Iowa, but some of our Barquists did settle for a time in Illinois. Maria Barquist Olofson's oldest brother Jan/John came to the United States in 1856, ahead of the rest of his family, and lived in Altoona in Knox County from the time he immigrated in 1856 until 1863 when he and his wife moved to Iowa.

The rest of Jan's family, parents John Barquist, Sr., wife Margaret, and children Anders, Maria, Peter, Lars, and Greta, came to the United States in 1857. It makes sense that they would have stayed with Jan in Knox County, Illinois, where he had immigrated a year before.

Later, when the parents and their children moved west to Hardin Township in Webster County, one son, Anders/Andrew Barquist, stayed behind, in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, at least until 1885 when we find him and his family in the Stratford area of Iowa.

Alma Nordbloom, who later married Henry Linn (son to John August Linn; grandson to Gustus Linn), was from Galva, Illinois.

Galesburg (lower left), Altoona and Gavla on Highway 34; Bishop Hill above Highway 34

Our Barquists, as well as a person who married into the Linns, are found in Galesburg, Altoona and Gavla, all near the Bishop Hill colony in western Illinois. Clearly, this part of Illinois was a place where many Swedes settled, either for a short time on their way west, or for a longer time, including those who were Janssonites.

To this date, however, I've not found our ancestors listed in any Bishop Hill records or censuses, but there is no doubt that Henry and Knox counties in Illinois were places our ancestors lived during the time when Bishop Hill, as a Swedish settlement, existed. Our ancestors came from the same part of Sweden that Janssonites came from, but came after Erik Jansson had been killed and there was upheaval in Bishop Hill. Our ancestors would have known the Jansson followers in Sweden, socialized with them, helped each other in this new country, perhaps sympathized with the Janssonite beliefs, or even came with the idea of living in Bishop Hill itself. But in 1857, they would have seen the last days of the commune and the dissolution of Bishop Hill in 1858.

Were some of our ancestors disillusioned with the state-run church in Sweden? Probably, because this disillusionment was especially true in the northern counties of Sweden including Gavleborg County. But there were many other reasons our Swedish ancestors came during the 1840's and 1850s. Religion was just one. The opportunity to own land, fertile land for farming, crop failures in Sweden, rocky terrain that was difficult, even impossible to clear and farm, the belief that the roads really were paved with gold in the United States were some of the other reasons.

I can't rule out that our ancestors were involved with the Bishop Hill commune. Perhaps the Barquists immigrated with other Janssonites but were not satisfied with communal living and the rules they had to live by and moved to a neighboring community. Perhaps they saw in 1857 that the commune could not sustain itself and simply lived near those they knew in Sweden until they could make their way further west. At this point, all I can say is that our Barquists did settle for a time very near the Janssonite commune of Bishop Hill and no doubt would have known many of the members.

I do find John Barquist, Sr., his eldest son Jan, second oldest son Anders and their families listed in various Iowa censuses, the Stratford Lutheran Centennial book, and Stratford Lutheran membership book as being Lutheran. So, even if there was a time of disdain for the Lutheran Church in Sweden, this family clearly came back to practice their Lutheran faith in the United States.

Still, I find this an interesting part of Swedish history, Swedish migration, and at least something that our ancestors would have been aware of during their own migration.

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."

Olof Olofson - How did no one know THIS?

Olof Olofson was my second great grandfather, the grandfather to Maude Edith Olofson Linn. Today's post is about his life, but first, when you look at the picture below, does anything stand out to you? The answer will be at the end of this post.

Olof Olofson. 

Olof Olofson was born in Farila Parish in Gavleborg County on October 5, 1837, the second of 6 children born to Olof Olsson and Kirstin Larsdotter. In 1850, Olof and Kirstin brought their 6 children to the United States, which was rather early for Swedish immigration. They settled in Manitowac County, Wisconsin, having lost their infant daughter along the way. Olof Olsson died in Wisconsin, and the family story is that Kirstin walked with her 5 surviving children to Iowa where she settled near Stratford and raised her family.

In 1865 Olof married Maria Barquist. Their son William Edward Olofson was born in 1866, and three years later, their daughter Mathilda was born. Sadly, Mathilda died in February 1870. The story becomes blurry about Maria at this point, but by 1880, we know that Olof had remarried to Brita Rask. In one record, Olof is listed as a widower; in another census he is listed as divorced. To this date, no one has been able to learn what happened to Maria Barquist Olofson.

Olof and Brita had 7 children together in addition to Olof's William Edward Olofson and Brita's Anna Sophia Charlotta. They lived very modestly in Hardin Township, on 30 improved acres and 40 unimproved woodland or forest acres and 19 unimproved "old fields" not growing wood, according to the 1880 U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule (Agriculture). The value of the farm was $1600; value of livestock $450.

According to the regular US Federal Census data, Olof did not own his own farm until the 1920 census, just 4 years before he died. Until then, they were renters and also had boarders living with them. Imagine all of those people in a small, modest farm house!

The children were

• William Edward Olofson, 1866-1924, married to Olivia Rask;
• Anna Sophia Charlotta Olofson (Lottie), 1879-1931, married to Oscar Emil Larson;
• Hannah Margurite Olofson, 1881-1965, married to William Leon Brundien;
• Alice Olofson, 1883-1963, married to Henry V. Larson;
• Gilbert Olofson, 1886-1976, married to Iva Pearl Woolsey;
• Charles Olofson, 1889-1911, died working in Chicago;
• Delbert Olofson, 1891-1920, married to Golda Mae Snyder;
• Bada Olofson, 1893-1971, married to Clement Lincoln Johnson;
• Leon Olofson, 1896-1967, no information on a marriage.

One of the interesting features of this family, unusual at the time, is that, several of the children had moved far away from Iowa. Alice died in Tacoma, Washington; Delbert in Truman, Minnesota; Bada in Long Beach, California; and Leon in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.

And so, back to the question I asked at the beginning of this post. Here's another photo for you to examine:

Olof is in the lower left.

Is there anything you might be noticing now? No, it's not the beard, although it's pretty fantastic! I have to admit that I didn't notice something about Olof for all of the years I've had these photos. If you have a guess, take a look at this obituary for Olof that I just found a couple of weeks ago.

Notice halfway down where the article mentions his being blind for 40 YEARS!

Webster City Journal, July 24, 1924, page 5

This is the first time I've heard or read of his being blind. And Olof was blind for nearly half his life!! How did he farm? Did any of my readers know this? Please comment on the blog if you have any insight.

I love genealogy research. I find out something new every time I look at a new record, read a news article, exchange information with other descendants, read about the history of the time. I hope you're enjoying these posts as much as I enjoy writing them.